I set up a Ning account a few months back, but gave it up because I though I was stretching the limits of what I should offer web-wise. Some lecture students have been wondering abut extra credit so I think I'll give it another shot.
Just so you know, Ning is a social network site, much like Facebook, but it allows for a network to be formed for a more limited groups of people--like students in my government classes. I've wanted to see if this would provide a convenient forum for back and forth exchanges, and I think it can, but it requires a lot of tlc.
If you'd like to give it a shot, click on the link on the right hand column and weigh in on an issue I post. Feel free to give me advice about what types of issues I should ask questions about. It's pretty user friendly so you should be able to figure it out.