Ustream and Ning – Bringing the Power of Streaming Video to Your Community

[Phil McCluskey]

Today, we’re rolling out a new Ning Extension: Ustream. Ustream lets you record and broadcast video with just about any camera — including one you may already have built-in to your computer. The Ustream integration with Ning is designed to be easy to use so you can be up and running within minutes and play streaming video directly to visitors and members on your Ning social site. This is an excellent tool for Ning Creators who want to harness the power of video, and it’s now available for all Ning Plus and Pro subscribers.

To get started, simply navigate to the Ning Extensions section of your Dashboard and click “Activate” next to the Ustream listing. If you don’t already have a Ustream account, you’ll need to create one, but the process is very easy. Once it's activated, Ustream will live as a pull-out tab on the side of your Ning social site. When your Ustream channel is live, you’ll see a green indicator dot. When it’s dormant, you’ll see a red indicator dot. Your members can click on the tab at any time to watch live or recorded video from your channel in a pop-up window that is easily dismissible. You can even have live chats during videos in the Ustream Extension window, making this an excellent way to get your members engaged in a unique, live event no matter where everyone is located around the world.







Whether you want to use video to run a workshop, talk through a tutorial, or broadcast a live party, you’ll find the Ustream Ning Extension easy to set up and use. If you’re a music artist, what better way to do a live pre-show warm up to get fans around the world pumped for your upcoming concert? If you teach a class remotely (or want to), this could be just about the best thing that could happen to you. Maybe you just want to run a live Q&A session to get closer with your community members. The possibilities are ripe for experimentation. Best of all, it’s free for Ning Plus and Pro.

So how will you use it? Feel free to share your ideas below.

[Denis]

Dear Soaringeagle,

I am not happy with the sarcasm implied in your reply to my comment. I am not foolish. I know that the Chinese government has blocked accessibility to some websites for some reasons I don't want to know but Ning for it's global goals should want to know.

Well I am not a Chinese citizen. Who am I to question their government decisions?

I am an NC, I am a Ning Pro customer. I have a right to complain about a service they are offering which isn't reaching me. They owe me an explanation or at least a simple reference to that fact when making such releases. 

Everyday the list of features inaccessible from China offered by Ning grows longer. We get pushed around with these kind of go-question-your-government comments that really hurt. However our payments are welcome.

Ning is either a global service or it isn't. If it is, it has to get things sorted to reach customers globally. If they can't, be polite enough to mention on your packages what is not accessible by customers because of regional political issues. That's enough to calm down a frustrated customer. That's all I asked. "Was it considered?" The answer I get is "it has nothing to do with what ning does".

Well yes it does: Proof ? Ning does move networks around servers so that ning based networks plans can be purchased and run from China. That's a clear sign that this can be considered without starting a rebellion against the Chinese government as you wish.

If the entire Ning platform were not accessible from China, fine that would make sense to some extent for we would not even get to start these networks and it would be clear, this is not a global service, period. 

Comments like this really hurt, please.

I am so sorry to sound like this but it's just...

 

[Eric Suesz]

Hey, Denis. I honestly value your participation here on Creators, and I'm sorry to hear that yet again a decision by the Chinese government has affected the potential of your network. I'll try to be clear and say that we do not base our development decisions on whether or not the Chinese government does or does not block our service or any other third-party service. I'm sorry if that sounds harsh, but there's nothing we can do to change China's policies about the Internet. Hate it. But, it's just the way it is.

Boo, China. Booooo.

[Denis]

Thanks Eric,

You have given a better answer to my question: "Was this ever considered?" Quote

"I'll try to be clear and say that we do not base our development decisions on whether or not the Chinese government does or does not block our service or any other third-party service. I'm sorry if that sounds harsh," end of quote.

It is an important step to acknowledge the existence of a problem and make reference to it when you serve a customer. Ignoring it and or asking the customer to go deal with his problem is just a slap in the face.

Before toilets for the disabled were built, someone somewhere had to take the first step of acknowledging the fact that some people out there were not able to access existent toilets. It would be a totally different story today if people just reminded the disabled how disabled they were.

"Will our folks in China be able to use this?"

Next time during your feature release meetings throw in the above question just before the officer in charge wraps it off. That way you at least considered it but couldn't do anything and some day for sure someone will be able to do something.

Thanks

Denis

[Alex 小正正]

I'm a Chinese in Taiwan. I even don't know why? My ning site is suddenly accessible by China. Before there are 1 or 2 visitors from China in a month. But now I have hundreds.

I asked my members in China what happened. They said your site have some contents that China government don't like. Then you are blocked. So I guess I just lucky to get the  China government's investigation or test, something, whatever.

Hope this case can help you.

Maybe the other day I'll be blocked. I hope not.

[M]

Test it Phil, works great! Thanks!

[Klaus]

I`m sending live Ustream now on, MyShipPassion , ehhh just for fun :-)

[Casey Fritz]

I have a professor who wants to use the ustream for a live video chat for my members to see.  Bit he is not the site owner, so is there some other way to go about that?

[Anthony]

let the professor give you the link to his Ustream Chanel for you to add to your site. You can always remove the link once your professor done.

[planet]

im not interested in that....

[Patrick Chappelle]

and you just had to jump into the discussion and make it known, eh?

[Speed Racer]

LOL! at least he bumped it up Thunder!

[Pahlavi R'AD]

Hello Everyone, So I just added  this extension, I searched my username, and found my show. However, When I clicked on my  show it Ning read "You haven't set up your show yet. You should add your show in the settings menu.
If you don't have a Ustream.tv show yet, be sure to 
sign up for a free account at Ustream.TV" So I clicked on setting did every step over again and yet I still get the same message. Any help will be appreciated