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

Like many other Ning Creators, I've been notified that the prices have more than doubled and I don't ask members to contribute towards the cost and wish to move my site elsewhere.
I created it approx. 7 years ago and don't want to lose the community and all their hard work. My site focuses on members' photos and all the comments other members contribute - if I switched to JamRoom, would those comments be retained?
Haven't got a clue what to do next - any help much appreciated. Haven't got a clue how to start....
Thank you for any insight.
Sam x
updated by @samanthab: 12/20/16 04:17:11AM

Hi Sam - Welcome to Jamroom
Importing a Ning2 site to Jamroom is fairlt straightforward and we have full documention on how to do this - https://www.jamroom.net/ning-to-jamroom/documentation/contents - However, a working knowledge of server admin, FTP, etc. is needed to do this.
What I'd recommend is to use one of our Hosted packages whereupon you'll get free access to all Jamroom modules and skins, as well as VIP support etc., and then to purchase one of our import services and we'll then grab your Ning2 archive and do it all for you.
Checkout the "What you need to know" section of the above docs. for what is imported but in answer to your specific question, yes, all photos and their comments are imported.
Also checkout our default skins that you'll have access to with our Hosted plans - https://www.jamroom.net/demos - maybe PhotoPro would be a good starting point for your imported site? - http://demo.jamroom.net/jrPhotoPro/
If you want, create a support ticket here and let me have your Ning2 site address and admin login and I'll assess your site and let you know what Hosted and Import service packages you would need.
Hope this helps
Paul


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Paul Asher - JR Developer and System Import Specialist

Hi Paul
Bless your heart for replying so quickly - what a great service! Going to investigate what you offer over the next few days.
On Page 15 of the price increase announcement on the Ning Creators Site, I have linked to this thread and posted my question and your prompt reply, plus promoted your Ning to Jamroom service - you might get a lot of us coming here.
Sam x

Hi Sam - Thanks for mentioning Jamroom on that Creator thread.
Let us know if/when you are ready to take this import further or if you have any more questions.
Paul


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Paul Asher - JR Developer and System Import Specialist

Just one other thing - the post from Fred St Laurent just after yours on the Creators forum implies that Jamroom charges to send any emails. In fact, up to 10000 emails a month can be sent freely from a Jamroom site, which has been more than enough for all our users. Fred St Laurent wanted to send 200K emails a month, which is exceptional!!
If you get a chance maybe you can respond to this mis-information on the creators forum?
Thanks
Paul


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Paul Asher - JR Developer and System Import Specialist

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.


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...just another satisfied Jamroom customer.
Migrated from Ning to Jamroom June 2015

Hi Strumelia....hope you dont mind but I'm going to quote the above post on Ning Creators. I too, am tired of the misinformation and misrepresentation re: Jamroom on the site


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Ceri Shaw - AmeriCymru
updated by @adolygwr: 09/05/16 11:58:02AM

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


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...just another satisfied Jamroom customer.
Migrated from Ning to Jamroom June 2015
updated by @strumelia: 09/05/16 01:29:48PM

Posted


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Ceri Shaw - AmeriCymru

Greetings. I am being tossed out from Ning, after being with them from almost their conception.
This is my community there (it's very slow, a dozen visitors a day)
http://www.wildlife1.com
I was wondering if that "look" and layout can be close here. The monthly payments come from a small charitable org, National Wildlife Humane Society. We can't afford the $60 a month. We are feeding tigers and wolves at our sanctuary.

updated by @catman: 09/05/16 02:07:19PM

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!


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...just another satisfied Jamroom customer.
Migrated from Ning to Jamroom June 2015

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.


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...just another satisfied Jamroom customer.
Migrated from Ning to Jamroom June 2015

Done


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Ceri Shaw - AmeriCymru

I am currently a little over 10 gb (1000 members) but I could probably remove 900 of them. It would take awhile. I have just held on to it all this time, with plans to try to blow new life into it. Facebook is what initially killed it.
Someone started a thread linking people to FB, and they ran out like someone yelled fire.
Maybe I could get by for awhile on the $19 plan.
Between my non-wildlife job, running the organization and caring for the big cats here, my time is scarce. Someone mentioned at a Ning forum, that someone can move it for me?

Hey @catman, The size of server you'll need is not determined by the number of users you have, but the space they take up on the server. So if you have 1000 members who mainly write forum post and text its going to use way less space than if you have 1000 members who upload video to your site. (because video takes up more space than forum posts )

With the videos, videos that are uploaded to youtube but shown on your site are very light weight. So the heaviest things that take up the most space will be uploaded audio files and uploaded video files, then after that large images. Less of those means less cost for the server.

