As always, you can find the most recent updates in the Announcements from Ning Category, but here's a roundup of some of the recent releases, an insight into some of the backend work, and a hint at what's to come.
Ning 3.0 Updates
So far this year, we've released the ability to sort content by latest activity, module-specific visibility settings, and comment walls for pages and groups. These updates have been worked on concurrently with the larger Design Studio Update that will be released soon. Comment walls have been one of the most requested tweaks, so we're especially happy to bring this functionality to Network Creators.
There have also been some more technical, backend releases that have helped reduce the amount of loading errors on Ning 3.0 Networks, fixed some bugs related to HTML characters and duplicate content, and other minor tweaks.
Migration
Monica updated you on migration status a few weeks ago. Since then, we've been reaching out to more Network Creators during the beta migration stage and getting the whole advocacy team up to speed on how to migrate networks so that all hands can be on deck. This is another area we've been making some significant backend headway on, working to find ways to streamline the process. Monica will have more information in a migration-specific update later this week.
What's Up Next?
The Design Studio Updates are nearing completion and we'll be giving some beta testers a first look at the new functionality this week, with an anticipated release next week (pending any major changes that the beta testers identify as needed). When the updates are released, you'll get the full details, but to give you an idea of how big a release this will be, here are some of the highlights:
- 10 new themes with more on the way
- Updated organization of panels and new controls so you can fine-tune your network's look.
- Tab Containers - a new type of content module that will allow you to add elements as tabs within a page.
… and we're saving a couple of big changes that we think you'll like for the release announcement
UPDATE 2/18/14: Thanks to feedback from the beta testers, we're retooling some aspects of the Design Studio Updates and now are looking at an anticipated release the week of February 24th.
Further Down The Road
As the engineering team wraps up work on the Design Studio Updates, we'll be looking at what major feature to tackle next. We look at a variety of factors when determining the priority of features including available resources, how many networks the feature will impact, what infrastructure must be in place for the feature, and what the anticipated complexity of the feature will be. We can't say too much more about what the next focus feature will be as the discussions are currently in progress, but we'll let you know as soon as we can.
Thanks again for all the feedback and input you've provided along the way. As always, you can give feedback here on Creators or through this form. You can also see the Known Issues we're working on and the Feature Requests that we're considering in addition to the Product Roadmap.
Replies
NING just posted on FB today :
Hahaha... same old song and dance. "It should be available in the next few months"- yeah it SHOULD, ....and it SHOULD have been available a year ago too, at the end of Summer 2013... that's rich Ning, tell us another one. And update your 'road map' that you keep sending your customers to, while you're at it.
wow
It's all just guessing, whatever.
However when i file Ning tickets i get help from an Indian fellow. I know when I called Ning billing dept, i got a polite man in India who helped me- I asked him where he was and he told me. It's mostly outsourced now, which I suspect is why when you call and ask about what is being worked on, Ning people say they just don't know. I suspect because it's mostly all outsourced now... neatly avoiding employee health costs or full time benefits...
Yeah Glam/Mode is throwing around ad concepts and creating publishing branches to see if they take off...BRASH for men (lolol don't they know the Abercrombie&Fitch crowd is passe already? should call it RASH..), Foodie,... Ning is just another fish in the pan now, the 'poor relation'...and if it stops making money it'll get tossed eventually.
really never talked to anyone sounding like thew were from india in fact talked to the same 2 or 3 ppl each time recently
It's now a year and a half since 3.0's release and being sold at full price. Remember when they used to say everyone would be migrated by the end of Summer 2013 ? I suspect they have one or two part time free lance people doodling around patching the glitches. Glam seems perfectly content with customers buying or creating their own apps and codes to fill in all the gaps on their expensive beta half-finished platform- they won't even have to fix or maintain broken features if those features are applied by the customer and not even coming from Ning.
