Can I export the content of my Ning Network?

There's currently no way for a network owner to download or backup the content from their network. Ning did offer a REST API for the owner to download content but on Oct 21, 2008 they turned it off without notice.

http://blog.ning.com/2008/10/the-ning...


I appreciate that Ning needs to transform to survive and have been grateful for help from Ning's engineers in my work. Still I would like to register this issue to start a dialog so Ning can see how important it is to users that they be able to download the content they entrust to Ning.


For example the participants in these discussions,

http://developer.ning.com/forum/topic...

http://networkcreators.ning.com/forum...

This reply was created from a merged topic originally titled
No way to download or backup own content.

Hi there :)

I'm a big fan of Ning, but as we're at a crossroad of how we're going to move forward with our business (and it will require the ability to insert a classified ad plug-in at the current Ning site to do so), the issue of control is what I'm trying to learn more about.

NOT being a programmer, it seems to me that I will always be forfeiting some level of control.

Since I always have access to member data, that is the primary concern. Certainly, backing up content is a big issue. I suppose it's comparable to trusting Ning to back up content just as I might have to trust a host to back up content? Is that a correct analogy at this point?

In researching this issue, I stumbled upon a techcrunch.com post by Gina on 2/26/07 and have included it here:

<snip>

Depending on how you define “full control” it might be that the only way that you can get the level of control you are suggesting is to develop your own application, on your own servers, with your own code. For the folks who want to do that, we completely understand.

That being said, we’re pretty darn good for people who might not be developers - or even more casual developers - who still want to create social network for their community or as business. You can be up in minutes and then customize and control pretty much every aspect of your new social network.

Again, not the exact same level of control as if you built it on your own servers yourself, but for a free or low cost service (if you want to take advantage of our premium services) I hope you’ll be pleasantly surprised. <snip>

That seems to be it in a nutshell for a non-programmer, businessperson such as myself -- it's a matter of to whom I relinquish control: Ning, or a programmer and a host.

I'm now researching how large their biggest network is currently. Of course, I'm battling with the issue of it never being a white label option completely, even though I pay for Premium Services, but there are so many pros and cons to all options.

Thanks in advance for your thoughts. :)
</snip></snip>

Classified ad I believe will arrive with the Ning Apps which will open up a floodgate of Open Social applications we will be able to add to our networks just like we add forum, photos and movies today. Fear not !

Dear Nick,

I really love Ning, but this one thing is really bothering us all. We all would like to have a way to access all our data or the ability to export our sites in case a new functionality is needed essential for our business.

Please do let us know when Ning will allow this.

Rest assured, that this will not make Ning loose any of its loyal members, but infact help us in trusting Ning with all our future networks too.

I have a lot of faith in the promoters and team of Ning and I hope they wont let us down.

Thanks.

By the way, anyone who thinks Ning is all alone in making it difficult (impossible?) to import/export data when arriving/leaving should try Web platforms like World Now. We switched to them 2 years ago after a great home-grown system and there was NO easy way to import. I doubt we'd have much better luck if/when we leave.
Proprietary systems apparently don't want to make it too easy to leave, but that is definitely a double-edged sword.

OK, let me put it another way - there's NO way to import/export from WorldNow, as far as I know, beyond laborious cut-paste. I presume that's an option with Ning but if you have a lot of material, it's basically no way at all.

Hey, there's ALWAYS a way to do things, sometimes it involves standing on your head and clucking like a chicken;-)

That is the risk you take when you use a platform not created by you.

I see Network export as a feature in the very near future, I see it available for a 1 time fee.

It appears to be in their (Ning's) T.O.S. that you own the content. I feel confident that if you approach Ning in a professional manner and document all correspondence between you and Ning, you will have most of your content eventually.

You also have to keep in mind, what format do you want this content. How many export formats do you expect Ning to offer.

Do you even know what format you want it exported to? Does the platform your taking this content to, allow importing and if they do, what format will they except.

Now maybe others can see how complicated it is to develop an export feature without first knowing what format would be used the most.

Patience is a virtue.

JP

I am very encouraged by Ning's recently adopted approach on this issue. I hope Ning continues to move in this direction, allowing Network Creators to back up and migrate their content. Charging a fee for this service is understandable and I don't think any serious NC will have a problem with that.

I hope it happens soon. Actually one of our project members as part of project created a very useful resource over the last couple of years. That resource now needs to be archived somewhere on one of our PCs so we can be sure of its existence no matter whatever happens to Ning in the future. Would such request for content export be entertained by Ning? I would love to know whatever the policy of Ning is in this respect including their charge for doing so. hope to hear from them soon

thanks

Arshad

Everyone here who has a question about exporting or backing up their content should take notice of who posted this thread, and what he has said from the beginning.

