I've just received an e-mail from the Ning.com admins letting me know
that they will be ending support for free Ning groups at the end of
July. At that time they will begin to charge a minimum fee of
$3.00/month. This will be their basic rate, and the next tier of service
will cost $19.95/month.
I have no problem paying $3 a month, and I will continue to maintain the
group at that rate. There is just one problem: Ning will impose a 150
member limit on groups at the basic rate, and we are now at 125 members.
As our group continues to grow we will soon reach the member limit, and
I'll be faced with the unpleasant task of having to cull inactive
members in order to keep the group alive. One solution is for members
who haven't participated in discussions, and have no real intention of
doing so, to resign from the group. By doing this you will be creating
the space needed for those who do want to be active in the group
discussions. You can still check in at the website to view discussions,
you just
can't post.
In the long term I'd really like us to find another home. My own
website, the
Everglades Diary,
will be getting a face-lift this summer, and I've long considered
adding a forum to the site, so this may be the kick in the butt I've
needed to finally move on that. I will keep you posted on what my plans
are.
Keith W