The New File Manager: Upload Files and Make a Splash with a Custom Main Page

[Junaid Basir]

Today, we’re launching a very exciting new feature that I know a lot of Network Creators are going to be thrilled with: a File Manager. This will enable you to both manage files on your Ning Network and customize your members’ experience. Available for Ning Pro accounts, it will allow you to — among other things — create an impressive “splash” page your members will see before visiting your network.
I wanted to spend a few minutes today letting you know how you can get started with the File Manager, as well as give you some examples of how you might want to use this new feature. If you’re a Pro user, you’ll find the File Manager on your My Network page. Simply select Content and choose the File Manager from your left-hand navigation area.
 

Add and store files

Need to add a file to your network? You can do this from the "Add files from your computer" section. Depending on the needs of your network, this could be HTML pages, image files, additional resource files like CSS, JavaScript — or just about anything else. Once a file is successfully uploaded, it will receive a permanent link. Click on "Copy Link" to view the permanent link. If you ever need to remove a file, you can simply delete it by choosing the "X" icon.

 

Add HTML Pages and the files that support them

If you’ve ever wanted to add full-fledged HTML Pages — without having to host the supporting files somewhere else — you now can. By adding custom HTML Pages in this way, you can provide sharp-looking, consistent content to your network, while still allowing your members to view navigational elements, footer links, etc. Here’s how it’s done:

1. Upload all of the resource files you’ll need for the HTML Page.

2. Reference the permanent URLs (that are assigned to the files you’ve uploaded) for these resources in your HTML Page.

3. Upload your final HTML Page.

 

Add your own custom Main Page

You can customize the member experience by offering your members a different Main Page when they navigate to your network. Setting it up is very easy. Click on the radio button next to the HTML page you would like your members to see. Anyone who visits your Ning Network will see this specific HTML page instead of the default Main Page. You can make this selection for HTML files only. To change this back to your default Main Page, simply choose the radio button for the default Main Page file.

Custom Links

Want to give an HTML Page you’ve upload a custom URL? Click on the "Customize Link" for any HTML file. In the dialog box that shows up, enter a custom link of your choice and click Save. [Note that this option is only available for HTML files.]

 

Both you as a Pro Network Creator and your Administrators have access to this new feature. We hope you like this new functionality and will find it invaluable in enhancing and managing your Ning Network!

[Eric Suesz]

Great question, Julia. If you create a separate page like this, you'll want to include a link to your default Main Page -- or somewhere else where you want your members to go. This could be many different links to places on your network. The important thing is to make sure you're leading people somewhere from a page like this.

[Julia]

hi Eric,

so if I understand that correctly I have to add a sign in or sign up box to the new splash page of course so one of my members comes to my new page signs in and how do i set where they will be redirected to? Is this something that has to be set on that new page or in my ning admin?

[Eric Suesz]

You don't have to add a sign-in box. I like to think of this as a way to present a dismissible, special message to both members who are returning and potential members who are visiting. It might help to think of it as a welcome page -- an interstitial page before they get to your Main Page. This feature is a Pro option, so it's designed to fit what many of our more advanced NCs have requested over time. It requires you to put together an HTML page that has an image and some links to where you want people to go. It can be a great way to accomplish a specific goal, but it does require a little bit of extra design work.

[Julia]

aaah now I see what you mean I have ning Pro too but Im far from being a pro lol

so next problem would be to find someone who is good in designing and doesnt charge an arm and a leg

[Ivan]

Thanks Junaid very useful function, and what the maximum file size I can download?

[Patrick Chappelle]

Upload. You mean upload, Ivan. The maximum file size that can be uploaded is 7MB for now.

[Ivan]

Thank you Thunder X, 7 mb is not enough because I have somehow managed to fill 50.5 mb file into

[Patrick Chappelle]

The 7MB Limitation is only temporary, Ivan. It has yet to be determined when Ning will relax limitations on file uploads.

[Mario benites]

I use my own server to add html, images and css. This feature would be great if works like a file manager. Look what I made: www.hinchaperuano.com

[soaringeagle]

ok heres the option i want to see implemented
i made a splash page http://www.dreadlockssite.com/splash/
now i want to be able to make that the front page.. but..those links lead in to the default front page maybe the default front page then be displaced to www.dreadlockssite.com/main/ and the internal home button on the menu be switched to the /main/
so the splash screen then becomes a front doorway into the site but the existing site stays as is

can that be made an option?

[FohBoh Community Manager]

This is a primitive start. I'm saddened, given all the great file managers out there that Ning could have "borrowed" from, such as in Joomla. They'd need to add the restrictions, but having a full-featured code base to work from would have made this a much more useful tool (directories, cache-able/volatile flag, custom URLs for everything, etc.)

Regarding Splash pages. We required php to make our splash page work at http://fohboh.com/ (a Ning site). The page is modal: never-visited, member-but-not-logged-in, logged in... they each get a different middle section on that page... plus we tap into the content generated by /main/ to fill in much of the below-the-fold content. Putting the login box on this splash page, and a similar "Logoff" button in the same place if they are logged in, all require information from the main site. Right now we have access to that info, but with the upcoming policy changes, the same functionality will be needed in a Template Engine which would support common tag extensions such as variable fill-in and if...then conditional inclusion. All these abilities are already in Ning's own template engine, but will they be available to our splash pages?

Regarding member-classes used for access to premium content (read: monetization), we use the Ning "ScreenName" id (like: uenj385haR) as our identifier for our (off-site) premium content. Our URLs are extended with ?id={ScreenName}&target={url}&timestamp={now} sort of whistles and bells, all requiring access to Ning PHP variables and functions. How will this be handled in an HTML file?

-Keith

[abellano santiago batocael]

Right Dennis! we're riding on the same boat! i almost lost all my hair already but am still keeping on.