How to use platform as a blog

[Perrie Halpern]

Hi All!

I currently have a forum here on Ning and I love both the platform and this group. So when my girlfriend said that she wanted to do a blog, I thought, of Ning. I got the site up with her very quickly, since I know how to use the platform, but now we are running into some problems. Since the platform is really meant for social groups, it's hard to make it just a blog. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to do this, and if anyone knows if there are plans in the works (I read that there were) for blogs, could you please fill us in where in the process Ning is. 

Thanks,

Perrie, The NewsTalkers

Debby, Vegan American Princess

[Nor Cal Social Media]

Hey Debby,

It could be as simple as only having a blog module shown, and upgraded accounts apparently now have the option to remove Sign Up. However, I personally do not think the value is there. She'll be paying for features she neither values nor uses, and there a plenty of free applications such as WordPress that may be more suitable.

I do know some people who got into Ning with the same idea. In fact, my site is set up more as a "social media environment" than a "social network" right now. So it can certainly be done, but I think you have to have some good reasoning behing going the Ning route. Also, there are some Nings that are designed specifically to support bloggers, so she might even like to set up a blog on one of those sites.

For your information, the term "blog" comes from "weblog", and used to be more of an information log techies used to share notes. That static application has become less prominant in the last 5 to 10 years though, and now I think more people are finding value in the social interactivity built into most blog modules. I wonder, what does your friend want to accomplish with her blog?  

Best,

Anthony

[Perrie Halpern]

Hi Anthony,

We looked at Wordpress, and Debby would like to develop her presence as a personality for the Vegan community as well as merchandising. By the time she would do all the add ons and the total lack of social engagement by her community, it didn't pay to go with Wordpress. Also, I have been very impressed by the service Ning has given me, and this owners community. My understanding is that there are other sites here on Ning, that are operating as blogs with a social twist, and that was what she was looking for overall. I just need to help her figure out how to conform the Ning platform to do what she needs it to do. 

So I guess question number 1 would be, is there anyway that only she can make blog posts? Right now I have her set up where in case someone makes a blog post, she has to approve them, but this is the best I can do. Is there anyway to lock everyone else out?

Thanks again,

Perrie

[Nor Cal Social Media]

Hi Perrie,

Apologies for reading you as Debby. Pretty straightforward I would suppose if she wanted to use the site just to blog and not have members. So she wants a social website, but wants the blog app to only work for her? Not sure about that, although I think I've picked up some chatter about using paid access by module as a feasible constraint.

Allow me to share one of my absolute favorites http://artnings.ning.com/. Pierre went into Ning as an enhancement to his blogging activity. He had something very specific in mind and I would say he's been phenominally successful at controlling it to that end.

Now I blogged steady for about 4 years, but I archived my work a year ago and am already feeling a bit outdated, lol! Like everything I do, I still use my Ning blog but in an outside-the-box way. Not really sure who is doing this now, but one of the most impressive blog related Nings I've seen recently is http://www.blogaholicnetwork.com/. Emily strikes me as a real pro, so I'd look into her work for some great information and resources.

Best,

Anthony