FAQ

General


Spam
Please don't spam. What is spam? Spam is posting the same message repeatedly across the network. Spam is writing the same post or comment over and over again. Spam is sending the same message to multiple members.

What are tags?
Tags are a great way to categorize discussions, photos, and videos by their content. For example, if you start a discussion thread about your favorite summer vacation spots, you may want to tag it as "summer," "vacation" and "suggestions." You can mark an item with as many different tags as you want by clicking the "Tag" button in the toolbar next to the post on the item's detail page. You can delete a tag the same way.


My Page

What is a text box? What can I put in my text box?
A text box is a box to which you can add a variety of content. It's just another way to make your page your own! Simply click the "Edit" button in the top right corner of the text box on your My Page to get started.

How do I add embeddable code to a text box?
Most widget providers will give you "embeddable" code for their widgets. All you need to do is insert the code into the text box and click the save button. You can also embed any Ning network's slideshow, video, or music player widget into a text box.

How do I put photos into the text box?
If you're using a browser like Firefox or Internet Explorer, you'll see an image upload icon above every text box. If you're hosting the photo on another site you can link to it here. First grab the URL of the image on another website (right-click the image, go to properties, and copy the URL) Next insert it into tags like this: Your image will now show up. Normally the align of the passage with your image will be a right align. You can change the first tag <p align="right">  with <p align="center"> and the last tag </p> with  </center>, if you want, that your image will be in the middle of your text box.



Music Player

How do I find the music player?
The music player is located on  your My Page on the network, in the left column.

How do I change the order of my songs?
Click the "Edit Playlist" button at the bottom of your player, which will take you to a page where you can rearrange your songs. Click "Save" and you'll be returned to your page where your songs will now appear in the new order!

How do I add music to the music player on My Page?
There are a few ways to add music to your My Page. First, you can add songs from your computer. Just click on the "Add Music" link at the bottom of your player, which will take you to a page where you can upload songs in the mp3 format. Music files for upload should not exceed 20 MB in size.

Second, if you hear a song you like, either on the main page or another member's personal page, just click the "Add to My Page" link, which shows at the top of the music player. That song will be automatically added to your page.

Finally, if you find a podcast or playlist you like somewhere on the Internet, you can copy the URL / location, click the "Edit" button at the top of your player, and paste the URL into the "Podcast" section.

How many songs can I have in my player?
You can have up to 100 tracks in the music player on your My Page.

What formats of music are supported?
If you want to upload music, it must be in the mp3 format. You can also link to any song that is located online. Your network will give you an error message if you try to upload any format other than mp3. Audio files in the mp3 format are indicated by a ".mp3" at the end of their title.

Can I have my player automatically start for other people viewing My Page?
Yes. Click "Edit" at the top of the player and check the "Autoplay" checkbox.

Can I add album artwork to my song?
Absolutely! After you've uploaded a song, you'll arrive at a page to "Edit Song Info." Click the button next to "artwork" and upload the album art from your computer.

You can also add album artwork later by clicking the "Edit Playlist" link at the bottom of the music player on your page and clicking "Edit" for the song you want to add artwork to. When you're done, don't forget to click the "Done" button below the song information box to save the artwork!

Can other people download a song I uploaded?
By default, every song you upload to your network will be available for download by that network's members. If you don't want people to be able to download your song, you can change that setting when you upload each song. When you arrive at the song's information page, uncheck the box next to "Enable download link." But with IE 7 and a special add on it is possible to download every song.

You can also change this setting after you've uploaded a song by clicking "Edit Playlist" on your page's music player. Click the "edit" link next to the song you don't want people to be able to download anymore. Uncheck the box next to "Enable download link" and click "done" to save your changes.

Can I show my music player on my profile page or personal blog on another site?
Usually, yes! If the other site allows embedding, you can click on the "View embed code" link at the bottom of player, copy the code that is shown, and paste it on the external site.

How can I play external songs and podcasts?
You can link to external podcasts to play them on your page.

- Go to the My Page tab on the network and click on the "Add Music" link in the music player, located in the left column of your page.
- To the right of the song uploader, you'll see a box to "add music from any website by pasting in a link to the MP3." 
- Click the "Add Music" link, enter the URL of the song or podcast you want to feature in your playlist, and click the "Add Songs" button.Next, you can edit your song's information. Be sure to click the "Done" button!

