Customizing and revamping; breaking some of the social networking cookie cutters

[Add a Tip for Other Network Creators (Ning 2.0)]

I notice that  a lot of creators (not all) are aiming to be the "spitting image" of  places like Facebook".  If I would have wanted to be like Facebook I would have made my website using them. I prefer Ning, thank you.  And "Thank you", Ning!

Our friend, Patrick Chappelle has mentioned getting rid of the "Ning-ness by changing some of the coding.  We have, Patrick.  I am suggesting alternatives to the social networking language, period.  I  have changed the majority of the language used on my site; little has not be touched by my hand.  I got very sick of seeing the tired Sign up/Sign in/ log in/log out lingo. The "Likes" seemed somewhat juvenile.  So here are a few of the ones we use on our site.  Some of it has been mentioned on other discussions, so it may be a repeat.

"Forum" has been changed to "Discussion Boards", "Like" to "I admire this!", Recent Network Events"  (Events also can mean happenings or occurrences, or thing past.) was "Latest Activity". Our place is for morticians so I renamed "Chat" or "Main Room", "The Visitation Room".  Could have named it "The Parlor", but that is British terminology, and I am American.

Why have "TOP MEMBERS"?  Changed it to "ACTIVE MEMBERS".  We dumped the "Inbox" for "Message Center"  Added our initials TMN to Friends .  "Settings" is now "Profile Settings".

In addition, we gave the Ning footer a facelift, by adding and subtracting links. Nothing wrong with using Nings footer, just customize it to fit your website.  We use the "Instant Ad Footer" for US. We have our custom logo there.  It is the same as the header used in our Broadcast messages.  It is slightly different than our main header.

We scraped the "SO and SO is a social network"  We are not a social network. we are a professional network.  We replaced it with our tagline.  Unique and customized for us!

We also file 13nd the Sign up /Sign in page, and remade it.  It is now "Join" or "Enter"; you also "Exit" not "Sign out.  We kept the site search and did away with the Signing links.  We admire our site, and thank Creators for making it so.  You may visit us, our main page is visible. http://morticiansnetwork.com

[Jayne]

Hmm, that's weird, mine's at the top... at least it's working, so if you play around with the figures, you might get it to go to the top..

[Jayne]

Hmm, that's weird, mine's at the top... at least it's working, so if you play around with the figures, you might get it to go to the top..

[Luciano Costa]

I wouldn't even know where to start. LOL I'm clueless when it comes to that coding and html stuff. 

[HELP SEEKER]

i would just additionally named 'new members' as 'fresh meat' - if i was your network owner lol

[Jen]

Wow HELP SEEKER - - Takes everything in me, not to blast you off the map. But, I won't come down to your level of insensitivity and ignorance. Your comment to Scott is beyond insulting.