What is the deal with this Ning thing? (Reflections on the End of Free Networks)
Image via CrunchBase Lots of comments running through Twitter about Ning 's decision to take away free networks from education. While it would have been nice for Ning to notify us in a more direct way, they didn't and here are some of my thoughts. 1 - Ning SHOULD Make Money First and foremost, Ning is a for-profit company and they have a right and an obligation to their investors to make a PROFIT. I appreciate that they understood the power of free networks where STUDENTS were involved as well as keeping politically favorable in treating those networks with kids under 18 with "kid gloves" so to speak as it relates to advertising. While I disagree with their decision and point out that wikispaces has built a seemingly profitable model off of add-free sites for educators - this is Ning's company and Ning's right to do as they wish! 2 - Ning SHOULD Be Ready to Step Up That being said, I think that Ning's lack of communication with educators who had...