eN0ch's dashboard

Personally I'd like to see a lot more facility for network admins to control things, relying less on individual members to login and do stuff. We dumped Google groups in favour of Ning for our network because our many non-geek members were struggling with using Google. They're certainly finding Ning much easier. But there's one glaring exception ...

On Google and lots of other similar network platforms, the group admins can set a lot of things up without members needing to do stuff on the site. Plus - members get automatic e-mail notifications for nearly everything that happens on the site .. and for many basic activities members can do everything through their own e-mail interface or desktop client. In that respect Ning falls down a lot for networks inhabited by Luddites. So whilst the Ning interface is much more user-friendly, it becomes increasingly obvious through use that Ning takes a certain level of geekery pretty much for granted. Certainly it assumes that every member will regularly visit the site and take the time to find their way around.

e.g. When I first set up the network, I had to wait a fortnight for some members to get round to responding to the invite before I could do anything else with them. And then I had to give them detailed instructions - some even involved individual phone calls - explaining how to RSVP to an event, how to join a group I'd invited them to join, how to sign up for e-mail notifications, etc. Once they've clicked the right link or button everything's great ... but not all network members can do even that much unguided.
In contrast - you can set up a google group as admin by entering everyone's e-mail address, after which they each get an e-mail telling them they're now a member - not asking them to do something to become one. Thereafter, especially if all they do is share in discussions, they can just participate entirely through e-mail. Much for user-friendly at that level.

So I'd like as an admin to be able to a lot more stuff for members. If I can just get them into the network and set up their accounts and settings for maximum efficiency, everything's fantastic.