New here, hello everyone!

@jamesh
9 years ago
16 posts

Hi

I have a Ning site that I am looking in to bringing over, the archive upload is currently underway, it going to take a day or two so I thought I would say hi and ask if you can point me at some great Jamroom community sites that I can have a look at. Preferably ones that are using lots of available features. My Ning 2.0 site is tired and my visitors need it to be brought up to date with lots of social integration. Tagging, Facebook comments that kind of thing. Have I come to the right place? Will Jamroom do all that for me?

Thanks!
James

updated by @jamesh: 02/27/15 02:28:31AM

@brian
9 years ago
10,148 posts

Hi James - welcome to Jamroom!

Jamroom is very, very flexible so all the things you listed are all doable in Jamroom. This site here (jamroom.net) is running Jamroom, so you can see how it is profile centered. There are tons of modules available for JR to get it doing almost anything you want - for Ning users coming to Jamroom we've put together the "Ning to Jamroom" bundle:

https://www.jamroom.net/the-jamroom-network/bundle/18/ning-to-jamroom

which contains all the modules that match the features you have on your existing Ning 2.0 site. This way when you run the Ning import tool to "import" your Ning site into a JR site, all your data has a module to go to.

If there's specific functionality you're wondering about, let us know - otherwise take some time to play around with your Jamroom install and get a feel for how Jamroom works.

Hope this helps!

--
Brian Johnson
Founder and Lead Developer - Jamroom
https://www.jamroom.net

@jamesh
9 years ago
16 posts

Thanks Brian, I look forward to getting stuck in as soon as my upload finishes! I have purchased the bundle already, are there any issues I am likely to face during the import? It's 18GB. Also can I update the import at the point of going live? So as to have all of my Ning content at the point of the switch over?

@paul
9 years ago
4,326 posts

jamesh:
Thanks Brian, I look forward to getting stuck in as soon as my upload finishes! I have purchased the bundle already, are there any issues I am likely to face during the import? It's 18GB. Also can I update the import at the point of going live? So as to have all of my Ning content at the point of the switch over?

Hi James - Just follow the Ning Import guide and you should be ok. Any questions, just post here on the forums.

https://www.jamroom.net/ning-to-jamroom/documentation/ning2jamroom

Also, make sure your installed NingImport module, and all other installed modules and skins are up to date.

And yes, just prior to going live you can run the import again with the latest downloaded archive. When doing so, if you select the 'Create' option for each item (not the 'Delete and Create') the importer will skip over any existing imported items and just create the new ones.
hth

--
Paul Asher - JR Developer and System Import Specialist

@jamesh
9 years ago
16 posts

Sounds ideal Paul! Thanks

@jamesh
9 years ago
16 posts

Am I ok to start playing with it or should I do the import first?

@paul
9 years ago
4,326 posts

Have a play with Jamroom first whilst your archive is uploading. Create a few profiles and blogs. Upload a couple of songs. Take a look around the ACP. Generally get the hang of how JR works.
When you are then ready to import Ning, its pretty straightforward to 'reset/reinstall' JR and start again from scratch.

--
Paul Asher - JR Developer and System Import Specialist

@jamesh
9 years ago
16 posts

Great thanks Paul, I will do that

@paul
9 years ago
4,326 posts

Quote: its pretty straightforward to 'reset/reinstall' JR and start again from scratch

Just a FYI, for a complete Jamroom reset/re-install, delete the /data/config/config.php and all the folders in the /data/cache folder.
Drop all the database tables then in your browser go to the Jamroom URL and follow the instructions there to install Jamroom.

See https://www.jamroom.net/the-jamroom-network/documentation/getting-started/553/installation and start at the 'Installing Jamroom' section.

--
Paul Asher - JR Developer and System Import Specialist
updated by @paul: 01/22/15 10:16:16AM

Clay Gordon
@claygordon
9 years ago
733 posts

Welcome @jamesh -

I made the decision to move to JR about a month ago and I do not regret it for a moment. It's taken a bit to get used to a very different way of working compared with the Ning Features UI. They were good at what they did, but restricted and narrow. Things are not quite as simple here, but the level of control I have is beyond API-level access at Ning, which costs what? $100/mo?

There are a couple of us here now who are not on the JR team who've been working through the same issues and challenges you're going to be facing. So, don't hesitate to ask for help. Response times are very good, and I've found they often want to work you through the "why" something is done a particular way so you understand where JR is coming from as a platform.

@jamesh
9 years ago
16 posts

Thanks @claygordon I'm looking forward to it and will definitely take you up on your offer! I'm excited about the possibilities.

Clay Gordon
@claygordon
9 years ago
733 posts

jamesh:
Thanks @claygordon I'm looking forward to it and will definitely take you up on your offer! I'm excited about the possibilities.

What's really impressive is that I've identified a couple of things that the JR team decided were bugs over the course of the last four days, and several of them have already been fixed and I have uploaded module updates via the Marketplace/System Updates method today that fixed those issues.

Found some more today that affected the way content was presented that I could not override in a template. One was in a piece of code that might not have been dusted off and looked at in years. I expect to see fixes to those in the next 72 hours at worst.