it seems noone at ning is even aware of whats going on everytime i call for an issue i ask "whats being worked on" they always say i dont really know enough to comment on that but i know they are working on whats on the roadmap
the roadmaops so out of date that most of whats "in progress" is long done. except the api
nothings moved from in planning or 'gathering info"
i truely believe they must be wasting all the resouuyrses on the api the api being most likekly the hardest thing to develop the thing that could take a year or so to perfect
and
the thing i bet less then 5% of ncs use or know how to use
meanwhile the stuff that 95% of us needed last years not even started on yet ..or so it seems
Well i do agree. Except that i personally doubt they are even working on the API much- I think they have no staff left, maybe just one or two free lancers. All evidence points to them simply not doing much of anything...Glam has likely laid off almost everyone at Ning- look at their new 'headquarters' fer cryin' out loud...
nah i know they still have a team of engineers
that team is working on something ..whgat who knows i mean just repairing the issues on 2.0 requires a dedicated team and they duid release activity feed updates not so long ago...(no concept of time was it longer then 2 months though/) im sure somethinmg else will come outut somedsay..a month..l2.. who knows but its just at the rate they are goiumg at, and the fact they seem to be working on low priority stuff ignoring the most desperately needed things that i kinda have a feekling i'll be seeing the flowers of spring by the time the basic things i need are done
they still have a support staff i talk to often jenifer dusttin a few nAmes i remember
thier employee satisfaction levels gone down though im sure
from what ive seenn posted in the past, the enggineers ..those actualy working on creating the site are the best part of working at ning the managements been sklipping away for a good while now
i remember a day when i was very impressed to swee the president of ning taking an active paret in communicating on creators
when eric was around he was awesome
one by 1 they left finding better oportunities
and those that i know of that left arent even the ones that were doing the compolaining about ning..they believed in the platform and were excited to be a part of it and wouldnt have left if not for a much better opurtunity they couldnt pass up
but now we dont know whos left i think patricks still around and a few others but im starting to think some of those fears around the glam/mode sellout were founded at the time we were toild that very lil would chage ning would still provide ning as they always had
but im wondering if the management..the board ..the core didnt take the money and run and leave it to mode to manage ..mode already being too huge modes got glam a huge network its got um i forget the others theres the mens version of glam and 1 or 2 others ontiop of the huge advertising thing
i think they just failed to both leave ning autonomouse and to integrate and manage
im kinda guessing that the engineers themselves are oulling double duty managing and developing
and from a developm
ers standpoint working on the api now would seem attractive to get the tough part out of the waty but lacking the management skills to prioritize the jobs by need..
they are coders lost in thier world of coding doing what they love to dio with no idea about how to run a business ..in fact they probably care more about a polished flashy product then they do about all those who are waiting so long to use it ..or the success of the business after all if ning ceased to be ning they'd still have gigs of code and wouldnt have a hard time finding someone else wantting to use it ..or they could sell it direct and ning code could stop beinmg a platform and be a bought and paif dor script that needed to be self hosted self supported etc..
ofcourse we are all just theorizing based on a total lack of any info at all
your photo is a wall..whats that prove there could be a 40 story builduing surrounding that wall with 14 thousand employees we dont okknow all u see is a wall and a deslk its easy to assume its 1 man sitting there watching porn all day and thats all ning is..
but try notto have such a limmited view thats the problem of camera angles u focus on 1 spoyt and miss everything around you
thats like takingf a picture of a catapilar on a leaf and not seeing the 800 square mile old growth forrest its in the middle of
you cant assume how big ning is by the size of the sign
This isvery like what i have been reading about the state of ning. the coders and ordinary works are still hard at it but by all accounts the management are young, inexperienced and a bit useless.
Its the silence though that does all of this..creates all this fear for our communities.
I really like Ning 3, The Groups alone make all other software solutions a bit naff, but again, its the silence.
We have to wait and see if the silence leads to something beautiful or is simply the quiet before the storm..
What really confuses me the most is they must know how this silence is messing with their reputation as Ning the platform and they dont seem to care..
