I’m a big fan of Ning: it’s a quick and easy social networking platform to get a social network up and running, especially for non-profits. Their features are often stronger than similar social network software.

But I get nervous at the idea of my site relying on a single company. In a perfect world, it means someone else worries about the servers, infrastructure, etc.

In the real world, it means you are at its mercy, both in terms of technology and politics.

So I was interested to hear the news from TechCrunch that Ning has removed all widgets created by popular premium developer WidgetLaboratory.

The news has come without warning and is being met with outrage by a number of users who have spent hundreds of dollars on the widgets to build up their social networks. WidgetLaboratory sells its widgets for around $30 a month, and has managed to become the most popular widget creator on Ning’s platform.

Now I have no doubts that this wasn’t a bolt out of the blue, and that Ning didn’t just decide to give WidgetLaboratory the boot for the fun of it, but for any of the Ning customers who relied on the widgets, it’s a reminder that nothing is free…