Forum Activity for @strumelia

How Easy Is It to Move A Ning 2.0 Site to JamRoom?

Ning To Jamroom

Or perhaps some ning creator 'reported' you because your posts don't jive with what they are saying there. It's too bad because there are many site owners stuck on Ning who are desperately looking for workable solutions and escape routes. At least the Admins did not delete (for now) your recent posts there that corrected some misleading information being spread.

I wish that people were post helpfully about the ning content-importing alternatives such as Wordpress, SocialEngine, and Jamroom there on Creators- without getting stones thrown at them or being run off. Creators need HELP in getting off Ning, and all three of the above platforms can work very well for people, depending on their types of sites and their particular situations.
updated by @strumelia: 09/06/16 02:16:30PM

How Easy Is It to Move A Ning 2.0 Site to JamRoom?

Ning To Jamroom

You are very welcome Samantha. I think you will find, as i have, that the Jamroom Team of five developers support you every step of the way and truly care about their customers.
These are the wonderful Jamroom Team developers who give their personal assistance to all Jamroom customers: https://www.jamroom.net/the-jamroom-team

How Easy Is It to Move A Ning 2.0 Site to JamRoom?

Ning To Jamroom


If you know the size of you ning 2.0 archive, here are the prices on Jamroom which are based on your site GB size:
Prices on Jamroom Hosting plans here: https://www.jamroom.net/hosting
Self-hosted Jr prices are here: https://www.jamroom.net/pricing
Yes you can imitate the 'look' of your ning site on Jamroom, by using their Site Builder Tool. There will be some differences of course. Mostly good.

How Easy Is It to Move A Ning 2.0 Site to JamRoom?

Ning To Jamroom

Ceri can you edit the "I Am Jamroom" youtube link in your post so it functions please?
Should be a hotlink to here:
I am Jamroom II: Premium Skins

Thanks!

How Easy Is It to Move A Ning 2.0 Site to JamRoom?

Ning To Jamroom

This is to Ceri, who kindly quoted me above on Creators forum. To which someone wanted to know: "She's paying $60/mo but ask her how much she coughed up to design the site. It's not misinformation. I llived thrugh it; three times."
Well you can deliver to her for me the answer to her question:
------------------------
I initially "coughed up" about $200, when I bought my first Ninja bundle of skin and modules- all that was required really. Plus I spent $10/mon on a piece of sh*t 3rd party Arvixe 'bargain' server for a few months (which severely slowed down my ability to work on my site BTW..they kept shutting me down!) Later when JR began to offer their own maintained server hosted plans, I quickly switched to Jamroom's Hosting plan and never looked back- where i have ever since paid only $60/mon which includes: ALL current and future JR modules(plugins), skins, speedy trouble-free server maintenance, daily automatic site backup, and cheerful fast VIP 24/7 personalized Support. I wish I could have skipped the first stupid few months where I started out on a molasses-slow Arvixe server (which promised me the moon but delivered a lump of coal, lol)- but then again way back then 2 yrs ago Jamroom didn't offer their own hosting servers yet. If I had started right off on the JR server, I wouldn't even have had to pay my initial $200.
You can do your own JR install and the import of your ning content to your new site (full instructions are included), but if that seems too daunting you can choose pay to have the JR Team do all this for you- install your new site on your server and import your ning content... I think it would have cost me around $200 for a site my size, but I was allowed to skip that because I was one of the ning-import-tool Beta testers 2 yrs ago.
Starting with the Ningja skin default, I customized my site methodically myself, with frequent cheerful and patient help from the Jamroom Team concerning particular code tweaks and advise. No they won't build your site for you (you'd have to find someone to pay to do that) and if you expect to create and run your own site on ANY platform you'll need to make some ongoing effort to learn stuff. I'm still learning, and I consider myself a baby-level coder. But my site is thriving.
Here's my Jamroom site, which i made to somewhat resemble my old Ning site, as per what my members wanted from me: http://fotmd.com/ BTW there is a whole slew of brand new sleek modern skins offered on Jamroom as well now (all free with JR hosting), so you can make it look and act literally any way you like. I am Jamroom II: Premium Skins
OMG as Ceri says, so dependable and has a million better features and admin controls than my old Ning site. And I've only just scratched the surface of what I 'could' do on my site, at no extra cost mind you. There's no need to spend a lot on Jamroom.

--> If I were to migrate to Jamroom today, with my Ning 2.0/3,000 member/ 30 GB site, I would choose Jamroom HOSTING PLAN- so... with that, instead of buying each module separately (why would anyone want to do that?), I'd be paying the Jamroom Team about $200 TOTAL to archive my ning site FOR ME, import my content to my JR server, and install everything for me. After that I'd be paying $60/mon Period. With the hosting plan I'd get the platform Core, and all skins and modules/plugins for FREE, along with VIP 24/7 support. Then i'd roll up my sleeves and start designing my site with their Sitebuilder tool.

