Ning's Infinite Ambition

This was one of the better articles I have read in FastCompany in a while. Very nice how they focused on a business model rather than just the Ning company. It sent me online researching 3 topics.

If it's true that Ning just raises $60M at $500M valuation, then TWITTER is worth $5 billion, right now.

I heard that most of Ning's best applications and widgets come from two crazy European dudes at some site called WidgetLaboratory.com ... I'm wondering if they are part of Ning's strategy to create a viral loop?

Agreed. That article alone has made me consider putting my entire sports-related site on Ning. If sports are indeed tribal then the entire infrastructure is built already.

Excellent article. Ning has a great thing going...I use it for a couple of different purposes. But to be honest, I was surprised by the fact that I had never even heard the phrases "viral expansion loop" or "Power Law Curve." I thought I was more "in touch" than that. Guess I need to double up on my reading...

This is great and all - i'm totally into social networking but why cant I use MY OWN ADSENSE instead of nings? Hmmmm

My network on ning is a good example of social networks providing value in the "real" world. I started a social network to augment my blog at hospitalimpact.ning.com. Although the network has little "visible" activity, it was through this network that the first healthcare 2.0 unconference was launched just a few months ago. Read the story here: http://tinyurl.com/5keyea

Great article on an excellent company.

1. Jean -you can use your own adsense, though its a premium feature.

2.Elvis, might your other name be 'Evil Genius'?

3. I've been creating personal and business sites for myself and clients over this past year and I am very impressed with Ning's scalability, constant feature and design upgrades, and more. If you're interested in help getting going, come on over to my ning biz site www.SparkSocialMedia.com

4. Personal Problem: Partly due to Ning, I've twisted my brain to actually enjoy pages full of information and widgets. What I'm finding though is that people who haven't gone through this 'twisting' can find Ning sites that are full of feature boxes (which is most of them) rather overwhleming. Something needs to be done by Ning, or by those of us creating sites, to simplify and make the path of action more clear.

5. Big Question: What is going to happen when each of us is a member of 10-100 seperate social sites? Can it be maintained?

Cheers,
Leif
www.SparkSocialMedia.com
1-877-I-AM-GAME

I get several calls every month from someone looking for a "facebook in a box" application. I usually recommend Ning if it's not necessary to own all of the data. Great article, especially the dissection of the business model.

This isn't journalism. At best, it's hype. At worst, it's advertising. I couldn't have said it better than Rafat Ali:

http://www.paidcontent.org/entry/419-fc-omg-like-totally-ning/

This article is being dumped on by some but I welcome it... So what if Fast Company is advertising a social network engine on its pages and into cyberspace - we all need to better understand the power of networked economics so what harm can this do...

It was good to see Tupperware acknowledged as the 'classic' viral network, viral expansion loop, and viral double loop... There is nothing new here except 'the platform' - if Ning is a breakthrough then I welcome it, if it leads to a breakthrough I welcome it, even if it is a hyped network solution I welcome it...

I admit I am a biased observer here... I am about to publish a small book on the "Chattering Clusters'... The Chattering Clusters are on Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, LindedIn, Amazon, etc - now they need something like Ning. Perhaps Ning will be like Netscape a prototype for what we will eventually embrace but we need something to support our emerging social networks.

By the way 'Chattering Clusters' form as viral networks, they evolve into global Clans (low levels of trust needed to support viral expansion loops), and then create local Tribes (high levels of trust needed to support viral double loops)... The important result of these social networks is that brands are effectively dead and that 'nanosecond consumers' are born... 'Nanosecond consumers' decide in the blink of an eye - they decide quickly not because they trust brands but because they trust the advice coming from their Clans and Tribes...

The success of this article is obvious - the 'Chattering Clusters' are engaged and chattering to each about Ning and this can only be a good thing no matter how good or bad this new platform turns out to be...

My business turned a corner when I allowed my blog readers a place to really get to know me, each other, and contribute in a far more meaningful way than simple blog comments. The ranting against Ning should be viewed as people who aren't using a social networking platform for a meaningful purpose. If your job is to connect with your target market and gain respect and credibility as fast as possible with prospective clients and customers, you'd never be caught dead poo-pooing the power of a platform like Ning.

Thanks for open-ning my mind. I am obviously way behind.

I loved this article, thank you for making me think about different ways to market our business and for seeing just how exponential a referral network on line can be. Consider the amount of money and or time you would invest in your site, and then take the number of people you would like to network with and multiply it by the cost of a stamp. Sites like Ning, Facebook etc can do so much for our businesses if only we take the time to learn how to do it right. And by that I mean, make it real so people want to play versus contrived.

