Should we stay with Ning in July or move to a Facebook group or other platform?

[Jill]

Our Creative Cafe payment plan with Ning runs out in July. We can either stay with Ning even though they have taken away our music player and we cannot afford their payment plan which does provide a music player or we can move to another platform. The simplest move would be to a free group on Facebook where everyone seems to hang out these days. There are also other platforms we could move to and some of these are free and some cost money. I am just wondering what members feel we should do and would like to hear your comments.

[omshanti]

I never used the music player, so that's a moot point for me.

 

I've found that my old Ning groups that have moved to Facebook don't tend to have nearly as much actual community as Creative Cafe -- or at least not in a form that I interact with well. I dunno.

 

Something else Ning-like might work? I haven't really looked into the alternatives.

[Joe Cheray]

Just my two cents even tho I haven't been super active on here.

 

Spruz.com is much like Ning and also Blog Frog has it where you can form communities. I have joined a few and they are very easy to navigate, plus if you have a discussion you want to draw attention to you can do the same thing there that you can do here in regards to Tweeting and sharing on Facebook as well as Stumbling etc.

 

 

[Katherine Babcock]

Hey Jill - I think this is a good question. I like the Ning format - but to me, seems expensive. Especially when there are free venues to explore. I never used the music feature, either - so it doesn't matter to me if it's there. There is an easy website platform called Wix.com that has a free feature - but I don't know if it would work for this sort of forum. (You are a lot more advanced in this stuff than I am!)

 

I guess the bottom line is this: I will follow you where ever. You are the epitome of this group. If you feel it's best to remain here, I fully support you. If you want to try another venue, I will follow you there. Why not try the FB or Blog Hop thing - and see what happens? It won't be an instant success - but maybe the response will follow one way or another...and give you an idea of how to proceed. I know, I know - a lot of help. I just don't want anyone to shoulder the payment of a Ning if there isn't a point to paying the fee - especially if a free service will make everyone just as happy.

 

What do YOU want, Jill?

 

xx,

Katherine

[Kimmy Sharing Light]

I only had a few groups that I stayed with.   When Ning got greedy, I was forced to close my own sites as well.  Other groups moved to Facebook.  I like Facebook, and like Ning because you messaged, and it came to my email.  Facebook, would come on my homepage.  It's up to you!  Free works, and Many people are very very familiar with Facebook.

[Patrice Baldwin]

Jill -

Things usually come down to economics. The cost of staying with Ning vs free Facebook. Then what are the comparisons between the things Ning offers and what Facebook gives away free. Usually you get what you pay for. I'm not at all concerned about the music. I can play music a number of ways while I work at the computer. That's not important. What do you GET from Ning vs Facebook. Also, how much of a hassle is it to change everything over to another platform, is a question. I'm not a Facebook fan by any means. The issues with privacy are a continuing battle. I think it's better to be a special, separate entity than to go over to join the madding crowd.

My vote goes to stay here, IF the cost isn't prohibative and the services stay the same. However it's finally up to you, Jill, as you're our LEADERLADY!

[Brenda - Split Rock Ranch]

I think whatever Jill decides and the other members agree with is fine with me. Personally I know I would visit a lot more if it was on Facebook but only because I use Facebook daily to market my business. I guess it also depends on how much it costs to stay with Ning and whether or not there are other venues available.

 

 

[Jill]

Thanks for your comments to this discussion everyone.

 

Perhaps I should explain a few things influencing this decision. In the first place there is the money side of things.

Currently we do have enough money in the Creative Cafe account to pay for another year at Ning. This has been built up through advert revenues in the past and some donations. But the advert revenues have gone down a lot this year so they are not currently paying enough to cover costs in the future. I also spend quite a lot of volunteer time getting in traffic to Creative Cafe via Entrecard and Agitize etc and that then means people who advertise on Project Wonderful see we have traffic and bid for our ads. At one time the ad prices were high enough to also buy extra traffic but they are not anymore. With the recession the Project Wonderful advertising has become a lot less so I also add in money I get from clicking on sites like Mutual Points who send round advertising emails. All this takes me quite a lot of time and I'm mad enough not to mind doing it but that is only as long as I am well enough. I do wonder what would happen if my health stops me doing what I do now? For example I was in hospital suddenly last year and spoke to Azzi about checking the Project Wonderful ads and he said he would but when I came out there were all these new ads built up waiting to be approved because he couldn't find the way to log in!

 

So although we do have the money for next year moving to a free group would take a lot of the pressure off in terms of having to have adverts and juggle accounts and bring in traffic. It would also mean the group would be able to carry on easily if my health prevented me from doing the volunteer work.

 

On the other hand there are some facilities on Ning which I don't think are available on free platforms. Like I don't think you can write blogs on a Facebook group like you can on here. That may not be so much of a loss as most people have their own blogs anyway and could just send their links and a brief outline. But another thing you can't do is decorate your own page the way you want like you can on Ning. Yet again though people can do that the way they want on their own blogs.

 

Anyway I havn't decided what is the best thing to do and I am really just finding out what members think. We have until July before the payment plan runs out so it isn't immediate. But I think if we do decide to move the new site should be set up well in advance so that members have time to move their pictures and so on over.

 

There is information about alternative platforms available on a discussion in the Network Creators group which I will also put up when I find it so you can all see the different possibilites.

 

Bye for Now

 

Jill

[Mike Llywelyn Cox]

Hello Jill.

I know nothing about Ning or other such groups. I do know Facebook and I think the important thing about a Facebook group is that it is visited continuously and people make frequent contributions to keep it alive. I'm sure it does have opportunities for creative use, for instance it easily allows photographic display and other artistic modes can easily be photographed and uploaded. It also allows videos but I've been trying for ages to get audio files on with spectacular failure!

Heddwch.

Mike.

[Richard Burton]

Hello Jill

 

I think you have put your finger on one of the major things I like about Creative Cafe - the fact that you can put your own personal stamp on your page.

 

I think you need to find a site that will foster all types of creativity, even extend what you have already. Facebook is great - but might you find yourself being absorbed within "The Borg".

 

kozmicfrog1

[Joyce Parker-Hyde]

I think those who work with the site on a regular basis should do whatever is the easier to work with, after the cost is taken into account. Everything is presented so beautifully I'm sure that will carry over.