Importing a Ning community?

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  • Joshua Clinard
    Banned
    • Oct 2001
    • 552
    • 3.0.0 Gamma

    Importing a Ning community?

    It has been a long time since I have operated a vBulletin board, but I have been perusing, and really like all the new features that have been added, and I especially like the proposed layout of vB 4.

    I have recently joined a social network on ning for a cause, and it's outgrowing the platform. Since I'm familliar with vB I recommended it to the group. I think they are open to the idea, if we can inport our members and topics. Would this be possible. I have heard that ning allows data export, but I don't know what the format is. Maybe someone else has done this already, and could advise?
  • Steve Machol
    Former Customer Support Manager
    • Jul 2000
    • 154488

    #2
    There is no importer for Ning. If you have access to the data you may be able to write a custom script to do that.
    Steve Machol, former vBulletin Customer Support Manager (and NOT retired!)
    Change CKEditor Colors to Match Style (for 4.1.4 and above)

    Steve Machol Photography


    Mankind is the only creature smart enough to know its own history, and dumb enough to ignore it.


    Comment

    • hitmancode47
      Senior Member
      • Jul 2008
      • 776
      • 3.8.x

      #3
      edit.
      Jut a random internet person.

      A message to all illegal users!

      Comment

      • Joshua Clinard
        Banned
        • Oct 2001
        • 552
        • 3.0.0 Gamma

        #4
        I'm trying to find out how to do an export of the data. I hear it's possible, but don't know how. Anyone know?

        Comment

        • TomJames
          Senior Member
          • Feb 2006
          • 761
          • 3.8.x

          #5
          The only thing I've been able to find is the ability to export member data, but not any of their content :S.
          - TomJames

          Comment

          • Joshua Clinard
            Banned
            • Oct 2001
            • 552
            • 3.0.0 Gamma

            #6
            Yes, you can export member data, in a csv file. I am working on getting that file from the site admin. When I get it, can someone anaylize it and help me write a script to do the import?

            Comment

            • Freewilley
              New Member
              • Jan 2009
              • 22
              • 3.7.x

              #7
              may be you need to hire someone to do that..
              techno2day

              Comment

              • Reeve of Shinra
                Senior Member
                • Sep 2001
                • 4325
                • 4.0.0

                #8
                vbulletin can import a csv file with the users information. So if you can find a way to export the user info as a csv file, you should be good.
                Plan, Do, Check, Act!

                Comment

                • kersti
                  Senior Member
                  • Dec 2005
                  • 110
                  • 4.2.X

                  #9
                  I'm afraid there's no way of exporting the threads and photos out, the only thing you have is your member list.

                  Of course, this fact while annoying is also a strong argument for moving away from ning.

                  I've just moved a community off ning, I gave them a deadline date and have shut down the access. Now as topics come up in the new site I have a small team of people who go back to ning, search for info there and somply copy it into a forum post. Crude, horribly manual, but at least it works.

                  Comment

                  • Lifeinitaly
                    Member
                    • Apr 2007
                    • 59
                    • 3.6.x

                    #10
                    Tired of waiting for VB 4 I was thinking to move into the much more modern looking ning platform when I read this post that made me wonder about my idea. ( I did already set yup my community there and I was thinking to do the opposite - importing vbulletin posts into ning ). May I ask what is bad about the Ning platform and where vbulletin scores better ?

                    Comment

                    • stryka
                      Senior Member
                      • Aug 2002
                      • 265

                      #11
                      umm... i think your answer is above... it sounds like if your site grows (which every owner wants), you can not export your content and customize it the way you want... you will always be stuck with only what Ning offers...

                      Only thing you will have is your member info... if you build a loyal following over the years, it would piss off your members if all of their content contribution is lost when you transfer sites...

                      Anyhow... NING knows that and they bank on the fact that you will upgrade your account and stay there forever... can't hate the business model... they just hope that site owners join blindly and not think about growth...

                      Originally posted by Lifeinitaly
                      Tired of waiting for VB 4 I was thinking to move into the much more modern looking ning platform when I read this post that made me wonder about my idea. ( I did already set yup my community there and I was thinking to do the opposite - importing vbulletin posts into ning ). May I ask what is bad about the Ning platform and where vbulletin scores better ?
                      Last edited by stryka; Tue 9 Jun '09, 7:39am.

                      Comment

                      • feldon23
                        Senior Member
                        • Nov 2001
                        • 11291
                        • 3.7.x

                        #12
                        It's a hosted social networking site. It is extremely unlikely that they will give you your data. Most of these hosted solutions want to hang onto you as long as they can, happy or not.

                        Comment

                        • Grover
                          Senior Member
                          • May 2001
                          • 4005
                          • 3.8.x

                          #13
                          Benefits of vBulletin compared to Ning?

                          Would somebody care to explain to me what the benefits of vBulletin are over a Ning powered platform? I am just in the process of recommend vBulletin to a potential (very big) client and one of their employees just setup a Ning community for them, whereas I believe they should choose vBulletin. How to convince them to go for Jelsofts/IB's solution?
                          How much do you love XenForo?

                          Comment

                          • feldon23
                            Senior Member
                            • Nov 2001
                            • 11291
                            • 3.7.x

                            #14
                            Originally posted by Grover
                            Would somebody care to explain to me what the benefits of vBulletin are over a Ning powered platform? I am just in the process of recommend vBulletin to a potential (very big) client and one of their employees just setup a Ning community for them, whereas I believe they should choose vBulletin. How to convince them to go for Jelsofts/IB's solution?
                            Ning is a social networking site. It looks to me like a MySpace clone. So I'm not sure if vBulletin would give you the exact same functionality. I do think your client should be aware that with Ning, the data belongs to Ning, and there is no way to get a copy of it. So you are dependent upon their site never going down. Hosting your own data is a unique selling point of vBulletin.
                            Last edited by feldon23; Tue 29 Sep '09, 6:24pm.

                            Comment

                            • kyrgyz
                              Senior Member
                              • Oct 2007
                              • 691

                              #15
                              Originally posted by kersti
                              I'm afraid there's no way of exporting the threads and photos out, the only thing you have is your member list.

                              Of course, this fact while annoying is also a strong argument for moving away from ning.

                              I've just moved a community off ning, I gave them a deadline date and have shut down the access. Now as topics come up in the new site I have a small team of people who go back to ning, search for info there and somply copy it into a forum post. Crude, horribly manual, but at least it works.
                              Have you thought about using SiteImport script from Webassist?

                              Quote:

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                              Last edited by kyrgyz; Tue 29 Sep '09, 9:51pm.

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