More questions and answers around the theme: Music Player


Videos

Where can I pull in videos from?
You can drop in the "embed" code from YouTube, Google, MySpace or any other Network on Ning to the "Add a Video" page.

Click the Videos tab, then the "Add Your Own Video" link. Find the "Add from YouTube or Google" button on the left hand side. You'll land on this screen:

Paste the video's HTML code into the field provided and your video is live!

Right now, there isn't an easy way to get a continuous feed of videos or add videos in bulk from YouTube or other services. That's another feature in the works.

How do I upload a video?
You can upload a video by clicking on the Video tab and selecting "Add a video." You can add videos from your computer, cell phone, email account, or any service that provides video embed code like YouTube, Google or MySpace Video.

Why does my video say it's "converting"?
After you upload a video, your network will need to convert it to Flash so that your visitors can watch it without needing to install any additional software. This process usually takes between 5 and 20 minutes, depending on the length of your video. It might take a bit longer if a large video is in the queue in front of you.

If your video still hasn't converted after a few hours, please contact ning, and we'll get to the bottom of it.

How do I delete a video?
You can delete a video by going to that video's detail page. In the toolbar to the right of the video, you'll see a link to "Delete Video." Click this link.

How do I give a video a title?
When you're uploading a video, you have the option of creating a title and description for it. You can't title someone else's video.

What formats of videos can I upload?
Ning supports .mov, .mp4, .mpg, .avi, .3gp and .wmv video formats.

How do I add a location to my video?
When you upload a video, you will be prompted to add a title and description. You can also add a location to the video by clicking on the map to the right or typing a specific address. If you've already uploaded a video and want to add a location or change the location, click the "Edit Video" link to the right of the video in the video detail page.

Can I subscribe to a specific member's videos using RSS?
Yes. When you're looking at the member's videos page, click on the RSS link at the bottom of the page, underneath the person's videos.

Can I subscribe using RSS to a network's videos?
Yes. In "Videos Home" under the Videos tab, click on the RSS link in the bottom left of the video box.

How do I share videos I like?
It's easy to share videos you like. Click the "Share" link below the photo. You can copy and paste a link to the video into an email or instant message, email the video using your computer's email client, or log in and have the network send the video for you.

More questions and answers around the theme: Videos


Blogs

How do I edit a blog draft? Can I edit a blog post after it has been published?
You can definitely edit your blog entry after you've posted it! Go to your My Page tab. Click the "My Blog" link at the top of the page and then click on "Manage Blog" on the right side of the page. Click "edit" next to the post you want to change. This will bring you to a screen where you can make tweaks to your post.

Drafts will be indicated by a pencil icon in the column next to the post title. Click on the post you would like to edit, and edit away!

Can I see what my blog post will look like before I publish it?
Yes! Click the "Preview" button at the bottom of the post box when you're done writing your post. If you're happy with the way your post looks, make sure to click the "Publish" button at the top of the page. If you want to work on it some more, or save it for later, click the "Back" button to return to the compose page.

Can I subscribe using RSS to a specific member's blog?
Yes! Locate the person's page on the network and find their blog in the middle column. Click the RSS button at the bottom left of their blog. Alternatively, if you go to another member's My Page and click "Blog," you will see an RSS feed link on the right side of the blog. Choose the application you want to subscribe with (the default is Live Bookmarks).

How can I comment on someone else's blog post?
By default, anyone who is logged into and a member of the network can comment on blog posts added to that network. Every person on a network has the power to control who can comment on his or her blog posts.
If the author of the post wants people to comment on his work, a comment box will appear beneath the blog post. You can then comment by typing directly into the box.

How do I manage my blog?
Start at your My Page tab on the network. Click the "My Blog" link. Here you'll see the link to "Manage Blog". You can approve or reject comments, edit drafts or published posts, or delete blog posts.

Can I embed videos from YouTube or Google Video into a blog post?
Absolutely! Just copy the HTML embed code and paste it into your blog post. When you publish your post, anyone will be able to see the video.

