Changes to the Ning Terms of Service (TOS)

[John McDonald]

Today, we're making two changes to our Ning Terms of Service (TOS) related to the acquisition of Ning by Glam Media, a company that helps connect online publishers (like yourself) with top brand advertisers. As we stated in our initial announcement of the acquisition, we plan no immediate changes to the Ning team, product, or business as a result of the acquisition. We’ll continue to deliver new, innovative features to help you build and manage a vibrant community.

The two changes to our TOS are related to new revenue opportunities offered by Glam Media that Network Creators may elect to take advantage of in the future:

• For Network Creators who choose to apply to join the Glam Publisher Network and are accepted, we’ve added a new clause to our TOS. Network Creators who join the Glam Publisher Network grant us a content license that enables us to promote and showcase their Ning Network and their network’s content on Glam.com, Bliss.com, Brash.com or other Glam-affiliated websites.

• In order to help us deliver the highest value revenue programs, we've made a change to the TOS to help us account for all of the traffic and usage on the Ning Platform as measured by comScore, a third-party service that measures the worldwide audience and usage of websites. If you use your own domain for your Ning Network — unless you request at any time to opt-out — you agree to assign the traffic relating to your domain-mapped Ning Network to Glam Media for comScore syndicated audience measurement reports.

In case you have questions about the second change, here are a few FAQs to help out:

Who uses comScore?

Advertising agencies and large brand advertisers subscribe to comScore’s reports to compare the traffic and audience composition of publishers – including individual publishers, networks of publishers (e.g. Glam Media), and companies who own multiple websites (e.g. AOL).

Why is Ning making this change?

This change will help advertisers who use comScore to get a more accurate measure of the traffic and audience across all networks on the Ning Platform.

What happens when my traffic is assigned to Glam Media in comScore?

Your traffic will roll-up under the Ning / Glam Media property in comScore reports so that comScore subscribers can see total traffic and audience composition across the Ning Platform and the Glam Publisher Network.

Will advertising agencies and brand advertisers still be able to see my individual network’s traffic and audience composition?

Yes!  If you use your own custom domain for your Ning Network, your network’s traffic will still be available and viewable in the comScore reports.

What if I don’t use my own custom domain for my Ning Network?

comScore only reports top level domains (e.g. Ning.com). If you don’t use a custom domain for your Ning Network, your traffic is already included in the report for the Ning.com domain.

Why might a Ning Creator opt-out of assigning traffic to Glam Media?

• Network Creators who directly sell ad inventory across multiple websites to advertisers may want to “roll-up” the traffic from all of their websites into a single property in comScore reports. Note, you need to subscribe to comScore in order to create the property roll-up.
• Network Creators who have already assigned their traffic to a publisher network other than Glam Media will likely want to opt-out.

Can I opt-out in the future?

• Yes. You can opt-out at any time and we will notify comScore to remove your domain-mapped network from the Ning / Glam Media property roll-up.  Note, this removal process may take up to 60 days to take effect.
• Alternatively, you can submit a new Traffic Assignment Letter (TAL) to comScore.  Please kindly let us know if you do this so we can remove your domain-mapped network from our property roll-up.

 

[Eric Suesz]

You opt in to the advertising opportunities. As for the rest, as John notes: "In order to help us deliver the highest value revenue programs, we've made a change to the TOS to help us account for all of the traffic and usage on the Ning Platform.... This change will help advertisers who use comScore to get a more accurate measure of the traffic and audience across all networks on the Ning Platform." (Also, IMHO, there are benefits to being large, having more data at your fingertips etc. -- benefits that apply to both advertisers and NCS.)

[Shesh Dhar Tiwari]

Thanks Eric... 

My network is too small but is growing. It will reach to the minm required level within a year. Till then I need not worry. I will decide later on.

[SweetPotato]

how many of us actually have 100000K visitors a month to even get on the Glam network? Not many of us i would suggest LOL

[Writer Chick {Diane}]

I'm not going to be using this, as my members hate ads.  

Two questions: 

1. Since I don't have a custom domain and don't plan on using Glam, do I have to physically do anything at this point??  Am I "opted out" by default?

2. Since I'm not going to participate, will MY TOS be changed or will it be the same as it is now??  (I don't want that clause anywhere in my TOS about people "owning" content that doesn't belong to them.  Writers get their underwear all in a wad over clauses like that. )

[Eric Suesz]

You don't have to do anything, Diane. If you don't even have a custom domain, you wouldn't be able to be listed on comScore as a standalone network. Your TOS that you present to your members doesn't change. (This change is probably only important to a handful of networks.)

[Writer Chick {Diane}]

Thanks Eric!

[dex meaans]

I was looking to hopefully attract national brand advertisers to my network. And with out the knowledge of how to attract, bill or rates to charge  this  glam media merger and opportunity really excites me. I can wait to further grow my network and monetize my site.

[URBAN LYFESTYLES MAGAZINE]

hi..

1.  do we receive compensation for the glam media ads that are on our site?

2.  what does that mean...if you are accepted by glam media...why would a site not be accepted

3.  are the glam media ads video commercials... i want video commercials on my site

thanks..

[Eric Suesz]

Hey, URBAN LIFESTYLES MAGAZINE. I'll try to answer your questions: 

1. Yes. If you apply and are accepted and run Glam Media ads, you will get paid. 

2. Read up on how people can qualify to run these ads. You'll need at least 100K pageviews/month to start. 

3. These ads can come in different forms and might include video. It just depends on what brand advertisers are offering at any particular time. 

[M]

I personally recommend that everyone opts out. After doing some extensive research on glam they seem a little shifty.