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!

[Emmanuel Ace]

well its only for Pros

[mark shire]

I think it sucks its for just pro accounts.When some of us our very happy with our plus accounts why not make some of these things available to plus accounts.There are some of us that would like to enjoy some of these new added things too without having to invest into pro.
CRUSHER

[Scott]

This. is. awesome.

one of my favorite updates in a while. In fact, this is one of the few "updates" that is actually an "upgrade," and from the sounds of things it's a very good one.

If it works like you say it does, I'm a very happy camper.

Thanks,
Scott

[Christian D.]

Wow! This could only be better if Ning let users connect with a Facebook account. You know, like others have done for quite a while now.

Now that would be awesome!

[Patrick Chappelle]

If you've read the Ning Roadmap, you'd know that this is already in development, Xian. =)

[Patrick Chappelle]

[Junaid Basir]

Thanks :)

[Phil McCluskey]

Hi JP,

Being able to organize your files is handy, but we think that shipping code is more important. Providing a V1 for Pro NCs to use today means that we get feedback and data, and that lets us plan what's going to go into V1.1 and V2. We think that's a better approach than spending time upfront delaying a feature release because we're building aspects into it that may not get widely used.

Thanks,
Phil

[Phil McCluskey]

Hi JP,

I'm not suggesting that a file manager that has the ability to create multiple levels of directories represents a learning curve for NCs. I'm sure it doesn't. I'm suggesting that we won't know if building it is necessary until we see how people are using the one we shipped today.

Adding directory functionality increases the time that it takes to build and test the feature. If we delay the feature by 2 or 3 weeks to add directories, and we find out three months later that only 10% of NCs actually created a directory, then we've wasted our time and yours, and we've pushed back other releases needlessly. This is a very real concern, since we have a metric tonne of releases coming down the pipe.

If, on the other hand, we ship the feature without directories, as we just did, and we find in a month's time that most NCs have uploaded 50 or more files, then we can schedule and add in the ability to virtually organize the files to make life easier. Everyone wins in that scenario.

Thanks,
Phil

[Phil McCluskey]

Hi JP,

50 files isn't really a meaningful number in this context, it was just an example. It might be 20, 30 or 100; as I said earlier, we'll look at usage data and NC feedback to gauge whether or not some kind of organizational ability is something that would benefit NCs over other projects we could be working on.

Thanks,
Phil

[Brian Floe]

I do see your point Phil and "metric tons of releases in the pipeline" puts me in a christmas spirit a little early :)

[Fruitfairy]

wow talk about ungrateful JP.

Thanks Phil and the NING team, I'm glad you released it now, "perfect" or not :)