The announcement from Ning CEO Jason Rosenthal that they will soon be phasing out their free service comes as both a surprise and a source of discomfort for community managers who invested their time and effort into a Ning network.  These managers will soon have to decide to whether to become homeless or start paying a mortgage for a new home.  The question is how low can that mortgage be to replace the functionality that Ning provided?

The internet can always provide options and we’re already seeing communities stepping forward to fill the void.

BuddyPress Steps Up

The Wordpress based “social-network in a box” product BuddyPress seems to be leading the charge.  Just a day after the announcment, Boone B. Gorges released a Ning to BuddyPress Import plugin that will migrate display names, usernames, and email address.  John Jacoby runs the new Ning to BuddyPress blog to provide resources and assist community managers with their transition.

Matt Mulenweg has jumped into the conversation as well suggesting that Ning users should not necessarily seek to replace it with another freemium service.  He states “…if a company with $120,000,000 in funding can’t figure that business out, I wouldn’t hitch my horse to a company with $5-6M.”

So I Want a New Home…How Much Will My Mortgage Be?

While the new Ning pricing structure has yet to be released we do know what their current premium plans run.  Ning’s premium offerings include express access to customer support starting at $10 per month, removal of Ning links at the bottom of pages at $25 per month, custom URLs at $5 per month, an ad-free interface at $25 per month and extra bandwidth and storage at $10 per month.

A BuddyPress implementation has the disadvantage of not being free.  Payment comes not for the software but for the host service that is required to run the software and serve the domain.  Even then there are plenty of options with lower costs than what Ning asks for.  This blog is hosted by HostMonster.com which currently charges $5.95 for an annual contract which includes domain registration.

There is also the costs of initial setup and maintenance of the community network.  Depending on the customization required, community managers may need to hire BuddyPress consultants to assist in setting up the site.  Once setup the BuddyPress interface is easy to use and intuitive so maintenance costs should be low or unnecessary.

Functionality – BuddyPress vs Ning

Ning’s product list includes what you would expect in a community site including member blogs, chat, RSS feeds, groups, discussion forums, photo and video support, and community management/moderation functionality.  They provide 50 unique themes along with the ability for unique branding through the use of custom CSS.

BuddyPress is a set of plug-ins designed to work together on a Wordpress MU installation.  They include Extended Profiles, Instant Messaging, Friends, Groups, Blog Tracking, and Forums.  There are currently 141+ BuddyPress specific plug-ins in addition to the vast collection available in Wordpress.  A quick search of the Wordpress Theme database on the keyword BuddyPress returns 8 themes though there are many more available on the web both free and premium.

Where’s Drupal?

On a side note, I have to wonder where is the other obvious transition choice, Drupal?  As of this writing I cannot find any postings concerning Drupal’s advantages specific to Ning’s soon to be homeless.  Dries Buytaert’s blog has been quiet on the subject along with the Acquia, Drupal.org and Drupal Gardens sites.  Maybe we’ll see something from them this week during the DrupalCon in SF.  Its only my opinion but I would guess that Dries and Acquia are more concerned with their more enterprise efforts, such as the recent launch of WhiteHouse.gov on Drupal.  While I am happy to see open-source sponsors like Acquia provide better enterprise solutions such as in the areas of security and database management I hope that the little guys do not get forgotten.

Resources

If you are considering a transition from Ning or want to create a new community network in BuddyPress contact me.  With over three years of Wordpress experience mostly in the photoblogging domain I am available to assist you in your decision to migrate and the transition itself.  If I cannot provide you the answers you need I can definitely point you in the right direction.

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I was recently asked by a local photographer about our community and how he could become more involved.  I was tongue-tied for a second before I answered.  To me this has become habit and something I don’t really think about anymore.  So I stopped and gathered my thoughts on the matter and sent him back a list of some low hanging fruit ways of getting involved in our community.  I’ve taken that original email and expanded it below in the hope that it will offer some suggestions to you.

