Many of you are now creating your masterpieces on SocialGO and require help or want to share information on how to accomplish the same. One the most important things you need sometimes is a little snip of code to paste into your CSS. Unfortunately, if you simply copy and paste CSS to a forum or blog it will get mangled by the text editor.

In order to prevent this, and let you paste code snips, simply use the "HTMLizer" converter tool available HERE.

All you do is to grab your css or other code snip, paste it into the converter box, then hit the button. The resulting text can then be copied and pasted right into your forum or blog without any trouble (be SURE to switch to "html" mode on your forum or blog editor before you paste the code). You can see the results below:

We realize that you have all been holding your breath for the Drag and Drop Layout Manager. Now that the SocialGO platform has been supercharged, and thousands of adult sites are settling into their new home on the dedicated Zocku servers, the focus is 100 percent on bringing you the "killer" features that you have anticipated.

A full video of the Layout Manager will be coming later this evening, but for now we wanted to give you a few "sneak peak" shots to wet your appetite.

The Layout Manager allows a Network Creator to have full control over as many as Nine unique "zones", each of which can be customized. Unlike Ning, this means that you can create customize the entire layout of ANY page on your site, including the default pages, and have variable column widths, headers, footers, and menus on each page. You also have full API access and the ability to utilize custom HTML and code right within your page layout.

On the top you notice that you can create an unlimited number of open-layout pages with their own tabs. On the right side you will notice that you have a library of all standard features, and there you will also find fully configurable HTML, CSS, RSS, and iframe features that can be dropped into the layout zones of any page.

Lastly, and most importantly, you have a library of all 3rd party widgets that you can drop into any page where they are designed to operate.

All in all, the layout and design combinations on SocialGO are virtually limitless. Add to that the ability to add your own code, an open API, and 3rd party widgets and you have the ULTIMATE FREEDOM to create your niche social network!

 

 

Are you Ready to Escape to a better place?

Whew... it's been a pretty crazy couple of months in the Social Networking space. With all the heavily funded "old-school" players scrambling to reinvent themselves and their business models, what is a niche Network Creator to do?

WidgetLaboratory has been instrumental in guiding thousands of site owners over to SocialGO and Zocku thusfar, but believe that the following will help the rest of those who are waiting for the right moment to escape from what has become a Catch-22 situation with Ning.

We believe that there are a few key elements to address so that mainstream Network Creators on Ning feel comfortable enough to make the transition to SocialGO in the same way that the thousands of adult Network Creators have been transitioned to Zocku, the sister site of SocialGO:

1. CONTRACTUAL GUARANTEE FROM SOCIALGO THAT NETWORK OWNERSHIP IS ABSOLUTE
2. PRIVATE AND SECURE SPACE TO SEEK AND OBTAIN HELP AND DISCUSS OWNERSHIP ISSUES
3. MIGRATION TOOLS AND OPTIONS FOR DEALING WITH NING'S REFUSAL TO RELEASE CONTENT
4. COMPELLING FEATURES THAT JUSTIFY THE COST AND BURDEN OF MIGRATION
5. CUSTOMER SERVICE AND RESPECT THAT EARNS YOUR TRUST

 

CONTRACTUAL GUARANTEE FROM SOCIALGO THAT NETWORK OWNERSHIP IS ABSOLUTE

WidgetLaboratory has been an unwavering advocate for the rights of Network Creators who have relied to their detriment on the previous promises made by Ning and Gina Bianchini. We recognize that it is virtually impossible for many people presently stuck on Ning to believe that they will not be "fooled again" should they migrate to SocialGO.

To that end, we wish to emphasize that SocialGO has a unique business model that is monetized from the monthly premium fees or widget sales. They do not have any capability for or interest in aggregating individual network members into a larger collective network such as that which has suddenly occurred on Ning. There is no such thing as a "SocialGO ID" as there is with the "Ning ID", and therefore it is not possible for SocialGO to one day decide to abscond  your site members.

We believe that you will shortly be hearing more on this topic from SocialGO directly.

 

PRIVATE AND SECURE SPACE TO SEEK AND OBTAIN HELP AND DISCUSS OWNERSHIP ISSUES

WidgetLaboratory will shortly be releasing our unique Network Creator application called "MyLaboratory". This will be a desktop application that will deliver a full wealth of useful resources for Network Creators on SocialGO, and will also be open to any Ning Network Creators who are exploring their migration options. Because this is a desktop application, it is completely discrete and cannot be trolled by Ning's staff or other curiosity seekers.

Within MyLaboratory, one will be able to have open chats and discussions with other Network Creators, seek direct and immediate help with any questions about SocialGO or Ning or business ideas in general, and will have access to browse and try our full line of products that take advantage of SocialGO's unique and open API.

WidgetLaboratory has always maintained a freedom of speech policy that provides any Network Creator the right to express their dissent or complaints as well as their praise. We do not believe that Ning has earned the trust of their paying customers with their multiple efforts at suppression. These include: routinely deleting negative comments or questions from private groups, deleting their Owner's forum in its entirety, locking out their Network Creator Site from new members, removing dissenters and their sites from the platform with little warning or cause, or whitewashing entire threads of information that would tend to prove that Ning has gone back on previous promises.

