While migrating to Ning 3 I got a system notice that I exceeded the 100 GB storage of my Ning 3 plan (Ultimate). I have 203GB of data on my Ning 2 site and 500GB of storage, so that's never been a problem.
I emailed support and asked how much additional storage was. They don't offer extra storage a-la-carte, so I either need to delete data or upgrade to their Corporate plan at $500 a month, which has 1TB storage. Neither of those choices work for me.
I asked about exporting the site data but that's not an option:
Hello,
All the data from the site can be saved only manually.
It means you can use copy&paste to copy the text and download the images from the site only by one.
We do apologize for this inconvenience but there are no tools for downloading the whole data from the site at once.
Best regards,
Customer Support
I was hoping to launch the new site before I turn 90 so doing things one by one won't work. And I'd have to rebuild everything back manually at the new site including the member's connection to each item.
They migrate Ning 2 to Ning 3 all the time, so why they can't give me my site a similar way? I'll need to hire a company to migrate it to the new system but there are a lot of companies that offer migration services to Buddypress, and at least one who migrates Ning to it and has written scripts.
When I joined Ning there was a backup tool, and that's how I expected to move if I needed to. The terms and conditions of the Ning 2 agreement say I own my data and do not say I have to grab it myself item by item if I wanted to leave. I never would have joined if it said that. But Ning management doesn't seem to remember their obligations under the Ning 2 agreement.
The Ning 3 Terms and Conditions are quite different. They still say that you own your data, but also say that they have no obligation to help you get it out or provide a way to do it.
It's the Hotel California clause: You can check out anytime you like, but you can never leave.
I'm not upset with Ning support. I love the Ning support crew. They really care and always do everything they can to help, without complaint. They always try their best to come through for their customers, and some have worked there since probably 2013-14.
But the owners of Ning need to rethink their position on this and give clients their data in a reasonable form if they need it.
I'm not holding my breath, so is there ANY reasonable way to export Ning 2 data in a usable form?
Replies
when i wasn't able to migrate a while back i just built some scrapers and scraped everything out into google drive via spreadsheets to reassemble in different ways... let me know if you need help.
Justin
👍 That's a good way to do it. Maybe the only way.
Hi Justin,
Thanks for replying. I'm going to do everything I can to get Ning management to see the light, but if they don't I will likely need your help. It sounds like you were not able to maintain the relationships between content: Text and photos in the forums or blogs they're in, cohesively so they make sense and flow similarly (in our case, an image needs to be near the text that explains it). Is that right?
The problem is, of course, that without the connections between content, members and features I no longer have intact information or a usable community. I have an elaborate tombstone.
Who would join Ning if they knew Ning would not give them the data Ning says the creator owns back?
Rosas † Negras, what Justin offered to do isn't something he can do in minutes to help a fellow member. It will take him hours if not days and it's expected he should be paid.
dear my lord, it should be a free ning service, i'm happy that my dear friend earns or else i just pointed out how it should be, i'm happy that there are people like you who do not claim what touches them that's the reason you go back instead of forward
Oh, you meant that NING should do it for free! You are 100% right!
They Ning could easily develop a tool or do it themselves. It's obvious to me that Ning management is doing it to trap us here. Holding our sites hostage.
Yes,absolutely must be free as has been said, I have been on ning for 15 years and we have always helped each other free even between us everything has changed .. truly horrible the situation
if you check this has been said there is a discussion, all for free and they think of everything
it shouldn't be that way since it should be free when it says here if you need help and ask for money....
which of you to help free? :))))
not sure what you are asking here...