How Important Is FTP Access to You? OR, File Manager With Features To Upload Multiple Files With Relative Paths?

[Jen]

How Important Is FTP Access to You?

I have discussed the lack of no FTP (File Transfer Protocol) access with several Ning Team Members, since this platform feature was removed. I think it would be interesting to hear from fellow Network Creators and find out how important is this feature to you and your Network?

If you're not familiar with FTP access, this discussion topic probably doesn't affect you. If you want to hear a little more, I'll try to explain. This is a method used to upload files to a hosted location - - a place to store your files like for scripts, or 3rd party sliders, etc...

Currently, the Ning platform does not enable FTP access. Instead, Ning built what is called the File Manager. The problem with the File Manager method, the uploaded files are uploaded to the Ning API, and the file path names are very long. But that's not the entire problem. The limitations with this type of file uploading method are severe.

Quick Summary:

If you need to upload several files (scripts, images, css, etc...) or a folder containing all the files needed to add something like a slider to your Ning Network, you cannot. You either have to upload to an external host and call your application into your Ning Network via an iFrame, or attempt to upload many files via the File Manager, and edit your code throughout using the long Ning API file paths.

More Details:

1. You must upload each file, one at a time.
2. There are no relative paths using the current File Manager Upload Method. To explain: Let's say your script that runs your slider engine calls custom css or other js files. Each js and css file has to be uploaded via the Ning File Manager. You then have to hard code each path within your script and HTML. Additionally, your slider images have to be uploaded one at a time, you then need to copy/paste the long Ning API URL into the proper location in your HTML. It's a tedious and easy-to-make-mistakes process.

• Relative Path Example - \slider\js\yourfile.js
• Ning API Path Example - "http://api.ning.com/files/sbcI5*UFXaKvItF6DEMsWegpfCglyldZabcdefghijklmnopqr123yourfile.js"
• If you upload a file today, and edit the file tomorrow, for example a slider image, you must do the following:

1. Re-upload the image file via the File Manager.
2. Change the file URL in your HTML code, to call the new image.
3. Save and re-upload your HTML file, or change the image path in your Text Box HTML Code.

 

With FTP access, the paths would be relative and never change. For example, you would upload your new image, keeping the same file name, something like: slide1.jpg.

Your code would already contain the calling path for slide1.jpg. Therefore, that's all you would need to do to update your slider. The calling path would stay the same http://yourning.com/slider/images/slide1.jpg.

 

Why Did Ning Remove FTP Access?

I think most experienced NCs understand why Ning removed FTP access. I'm sure it was a nightmare with access to backend files, and newbies wiping out files, probably NCs uploading files that had nothing to do with their Ning site, Security issues, file serving load times, cost for Support Team to stay on top of the problems, etc...

However, we desperately need a way to upload files, without having to change filename paths, therefore having to edit all code for one simple app.

I suggest that Ning build the following File Upload Interface:

• A limited amount of disk space for uploading files.
• No access to platform files for security measures.
• A way to upload a folder of files and use relative paths. Note: Even if we only had relative paths like a virtual relative path, this would work.

 

Fellow Network Creators, what are your thoughts?

• How much do you need this, and why?
• Would you pay extra for this type of interface?

 

Thanks in advance to everyone!

Jen

 

 

 

[Patrick Chappelle]

I'm willing to bet if we had to pay for space, more people would care about it. LOL

[Patrick Chappelle]

I wouldn't say lack of participation here is indicative of nc's feelings on the matter. Most people don't live on the internet and have jobs and families to attend to, then there are other issues that might take precedent over this matter currently. When I first started out on Ning, I didn't even know what ftp was, I would have ignored this discussion too, then. Once I understood what I could do with it, I was game. The first thing I did was install a fav icon on my network. LOL But I digress...

[Julie Hochstadter]

My IT guys say - FTP is horrible, very unsecure by it's nature.  A better option for
 developers are ssh/sftp with authentication keys.

And I had almost no idea what FTP was (or is).  My site gets 200,000 pageviews a month in winter and my site is a community of cyclists in Chicagoland.   Ning lets those of us with little tech skills still run cool community sites. 

[Jen]

Julie,

We're not debating secure FTP (sftp). That goes without saying. We're debating the lack of uploading files via a standard method.

Thanks,

Jen

[Julie Hochstadter]

Got it.  T hanks.  Asking my IT guys who about this stuff and have been members of my site for 3 years. 

[Patrick Chappelle]

Security has been addressed numerous times in this discussion. But as some of have pointed out, there are other options. Someone can correct me if I'm wrong, but I think we had sftp at one time too.

[soaringeagle]

for those that say they never would use ftp but reply to dozens of discussions like this

your using ftp each time

the difference being each time that you use this same exact image it stores it as a seperate image with a seperate url

now you have 10g storage wouldnt you want to use that storage eficiently?

have a 1 k file only take up 1k not 1 k for each and every time you use it/

instead of uploading over abnd ob=vb er taking up more and more space?

wiouldnt it be better then using a long url each time that always refferences a totaly diferent file  that instead you can just type in

/images/thumbsup.jpg and it always refferneces that 1 single file?

its so inefficient the way it is now

if it was redone  thousands of gigs  would be saved

and remember..your paying for that storage space

[Dignified]

I'm not an expert in web-designs, but I've quite an experience with the quoted scenario below & i understand with FTP access, this would be a lot easier process. Especially considering the fact that i change most of my files often.

• If you upload a file today, and edit the file tomorrow, for example a slider image, you must do the following:

1. Re-upload the image file via the File Manager.
2. Change the file URL in your HTML code, to call the new image.
3. Save and re-upload your HTML file, or change the image path in your Text Box HTML Code.

[Fire-Tech]

I'm right there with ya on that one. Keep things fresh, but what a pain!

[Jen]

Thanks everyone! All opinions count.

=)

[Patrick Chappelle]

Yeah, I know. On my planet, we're honest and keep our promises. I don't understand your world, such a strange and confounding species.

[Jen]

LOL! You know I feel the same.