Ning Templates

I'm really pleased to be able to release the latest version of the Ning theme, Hawaii, which is my first freely downloadable theme for Ning that doesn't require source code access.

This release marks a milestone for me because I've now successfully produced two versions of the same Ning theme, the first for network creators with source code access and now the new version, a Ning theme for network creators or members.

In addition I've also successfully produced a commercial theme for Ning which I might be able to write about once the client is happy with the finished result. All of which proves that Ning themes are not as complex to create as one might initially think.

Readers who have their own Ning networks might also be interested in my seo tips for Ning networks article. Don't forget to join up at Skins 4 Ning, where anything to do with Ning themes can be discussed.

I'm really excited to release my first Ning theme for free download.

Working with Ning themes can be challenging, this particular theme has taken me several days to experiment with and make sure it can be installed correctly. At present it is only available for network owners with source code access but I'm hoping to make another version available soon for owners who don't have source code access.

So, make sure you let me know what you think, comment below right now, make your opinion count.

I think I'm only a few days away from releasing my first Ning template and I know I have a lot of very loyal readers who are possibly wondering what I'm upto. Originally I started producing templates for Serendipity because I wanted a blog that could also act like a traditional website in terms of allowing me to maintain static pages. This worked very well for me and still does on this very site amongst others.

However, Serendipity and Blogger (the other platform I produce templates for) are primarily designed for content management. They have some social networking functionality in the form of comments and trackbacks, and with Serendipity you could install a shoutbox or discussion forum, or simply set one of these up within a subfolder, but they still aren't dedicated social networking scripts.

Ning by contrast is first and foremost a social networking script. It does offer some blogging functionality, but is nowhere near as advanced as Blogger or Serendipity. Ning does provide comments and RSS feeds, but tags (labels) are not currently supported. Read More

Freely downloadable templates for Ning are a step closer tonight after a podcast hosted by randulo over at talkshoe, where he interviewed Kyle Ford, Product Manager of Ning. I was very privileged to be invited as a guest and asked Kyle about producing templates for Ning, specifically how to go about making them available for free download to other Ning network creators.

If you're never heard of Ning before now, imagine being able to create your own MySpace or Facebook, with your own branding, your own members, embedded videos, photos, forums, widgets, the works. Ning are also one of the early adopters and supporters of the OpenSocial protocol. I think Ning explain it better when they say

Ning is the only online service where you can create, customize, and share your own Social Network for free in seconds.

I'm going to be actively designing Ning themes in addition to Serendipity and Blogger, and I'm very excited to announce that I offered to produce a guide to HTML and CSS classes used in the creation of Ning pages which Kyle agreed would be a major step forward in Ning template documentation. My last project of this type was the very successful commented default stylesheet for Serendipity, but Ning is more complex so I doubt it will be a quick process but I'm keen to get my teeth into it.