What would you like for your ning networks?

[Felipe]

If any of you would like any of these things leave a comment with the number. Maybe ning will listen :) Or if you have any other wishes write them down in a comment! So here we go...

1) Separate profile accounts. I run a music site and would like someway to separate my "listeners" from my "artists" maybe with different profile questions and permissions.

2) Unlimited text boxes. Right now they limit the number of text boxes you can add on your page.

3) Control of what member profiles will look like. For Example, We should have a "features" page but instead for front page features, profile page features. If I want profile questions to be in one spot and remain there we should have that option. Also for the other modules. We should have control of where things go on our website's.

4) Share links. Example: Share this profile on twitter, Share this profile on facebook. Sort of how purevolume does it. (purevolume.com/emery , purevolume.com/ivoryline - you can see how they have those buttons at the top).

5) A contact page with text input fields. What if we want our members to directly contact us? We can give them an email but we should save them time and give them a form to fill out and submit!

6) I think we should have some updates to the music feature like Top Songs, Top Artists or something.

7) Updates on chat. When someone private messages you I think the chat window should pop up. Sort of like Facebook. Sometimes someone sends me a private chat and I don't realize it because the bar does nothing to catch my attention.

8) Better video, image, music, etc uploading. Something like how photobucket.com / mediafire.com / and other sites do it. You just click and start selecting files by CTRL/COMMAND. And after they upload you then edit the information. With the current uploader when typing it starts to lag a lot and I'm running on a mac.

Thats my list. Ning is a great service! I just think these few improvements would help a lot and bring more people to your ning network! After a long fight ning finally implemented paypal into premium services so ning does listen! Write down all your wishes here!

Also, check out my ning network if you love music : www.noisetrend.com

[Javier Tejera]

yo voto por el 7 ,hay que mejorar el chat , si o si, algo como facebook,,,pero no se si conocen tuenti en www.tuenti.com en Canarias donde yo vivo es un boom, todo el mundo está ahí,¡¡ oh¡¡ si lo pudiesemos integrar en ning.....subiriamos como la espuma aquí.

[kopper]

A family tree application! Supposedly this was in the works last summer, but then nothing! I have a network set up for my family and would love to be able to have a family tree built right in. PLEASE do this!

Thanks,
kopper

[Mark Pettigrew]

My Ning network is very useful in some respects, but I also have a regular website pertaining to my vision for an arts organization, and I don't see myself getting rid of it anytime soon.

Instead of the standard Ning URL (http://mynetworkname.ning.com), I'd like the ability to make my Ning network a part of my larger website, so that when one enters the primary domain name in the browser's address bar, one is taken to the home page of my main site, and so that the Ning network is accessed as a subdomain of the URL for my primary site (for example, http://ningnetworkname.mymainsite.com, or http://www.mymainsite.com/myningnetwork).

I know that it's possible to assign a standard domain name so that it's forwarded to my Ning network without having to include "Ning" as a part of the network's URL, and I'll very likely do that, possibly by using a "dot net" extension for the Ning site whereas I use a "dot com" extension for the primary site of the same name. But that requires registration of a second domain name, which increases annual costs. Admittedly, it's probably a good idea to do that anyway just so that someone else doesn't grab the "dot net" version and create confusion on the part of others who might be looking for my site. But the other benefit of being able to assign a subdomain of my primary site rather than just assigning a new domain name with a different extension would be that it would feel more to visitors as if they'd never left the primary site.

(As an example, if Google had its own Ning network, the standard free URL would probably be http://google.ning.com. They could always register something like Google.net, of course, and assign it to their Ning network, but in keeping with their standard practice of creating subdomains such as Sites.Google.com, Docs.Google.com, etc., it would make more sense for them to have a URL such as SocialNetwork.Google.com.)

Ultimately, it would obviously be a good idea, for the same reason, to try to match the graphics between my main site and my Ning site as much as possible. Right now that isn't even remotely the case. A similar graphic image in the header area would obviously help.

It would also be nice if one could use standard HTML or CSS to create an introductory page or "splash screen" which would precede what now serves as the home page for one's Ning network, and which (via another link on the splash screen) could also take visitors to my primary site. I could do that now by changing the index.html page for my other site and by adding a link to my Ning network to that page in a prominent location, but it would be nice if Ning offered that option as well. Ning home pages all tend to look somewhat similar in spite of the different design options which are offered in terms of layout. One knows instantly when visiting them that they're online network sites.

It seems to me that it ought to be possible to create a module which would add an introductory splash page for one's Ning network so that first-time visitors are presented with a less cluttered, more "corporate" page which can serve as a portal, not only to one's Ning network but also to other websites pertaining to the same project as well. That home page might feature a Flash animation or a video which could serve as an introduction to the network or which, if desired, could be bypassed to go straight to the regular Ning network home page.

Another somewhat related comment: With Blogger.com, it's possible to use Blogger's free hosting service, or alternatively, to incorporate one's Blogger blog into a site hosted by one's own FTP server and to thereby incorporate one's Blogger blog into a larger web site as an integral part of that site. I don't know whether or not it would be possible to do the same thing with one's Ning network, but that might be something worth exploring.

[Evan]

Hey Mark!

You can actually map a Ning Network to a subdomain, it doesn't have to be your entire web site. So it could be community.mysite.com instead of mysite.com.

We'll see what we can do on the splash page front.

Hope that helps!
Evan

[Laura]

I am going to go ahead and close this thread, given its size etc.

The best way to request a feature or enhancement here is to post each individually to the category here. Be clear what you want in the subject and as detailed as possible in your request.

This makes it possible for us to track requests!

Thanks
Laura