We had an important question raised about customizing the Menu Tabs in Ning. As it turns out, you get some pretty good control of the tabs. Start out by clicking on Manage and then Tab Manager. See below:
The key phrase: Edit tab details by clicking on the tab on the left. Drag and drop tabs to re-order. For optimal navigation, there is a limit of 14 top-level tabs and 12 characters per tab.
You can add new tabs by clicking on the +Add New Tab link (left side) You can easily rename tabs and have tabs point to outside websites. Seems like a good answer to the question.
Care to share your tips for Ning authoring?