Ning

Ning gives a great first impression as it is skillfully designed and captivating as an overall website. It allows the user to branch out from the “limited ability” of a normal social networking site. The membership fee insures relative information is accessible, and the content is purely your own. It also enables co-publication of blogs and a shared forum space.
While the program may be helpful in an academic setting, it does not appear to be a huge step away from a customized class Facebook page that has an attached fee. Students may appreciate an academic zone that is separate from their social lives, which also may make them inclined to not be interested in using it at all. It is likely that most students may deem the site unnecessary and extravagant.