What will happen to We Make Zines?

[Nichole]

I saw on Tech Crunch yesterday that Ning will be ending its free service to its users. Free networks will be forced to pay or move their networks elsewhere. This made me wonder what will happen to this community. I just found it, and I would hate to see it die!

Sorry if this was already brought up. I was just curious if people knew about it or not.

[Krissy PonyBoy Press]

Free School Community.

Thanks for the ideas. I thought about all of them. Donations were given to WMZ for the purpose of continuing on Ning for the next year. After that time we can look at it again and I can create a poll to get people's ideas.

Thanks,

Krissy



Freeschool Community said:

I love this community too. But if it really is indeed a community... and especially since there are people giving there funds to keep it going now... shouldn't the folks in the WeMakeZines community be given a vote as to the direction of the community? Is it really a community if one person makes all the decisions? My guess is that people will probably agree to stay with Ning because thats the easiest and risk-free and safest way out.
But the decision to stay with Ning will not only effect WeMakeZines community... it also effects other ning communities... because it influences Ning decisions. There are hundreds of progressives and DIY folks who have larger and smaller Ning communities who are in a serious jam right now. Maybe giving money to the corporation that put us in the jam is not the best way to help this community and especially not other Ning communities?
There are countless poll devices that can be added to Ning as seen here. Couldn't there at least be a poll set up to ask WeMakeZine folks...

Do they want
a. further research
b. stay with Ning for a month at a time and study alternatives and see how other transfers go
c. stay with Ning for a whole year (which is the current solution) and be locked into a contract
d. Sign Petitions and post them to our websites and blogs telling Ning to keep the fees low or completely free-of-charge for WeMakeZines (WMZ has over 2,400 writers and many smallpress publishers in this community so that actually could work especially since we have over a month until the fees need to be paid). WeMakeZines might be able to convince Ning to grant an exception and keep it free of charge for WMZ especially since WMZ is not part of any institution like many other large Ning communities. Granting exceptions is the way of the world because rules were meant to broken by those willing to break them for the right reason. Dreamhost gives away lifetime free of charge hosting to non-profits... as an exception to their rules and Ning could too. The Freeschool would definitely post a link on our websites, podcast, blogs and community encouraging people to sign it to keep WMZ free-of-charge.
e. suggest other options that don't include giving in so easily to Ning's oppressive corporate tactics
f. Ning doesn't even start charging until July or August 2010 according to their press release.

Nichole said "Ning really wants to rape people, it seems." I think rape is the right word and agree with her because that is exactly what it seems and it makes me sad to see a community full of DIY folks have to give in so easily to having to actually pay for less services (no video, no music uploads and pay $20 per month) ...without even a fight.

Either way that you decide, keep up the great work. At the rate this community is growing, I'd like to see it keep growing and it seems sad that we now have to pay NING for less services...even as they oppress so many other DIY and progressive communities without any form of solidarity action or fight to be treated better. The Freeschool and FreeRentCommunity has reviewed zines about people wanting to be treated better. I think you've done an awesome job, PonyBoy. There are many people in this community who write zines all about the desire to be treated better... and that desire to be treated better by corporations shouldn't stop when we are gathered together online in WeMakeZines Community as over 2,400 members strong. No, our desire to be treated better should only grow stronger when online and it has to start somewhere when oppressed by corporations like Ning.

Love, peace.



Krissy PonyBoy Press said:

Thanks again to all of you for your generous donations!! I love this community!

Krissy

[Freeschool Community]

Thanks for your work on WMZ. Thanks for considering the poll idea.

Do you honestly think people would be upset if you started a petition to try to make WMZ free? Maybe you can make a poll now just to ask folks would a petition like the one below be OK.

Here is a draft of that petition. It would look this:

To: Ning.com Administration and to Members of the Media Worldwide
We Make Zines (WMZ) at www.wemakezines.ning.com is an online community that gives free access to people. Many, not all, of our members are financially disadvantaged. WMZ is not part of any institution or organization and all of the undersigned people feel that WMZ should be granted free of charge access to Ning for the next ninety years. Many of our members are writers, publishers and members of various levels of the media (Do-It-Yourself media, not-for-profit media and other forms) and we feel that Ning should grant WMZ an exception to their proposed fee hikes which represent and undue burden on WMZ. We, the undersigned feel Ning should allow WMZ to remain on Ning free of charge for the next ninety years free of charge.

Sinncerely,
The undersigned
--------------------------

and you just put that on one of the countless free online petition services. Then you email it to all 2,400 members of WMZ like you did for the donation request. Then you put a link in the middle of WMZ like you did for the donation request. Then everyone else asks their friends to sign it too and we all put a link on our twitter, websites and more. Then we see if we WMZ gets free service or if Ning truly is the heartless corporation that people are starting to think it is. If those online petitions can bring back multimillion dollar TV shows that TV networks have cancelled, and they've done it many times... those petitions can help WMZ get free service.

Folks might criticize this petition but you can change it as you see fit or put up a poll. I honestly don't think anyone would mind if you sent their money back if the petition works or maybe you all find something else constructive to do with it. Plus if the petition doesn't work, then you just pay Ning like you were going to do. But you still have a few months.

WMZ has been running free ads for NIng since the start and it is not asking too much for them to give back to the people a little.

Also, you never know, some one with lots of funds might see all the people signed to the petition and contact you to pay for the Ning fees (I'm talking about the $50 a month so WMZ doesn't have to give up the WMZ video upload ability and lose WMZ videos like these) so you don't have to ask the folks here. WMZ members should not have to pay NIng almost $20 a month for less services (no video uploads? no music uploads? no API advanced technology when Twitter and everything else is going API?) as is the current plan. So wrong. That is so backwards. Donors helping people happens all the time when thousands of people want the same thing bad enough and it is a worthy project and we all lift up our voices at the same time.


Keep up the great work,

Love, peace

Krissy PonyBoy Press said:

Free School Community.
Thanks for the ideas. I thought about all of them. Donations were given to WMZ for the purpose of continuing on Ning for the next year. After that time we can look at it again and I can create a poll to get people's ideas. Thanks, Krissy

[Amy]

I saw mention of paying for accounts. Was that going to be true or was it just a call for donations?

[Krissy PonyBoy Press]

Hi Amy,

It should be explained on the front page. Ning is charging for the service now and there was a call for donations several days ago. Enough was raised to keep us on Ning for the next year. Next year I will look at it again and will either ask for donations again or possibly move the network.

Thanks, Krissy

Amy said:

I saw mention of paying for accounts. Was that going to be true or was it just a call for donations?

[Roger from Houston]

I'm bailing out... I can wait until the request for payment due. Love you guys. I don't make no money as is. I'm a low life who reads. I'll wave bye bye when the time comes, may dreaded ending never may... adieu