Videos (how to add category function)?

[All Access China]

Is it possible to have category functions (like the forum) in the video section? I plan to post many videos and would like a way to categorize/separate them into categories or channels.

If this is a NO go.

Perhaps someone can offer suggestions on how I should structure the video page/section/navigation to give the impression of categories/channels.

Thanks....

[Greeksters Worldwide]

Hello All Access China,

This may not be the answer you are looking for, but it looks like Ning
is taking the GMail approach to organizing content -- using tags. The
major benefit to this is that each video can have multiple tags assigned
to it, whereas categories sort of lock the video into one place; if you had
a video that fit in more than one category in a traditional system, you
would be forced to place it into each category, thereby causing redundancy.

Hope this helps.

[DAN]

hey,

i just work it through youtube, as i have not found the feat.
you can embed playlists, which means you can structure by playlists on youtube and them embed.

just as an idea to work around it.

a feat. like this would be cool. let me know, if you find out.

best regards

oli

[Darf Grimmly]

I agree with using tags rather than categories, and the benefits Greekster Worldwide and Randy R. mention.

I'm new to Ning, not a developer, and am just experimenting with a Ning network. So maybe you guys can clarify a question I have about using search and tags: I've seen search find not only tags, but also individual words or phrases in forum and blog posts on my test network. Isn't that correct? If so that means, except for videos, if users fail to use tags a search will find the search words or phrase anyway. That seems wonderful.

I plan on using a forum category as a sort of calendar for events. Users post event announcements in a forum category and include the date like this: "3/25/08e." Then users searching for all the events on a Friday night, let's say, just type in that date and get hits for all events that night.

I'm planning a Ning network to give free "websites" to all St. Louis artists and art galleries. My advertising copy will say "Now you can find all the fiber artists in St. Louis or all the art gallery openings next Friday by just typing in a couple of words or a date." I think the search capability on Ning networks is very powerful and useful for all kinds of sites.

If a Ning network builds to, let's say, thousands of users and hundreds of thousands of possible word or date search possibilities, would this slow down search times?

Thanks for any answers or clarifications re these two questions.

[All Access China]

Thanks for everyone's input. I will play with Youtube get-around, and anxiously await NING's inclusion into standard functions.

[DAN]

hey can you post when it is working....
thx oli

[DAN]

any news on that feat. as i´m also waiting for it.....

thx for your help

oli

[All Access China]

Sorry for no reply on this issue. I ended up doing something on blip.tv, which gives me a quality video output (better than Youtube) and most of the functions needed. But when I have more time this summer to go through my Ning code and try to embed some categories in.

[DAN]

hey,

thx for the quick answer.
would be cool, if you follow this posting that i get informed once you are ready.
if i find something i will let you know.

best regards

oli

[Jason LaChance]

So I realize that Ning likes to play the "This is on the list, and we plan to implement it in the future" card. I'm just looking for an update on if this will EVER get done? There are soo many updates I see that get done to Ning that don't go to the heart of what developers and creators want. I mean the site revamp looks great and all, but there are necessary user friendly things that need to be done. I haven't been on ning as much lately partly because of this so excuse me if this has already been implemented. If it hasn't then can we get an update. Not a this is on the list type of thing either. This thread is from January 2008.... a year later and still no updates. If its on the list, but not even being considered for this year then please just say its not coming anytime soon. When we are told its being worked on then we get the impression that it should take less then 6 months to be out.

[DAN]

hey jason,

i´m with you on that point.
otherwise i like ning a lot, but with some things it is up to yourself to find a way.
for our next update of the page i will hire a programmer to get the feat. i´m missing.
we should be ready with the full update end of april by the latest.
have a look on our page and maybe you will find something you are looking for there.
if so, just contact me and maybe we can a way that you will also get it for your page.

would also be cool, if someone from ning could comment on jason´s last sentence.

THX