What Could Make BlogLight.ning Better?

[Matt Jones]

BlogLight.ning is now past the initial stage of ‘testing that everything works properly’, but that does not mean I don't have work to do! If BlogLight.ning is to keep growing more and more popular, it needs more and more improvements!

Do you have any suggestions or ideas for new features?

[Swtrose]

Well yes I do, you may want to change the terms that state "Users a nonexclusive license to reproduce, create derivative works of, distribute, publicly perform, and publicly display such Content on the condition that the Content is attributed in a manner specified by its author, if at all (a “Public Content License”). This license gives you the rights over any content we submit. You need to ask for a non-exclusive electronic right to archive, promote, newsletter, publicly perform and publicly display such Content for the purposes of making it available to the general public. I have a problem with terms that state they can create derivative works from the content that I submit here. That is unfair to Bloggers!

[Matt Jones]

Thanks for your feedback Swtrose, here and on the Blogger Forum, I have emailed ning about this and I'm currently awaiting their reply.

Would the implementation of a revenue sharing plan change your mind aboout submitting content?

[Swtrose]

I doubt that it would Matt and someone from Ning replied on my blog about this. You can read it there. I'm not questioning your community which looks promising and I realize that you have no control over the terms. There is a debate taking place on my blog about these terms.

"Content means any work of authorship (other than the Code and the user interface of a Social Network), including User profiles, comments, recommendations, forums, photos, videos, sounds, images, text, files, listings, postings, messages, or other materials posted on or transmitted through the Ning Platform or through any Network."

I'm not sure who would want to create a derivative work from my photo lol, but this license gives them the legal right to.

If you are serious about a blog network why not register your own domain and use the social networking software PHPizabi

[Matt Jones]

I've recieved a reply from ning:

"The default content license on Ning is akin to a creative commons
license; for Private networks it applies within that network only and
for public networks it applies across Ning, but not outside of Ning.
Individual users can assert alternate rights to their content, and when
they do so, this supersedes the default license.

Ning does not own the content in any sense, and only maintains rights
against it that it needs technically in order to present the content
(e.g. the right to reproduce is required to present images at different
sizes, and the right to create derivative works is required to transcode
video and rotate photos).

If your members don't like the default license, they can stipulate on
their profile page or elsewhere the chosen license for their contributed
content, either as a whole or individually.

Let me know if you have any other questions."


The important parts:
"Individual users can assert alternate rights to their content, and when
they do so, this supersedes the default license."

So you as a user can state on your profile that you have rights to the content.

The whole second paragraph is also important - they don't own the content.

As BlogLight.ning out grows ning it will almost definitely be moved to a new location, with better features using PHPizabi.

[Swtrose]

I'm not going to debate this here as you can read all my replies on my blog post about this.

I browsed through several networks and profiles and not one person had added a license to their content, so that gives me the impression that many do not know that NING and ning users can create derivative works from other users content. Meaning if I were to post an article on NING you would have the legal right to create a derivative work from that article with no compensation to me.

I believe that I have brought up a value point. I don’t feel comfortable putting anything on this public site or any network within Ning and hopefully others will pay close attention to what in my opinion I feel is a right grab in those terms.


I also see that some users have the same concerns as me and I noticed that some have brought it up on networkcreators.

With many of us asking the same question don’t you think it is time they changed the terms or made them clearer?

When you start another network on Ning, I'll be glad to join and take an active part, until then I'm afraid that I will not be. I hope that you can understand my concern?


(the right to create derivative works is required to transcode
video and rotate photos) Omg- and you actually believed this? Matt, Matt, Matt!

All they need to ask for is an non-exclusive electronic rights license(s). They should not ask for a license that allows individuals to create derivative works.

[Matt Jones]

Swtrose that is quite a serious accusation that ning lied to me! I admit I need to research more in this area. I sincerely hope you are wrong.

[Swtrose]

Matt I have been administrating a writing community for 4 years now and trust me when I say that the need to create derivative works is not required to transcode video and rotate photos.

Read this http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/5224146.stm

It is very educational.

[Malathy Badri]

Probably you can think of a widget in the lines of mybloglog and blogcatalog?