Hey! Do You Ning?

Have you caught on to Nings?

I have recently discovered Nings, social networking sites for people of similar interests. Ning is a social networking community that brings people together, encourages them to communicate, and provides a platform for sharing photos, videos, text, articles, and links.  

I've been invited to join a few Ning sites, including PROpenMic,  the Website Owner Zone, Twitter GoGetters, and the New York Social Network. These sites are populated by all kinds of people and you can either be invited to join oir simply search Ning's main website for groups that appeal to you.

You can also start your own blog on these Nings, or cross-post from your blog to the Ning for others to read. I do this often on PROpenMic, a social platform for public relations professionals, professors and college students. 

Each of these social networks was created by someone who signed up for a free account on Ning, created a network, and then invited in friends, colleagues, and/or students to interact around specific educational topics.

To make matters slightly more confusing, or to enrich your Ning experience, many members of Nings create their own "Nings within the Ning," subgroups that you can also join. Each Ning site is different and is only as good as its members. In other words, if you belong to a Ning that's active, you can find videos, photos, invitations to conferences and workshops, and more. Other sites, without an active creator/moderator, can die an early web death. 

Although I could make hundreds of lists of Nings by category, I've chosen to list just a handful of Nings that might appeal to Hubbers. These are all writers' Nings that you can join and don't require an invitation.

Hubbers on the WOZ -- This is a 34-member group of Hubbers who also happen to be members of the Website Owners Zone, a large group of more than 800 blog and website owners. This subgroup was created by hubber Xombie, and of course, I joined. 

Web Writers Network -- A network where freelance web writers can congregate for professional and recreational purposes. Freelance web writing is a solitary endeavor. This network is a community to ease that aspect of the job. 54 members

Writers Unite! -- Writers Unite! is a social network where all writers/authors, published and unpublished are welcome to chat, and offer emotional support to each other. Show and tell every day!

Blog Writers -- A network for people who think, create and publish! 340 members.

The Writers Network -- A social community of writers and authors brought together by OnceWritten.com. 150 members

Published Authors Network -- A place to share thoughts and ideas about writing, publishing and promoting books. 650 members.

The great thing about Ning is that if you can't find a network you like, you can create one of your own.