How are Ning and Tribe different?

[Ms Dynomite]

see also:

• How are Ning and Tribe SIMILAR?
• What is Ning? How do networks work?
• other topics on Migrating from Tribe

This network is hosted by Ning.com (see the About Ning.com section of the FAQs + Help page for more info). In a sense Ning.com is more like the company that owns/hosts Tribe.net, not Tribe itself. An individual Ning network is more like Tribe.net on a smaller scale, with that network's Groups paralleling the various tribes.

Here's a quick analogy:

Ning = the company that hosts Tribe
a network = Tribe.net itself
Groups = individual tribes

Ning operates differently than Tribe in 4 key ways:

1) single vs. multiple websites

• The big difference between Ning.com and Tribe.net is that Tribe is a single site.
• Whereas Ning hosts many different websites (called networks). Tribe Refugees is a single network within the Ning system.

2) single vs. multiple source for tribes
Both Tribe and Ning offer specialized discussion groups (Tribe = tribes, Ning = Groups). For example, this site has several Groups created to compliment members' favorite tribes. The difference between Tribe tribes and Ning Groups is as follows:

• Because Tribe is a single site there is one source for all of the tribes of that site.
• This network (Tribe Refugees) within Ning is also a single site, so it also offers one source for all the Groups (tribes) of this site.
  HOWEVER:
  Ning itself is composed of many networks (sites) and each of those sites has its own specific Groups. Each network's Groups belong only to that network. So if you want to participate in the Groups of another network (site) you will need to join and create a separate profile for that network. Which means you will need several profiles to check all the Groups that exist on the entire Ning system.

3) no site forum vs. site-wide forum

• Tribe has no global site-wide forum for Tribe.net itself, only tribes with their own individual forums.
• Whereas each Ning network offers a global site-wide forum (Forum tab above), PLUS Groups with their own individual forums.

4) single vs. multiple profiles

• Because Tribe is a single site it allows a single profile and way to track all your various tribes in a single source.
• Since Ning hosts many sites (networks), each network is an independent website -- which means a different profile is required for each separate network.
  
  NOTE: Your profile here will give you access to all this network's features including Groups, but if you choose to join additional networks you will need a unique profile for each.

[Ms Dynomite]

bump

[Neon]

Thank you for the explanation. I'm wondering if there's some way to encourage the various tribe-related groups to all join the Tribe Refugees Network, so we could have all our tribe-related groups in one place? For example, what would it take to get the Ning Burning Women group to move over into the Tribe Refugees network? I'd love to see this happen while these groups are still fairly small.

[Ms Dynomite]

first, some clarification to avoid confusion...
There are Networks (sites) and there are Groups *within* those networks, which are subdivisions of those networks. For example: Tribe Refugees is a network, Burn Bright is a Group within the network. Burning Women is a network, not a group -- it is its own site. If someone were to make a Group here called "Burning Women" it would be part of THIS network and completely different from the Burning Women network.
Hope that helps. :) There's also more info here: How are Groups & Networks different?

now to answer your question...
Unfortunately, I/we can't control what networks people choose to join or where they create groups. People join where they feel most comfortable or what seems most relevant to them. For example, some people have joined another network instead of Tribe Refugees because they didn't want something that was at all related to Tribe. Others have joined a smaller network because they knew the network creator and felt most comfortable joining with someone familiar.

I also can't go to all other tribe-related networks, made mostly by people I don't know, and ask them to shut their networks down and have all their members move here. :) I think you can see how that would be considered rude and presumptuous. I also can't prevent people from starting new tribe-related networks, for the same reasons. :)

I have written to every tribe-related network that I found and asked the network creators if they'd like to join forces in some way: share links, make a clearer distinction between the two networks, prevent a dilution of our member bases, etc. Honestly, most of them have not even returned my message so there's not a lot I can do there.

Really, all you can do is invite people from another network to join here as well. :) They might do it, they might not, but that's the only kind of encouragement that's realistic. Tribe Refugee members can tell others why they think this network might be beneficial and send invites, but I think anything more than that would be considered rude.

If they've already set up a group on another network they may not want to abandon it and duplicate efforts here. Also, there's a valid reason for other networks (sites). If there is a specific interest it's much easier for people to have their own site where only that interest is discussed. It not only prevents them from having to wade through tons of unrelated content, it allows them to have a richer resource.

For example, Burning Women. That's a specific interest. We're currently in the off-season for Burning Man things. Even the original tribe is only getting a few posts a week. However, during the high season for the event (spring through summer) that tribe will have dozens of posts each day. It's super active. So it made sense to me to have a resource that would allow for that much activity (a separate site) should Tribe deteriorate to the point that the backup site is needed. The same thing applies for the Crafty Vixens network. Sure, the network isn't getting much activity now because like BW the whole point of the site is to use as a backup. As long as tribe is running, people are most likely to post on there and only use the Ning networks when tribe is down. They're meant to be support sites, set up to allow for growth should they be needed as a primary resource.

BTW, most of the people on BW are already on this network too. But the best I can suggest is that you invite people to join here and encourage them to use it. :)

meanwhile, I don't find it troublesome to use more than one network (and I have several). I just sign in to each once, open each in a different tab in my browser and check them when I'd like. You can set your login preferences to remain signed in until you choose sign out. That means only signing in once a week or so. :)

hope that helps.

[Neon]

thanks...I'm understanding this more as we go along!

[ellie]

you've done a wonderful thing here and being locked out of tribe since they went down, i surely do appreciate it.
i can see how it would be hard to set it up to have the photos and blogs of friends show up on your home page, but would it be possible somehow to have at least a notice go out to them? Like when you post you could select something that would send a note to each of your friends?
just a thought. i really miss keeping up with my friends photos and blogs easily.
thanks for all your work here!!!

[Lily]

Ellie and others - I don't think Ms. Dynomite has been around for a looooong time, either on Tribe or on here! No posts, no message responses, no nothin' ---- I miss her, what great energy. Not too bad in the IT department, either!

[Ms Dynomite]

ellie,

So glad you joined and are finding the network helpful. :) If I've understood your question correctly you're saying you'd like friends to be notified when you add a photo or a blog? All photos and blogs will appear on the home page until they get bumped off (those marked "friends only" will only appear on your friends' home page). I've requested a feature with Ning that would add activity modules to our Profile Pages, so when people in our friends network add content we can see that new content listed. similar to some of the Tribe modules. The more people that request this tracking/activity feature, the more likely they are to consider it. So I encourage members to contact Ning with their feature requests. :)