It's a travesty that a smart female CEO has to be photoshop-ed to death on a magazine cover like Fast Compnay. It is not like the story was "Gina Bianchini in Playboy" or Penthouse. She's a Stanford grad twice over for goodness sake!

Photo shot by CNN
http://i.cnn.net/money/galleries/2007/biz2/0706/gallery.50whomatter.biz2...

Original on Fast Company:
http://www.fastcompany.com/files/imagecache/listing_image/files/feature-...

The currently have an ongoing dispute with WidgetLaboratory, their biggest widget maker. Good strategy though, lets see how it goes!

Great learning about the story behind NING. It was a wonderful article.

I didn't even know about Ning before I read this article. Was blind, now I see!

Super article keeping your readers on top of what they need to know in the social network arena! It cleared up several aspect of failing social networks for me. Thank you.

I have setup a Ning profile for my Automotive SEO consulting practice and my site is already being indexed and attracting potential client inquiries. It's working for me.

http://automotive-seo.ning.com/

Brian Pasch, CEO
Pasch Consulting Group

A superb article! Well written, thoughtful and well researched. I have to admit, I didn't know that Ning existed until I read this. But after page 1, I was very excited by the model and impressed with the foresightedness of the founders.

Great article. I'd heard about Ning before, but didn't know much about it. Seems like a company with vast potential that began with a really cool idea.

Excellent real world article. Ning is an amazing site that anyone virtually anyone can use. Better, the community you create can -- and does -- live beyond you. It has the power to grow and bond very diverse communities and demographics. It is excellent in these times to see a functional, vital sort of community economics project make a profit. I started a simple site to collect local West Coast Florida art/craft events that weren't run by for profit companies, were affordable, local, community-based, no FOO-FOO rules and especially NO WHITE TENTS. It has nearly 200 members -- all of which contribute to a growing list of events.
http://www.nowhitetent.ning.com
RhondaK Native Florida Folk Artist
http://www.rhondakwrites.com

Excellent real world article. Ning is an amazing site that anyone virtually anyone can use. Better, the community you create can -- and does -- live beyond you. It has the power to grow and bond very diverse communities and demographics. It is excellent in these times to see a functional, vital sort of community economics project make a profit. I started a simple site to collect local West Coast Florida art/craft events that weren't run by for profit companies, were affordable, local, community-based, no FOO-FOO rules and especially NO WHITE TENTS. It has nearly 200 members -- all of which contribute to a growing list of events.
http://www.nowhitetent.ning.com
RhondaK Native Florida Folk Artist
http://www.rhondakwrites.com

I run five or six networks and for now cannot say enough good things about Ning. Whether it's for business or personal, this social network software gets the job done. My hobby websites are a good example - for RC glider and RC sailplane pilots, they pretty much run and grow by themselves. We also use it in business for job search focused social networking.

Eric Shannon

LatPro.com | JustJobs.com | DiversityJobs.com

I use ning for business networking as well for making new friends.. I have an account there and I really like the concept.

Resume - Customer Service Resume - Cover Letters

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I'm considering Ning for communities related to my business.
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well written,Informative article.

How to write a resume ?

Coming out with ambition, clear-stated ambitions, is cool. People don't need to figure out what you want anymore. Concrete Sealer

Coming out with ambition, clear-stated ambitions, is cool. People don't need to figure out what you want anymore. Concrete Sealer

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Hey, you have a great blog here! I'm definitely going to bookmark you! Thank you for your info.And this is DoFollow Social Bookmark site. It pretty much covers DoFollow Social Bookmark related stuff.

Thank.

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Good Article. Facebook is best social networking site to build network

Great Article facebook is best social networking site.
jyotika from Pune City

Ning has done an outstanding job or making an easy to use interface for creating social networks. We use ours in HR to allow employees to discuss HR benefits such as 401k investments, medical insurance, Health savings account, life, dental, and International travel insurance. The network is private but the partiipation among our employees is great. It has actually cut down on HR calls too.

Hi, interesting post. I have been wondering about this issue,so thanks for posting. I’ll likely be coming back to your blog. Keep up great writing.

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Oes Tsetnoc
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Setting your goals and being ambitious are nothing wrong. Maybe only pragmatic and sanguine people who thinks it is normal not to have some. Thank you for the inspiring article.

Maireen at Dallas daycares

Great article on an excellent company.

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Hi, interesting post. Thank you for making me think about different ways to market our business.

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