2 possibilities.. They are trying to play the power game with us knowing that the product they are working on will speak for itself in the end.
or
They are trying to cause as much friction as possible within the community, either to be able to close creators down without much fuss, after all this place is all but dead now..then the next step would be to close down the Ning platform.
The T.O.S makes it easy for them to do that while still getting new customers to sign up and pay up.
Talk about the spider and the fly scenario
Will you walk into my parlour?" said the Spider to the Fly,
'Tis the prettiest little parlour that ever you did spy;
The way into my parlour is up a winding stair,
And I've a many curious things to shew when you are there."
Oh no, no," said the little Fly, "to ask me is in vain,
For who goes up your winding stair can ne'er come down again."
"I'm sure you must be weary, dear, with soaring up so high;
Will you rest upon my little bed?" said the Spider to the Fly.
"There are pretty curtains drawn around; the sheets are fine and thin,
And if you like to rest awhile, I'll snugly tuck you in!"
Oh no, no," said the little Fly, "for I've often heard it said,
They never, never wake again, who sleep upon your bed!"
Said the cunning Spider to the Fly, " Dear friend what can I do,
To prove the warm affection I 've always felt for you?
I have within my pantry, good store of all that's nice;
I'm sure you're very welcome -- will you please to take a slice?"
"Oh no, no," said the little Fly, "kind Sir, that cannot be,
I've heard what's in your pantry, and I do not wish to see!"
"Sweet creature!" said the Spider, "you're witty and you're wise,
How handsome are your gauzy wings, how brilliant are your eyes!
I've a little looking-glass upon my parlour shelf,
If you'll step in one moment, dear, you shall behold yourself."
"I thank you, gentle sir," she said, "for what you 're pleased to say,
And bidding you good morning now, I'll call another day."
The Spider turned him round about, and went into his den,
For well he knew the silly Fly would soon come back again:
So he wove a subtle web, in a little corner sly,
And set his table ready, to dine upon the Fly.
Then he came out to his door again, and merrily did sing,
"Come hither, hither, pretty Fly, with the pearl and silver wing;
Your robes are green and purple -- there's a crest upon your head;
Your eyes are like the diamond bright, but mine are dull as lead!"
Alas, alas! how very soon this silly little Fly,
Hearing his wily, flattering words, came slowly flitting by;
With buzzing wings she hung aloft, then near and nearer drew,
Thinking only of her brilliant eyes, and green and purple hue --
Thinking only of her crested head -- poor foolish thing! At last,
Up jumped the cunning Spider, and fiercely held her fast.
He dragged her up his winding stair, into his dismal den,
Within his little parlour -- but she ne'er came out again!
And now dear little children, who may this story read,
To idle, silly flattering words, I pray you ne'er give heed:
Unto an evil counsellor, close heart and ear and eye,
And take a lesson from this tale, of the Spider and the Fly.
The Spider and the Fly
Mary Howitt
i agree the groups alone make notheing elwe comparable i like everything about ning 3 and i love love love what was promiced me on dayt 1
the day 3.0 was announced i was told some things that made me so happy i almost puckered up and kissed my 1sat man lol i was told that theyd be consulting with me "in the comming weeks" about ideas for a sitemap thats updated in real time on the fly..now if thats ever a reality i see that at least a year from now but i was expecting weeks to be weeeks not 2-3 years (time withouit calanders and clocks has a tendency to warp and distort lookimg back from today the 80's seemed like a couple months and the 90's a long year y2k a few shoet months ago) and i have a feeling that 3 years after being fully in the swing of 3.0 this long hellish development period really wont seem so long
u might know my sites about growing dreads naturaly and for some it may seem aganzingly long waiting for progreses waiting for them to mature, but then a few short years into it that time seemes all so breif and u miss it and wished u savoured it rather then dreaxded how long it might take
i have a feeling once 3.0 ies finishedf an d perfected and has been fully in use just a few years we will barely remember it taking long at all to move from 2.0 to 3.0
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