It's one of the things I am liking most about working in JR - that willingness to listen and responsiveness. The only places where I am unhappy is the quality of the data Ning exports. Not much you can do if the output is corrupted. GIGO. But Paul and Brian and the team have done remarkable things to overcome some of the most outrageous offenses found in the JSON files.

@michael
9 years ago
7,715 posts

Hi James.

This is a good piece of documentation that you should take a look at:

"Concepts the Admin user needs to know."
https://www.jamroom.net/the-jamroom-network/documentation/getting-started/2167/concepts-the-admin-user-needs-to-know

If you want a longer closer look, then this is our course:

"Start your own online community"
https://www.udemy.com/start-your-own-online-community

And if you want to get into development, then:

"Developers Guide to Customizing Jamroom"
https://www.udemy.com/developers-guide-to-customizing-jamroom/

All of those videos in those courses are available on the YouTube channel, they're just better ordered in the courses.

Youtube Channel
https://www.youtube.com/user/jamroomdotnet

@jamesh
9 years ago
16 posts

Thanks @michael

@jamesh
9 years ago
16 posts

I was about to start the process when I saw this;

----
Enter the system name of the Ning site you are importing from. This will be used in the email that is sent to all Ning members after import to notify them of their new login credentials.
----

Is that an automated email, or can I control what is going to get sent out. I don;t want my users to know anything is changing at the moment. Once all functioning correctly and the new site is live, then I will do it.

Thanks

@michael
9 years ago
7,715 posts

Its always a good idea to start a question in a new thread so once its answered others can find it. "Whats in the Email sent after Ning import?" seams like a good title.

Paul will be along in a few hours, hes got the answers on the Ning import.

@paul
9 years ago
4,326 posts

Quote: Is that an automated email, or can I control what is going to get sent out. I don;t want my users to know anything is changing at the moment. Once all functioning correctly and the new site is live, then I will do it.

There is a tool in the Ning Import module to send out emails when you go live. You can edit the email templates to say whatever you want to your users (that Ning System Name field is just an option for this email).
Instructions about emailing are in the docs.

--
Paul Asher - JR Developer and System Import Specialist

@jamesh
9 years ago
16 posts

Thanks for getting back to me Paul, so just to confirm, no email will be sent unless I send it myself? It's not an automated action that will occur simply by importing the users?

Clay Gordon
@claygordon
9 years ago
733 posts

jamesh:
Thanks for getting back to me Paul, so just to confirm, no email will be sent unless I send it myself? It's not an automated action that will occur simply by importing the users?

James -

I can answer this one. The sending is triggered by you. It's not automated. The message will not be sent until you go to the Ning Import module Tools page and click to send them.

IIRC, the module also detects whether members have come and claimed their accounts so you can send the email next week (or next month) and the email will only be sent to people who have not claimed their account.

@jamesh
9 years ago
16 posts

Thanks @claygordon in that case I will continue.

@jamesh
9 years ago
16 posts

One last question, I'm a little nervous! This process doesn't alter my existing Ning site in any way does it? And if I make a total hash of it I can just start the whole Jamroom import from scratch? The question sounds a little daft I know, I am just being cautious, my Ning site is very active and I don't want any surprises on the the live site.

@brian
9 years ago
10,148 posts

jamesh:
One last question, I'm a little nervous! This process doesn't alter my existing Ning site in any way does it? And if I make a total hash of it I can just start the whole Jamroom import from scratch? The question sounds a little daft I know, I am just being cautious, my Ning site is very active and I don't want any surprises on the the live site.

Yep - there is zero impact on your existing Ning site, and you can re-run the import as many times as you would like.

Hope this helps!

--
Brian Johnson
Founder and Lead Developer - Jamroom
https://www.jamroom.net

@jamesh
9 years ago
16 posts

Thanks Brian

@jamesh
9 years ago
16 posts

@brian, I see there is a service package to complete this task for me, is there anything missing from that or will it provide me with a fully functional port of my Ning site? Should/can I call someone to discuss it before purchase?

Many thanks

James

@paul
9 years ago
4,326 posts

jamesh:
@brian, I see there is a service package to complete this task for me, is there anything missing from that or will it provide me with a fully functional port of my Ning site? Should/can I call someone to discuss it before purchase?

Many thanks

James

If you can create your Ning archive and upload it to your Jamroom server, alongside the Jamroom install (as per the Ning2JR import docs), we can then take over and do the rest of the import for you. All compatible data in your archive will be imported (assuming it is error free) and you'll be left with a ready to go Jamroom version of your Ning2 site based on the Ningja skin.
hth

--
Paul Asher - JR Developer and System Import Specialist

@jamesh
9 years ago
16 posts

Sounds good, I am at that point, what is the timeframe for completion please?

@paul
9 years ago
4,326 posts

jamesh:
Sounds good, I am at that point, what is the timeframe for completion please?

Certainly by this time tomorrow I'd say. I've just started the job now. Will keep you informed via the support ticket.

--
Paul Asher - JR Developer and System Import Specialist

New here, hello everyone!

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