I have been reading many news posts and blog posts condemning NING for its recent bait and switch, its decision to go from a free platform to a premium platform only. I run a humble Ning community called ADDer World the ADHD Social Network and I have come to meet some wonderful, caring people who live in the world of ADD & ADHD either with it or with someone who has it, or just want to learn more from first hand experiences. It is needless to say a wonderful group and I will do everything in my power to keep it up and running! However, my positive thinking may be put to a major new test.
With that said, I have already been paying premium charges to Ning, so I am not on their completely free platform anyway – so what does this mean to me? I don’t know yet. If you do, let me know.
Here’s the thing about condemning Ning for their apparent bait and switch, it really should be no surprise to anyone. For years websites have been trying to stay afloat through advertising and making content available for free, but with the hard times and the ‘free’ model, folks simply are, for the most part, not buying from the advertising available, and because there is so much advertising across the net people have come to ignore most of it. Hey, so have I.
The thing is, nothing can survive for free forever. Our current economic woes are in some part related to the sudden freeness that came with the Internet. Not all of us want to hear this or believe this, but it is true. Say for example you have saved money thanks to the Internet in some way, that’s great, however, it has a cost and some folks are out of work because of it. That’s life and it’s not wrong per say, but it is, as they say, the way it is.
So, condemning Ning isn’t right, or wrong, but rather short-viewed. Many Ning Social Networks will close and many will move to another platform, but how long will those platforms remain free? Your guess is as good as mine – how long can you or me survive and feed our families by earning no income for the jobs we do? It’s an easy question, with an easy answer, but it’s a very hard reality. We can blame the banks and wall-street all day long, but we shouldn’t ignore the role the world wide web has played in the current crises, because it is still contributing to the problem even while it creates new opportunities.
This is not to say the Internet is not good or has not provided new ways to create an income. It is thanks to the Internet that I can spread my ideas and messages. It is also thanks to the WWW that I have published my books and made them available to you. It is through the sales of my books with which I pay my Internet dues – domains are not free, nor are the premium costs coming from sites like Ning. Eventually, most of what is currently ‘free’ on the Internet will not be free anymore, but there is GOOD news, much of the advertising will be gone.
If you would like to read what I am trying to do to pay premium costs from Ning and pay domain costs, please read: ADDer World will NOT be closing!
~Bryan