And if anyone wants to hear from the many former ning site owners who ACTUALLY migrated to Jamroom and have been getting terrific service, value, and support, don't take my or anyone else's word for it... just drop by the Jamroom customer support special Ning-to-Jamroom forum section and see for yourself the kind of hands-on support you get: https://www.jamroom.net/the-jamroom-network/forum/ning-to-jamroom
Hey to my friends over on Creators! Strumelia
updated by @strumelia: 09/05/16 01:29:48PM

How Easy Is It to Move A Ning 2.0 Site to JamRoom?

Ning To Jamroom

I would like to add some clarification here if I may.
Sam, on that thread in Creators there is indeed some misinformation about Jamroom being posted.

The fact is, there are MANY former Ning site owners who have successfully and happily migrated from Ning to Jamroom and we are thriving here. We closed our ning sites and were then (unsurprisingly) BANNED from the Creators forum, so we can no longer post there, including posting anything helpful about Jamroom.
There are a few there on Creators however who experimented with Jamroom and for various reasons it didn't suit them- maybe it didn't behave enough like ning for them right off the bat, or they didn't go beyond the first one or two preliminary steps in creating their site, and they left in frustration. They remain on Creators because they are still on their Ning sites, and they are not happy campers. I feel for them. But the people who successfully migrated to Jamroom are MANY, and they are not to be found posting on ning's Creators forum. We post here.

1) Paul explained about the incorrect info about having to PAY for all emails to members. Simply not true unless you are sending out an extraordinary number of emails to your members every month. I don't think it's easy to find a free service to send out 200,000 emails from within a network platform anywhere..including Ning.

2) It's now being stated on Creators that the cost of Jamroom is "BIG". This is simply FALSE- I will be honest here and say I've spent two or three hundred dollars initially and ever since then I only pay my monthly server cost on Jamroom, which for my 30 GB site runs around $60/month. That's the TOTAL of what Jamroom costs me, period. Prices on Jamroom Hosting plans are stated plainly here: https://www.jamroom.net/hosting
Self-hosted Jr prices are here: https://www.jamroom.net/pricing
Any claims that Jamroom costs a fortune are simply sour grapes from someone who may have made a lot of ill-advised decisions with no interest in looking at information that might have helped them. You want to pay a fortune?- go to SocialEnginePHP or stay on Ning.

3) Lastly, I must say that I very much resent my name being used on Creators in order to try and discourage people from using Jamroom. Quite the opposite!
Over a year and a half ago when ning site owners first began asking Jamroom developers for help, the Jamroom Team began to develop an import tool to help people wanting to move from Ning- to import and save their ning archive content. They also created the 'Ningja' skin to help make a jamroom site seem more 'ning-like' in order to further ease the transition for anxious non-coders like myself. Later yet they created the Jamroom Site Builder Tool which would make building a site more 'drag and drop' for us laymen as well.
My ning site was one of the initial group of beta tests for importing ning sites. As such, there was a large amount of testing and the Jamroom Team was asking for in depth input and suggestions from us initial ning migrants. For example, they literally BUILT jamroom Groups for us, to receive our Ning Groups and group discussions. They bent over backwards to help us ning-ers, there was a LOT going on, and that was even before the Site Builder tool was created. That's why I spent months working on my new JR site before I went live- I had no impending ning deadline and I was spending time getting to know how Jamroom worked, learning some rudimentary site building/running skills, and giving feedback to get new features and options for us ning refugees.

Fast-forward to now- Dozens and dozens of features and improvements have since been added specifically for the benefit of ning users, and the Site Builder tool has been built and updated to the point where it really helps non-coders (like me) build their sites more quickly and easily.

I guess my point about the Creators forum really is this- for every 1 ning creator unhappily stuck on Ning making bitter or untrue posts about Jamroom there, there are probably 50 or more of us who have moved to Jamroom successfully and are happily running our JR sites now...and no longer on Ning Creators posting about our dilemma. Thanks for allowing my little mini-vent.

Migration from Ning: a few questions

Ning To Jamroom

There are a few 3rd party JR modules, but usually they are for pretty specialized needs ...all your typical site features and functions are covered by the over 200 JR-supplied modules found in the JR Marketplace. Some code-savvy folks also create or commission custom modules for their own use as well. All modules (plugins) and skins created by Jamroom are supported and updated by the Jamroom Team.

