I've read this post this morning, because I didn't know nothing about it. After browsing through its pages during an hour I have to say that I thinks it's a great idea and a great project.

It gives you a lot of facilities to develelop and experiment with social applications.

And, I think, it's very usefull, although learn to use it and to arrive to exploit all its possibilities could take you some time.

(Sorry for my English level :P)

There are a lot of unanswered questions about it, but the greatest thing in my mind is the ability to view source on web applications. Millions of HTML jockeys learned using View Source, this gives people who want to learn web development a similar learning tool.

Fernando and George:

I pretty much agree that the service is worth trying out. I just got beta developer status and will report more once that works out.

George, I'm a little less sanguine about the idea that showing source code will get people to code. I think something like the Mac's automator or excel macros could work. I see a lot of pick up from non-programmers for those technologies.

Since they want everybody to create a Ning environment, looking at the source code won't be necessary anymore in the near future. As they say at Ning, we want Ning to be a playground for everyone (also for non-developers).

I think it's a nice thing they made. But creating another social applications is way to much. At the end there will be so many of them you can't keep track anymore. It's fun I guess but for whom? For yourself to show to your family and friends? For example if you look at Multiply.com. It's a flexible platform as well. You can create a blog, a photogallery, sell things, stay in touch with friends and family and even meet new people, and more ...

This was just an humble opinion. :)