Use Ning to setup a social network
There are Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace. But an often overlooked social network is one that might just be the place for newspapers making the transition online: Ning.com. It allows for a lot more flexibility and user control. Some schools and districts have turned to Ning for their online needs. Teacher organizations are using it as a collaborative tool. Here are a few interesting links that argue the case for Ning and showcase its uses.
One of the main differences between Ning and Facebook is that your group’s Ning is its own social network, as opposed to a group, club, or fan page on Facebook. Users can have their own profile on your newspaper’s Ning and a completely different profile on someone else’s Ning. Users can post their own discussion board threads. Within your Ning, you can create groups (perhaps coverage sections) that people can follow. Individual users can also have blogs, which are linked to from the group’s Ning site.
Comparing Facebook with Ning
http://tinyurl.com/2mjtxp
Top 10 Reasons to Start a Ning for Your Newspaper
http://tinyurl.com/exqys
Newspaper Designing: sharing thoughts
http://tinyurl.com/d7kcsb
The Next Newsroom
http://tinyurl.com/5f5knb
Ning is now the thing for building online communities
http://tinyurl.com/ccda75
