Is there a way for the Creator or Admin to use the network as a member?

[Shaun]

As a service to our premium members, we want to do certain tasks on their behalf.

We currently log in with their username and password which means having to first log out of one profile before logging in on the next member's profile.

Is there a way that the Creator or Admin can switch from one profile to the next? Something similar to the way you can switch between pages on Facebook.   

[Design Faerie]

if you use Chrome--all sign ins are saved--it's pretty easy to bounce back and forth..I believe IE even saves

[HELP SEEKER]

where do you see their passwords ??

[Jenny]

Hi Shaun,

Although I'm sure you're only doing so to help your members, I want to point out that our Terms of Service (http://www.ning.com/about/legal/tos/#def_15) prohibits collecting passwords. Please delete any passwords you may have collected as soon as possible.

Thanks,
Jenny

[Shaun]

Yes, I understand the prohibition on collecting passwords and that is no problem.

However, if a member who may not have the technical skill to do something requires assistance, how is this dealt with?  I am not meaning we represent the member, we wish to do stuff for them that they cannot. 

[Shaun]

Anthony has given excellent advice. 

[LadyHawk]

The easy way is to open one page in IE and open the second page in Mozilla...that way you can be signed into both pages at the same time. Just use 2 different browsers.

[Nor Cal Social Media]

Hi Shaun,

As Jenny points out, using my own words here, you are not supposed to represent yourself as someone else. It's something I put quite a lot of attention to as an online social media consultant. It's right there in your default terms of service with Ning, but there are constructive workarounds. I think the number 1 priority to keep in mind though is that you cannot log into someone else's account. My understanding is this is a "control" that allows Ning to hold either Ning creators or their community members accountable for their own actions. It mitigates their liability, as well your own legal exposure.

It's a good thing! However, it creates a barrier to the simplest request most social media consulting clients are going to have- which is for someone else to set up profiles and operate them on their behalf. In the past, I was a contracted management consultant. Independent businesses would pay me a management fee, I had explicit consent to represent them through various marketing/ advertising channels, and my accountabilities/ imdemnification were specified in articles of an LLC partnership. So if you have such an arrangement, or you work as a declared "W2" employee for a company, then my advice would be to put forward a request for exception to Ning in advance if possible, and to save yourself the potential trouble of enforcement actions. I think that's a reasonable request, so if you do that I'd like to know how it turns out!

In lieu of such an arrangement, I'll give you some of my workaround logic.

• Hold yourself and your clients to the Terms Of Service. In other words, inform them of the condition as out of your control, and establish the policies for your services with the TOS in mind.
• Set your service concept up as "consulting" as opposed to "management". That is tell them the what and how to do, even prepare it for them, but require them to execute it.
• Utilize a teriary social application- a group rather than a profile. Thereby one or both of you can represent the common interest alongside eachother without technically violating the TOS (as I understand it).
• Be an independent agent- represent the client indirectly. For instance, I might post a client's video as "Nor Cal Social Media"-the indirect representation seamless and implied, but not technically proxied through their account (as I understand it).  

There may even be stipulations for transparency when getting paid for posting positive adverts or reviews etc. I've found social media clients compelled to put forward those kinds of demands, and Ning's TOS are very helpful in creating boundaries in scope of services to protect you from being pulled over that fine line.

What I do is represent myself. I don't post anything I don't personally want to. I do have a sponsorship program, reserve my consulting services to my sponsors, and may choose to post a link, article, or video they may forward me as a courtesy. However I still maintain my autonomous discretion, would only share media that directly relates to my site's theme, and do this non-exclusively with any media I find worth sharing whether the business be a client/ sponsor or not. The exclusive benefit for sponsorship I do offer is that only those businesses can represent their own interests on my site. By extension, they also get access to a site that is set up for, instructional consulting for, and augmentive services for doing it themselves.

Hope I've been helpful!

Best, Anthony

[Shaun]

Many thanks Anthony, I appreciate your clarity surrounding this issue. Very helpful.  

I must revisit the Ning ToC's again :) 

[Nor Cal Social Media]

My pleasure. Glad if I could help.

Nice to meet you, Shaun.

Best, Anthony