OMG Ning - PLEASE Fix the Search

[Jen]

Dear Ning Team,
This is without a doubt the most frustrating platform on the Planet, in regards to searching for content. I've been searching for 30 minutes for one blasted tip. For God's sake, forget all the fancy stuff for a while, and fix one of the most needed and critical features that any online Community or website must have - - a Search that works properly. The Search should return results for any content that contains a "search word or phrase", and not just tags. But, even the tags are not found.

This has been a problem for almost 2 years now. It's inexcusable. And frankly, I am tired of wasting hours every week searching, and I'm tired of my members having to experience this exasperating experience as well.

If you want proof that even the simplest of searches do not work properly, I'll be happy to oblige. I cannot tell you how many times I have searched for exact tags, that absolutely exist - - nada, doesn't work. Even the Google Search struggles with Ning tags. So something is obviously, seriously wrong. Please fix it.

Sorry for my shortness on this. But, I am tired of this being ignored. I am pleading with you all. Please fix this critically needed feature, and ongoing issue.

You all know that I am one of your biggest fans, no doubt about it. But this issue makes me a little crazy in the brain.

Thanks in advance,
Jen

[Jen]

I don't know how to get Ning's attention on this. I really would prefer the Google Search, regardless. But like you said, we should be given an option, and an easy install.
Thanks Janettee,
Jen

[Janettee McCrary]

No prob Jen.

[irgeorgepecore]

Pls. Don't think it too much idol. It might solve it later...
don't think the problem twice, that will make it two. Just relax idol, i'm with your side. :DDD

[Ken]

We could always start a petition of some kind. Maybe the best place to start this is on JenSocial!

[Jen]

hmmm, might be a good plan.

[Fabricio]

Don't you think a thread with 115 comments is big enough?

I'm sorry but from when I came from the petitions doesn't work in this cases.

[Jen]

Just for the "friendly" record, I am a huge fan of Ning. This is one of a few serious issues I've ever really had with the platform. And I guarantee, the Ning Team isn't taking this personally. It's all about the platform, and big picture.

All I care about is a solution, or some type of simple commitment from Ning, that's all. I'm just a straight shooting kind of person, and call it like it is. ;-)

They know when I complain, it's sincere and likely a serious issue.

Thanks,
Jen

[Fabricio]

I'm a fan too and that's why I'm here, if not, I won't be losing my time posting ;)

My point is that there is no need of a petition. They failed a little bit with me and I closed 3 weeks ago one of my little communities: www.pasionporbocajuniors.com with just a few hundreds of members.

Now, they are failing on supporting as it should be done. The tickets are regulary ignored. Soooo, I have a roadmap to move all the members from this site: http://interactlatino.ning.com/ to another, a bigger one. That's a 500+ members site the one I'm closing... and that's 40$ less that Ning will receive from me.

Guess what's going to happen if they keep promising premium support and they fail? My bigger community will be gone, I don't have time or money to lose.

Thanks to you!

Fabri,

[Marc]

I am also very concerned about the lack of responsiveness. I posted about my concerns in another thread, here, and actually got a response from Ning!

I think Ning dug themselves into a bit of a hole by increasing their pricing, making fairly bold promises about the product to justify that pricing, but also slashing their staff numbers at the same time. Sure, they have to make money (I want them to make money... lots of it!), and I have no idea what those staff were doing, but it's hard to believe that a 40% staff cut can be accompanied by a significant increase in the quality of service. Sure, increased prices will reduce customer numbers which will provide some relief in the support area, but theirs is a scale business where there is marginal additional work required for each new customer, relative to the work required to develop and maintain the core product.

While not wanting to downplay the importance of hobby sites, for anyone wanting to build a business that relies, at least in part, on a reliable and feature rich platform that will still be around years from now to support their business, this is all much more concerning. I'm still developing my business, but am still not sure I should be placing this much faith in one company that won't even respond with a "we're looking into it" in a thread with this many requests for a response - even if it is on a site where, according to Ning, "We don't aim to answer every discussion started here on Creators. In fact, this space is designed to be more about conversation between NCs than between employees and NCs. That said, many Ning employees jump in when we can."

[Jen]

Fabricio and Marc,
Respectfully I say to you, can we please keep this on topic, and about the Search?
Thanks,
Jen

[Fabricio]

I can't yet understand how Ning doesn't have a phone to call them directly or a live chat with supporters. Doesn't matter if they are only 2 or 3, I could leave my PC connected for hours to have a chat with one of them and solve many issues with my site.

Don't say it's too expensive, all the medium size companies has it!

[Janettee McCrary]

I don't understand either. I'm all on my own, and even I have phone/chat support. In fact, if you go to my page, you'll find I have a chat window there... Although I admit I'm not always on it, because I have a job (now) and family too.