Can I show only titles of my blog posts on My Page?
Yep! On your page, click the "Edit" button in the header bar of your blog. You can choose the display setting to show "Titles Only" — which will display the title, time of posting and number of comments — or "Detail View," which shows the same information, along with the beginning of the blog post.

I found a blog post I really like. What's the easiest way to share it with others?
Click the "Share" link that appears at the very end of the post. If you're not a member of the network, you can copy a link to the post into an email or instant message, or email the post using your computer's email client. If you are a member and signed in you can use the network to send the post for you.

Can I add tags to my blog post?
Absolutely! You can add tags to your new blog post when you're writing it. To add tags after you've published a blog post, click the link to "Edit post" and add tags in the "Tag" field.



More questions and answers around the theme: Blogs



Groups

How do I create a group?
To create a group on a network, you must be signed in as a member of that network.

- Go to the network's Groups tab.
- Click the link on the right side of the page to "Create a group" on that network.
- You must choose a group name, image and Web address. You may also want to write a short description of that group for the group's page — information other network members will see when browsing groups.
- Make sure to select the correct privacy option for your group, because once a group is created you can't change the privacy setting.
- Choose the features you want your group to have (Comments, Discussion Forum, Text Box, RSS Reader)
- Decide if members should be able to send messages to the entire group.
- Finally, click "Create Group". Now you are the administrator of this group and start inviting network members to your group!
How do I join a group?
To join a group on a network, you need to be a member of that network. To browse the network's groups, go to the Groups tab. If the group is public, there will be a link in the top right of the page where you can join the group.


Can I create a group if I'm not the network creator?
Yes. To create a group on a network, you just have to be a member of that network.

Who can I invite to be in my group?
You can invite anyone by email address to be in your group. They'll have to join the network the group is in, if they haven't already done so!

How do I delete a group?
You can only delete a group if you are the group's creator, Network Creator, or Administrator. On that group's page:

- Click the "Edit This Group's Info" link in the left column under the group logo and description.
- Select the "Delete Group" button in the bottom right of the group info box.
- You will be asked to confirm your decision. Click "Delete" and wait as your group and all of its content is deleted.
Can I post photos, videos, or music to a group?
Right now, groups don't have their own photo, video, or music sections. You can, however, attach or embed photos to a forum post or add them to the group's text box. You can also embed music players from another network and videos into the group's text box or in a discussion.

Can I send messages to my group's members?
Yes, any member of a group can broadcast a message to that group. Go to the group's page and click "Send message to group."

Can groups be private?
Absolutely. Groups can be public (any member of the network can see the group and post content) or private (only invited network members can see the group and post content). This option is chosen during the setup process, which can be started by clicking on the Groups tab and choosing the "Create a New Group" option.

What are the group privacy options? Can I change them?
Groups can either be open to anyone or open only to people invited to the group. Once a group is created, you cannot change its privacy setting.

Can people be invited to my group by others?
If you left your group open to anyone, any group member can invite others to join. If your group is private but you added group administrators, they can invite more people to join your group.

Can people join my group if I don't invite them?
It depends on your privacy setting. When you created your group, if you left your group open to anyone, the default privacy setting, people don't have to be invited to your group to join it. If you chose the invite-only option, people can only join your group if they are invited to join by you or your group's administrators.

How do I resend invitations to my group?
If you are the creator or admin of a group, you can resend invitations to your group. Go to your group and click on the "Manage Group Members" link. Click on the Invited tab. Check the boxes next to the people you'd like invite to your group again, then click the "Resend Invitation" button.


Can I ban someone from my group?
Yes. Go to your group's page and select "Manage Group Members" on the left column under the group's logo and description. Check the box next to the name of the person you wish to ban, and click the "Ban from Group" button.

What is the 'web address' of my group? Can I change my group's web address?
The web address of your group is the specific website where your group's page can be found. The default web address of any group is http://overtones.ning.com/groups/groupname - but you can choose your group's web address when you create the group. However, once the group is created you can't edit the web address.

Do discussions within a Group Forum appear in the Network Forum?
Nope! Group discussions are contained entirely within that group, and don't appear alongside Network Forum discussions.


For more questions and answers go to the Ning Help Center.