I like your reply Thunder X (Sitesuites Groupie).

I hope your not implying that I am impersonating Ning staff or that I try to misinform anyone on this site.

I simply gave my opinion and am sure that I have been around long enough not to be mistaken as Ning staff.

"Cheers"
JP

I've asked the 'total export' question before and would also like the comfort of a total backup or migration path.

Additionally, can you export a particular video/photo links (specific tags) as an RSS feed like:

http://www.oceancity.net/video/video/...

so that independent pages could be built on other sites?

Thanks!

I have the same need to export the whole NING site and now I'm really upset with them as they stopped all related API, WEBDAV, FTP and any information on how to get back my data.

I'm not a lawyer but I think we are in the position to start some legal action.
We can keep in touch between us using some facebook group. Is there any tech savvy that can prepare it ?

Thunder X:

I think they stopped supporting an export? ... Look at this recent response (07/20/2009):

Response (The Ning Team) 07/20/2009 02:45 PM
Hi Jim,
As Courtenay mentioned, your suggestions have been added as feature requests. When you make a feature request, the feature is usually not released right away. We definitely take these into account as we want to create a platform which is great for everyone!The process of new feature requests is outlined here:
http://blog.ning.com/2009/04/what-hap...

As each network on Ning is independent from the other, there is no way to move content from one network to the other. We currently also do not export content in order to move it to a different social network.

If you have any other questions, please let me know.

Cheers,
Mariko

Nick,

Will the future Ning export data file include member profile information such as friends and group memberships?

Is it going to be available in one format?

When do you anticipate releasing the format (e.g. XML) information?

Thanks!

the answer to the question is no. you may not export your content other than a csv file

Lawsuits are coming and bad publicity is getting worse. Ning should allow NCs to get their content. They should do so for a limited period of time and then they would be free to take the migration option off the table for good.

It has to be a rumor. I have heard nothing of this, except at the following two links. The first is merely someones suggestion here at Get Satisfaction, the second is a suit being brought against several social networking sites (which seems to be on shaky ground anyway).

http://getsatisfaction.com/ning/topic...

http://pulse2.com/2009/08/08/daniel-n...

If there is serious legal maneuvering going on we won't know about it until the lawsuit is filed.
I just came across this article which says (drum roll) "very serious accusations of Ning being a scamming company"
http://www.brightsideofnews.com/news/...
Like I said bad press will intensify and it will hurt the Ning brand...

Here is what I don't understand. If Ning is looking to compete (or join forces) with Facebook while moving away further from the white label concept, why not be clear about it. Yes, they will loose some entrepreneurial NCs, but they will loose them eventually anyway. The only NCs that are upset with Ning are NCs who are looking to run a business and make a living doing so. Not your casual (or avid) Facebook types who might find Ning offering more supportive of their hobbies. The whole thing is silly and certainly not worth the bad press.

Any luck on getting this done Nick? Would really like to not lose my stuff.

Ning is doing the right thing by giving people their content.

just for that, ning gets a 4 stars out of 5 as a company.

if ning is not for you simply leave... and stop whining.

HURRAY FOR NING!

nice one

Great decision Ning! Now I'm not looking to leave anymore. Keep it up!

I cannot believe this because I have sent two emails one informing Ning help centre that I am leaving the platform and an automatic message reply asked me to "Leave" the platform and then they will send me the content. But so far since last 2 weeks, there is no reply from them. My network blog was ESRCrestore.ning.com but no more. Neither can i access my blog any more as I clicked on "Leave" link in the admin area of my blog nor are they sending me my content so i can save and use them on my own PC. I dont know if whatever I am writing to Ning through Help Centre is read by someone in the Ning team or not. Has somebody done this in recently and as a result received contents from Ning?

cheers
Arshad

By the way this is my Deactivation Request Ref: Request ref:00D8cCLt.500491YBi:ref. In case someone or Ning Official Rep reads this, could you please pass on this to your colleagues in the technical team so they can hasten the export if this is still something doable?

Thanks very much Courtenay for your very quick consideration. I have updated the ticket you asked for and have sent email as well in reply to yours. hope i get my contents back and blog restored/activated soon.

thanks

Hi Courtenay,

Despite my prompt email reply to your last email on November 4, I am still unable to hear back from yourself or any engineer, you might have referred my query to. Is my request being processed? Does this delay suggest, I must wait for a fe more weeks or days? Also can i ask why would it take this long to your network engineer to export network contents? I already appreciate your cooperation
Arshad

These guys might help http://www.socialcoderz.com/