The BIG Question

In Finding a Host and Decisions...Easy, I shared how I came to find a home for my class site and how my classmates chose to keep it through 2020. So we settled in, pages were good and classmates continued to join. I could step away, check on it from time-to-time and all would be fine. Honestly, I would not have been the only one doing so, but...

'Build it and they will come' works. Provide content that is interesting; give them the ability to connect using the site messaging system and guess what - they return again and again. Watching the statistics of log-ins, it happens on the three membership sites I built and maintain. This is where I bring up The BIG Question, you know you are wondering...

How much time will this take?
Answer: As little or as much time as you wish to put into it.
I admit, that is not a fair answer. The thing is we all have days, weeks or longer that we simply do not have the time to spruce up our sites - especially those of us who have 3, 5 or 10 year subscriptions. You have a choice. There is no reason to do it all alone - find someone to help with photos, put up surveys or maybe write a monthly article. As the one who started the site, you can add admins who work under your direction; and just for you, I have two tips that will help save time:

• We share. As a site administrator on Class Creator, you are not alone and welcome to visit the forums where we all ask our 'how to' questions and share with each other. Example: You visit one of my sites and like the Christmas page or Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day page. (Yes, there IS a Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day!) You would like to add it to your site but do not want to borrow it without asking. Trust me, I found it on another admin's site so go ahead - copy it. Yet if you ask me for it, I may have time to send you the coding and you are almost done!
• Plan ahead. Whether you copy a page from another site or have an idea for a future holiday or event, you can create the page now without making it active. Then when its time, check the Active box and it is visible to your members! So when you have a rainy day or just want to spend some time on a site, plan ahead and build one or more pages to share with your members another day.

Yes, there are days or weeks I do little on my sites. Then it happens. I get going and do not want to stop. Hmmm... somewhat like this post.

Until next time...

A Variety of Membership Sites and More

Don't let the name Class Creator fool you. The name is simply insight into how it all began. Yes, there are class, multiple year and school association sites; yet on Class Creator there are:

• Families
• Homeowner associations
• Veteran groups and
• Fishing Clubs, to name a few!

Though Professor O wrote about this in his May 15th blog "Can I Use Class Creator To Build A Site For Our School, Or Other Purpose...", I am here to share the admin's view. As one who has built and maintained four sites, I will be building another and most likely - another. Don't take my word for it, take a look at the Featured Sites on Class Creator's home page. When you do, move your mouse over each thumbnail to read what the admin running the site had to write about their experience. As I did, I recognized some of the names; yet there were others I did not. One comment just about says it all:

"We joined ClassCreator soon after it was established several years ago. I can only say, it's been a great ride....Brad and the ClassCreator staff are attentive, receptive to new ideas, forever improving and adding features, offer exceptional support. Dealing with ClassCreator is almost like calling your neighbor to come over and help. ....... no I'm not getting paid to say these nice things. I just appreciate a well run operation and ClassCreator it just that."

- Twiggs County High School Class of 1960

If you are looking for a place to host your site, stop and give the 7-day free trial on Class Creator a try. When you do, you will find others who started just like you in the Help Forums listed under your Admin Functions. Do not hesitate to come to the forums to ask for help. We'll be happy to see you!

Finding a Host and Decisions...Easy

Love surprises? I do. Not long ago, I received one via email. It was an invitation to share my experiences as a site administrator here - for Class Creator. Would I accept? Certainly, it is a honor to be a part of this. Yet, every journey has a beginning and this opportunity took me back to how it all began.

How did I get here? Well, "You will be a leader of your high school class in a place you will not be able to see" was never in my fortune cookie. The Chicago area psychic didn't predict it after graduation and she did not say that my high school class would some day be in my computer. Back then, did I know what a computer was?

In 2009, I had a surprise request from a classmate... would I plan our 40th reunion? Though I had experience, I had not been to one class reunion. I recalled who planned the 30th reunion and began searching for his email address.

Immediately, I started a class group page on Facebook. That led to a free site - thanks to one of technology’s major companies. I jumped right into building the site. Yet, I was unable to do all I wanted. I wanted instant messaging, a map and more. My list of wants grew and my success at finding free plug-ins failed with each search.

The person who planned previous reunions was located, planned our dinner and began taking registrations. I decided to add a school tour and gathering at a local bar the night before the dinner. Everything was going well and I should have been pleased as punch that soon the web site and all would be finished, but no – not me.

Less than two months before the reunion, I ramped up for another search. Into the search bar I keyed free maps for web sites. Once again, I began checking the results from the top. Four or five links into it, I found myself on a host of class sites – Class Creator. I had no intention of moving the site for less than sixty days but I had to see the map. I saw the map and… oh my, there was everything I wanted and more! Maps, the ability maintain classmates' contact information, birthday announcements, instant messaging, and online classmate registration! I sat staring at the features offered by Class Creator and knew I wanted to move our class site right then!

