This is an edited version of an email sent out to all members of Catholic Recovery on April 18th concerning the possible shutting down of CR:

Ning, the company that provides the technology and templates for the creation and maintenance of this and other Ning social networks, will be announcing a new pricing structure as of May 4th and will no longer be hosting any free sites.

There will be at least a 10 week grace period for Network Creators to assess the new pricing policy. After that period, Network Creators will have to pay to keep their network going. The current fees for maintaining a Ning network do not seem all that large, and indications are that Ning may be flexible in its pricing options due to Network size, etc. However, due to the economic situation, I cannot guarantee continued support beyond the 10 week (or so) grace period until I see these pricing options. I will do my best to evaluate them and see how they fit into my budget, but there may be a need to involve financial assistance from willing members. This does NOT mean that you will have to pay to become or remain a member. Membership will always be free. It only means that I will accept assistance from any member willing to provide it.

Several members have come forward with alternative hosting options, so some help may be on the way. Sufficient to say, this network will be around through the Summer of 2010, at least. Afterward, if the new pricing structure is unaffordable, or we cannot find a new host, the site will probably shut down.

Now would be a good time to recruit new members or try to increase the site’s activity!

From the Ning Blog:

Ning Blog » Mythbusters: Three Things We Aren’t Doing on May 4

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