1. Blog

This is the no-brainer portion of the list.  Create a blog or photoblog and get your photos out there.  A quick search of Google will provide you with a plethora of resources on the how-to’s of blogging so I won’t cover that.

For your first blog, the technology behind it should not be the main factor.  Whether its a hosted solution like Blogger, Wordpress.com, Posterous or your own self-hosted site using Joomla, Wordpress or a Flash solution doesn’t matter as long as its one you can work with.  What matters is getting a site up and running so you have somewhere to refer people to view your work.

Once you have your blog/photoblog up and running send out requests for link exchanges with some local photographers that run their own sites.  To get a jump on finding these people look to the right of this article to my Blogroll and you’ll find quite a few.  You can also find more listed on the photo pages of my photoblog.  Also consider submitting your site to a local blog directory such as DCBlogs.

2. Use a Photo Gallery Service

The most well known service of this type would be Flickr.  While Flickr is a worldwide service it provides local community support as well.  Search for Flickr groups using keywords that interest you or a local neighborhood to see whats available and then join a few.  You can also search their photo pool by tags to find photographers in your area that you can add as contacts.

Other services include Picasa and SmugMug, both of which provide ways to both promote yourself to a community and find local photographers to interface with.

3. Use Twitter and Facebook

Quite a few local photographers are active on Twitter and use it as a platform to share not only their works but the efforts of other photographers that impress them.  If you’re new to Twitter you can find many of DC’s photographers on my list of DC Area Photographers (if you don’t find yourself on my list let me know).  The fun part about Twitter lists is that they are ever growing.  Click a name from my list and chances are good they have a similar list with some different names  on it.

Facebook is an awesome way to show off your photography.  You can link your blog articles, Flickr uploads, or even upload a shot directly into Facebook to appear on your wall updates.  If you pursuing commercial photography consider making a Facebook fan page and inviting your friends to join.  There are also many local photography groups available (I’ll cover one of them in a few).

4. Contribute to Photoblogging DC

No, we’re not talking about contributing money but some photos instead.  PhotoBlogging DC (PBDC) is a site focused on displaying the works of some of the Greater DC Area’s talented photographers.  Their contributors include both professionals and enthusiasts.  If you’d like to become one of PBDC’s contributors you can reach them on Twitter or email the editors with a link to your online portfolio.

5. DCist and WeLoveDC

DCist and WeLoveDC are local blogs that cover the various happenings around town including politics, art, food and whatever else tickles their fancy.  Both blogs include user submitted photographs on many of their articles.  DCist has a Photo of the Day article while WeLoveDC has a Weekend Flashback that displays photos from their readers.  You can submit your photos to them by using their Flickr groups found at DCist Photos and We <3 DC.  Of course you’ll need a Flick account to do this.

6. Take a Photowalk Around DC

One of the best ways to interact with fellow photographers is to go on a photowalk.  Photowalk DC is a Facebook group with currently over 160 members.  They hold events on a monthly basis during the good weather months with some ad hoc walks scheduled in between.  Events are announced on Facebook and here on this blog.

Many local photographer’s like Rob Jones and  Shawn Duffy organize their own photowalks as well so keep your eyes open on Twitter and Facebook for these opportunities.

7. Meetup

Meetup.com is a great place to find photography clubs and events.  The Washington Photography Meetup Group has over 2,100 members and is extremely active with monthly meetups and more.  Another interesting meetup group is the When Everyone Else is Working Photography Meetup Group.  Their events occur Mon-Fri at different times of the day to try and accommodate as many people as possible.

8. Interact

No matter how many of the previous 7 items you choose to use, the most important step in becoming involved in DC photography is to interact with the rest of the community.  Leave comments on blogs/photoblogs, Flickr, photowalk wrapups, Twitter and Facebook.  Support the community and let them know you appreciate them and it will be returned.

This is the short list as there are many ways to interact with the DC photography community.  What would you add to this list?  I would greatly appreciate your comments.

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