NING.com, a popular social-network-creation site, has decided to begin charging a monthly and/or yearly subscription fee to all users.
NING became popular because, unlike Facebook and MySpace, NING allows its users to create their own social networking communities based on whatever goals or interests the creator would like to promote.
NING.com has this to say about its services:
Ning is the social platform for the world's interests and passions online. Millions of people every day are coming together across Ning to explore and express their interests, discover new passions, and meet new people around shared pursuits.
NING began emailing current users at the beginning of May about their free-to-fee intentions.
Starting in July, and there has been no specific date that has been mentioned, all current and future users will be asked to choose from three pricing plans to continue and/or start a customized network. The following image shows NING's proposed pricing structure:
For detailed information on the different pricing plans, go to Pricing Plans on the NING.com site.
Once the fee-based services begin, NING discloses in its Frequently Asked Questions section that it will not maintain a free-based business model. Once the fee-based structure is live, current users will have 30 days to decide to stay and pay or discontinue their networks. New users will be given a 30-day free trial, but they too will have to decide to pay or go once the trial ends.
For more information about NING.com in general, and about their free-to-fee plans specifically, vist their site.
Comments
This is going to cause a ripple in the social media lives of many people. I've read a couple of articles detailing horror stories about NING making it hard to get the files and contact lists the are attached to the NING sites they have built. We will see what will become of this phenomenon. Spruz.com is an option I see some people going to.
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