Ning Ninga skin vs Site Builder

I love drag and drop, since I really not efficient enough in html and CSS coding. Can I use the Site Builder instead of the Ning Ninga skin and still import (I have not as of yet), or am do I have to use the Ninga skin if I want to import my Ning archive?
updated by @perrie: 04/11/15 04:52:47PM

Ningja skin supports drag'n'drop. No need to decide.

Hi Michael,
I have never felt so stupid as I do today. The only thing that I have been able to figure out is how to get a menu on top. I don't see how you can modify color of the background, or where my ning import went to etc. I have read and watched information given over and over and I just don't get it. I know that you are very techy from what I read at Ning, but for me, this is not intuitive at all. I feel like a total nimrod.

Meaning Perrie can use Site Builder with the Ningja skin, correct?


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...just another satisfied Jamroom customer.
Migrated from Ning to Jamroom June 2015

Perrie- just curious- did you successfully connect to your server through filezilla? Did you import your Ning archive into your JR site yet, or is your NingArchive still just sitting in its folder on your server? (assuming you uploaded your ning archive folder to your server)

Hey don't feel bad- I spent my first few days figuring out how to create top menu items too! Took me several days to start changing colors and titles and also stumbling around for the first week or two.


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...just another satisfied Jamroom customer.
Migrated from Ning to Jamroom June 2015

Hi Lisa,

I'll email you.

Wow, thats my fault then for building such an non-intuitive system.

We'll work on getting it made easier. Sorry for the hassle.

Color of the background is not a thing you can control. That system isn't there.

It works like this:
* First you have a blank page after adding that page to the menu.
* Then you choose the Page Layout of what containers you want on the page.
* Then you drag Widgets into the containers.

Widgets will be a piece of content. When you click on the gear icon on each Widget, you can edit that widgets content. It will just be an editor with a title field.

Into the Widgets you put the content that you want to display. What are some of the things you're trying to accomplish. Take it one step at a time.

I'm thinking Perrie may have meant changing the color of the background for her site?


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...just another satisfied Jamroom customer.
Migrated from Ning to Jamroom June 2015

Changing the color for the background of the site is un-related to Site Builder. Its the same for all skins in that the location to do it is from:
ACP -> SKINS -> (skin name ) -> STYLE

Tab.

Or by CSS in the skin itself. I do want to get a site builder style system in place for customizing skin design, but right now its not there.

Ah, I see. Thanks! So for now anyway, I'm understanding that site colors are controlled within skin-specific settings, which need to be modified within that skin, not through Site Builder. It's like Site Builder is for selecting and arranging the 'building blocks' of your site, and the Skin is where you put on your site's makeup and style its hair. ;D


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...just another satisfied Jamroom customer.
Migrated from Ning to Jamroom June 2015

Nice explanation. Site Builder can be made to work with any skin. Its just like you say. The drag-n-drop method for adding menu item, then a drag-n-drop method for page structure, and a drag-n-drop method to put content into that page.

Michael,
This platform has a lot to offer, but because of that, it might not be as easy to construct as our old 2.0 sites. I just have to understand the functions better.

I am a very visual person, so seeing what I have done, helps me move to the next action. So setting up the layout is usually the first thing I do. This will be the 4th platform I have used (Grouply, ning 2.0/3.0, & Wordpres/Buddypress/bbpress) but this one for some reason seems to be the most challenging. Maybe it's the front end visual feedback that is the issue?

In any case.. I think I am beginning to get it. No worries! (and Lisa is a wonderful cheerleader)

Could be because of where Jamroom comes from. The others aim might have been intended for users who don't want to look at code.

I fell in love with Jamroom a few years back when I used it for a project I was doing as a freelance web developer. The way the code was structured just fit well into how I liked to program. There was a ton of stuff that the system did so I could ignore it and get on with building what I needed built.

Its a great platform for developers (me ).

Forward a few years and I got invited to join the team to help build Jamroom 5. I felt really privileged (still do ).

With Jamroom 5 the goal was to get the system stable to go into the future with mobile and a super strong base. We have that.

The part that is still pretty new is the drag-n-drop stuff. Its not been built in from the beginning or designed around non-technical users as a first priority.

We are trying though and have a good start. If you could help us by outlining where you get stuck and what you're expecting to happen, then we can put in an effort and get something together for everyone.

For the growing pains that come with that, I apologize in advance.

I love watching screencast videos of stuff going wrong so i can understand the trouble you have.

You guys are the best.


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...just another satisfied Jamroom customer.
Migrated from Ning to Jamroom June 2015

Petrie. Something you said in your second post - "where did my import go?"
Your import hasn't been done yet. All I did was upload your archive to the server ready for import so you will not be seeing any Ning content yet. Just mentioning this in case you are expecting this!!


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Paul Asher - JR Developer and System Import Specialist

Could I interject a couple of quick questions here. I haven't had time to explore the site builder option yet.

1) Does it give ordinary users any more control of their profile layout (profile tweaks), or is it strictly an admin tool.

2) I think I was provided with this before but lost it before I had a chance to use it - sorry. Where is the best "how to" video/doc/instructions to add this to a pre-existing live site.

3) How much of a chance is there that this can mess up my live site. Do I need to test everything on a "sandbox" version first.

4) If I was set-up a sandbox, is there an easy way to "populate" it with a limited number of profiles, maybe with the import tool? Manually creating profiles with uploaded content would be tedious and too time consuming.


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Ken Rich
indiegospel.net

Ken, just a note in case you don't know about the "Profile Tweaks" module in the marketplace (it's NOT part of Site Builder though)...the description reads:

The Profile Tweaks module allows your profile owners to customize their profiles, including:
- Selecting a custom background image for their profile
- Selecting which page they want to be their "profile index"
- Uploading a custom site Icon (overrides the main site icon, on skins that support it)
- Selecting a different skin for their profile (from a Quota controlled list)

(Ken if you knew about this already then just ignore this post.)


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...just another satisfied Jamroom customer.
Migrated from Ning to Jamroom June 2015

Hi Strumelia,

Yes I am already using all that, I'm just wondering if I enable site builder, does it add any more functionality for users (like drag & drop).


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Ken Rich
indiegospel.net

No it does not - Site Builder is not involved in profiles in any way.


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

Ah - so this is strictly a tool for admins then, augmenting the template system.


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Ken Rich
indiegospel.net

Yeah the idea is to make the "skin" part of the site easy to develop and create for the admin.


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

OK - got it. Thanks.


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Ken Rich
indiegospel.net