Migration from Ning: a few questions

Ning To Jamroom

Elise, I'd like to add one more thing that I think may be important to you-

You state: "I am debating between Social Engine and Jamroom"
...and I'd like to clarify how the COST $ difference between the two platform choices winds up being very substantial:

SE basic platform costs hundreds just to buy the bare platform- the JR basic platform core is free.
On Se you must find your own hosting and pay that monthly.
On JR you can either do that if you want, OR you can use the JR hosting plan... https://www.jamroom.net/hosting

The big advantages to using JR hosting plan are:

--You get the Core platform and ALL jamroom current and future modules (plugins) for FREE. (on SE you are going to pay and pay and pay to keep buying plugins from various 3rd party providers...and they often don't play nice with each other and they aren't supported by SE itself) To get help with your plugins if they don't work, you have to go to the person you bought it from and hope for the best. If I'm not mistaken, don't you even have to buy a plugin to make SE mobile responsive?- I find that ridiculous!- Jamroom is already completely mobile-responsive from the get-go....no need to 'buy' something to make it that way. I read posts from people who have been spending thousands on Social Engine plugins just to get basic site functions and features that come free with JR hosting plan's all-included modules and skins.

--Modules and the core get updated and maintained by the JR team themselves, to insure compatibility- and updates cost you nothing. With the JR hosting plan, all you pay is your monthly server fee.

--SUPPORT!- on SocialEngine you are charged money for: every. single. instance. of tech support. And after buying 3rd party plugins galore you are going to need support assistance. With JR hosted plan you also get JR VIP Support- which gets you 24/7 personalized ticket tech support for any jamroom problems you encounter. I can tell you from experience the JR team responds VERY quickly and they go above and beyond in order to help you. Ask anyone here. This is not to say that 'tech support' means they will build your site for you- lol, you must build and run your site yourself- it's yours! But it means the Jamroom Team will investigate any platform, skin, or module glitches you encounter, and either fix them quickly or explain to you something you might not be understanding. They also cheerfully tell you how to do something in the code to get the results you want. And they support and maintain your JR hosting server of course.

In addition, ALL us JR customers have this excellent support forum where we are typing right now. What other platform gives you a super fast customer Help forum -where the platform developers THEMSELVES monitor all threads and jump in right away to help you??
You simply won't get all this from SE, Wordpress, Ning, FB, or from any other online networking platform.

I know I always sound like an ad, but I'm just a happy customer. In my opinion, Jamroom gives you waaaay more than any other option. And what you get is reasonably priced, top quality, with the best support anywhere.

how to set tags so only the owner can add tags?

Using Jamroom

Perrie, I think you are simply getting confused as to the settings and then what you SEE when you are logged in under a particular quota.
If you want All your members to be able to add tags, set it the way you want for the 'regular member' quota and also check the 'can tag only own items' box. Then check the "apply to all quotas' box and save.
Clear the CACHE so your your new change can be seen.
Then log OUT and log in as a regular (test) member. Start a new discussion as that test member, and you should see the tag adding option.

Keep in mind that if you are logged in as admin you'll always be able to see (and edit) anyone's tags.

updated by @strumelia: 09/05/16 08:05:38AM

Migration from Ning: a few questions

Ning To Jamroom

Famous? ...Famous for being confused as a total non-coding newbie for the whole first six months I came here maybe...lol! I actually kind of bumble my way along- I make lots of mistakes but I've learned to reduce mistakes by being careful and backing up everything I do first.

When you think about it Elise, 'friending' a two step process on Ning as well, where you actually DO need the other person to 'do something' to make the connection complete. You send another member a Friend request, but nothing happens unless they in turn ACCEPT the request back. Only after that second step happens is the connection completed both ways and the two people can send private notes. I recall many a time people sending friend requests to others on ning yet never being able to send them a message because the other person never got that notification and/or never 'accepted' the request. Friend requests on ning often get left hanging/pending. Both Ning and Jamroom also require the other person to respond before anyone can send private notes.

My members caught on to the Follow system after a short period of adjustment. I made it a little easier for them by adding some custom text into the email notification a member gets when being told they have a new 'follower'. Through the ACP, in the Followers Module (Modules/Profiles/Followers), under Templates tab there is: email_new_follower_message. tpl At the bottom of that template code i added some simple text saying:
"If you are following (or choose to follow) this new follower in return, then you and the other person will be able to exchange private notes. To 'follow' the other person in return, go to their profile page and click their "Follow" button at top corner. "
That added a bit of instruction prompts members to complete the two-way 'follower' connection. It's a way you can customize what an email notification to your members says, to your liking. Other modules have their own 'email templates' where you can adjust the text that gets sent to your members on various actions.

Don't forget that after you 'save' your text tweak and back out again to the list of that module's templates, be sure to CHECK the little checkbox to ACTIVATE that custom change you made. You can always 'restore' the module again to its default without your changes if you want.
updated by @strumelia: 09/04/16 06:37:11PM