SocialGO joins WidgetLaboratory in having a free and open dialogue and has proven this with their use of the GetSatisfaction service as well as their own Network Owner's forum.

 

MIGRATION TOOLS AND OPTIONS FOR DEALING WITH NING'S REFUSAL TO RELEASE CONTENT

WidgetLaboratory has created many free and useful tools in the past to help Network Creators deal with the ever-changing rules and policies of Ning.

Member Migration Tool and LabNinja Photo Migration

In order to make it as easy as possible for you to make the choice for migration, we have conceptualized our LabNinja II application to make it possible to move your content off of Ning.

The original LabNinja migration tool allowed (and still does) Network Creators to obtain all of the photos from any Ning site and store them into a stand-alone database on a local hard drive (download from right side of page). From there, the photos were associated with the original members who uploaded them, and could be migrated to SocialGO or anywhere else.

Lab Ninja Part Deux - Photo Migration Tool for Ning from Evil Genius

Our LabNinja II takes this one step further and could potentially provide the way to migrate ALL content from Ning, including photos, videos, music, blogs, and forum posts. The content that is removed could be stored locally, referenced remotely, or migrated as part of a service package to your SocialGO site.

Because we believe that Network Creators have varying degrees of interest in moving content, we are now accepting your feedback as to which content is most relevant for migration using our tools and service. While the original LabNinja is completely "self-service", things become more complicated when migrating the additional content from blogs, forum posts, etc. As such, we wish to learn from you whether the extra cost of a personalized migration service to SocialGO is a worthy offering, and at what price.

Please comment below, or mail your private thoughts or requests for help to us directly via help@widgetlaboratory.com .

We are interested to know which content is important for you to migrate, whether you would be interested in a personalized migration service to SocialGO, and what you believe would be a reasonable charge for the same. Please include your Ning network information if you wish so we can compare your thoughts against the size of your network.

 

COMPELLING FEATURES THAT JUSTIFY THE COST AND BURDEN OF MIGRATION

What features might compel you to make the migration from Ning to SocialGO? Since WidgetLaboratory has been instrumental in building some of the most popular features for Ning as well as completing our new library of features for SocialGO, we would like to hear from you as to which features are most important to YOU. In the past we have always invented and built our products based upon customer need and demand. This has not changed a bit, so we invite you to browse our preview library and let us know what we should add to the mix. With the layout manager just days away from final release, things are going to get very interesting very soon.

 

CUSTOMER SERVICE AND RESPECT THAT EARNS YOUR TRUST

Ultimately there are only two things that are important for any business, including WidgetLaboratory.

1) Customers who have a particular need or problem that requires help or a new solution
2) Customers who TRUST the business enough to pay them for providing that help or solution

WidgetLaboratory has built our base of customers on being constantly available, completely direct, and immune from the double-speak that plagues companies who are funded with VC money. We believe that our best asset is the personal relationship we have with thousands of Network Creators who have benefited from our products, service, or advice. This has never been more true than it is today.

We remain focused on providing the means, method, and support for moving unhappy Network Creators off of the Ning platform on to a new home where they have the written guarantees and personal service that they desire for building and OWNING niche social networks.

 

Very insightful article posted at Charting Stocks today. Worth a read.

In today's economic climate we are all "bootstrappers". Take this as an opportunity to express your inner entrepreneur and reinvent yourself.

Start a SocialGO or Zocku network focused on a particular niche or subject about which you are passionate.

Why are we so excited about the Open-API on SocialGO?

Because the POWER of Social Networking is in the ability to take the raw data and meta-data that is created on your niche network and "repackage it" in any way you see fit.

WidgetLaboratory will be providing you many such "repackaging" widgets and applications that you can buy from the SocialGO Widget Store and plug right in, or you can get adventurous and build your own. The only limit will be your imagination.

Unlike other platforms that either have no API or have closed their API, this creates ENDLESS possibilities for your site and the interaction amongst your members.

If you have 15 minutes, watch this fascinating video from Tim Berners-Lee's speech at TED on the topic of open, linked data.

Why won't Ning honor it's promise to Network Owner's that they are free to leave at any time and take their members and content with them when they go?

Isn't this directly in contradiction with the whole premise of building one's social network about "anything"? After years of hearing and believing this message, we're not surprised that Network Creators are furious with Ning, and Gina Bianchini in particular, for leading them to believe that they could trust Ning with their labor of love.

Yet, thankfully, the Internet is an unforgiving forum for breaching public trust. Why? Because it is impossible to hide from your previous statements.

While we give John Stewart and the DailyShow credit for perfecting the art of calling people out on the contradictions between their public statements and present deeds... see if you can find the juicy bits in this video of Gina Bianchini from September 23, 2007. Compare her statements then to what is going on now.

Members who uploaded content to particular niche sites created on Ning before March 11, 2009 were given no reason to believe that they were actually uploading content to Ning.com or some other large site. It really wasn't complicated.

Enjoy!