So it began. Soon our class name, school colors and mascot were in place. I copied a few pages into this new site and wanted to share it with friends. Not yet, I had two more things to do. I added the donation button and sent an email invitation to all classmates asking them to visit the site, look around and donate to the site’s subscription if they liked what they saw.

Did my classmates like what they saw on the temporary site hosted by Class Creator? YES! They donated on the site and the first year subscription was paid in full. Not only that, as soon as I added our reunion details into the Reunion Planner module, classmates began registering for the reunion on the site!

It didn’t end there. In the midst of the holiday shopping season that year, I sent out another email asking classmates if they would like to extend the site through our 50th reunion. Within days, they clicked on that donation button until we were paid through 2020! They paid for ten years! Who is the best? Well, my classmates for sure, but Class Creator is right there alongside them!

We all have our stories. It has taken some of us a few years before finding Class Creator. But, today, we are settled in! We welcome new administrators weekly in the Help Forums and online chats to discuss what is happening and ask each other for a 'tool' to solve something when needed. We are neighbors in this online community and give our time to provide an online home where classmates can reconnect.

Beyond the many tools available in building and using our sites, there is one main reason we stay: the unmatched customer service. In the forums, responses are received in a timely manner and there is a willingness to meet our needs, when possible. In addition, forum posts are answered by staff as if we are all friends. This special place for our sites is Class Creator.

Getting Reacquainted With Old Friends... Can I Change The Default Questions In The Classmate Profiles?

So, it's been 10, 20, 30 ... no, 50 years?  Can't be!  Wow, how times have changed.  We need to do some serious catching up and your high school web site can help you do just that.  Of course there are the message forums and message center areas for your classmates to communicate, but how about helping them to really build out a great profile?  How?  You can customize the questions that your classmate answers when they join the site.

Aside from all the default questions of contact information, where they live, occupation, etc.  Why not ask all the questions that matter to you most.  You can ask questions about the your high school years.  Sports memories?  Favorite teachers?  First dates?  But also ask about things that will help connect you to the years since you have seen your friends.

We have assembled a list of suggested questions that you can add to your classmate profiles page by going to the Profile Generator.  Many of these questions have also been suggested by other admins as well.  If you have good ones for the list, please chime in down in the comments area.

Here's our original list of suggestions: Where do you live now? Where else have you lived? If you could build a second house anywhere, where would it be? Still have family around "your area"? How often do you get back to "your area"? Would you ever move back to the area? Do you still see/talk to/hang out with any classmates? Who? What did you do right after high school? What do you do now? How did you get into that? What did you want to do or think you were going to do when you finished high school? Past jobs? What did you always want to do that you haven't done yet? High points of your life since high school? Married? to whom? When? How long? Kids? Grand kids? What do you like to do in your spare time? Any vices? Travel much? What's the farthest you've been from home? Favorite place to go? Places you want to go? How old do you feel? Any gray hair yet? What would we be surprised to know about you? Did you have any nicknames in school? Any nicknames now? What's your favorite memory of FHS? Least favorite memory? Biggest thing you would do differently if you went back to your time at FHS? What are your memories of high school (i.e. secret crush, embarrassing moment, funniest thing you did in high school, favorite high school hang out, favorite teachers)? Favorite Drinks? Favorite sports? Favorite Food? Favorite Movies? Favorite music? What was the last cd you bought? Famous or interesting people you've met? Cool things you've done? Any words of wisdom? Anything else we should know?

Here's more submitted by a Class Creator Site Administrator: Gone on a blind date? Skipped school? Watched someone die? Been lost? States you've lived in? Countries you've visited? Gone to Washington, DC? Swam in the ocean? Cried yourself to sleep? Played cops and robber or cowboys and Indians? Recently colored with crayons / colored pencils? Sang Karaoke? Paid for a meal with coins only? Done something you told yourself you wouldn't? Made prank phone calls? Laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose? Caught a snowflake on your tongue? Danced your heart out? Written a letter to Santa Claus? Been kissed under the mistletoe? Watched the sunrise with someone? Blown bubbles? Gone ice-skating? Been skinny dipping outdoors? Sat outside in the rain? Lived one of your dreams? Gotten divorced? Been in love? Any nickname? Favorite drink? Body Piercings? What animal would you be if you could choose one? Birthplace? Favorite vacation spot? Ever been to Africa? Ever eaten just cookies for dinner? Ever been on TV? Ever steal any traffic signs? Ever been in a car accident? Drive a 2-door or 4-door vehicle? Favorite brand of body wash? Favorite TV show? Favorite number? Favorite movie? Favorite holiday? Favorite dessert? Favorite food? Favorite day of the week? Name something you love. Favorite toothpaste? Favorite smell? How do you relax? How do you see yourself in 10 years? When was the last time you belly laughed?

Personally, I think the Administrator's questions are great!  Have fun.  Get engaged.  Connecting again will be fun and the more you do to get your classmates involved on your site now, the better your event will be!

Have more suggested questions - enter them in the comments below!