DO NOT WANT: PR BS

The number one request we consistently hear from Network Creators is that they would like an effective way to drive new members to their social networks. The number one request we hear from members is that they would like a way to discover new social networks to join. We think the approach we're taking here with Ning.com will address both requests while not getting in the way of your relationship with your members. - Quote from Ning posted to the Signature Campaign

With all due respect, this is a big pile of baloney from Ning's PR department.

First off, any decent NC already knows how to drive members to their networks. It's with search engine ranking and targeted advertising. So this "number one request" can only be coming from one set of people - the freebie, parasitical amateur NCs who set up networks and then look around wondering where to get some members (ah! I know, I'll go and steal them off another network!) Stealing members and shuffling them between sites adds NOTHING to Ning's membership base. It just annoys the good NCs who are actually bringing in new members!

I am an NC. I DO NOT WANT members from the Ning network joining my site. They are spammers and troublemakers. They join my site, they advertise a bunch of other Ning sites, they friend a bunch of people, then they spam them with invites to other sites.

I doubt very much that the "number one request" from members is how to discover new networks. Here are my member's top requests:

- How do I stop all these emails coming to me?
- Please ban this idiot from your site!
- I don't know how to do BLAH.

Not once has someone ever emailed me asking to find out about other social networks. That's because the people who want to find other social networks already know how to find them, and the people on my site are there because they want to be there.

All this is going to do is fill out some of our smaller, copycat networks. People will join them, then they will get fed up of trying to look at six networks every day instead of one. They will hear all kinds of nasty made-up stories about us from the embittered spammer NCs we have banned who run these networks. They will spread a bunch of animosity around, and we will end up at war with the smaller networks, actively banning people for being part of them.