I can see a few things in your sites design that will require HTML customization, so a custom skin, so if you wanted to keep the exact same look a bit of coding would be required. Jamroom's flexibility comes from the skins being very customizable, but not drag-n-drop customizable. You'd need to learn the standard web development way of doing things. Its something new to learn, but its fun once you start to get it and it gives you complete freedom to do whatever you want.

Hi Paul
Done! Reply is on page 16 of the thread.
Sam x

Just want to thank Ceri/Strumelia again. Thanks for correcting the misinformation - it's really important to know the truth because it's a big decision moving a social network.
Blessings to you.
Sam x

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


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...just another satisfied Jamroom customer.
Migrated from Ning to Jamroom June 2015

You're welcome Unfortunately I will not be able to cross post any more because I have been suspended from Ning Creators. This is a nuisance because I was planning to answer some further queries about Jamroom on one of the threads there. You would think, given that they want to encourage people to leave their dying platform, that they would be grateful for any assistance. Mystifying!! Possibly it has something to do with the fact that Glam/Mode are an absolute bunch of bastards?


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Ceri Shaw - AmeriCymru

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.


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...just another satisfied Jamroom customer.
Migrated from Ning to Jamroom June 2015
updated by @strumelia: 09/06/16 02:16:30PM

Yes I noticed that Thinking of joining the Ex Creators site to carry on proselytising there. Have you had any experience of that site? Is it worth joining?


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Ceri Shaw - AmeriCymru
updated by @adolygwr: 09/06/16 02:14:51PM

Yes I have been on Troy's Ex-Creator site for a couple of years already. Yes I think it's worth joining. Troy welcomes thoughtful input there, as long as you are genuine, respectful, and constructive (as I try to be there). ...and no cursing.
Troy Bertrand owns it, and Garfield assists him running that site- you may know Garfield from Creators. Great fellows both. https://excreators.com/community/forums
People do wind up there through Google searches, looking for info, and there's a whole lot of interesting reading there about all Ning alternative platforms. Sometimes I feel a bit lonely there because the content is heavy on SocialEngine, so I'd welcome the company, Ceri!


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...just another satisfied Jamroom customer.
Migrated from Ning to Jamroom June 2015

K....I joined. Just waiting for confirmation. I will try to behave


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Ceri Shaw - AmeriCymru

Hi Ceri - Thanks for the posts on that creators thread putting right the mis-information there, and sorry it got you banned. I was banned there a few months ago - one mention of JR too many I reckon!!
We have a presence on the Excreators forum and Troy, who runs the site is fair and gives all CMSs their say (even though his preference is for SE). Problem is that the forum isn't that busy. It deserves to be but tbh I don't think many people know about the site as yet. Maybe we can stir it up a bit there


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Paul Asher - JR Developer and System Import Specialist

Well, I just googled: Jamroom social engine ning platforms
and the top two results were from excreators site. So that's something.


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...just another satisfied Jamroom customer.
Migrated from Ning to Jamroom June 2015

https://sedo.com/search/?keyword=ning.com&language=us

Looks like Ning is for sale

Second time we've seen them up for sale now. Last time we offered $10 but they declined.

https://www.jamroom.net/the-jamroom-network/forum/new_posts/40197/former-ning-ceo-speaks

It's not for sale. Goto that same site and enter Google or microsoft. They'll be for sale as well


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Paul Asher - JR Developer and System Import Specialist

update: in case you haven't heard, Ning has been sold and Mode Media has crashed and burned.
* http://creators.ning.com/announcements-from-ning/exciting-news-about-ning-cyndx-llc
* A $1 Billion Fashion Network Shut Down and Apparently Isn’t Paying Its Writers: http://nymag.com/thecut/2016/09/mode-media-shuts-down-apparently-isnt-paying-its-writers.html

Well I guess Ning actually WAS for sale then- just not in the manner that we were thinking. How ironic!
Glam Mode is now vaporized and I guess they will neatly avoid any lawsuits this way too, if ning creators lose their sites at some point.


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...just another satisfied Jamroom customer.
Migrated from Ning to Jamroom June 2015

It was quite a scary day for Ning owners... I've migrated two sites to JR and am now working with two others (of course I've forgotten everything I knew about migration in the 8 months since I've done this). I also know the owners of two other Ning sites that I'm connected to.

So on Friday, suddenly all Ning sites (including Ning.com and Creators) disappeared. When we tried to access our sites, we go the message that we couldn't find the server. Totally freaked us all out. But then I found the posts on the Ning FB page ( https://www.facebook.com/Ning/) about what was going on. And the sites did come back up. Needless to say, we are much more vigilant about backing up our Ning sites (they are all 2.0) and speeding up the migration of both of our Ning sites to JR.