A Niche To Scratch

• @ysnjen Are you using the new version of Dragona? I think it was released like a week ago and it's supposed to be better… #

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• @ysnjen Are you using the new version of Dragona? I think it was released like a week ago and it's supposed to be better… #

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• Fast Company is searching for 2010's Most Influential Person Online. You are more influential than you think. http://fcinf.com/v/abza #

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• Fast Company is searching for 2010's Most Influential Person Online. You are more influential than you think. http://fcinf.com/v/abza #

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• A new niche?: RT @StrawberryTech From M.S. Patients, Outcry for Unproved Treatment – http://nyti.ms/aWCDTC #

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I’m happy to say I’ll be keeping my communities established with Ning at Ning. The pricing plan is better than it was before and I’m excited about the differences. Currently I’m paying more than I will be, which is awesome.

MomsWithMS.com will be at the middle tier as we have over 400 members there and so that is the best option for now.

SeattleUrbanGarden.com will be at the lowest level until we get the promotion and site built up more.

SeattleHipMamas.com will also be at the lowest level until we get the promotion and site built up more.

Over all I think it makes sense especially since the lowest covers up to 150 members for only $2.95 according to their sneak preview…so it’s hardly an expense if you have any kind of sponsorship at all, plus it includes ad revenue from the google ads so if your SEO is up to par, it is all good.

After Laying Off 40% of It’s Workforce Ning Says Things Will Be Different

Yesterday after getting an email from my husband, who had gotten an inquiry from one of his colleagues about the ‘changes’ at Ning, I didn’t pay much attention. Said colleague was asking about alternatives to Ning because they were going to be charging soon, my assumption was that this was likely the result of going over bandwidth or something of that nature.

I was surprised later when I got the link to the creators community where the announcement was clear as day… no more free communities. More news to be released over the next two weeks, free community creators will have the opportunity to upgrade to an undisclosed payment plan or will have to begin their transition elsewhere.

Many of the replies to the thread where the announcement was made are full of anger, many creators have spent hundreds of hours creating their environments, others are bummed but acknowledge that it probably makes sense as a business decision. There are even some who have created many communities, over 20 in some cases, and their frustration about how quickly even a small amount would add up is understandable.

Most of the comments come to the same conclusion though, they are asking the question, “How much will it be.”, and this has not yet been disclosed.

As a Ning Community Creator I am hoping it isn’t too much, I have about 4 different communities the largest of which has an international membership spanning 6 countries bringing moms who have Multiple Sclerosis together. My hope is that the small premium fees I pay will be enough to keep it going, but I’m doing my research just in case.

Sources:

http://creators.ning.com/forum/topics/ning-update?xg_source=msg_com_forum&id=4244211%3ATopic%3A151365&page=1#comments

http://www.fastcompany.com/1618615/5-things-ning-got-right

Tags: community, free, news, ning, premium

I’m obsessed with gardening now…it started last year when we owned our house but couldn’t afford to get it ‘finished’ enough to move into (it didn’t have floors and stuff) and so I was into using the yard to try and grow vegetables!! It worked out great except when a heat wave came while I wasn’t feeling well and it dried up…so NOW we’re back in the house and it is going full swing…I have seeds sprouting inside, plants going outside, lots of bulbs planted, and it is all just so exciting!! I decided that I wanted to connect with other local gardeners and created a community for it…Seattle Urban Garden if you are interested check it out!!

Talk about a niche, my husband, after years of us talking about personal development and why we were the way we are, if we have ADD/ADHD, why there were so many amazing ideas in the world and why people didn’t see/take advantage of them….had a conversation with a childhood friend of his and realized, well remembered, that he was a gifted child.

So now what? What happens to gifted kids after they grow up? What if (like me) they never knew they were gifted or were never treated as such?

We don’t have all the answers yet…but we’re working on it! He just created a new online community covering this topic of gifted adults and if any of this rambling is something you resonate with check it out HERE!

Tags: gifted adult, gifted child, gifted like me

I’m reading up on the latest MailChimp guide that focuses on building ones email list and distributing content via rss, email, blog, comments and so much more. It gets me to thinking about the variety of people and niche markets that we’re working on for them, ranging from dating habits to language, law, dramatic eye make up and so much more, it is such a range!! Ask almost any of the people we’re working with and I’m pretty willing to bet that they will be able to tell you about the moment they realized they were meant to do what they are doing, whatever that moment consisted of.

One question that I am faced with a lot, both personally and in question from other people is what if there is more than one? Personally I believe this just makes a more interesting person, though it is certainly true that it spreads one’s efforts a bit more thinly…I have passions for many things, and finding this balance is something that I’m still working on. What are your passions? Are they equal or prioritized?