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]

=)

[Jordon McGee (Jords)]

Completely agree! We need a robust file manager that we can host folder of files on. It would make life simpler =] Relative paths are the way to go!

[Ceddy J]

So this didn't make it to Best of The Week? What in tarnation is going on?

[Toni]

I completely agree with Jen about how useful it is for our sites to have an FTP access and how it wouldn't be a problem for Ning to give this access.

Would I pay more for it? Not sure, I'm already losing a lot of money with my network to pay my yearly subscription...

[soaringeagle]

theres no reason to charge extra for ftp however since thers a security issue maybe there should be a charge for fixing your site if you screw it up while using ftp

[Toni]

I agree with you buddy !
Will Ning? :) 

[Michel Joseph Pétulli]

Been here since we used to have access to our source codes as site creators we all went thru many changes ;some for the better some for the worst,the reason why i was personally using ftp as my graphics sever was because for a while there was a restriction on size and weight of the graphic components upload ,than the Ning hatchet man cut back the it personnal to a mere acceptable level,than Ning bought cheaper servers that took up to 20 minutes to synch a mere jpg change sometimes,now they tell us they are a platform etc.... The bottom line is in my books ;Is the client happy ??Is the client getting what he is paying for ???I The rest i'm afraid is all but backroom rethorical bs the client should not have to deal with, but that's just my opinion of the facts.

[Michel Joseph Pétulli]

learned how to make short file names early on about 8 years ago lol ;-)

[Ceddy J]

THE BIGGEST REASON OF ALL TO GET EVERYONE'S ATTENTION IN MY OPINION IS THE LONG URLS FOR PICTURE UPLOADS. IT KILLS THE AMOUNT OF CHARACTERS YOU HAVE IN YOU CSS, WHICH BTW I'M LEFT HAVING TO TELL MYSELF (DON'T TRY ANYTHING ELSE COOL BECAUSE YOU DON'T HAVE ROOM FOR IT). SO I THINK THE BEST WAY TO MAKE ALL PARTIES HAPPY IS A FILE MANAGER WITH RELATIVE URLS, AND I THINK THAT NING WOULD ACTUALLY JUMP ON THAT.

[Jen]

Good point, Ceddy.

=)

[Ceddy J]

Thank you Jen. This would help me tremendously.

[Andrew Aker]

FTP would make life much easier.  Normal web designers don't know what to do when it comes to helping me fix my site...  It took me 3 years to find a local web designer that could really help me as American ning site designers cost far too much for us.