Seesmic Desktop and Ning

[Kyle Ford]

Update: The Seesmic Extension has been discontinued.

 

We’re happy to announce that Ning Networks are now supported in the all-new Seesmic Desktop 2 product. If you’re not familiar with Seesmic Desktop, it’s an application that allows you to follow activity across multiple social networking services and post status updates from one easy-to-use location. In addition to keeping your finger on the pulse of your Twitter, Facebook and Google Buzz accounts, you and your members will now be able to monitor activity on one or more of your Ning Networks. Even better, your members can post status updates to your Ning Networks at the same time they post to other services. This is a great way to increase your member engagement.

Seesmic is the first launch partner for our new "Ning Network Extensions" program. These extensions allow external applications to interact with Ning Network content, and provide additional functionality for Network Creators and their members. Stay tuned, as we'll be adding more partners in the coming months.

More About Seesmic Desktop:

Which networks can use it, and how is it activated?

The integration is available to all Ning Plus and Ning Pro networks. If a Network Creator would like to enable the functionality, they can simply activate Seesmic support via the new "Network Extensions" area of their "My Network" page. They can then instruct their members to install Seesmic Desktop 2 and add the Ning plug-in.

What type of operating system is required?
Seesmic Desktop 2 is available for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X.

What network activity is displayed in Seesmic Desktop?
The first version of the Ning plug-in will keep members updated every minute for the following activity items on your network (with more items to come in future versions):

• Status updates
• New photos
• Comments on photos
• New blog posts
• Comments on blog posts
• New members
• Comments on member profiles

The plug-in also respects each network's Latest Activity settings. For example, if a Network Creator has chosen not to display status updates in their Main Page Latest Activity feed, status updates will not appear in the Seesmic stream.

Can multiple Ning Networks be added? What about private networks?
Yes and yes. Seesmic Desktop is a great way to easily follow activity across multiple Ning Networks (including private networks).

Can status messages be posted via Seesmic Desktop?
Absolutely. Not only can status updates be posted to a single Ning Network, but members can easily post a new status message across multiple Ning Networks at once (as well as to other services like Twitter and Facebook).

How can I tell my members about Seesmic?
Once you enable Seesmic on your network (see above), let your members know how to get started with this boilerplate language we've created. You can edit it to suit your purposes — or just copy, paste, and broadcast.

[solo]

awesome this is great..late breaking news

[Patrick Chappelle]

This is indeed great news Kyle, however, I have one question. When my members download and activate Seesmic, they will be enabling the "Ning" plug-in, not a "My Network" plug-in. No?

I realize that Ning has got to keep their brand in the public eye, but it seems this would defeat the purpose of nc's trying to brand their networks instead.

Or am I wrong?

[Brad]

I agree.

[Martin de Goede]

Right on the nose Thunder X.
Again NING forgets about NC's of branded networks not wanting to show it's a NING network.
For me as NC ot's great but I am not sure I'll mention it to our members.

[Eric Suesz]

I don't think this is a "we forgot" kind of thing. We're integrating with more third-party apps (with more to come), and many of these third party apps are dedicated to a more "open" framework. If you're intent on having a pure white-label-like experience, there will undoubtedly be lots of apps you won't be able to use, and we definitely don't recommend using it if you are one of those NCs.

[Martin de Goede]

One of those NC's ??

[Eric Suesz]

One of those NCs who needs a pure branding experience.

[Tim]

Works brilliantly, and while I understand Thunder X's branding concern, I don't think it's worrying. Ning is no different from a plugin like Flash in this context.

However, you do need to tell members that they'll have to hunt for the Ning plugin in the Seesmic directory.

I've never used Seesmic before, but now I've got it, I'll be getting rid of a number of other tools I use! Is there support for Ning networks in the web/mobile versions of Seesmic, and if not, is that on its way?

[Patrick Chappelle]

I hear what you're saying Tim, but there is a link when setting up the plug-in that reads "New To Ning? Learn More". The Latter half of that message being a link to you know where. I'll use the app myself, but I don't intend to make members aware of it.

As MAXX points out, you can not comment on status updates so what's the point anyway? I realize this is new and being a Ning supporter (not just nc), I'm willing to wait and see what happens.

[Tim]

In all honesty, I'm really not bothered about Ning branding that's not actually on my network. I've always talked to my members as if Ning were a software package/hosting company rather than an end in itself.

I think Seesmic is great for those members who monitor their twitter, Facebook and other accounts, and if I can add my network onto the same page as those, that's good as far as I'm concerned, so I've messaged everyone. But most of my members probably won't use it.

[The PL Team (d&e)]

Ning is a platform, much like PHPBB, Joomla, wordpress etc. There is no way to escape this unless you build your own platform. Integration level plug ins like this may always need to be ning branded, unless you build your own extensions and submit them to 3rd party app developers, but if you're no facebook, myspace or at least a Ning, good luck getting them to ok it.

[Pierre Lannoy]

GREAT. GREAT. GREAT.
Thanks a lot, Ning !