BuddyPress.org

Hi again Mike,

I checked into Ning quite some time ago. I was never comfortable with their spam protection or was I comfortable putting my data in the hands of some outside organization. By concerns turned out to be well founded.

“Clients of Ning are outraged [Link disabled by Ning] over a decision that Ning made public last week. The software maker sent out an email to all of its clients, those who have created a social network on Ning, stating that they would email all members of all websites who use the Ning software to promote the newly designed Ning.com.

http://www.chartingstocks.net/2009/03/ning-exposed-tech-company-ning-scams-its-clients/

“Please do not send the email to my members. I pay you not to advertise on my site and I don’t think you should target my members directly,” says one Ning network creator and paying customer. Ning charges network creators to keep all Ning promotional links off their site. Some members have been paying this fee for years and so are even more upset at the direct email marketing campaign. Why pay the fee?

To make matter worse, the new Ning.com combines all member data from all websites created using the Ning system. The owners of the websites have no option to opt out or remove their members. There’s going to be a lot of explaining to do when members see their own picture, profile, and information on Ning.com, a website that most members have never even heard of.”

There are other white label sites, but they all basically have the same problem. I, the owner, am beholden to whoever is running the software for me. I have no control.

Rich