Ning holds themselves out as a platform in which anyone can create their own social network. They've advertised that member data belongs to the network creators, that they don't police the content on sites using the service because they 'Believe in freedom.' that we can have access to our sites files, content, and code. All of these assertions are LIES.

Since signing up and creating a ning network in 2007, i've seen each and every one of these policies reversed. I, the network creator and owner of my site, can not access my own sites FILES. Ning blocks all access. I've witnessed thousands of social networks victimized by Ning when they decided to shut down networks who's content they deemed to be adult, costing countless amounts of money and time.

Ning recently decided to form Ning.com, a competing social network site which is completely furnished with members they 'Borrowed' from all of the websites who use the ning platform. YOU may have a profile on Ning.com and not even know it. If you joined a site which uses Ning, your profile data, along with all of the social networking sites you belong to are publicly available! Ning also allows 'Cross-Network Invites' which means anyone can join my site, gather as many friends as possible and can invite them all to join their ning-run website. These invites are sent directly to my users email inbox!!! My site is BOMBARDED by spam invites which has caused my reputation great harm.

Now, the kicker- If you want to leave Ning, YOU CAN'T! Well, YOU can but your members and their data stay with Ning and will continue to show on Ning.com. Ning only provides a .csv file with members name and profile info for us to export ..though they've advertised that we can take our site data anytime we want, we can NOT have our members avators, photos, videos, forum, blog posts, etc. Being a client of Ning has cost me GREATLY.

My site is being held hostage. If I stay, I continue to compromise my sites member data, sharing it with ning, and allow the bombardment of spam emails to continue. If I leave, I will loose all of my member data, while Ning keeps them all!!! EVERYTHING I've just written is true, and can easily be verified by simple google searches. I am willing to provide all of the proof to anyone who wishes.