• General Questions
• Questions About Building Your Site
• Questions About Maintaining Your Site
• Questions About Promoting Your Site
• Questions About Planning A Reunion
• Questions About Domain Names
• Questions About Email
• Questions About Passwords
• Questions About Privacy
• Questions About Advertising and Solicitations

1. I don't think I'm the best suited administrator for my class web site. How do I determine who should run our site?
   
   Answer: The Site Administrator is usually the person who maintains your class list (e.g. Class President, Reunion Committee chair). If you are not the best Administrator for your class we recommend you send an automatic invitation to the individual most qualified to be your site's Administrator. You can send an invitation by clicking this link.
   
   
2. What makes Class Creator unique?
   
   Answer: With Class Creator you get an actual home page just for your own graduating class (some other systems lump classes into 4 year blocks, which results in most Classmates not knowing each other). Class Creator is also free and ultra simple to use — we have removed financial and technical barriers to classmate participation, which means more Classmates participate, everyone has more fun, and your site is a much greater success. This is just the tip of the iceberg though. To see first hand what makes Class Creator unique, try creating a site yourself and see how it works first hand.
   
   
3. Do Classmates have to pay anything to use the site?
   
   Answer: No. Charging Classmates a fee to use your site is the best way to ensure the failure of your site. It's that simple.
   
   
4. Does Class Creator make money?
   
   Answer: Yes. Although not required, some schools opt to purchase a domain name for their site from Classnames.net. Classnames.net is a domain Registrar owned and operated by Class Creator. We earn revenue from any domain name that is purchased.
   
   
5. Will you ever start billing for Class Creator?
   
   Answer: We have no plans for billing at this time. Should we elect to bill for any Class Creator services in the future, any parties who have previously joined the Class Creator system would remain unimpacted by any billing changes, and would continue using the system indefinitely under the original plan. Class Creator reserves the right to change our billing practices for future subscribers if the continuation, growth, or enhancement of the Class Creator system should depend upon such changes. Class Creator also reserves the right to develop optional advanced features for current and new subscribers that may have an associated cost.
   
   
6. Can I use Class Creator to make a site for our school, or other purpose, but not specifically for a graduating class?
   
   Answer: Yes. Note that Class Creator comes with a lot of functionality specifically designed for class web sites and you will need to turn off this functionality. From your Administration Area simply uncheck any class functions you do not wish to use, then use your site any way you wish.
   
   
7. I want to make a site for my university, not my high school. Is this possible?
   
   Answer: Yes. During the setup wizard just type in your university name instead of selecting a high school from our database. All functions of Class Creator will work just as well for your university as they do for a high school.
   
   
8. How long have you been in business? Can I be sure my web site won't "go away"?
   
   Answer: Class Creator was developed by a team of Internet Professionals who have been creating cutting edge web sites since 1998. This is our full time job — it's all we do. Schools all over the world rely on Class Creator every day. When you build your site with Class Creator you can count on it to be here today, tomorrow, and for decades to come. Class Creator is a communication system designed to last a lifetime.
   
   
9. I have a recommendation I feel will make the Class Creator system better. Where can I send it?
   
   Answer: Send it to info@classcreator.com. What makes the Class Creator system great is the recommendations from our class site administrators. Rest assured, when you make a suggestion we will read it and consider it. All individuals who submit a feature recommendation will receive a personal reply from us.
   
   
10. My Classmates and I have put a lot of effort into our site. Is it backed up anywhere?
    
    Answer: Yes. We have two separate backups. One backup runs in real time on a duplicate hard drive called a Mirrored RAID Array. In the event of hard drive failure we have an immediate, full backup of the entire Class Creator system. We also have a second off-site backup that runs nightly on a different web server at a different location. In the unlikely event a total disaster (such as a fire) should wipe out our main systems and mirrored backups simultaneously, we would be able to quickly restore the Class Creator system from our off-site backup.

Questions About Building Your Site

1. Where can I get my Class List?
   
   Answer:

   If you do not have a complete list of all Classmates, the best solution is entering Classmates' names from your yearbook. If you do not have your yearbook you will often find that your school's library has retained a copy.

2. Why do I have to add all of my Classmates' names in advance?
   
   Answer: There are numerous benefits to doing this:
   
   
   1. You will be able to email all Classmates at the same time and invite them to your new site (this will swing your site into action like you won't believe).
   2. With all Classmate names in your site our system can easily formulate "Missing Classmate" pages for you.
   3. Having all Classmate names in your site encourages your Classmates to invite Missing Classmates to your site (no other system will gain the participation of your Classmates the way that Class Creator does).
   4. There is a predetermined "slot" for each Classmate — this is a huge security benefit that prevents non-Classmates from tampering with your site, such as adding fictitious names to your Class List.
   5. When Classmates see their own name on your Class List they are more likely to join your site and participate.
   6. Having all of your Classmates' names in your system is the best way to keep an active database and directory. You can download this information at the touch of a button at any time and use it for any purpose (invitations, labels, mail merges, phone calls, etc). Many Site Administrators use Class Creator as their sole means of maintaining their Class List.

   The benefits of entering in all of your Classmate names in advance cannot be overstated. The time you spend doing this will cause your site to be successful in a way that no other system can match.

3. Where can I get my school logo?
   
   Answer: Call your high school and ask for it. Most high schools can email it to you. If you have a printed logo scan it in, or have it scanned for you. If your high school has a web site, you can also right click on your school's logo, save it to your computer, and then upload it into your Class Creator web site.
   
   
4. Where can I get a photo of my high school?
   
   Answer: We recommend you scan your high school photo from your yearbook, or have somebody do it for you (such as any local copy house like Kinkos). Using a school photo from your yearbook is a nice touch because it's exactly how your Classmates remember the school looking.
   
   
5. Where can I get photos of my Classmates?
   
   Answer: Most people scan them directly from their yearbook. If you need a copy of your yearbook your high school will often retain copies. Call and ask! Tip: Be sure to check both the school Library and the Journalism departments — they often retain copies of old yearbooks.
   
   
6. What happens if I don't have many (or any) email addresses for my Classmates?
   
   Answer: Enter your entire class list and leave the email address field blank for any email addresses you do not have. Your Classmates can supply their email address later when they join the site. If your class list contains mailing addresses you should consider mailing out a flyer to announce the launch of your site. One simple flyer announcement will usually get many email addresses into the system, and your site off to a great start.
   
   
7. How do I upload photos to my home page or other pages of my web site?
   
   Answer: To upload photos to your web site:
   
   
   1. Log into your web site.
   2. Click on "Edit Site Pages" from your Administrative links (the third block of links).
   3. Click the Edit button next to the page you wish to insert photos into.
   4. When your editor pops up, click the little yellow "Image button" near the left hand corner.
   5. Click the browse button, select your image, and press the "Send It To the Server" button.
   6. WAIT until a message appears stating your file has successfully been uploaded to the server. If you are uploading a large digital photo or scan this may take awhile. Please be patient and only click the "Send it to the server" button one time. If you do not wait for your photo to finish uploading it will not work.
   7. Press Ok, then press Ok again. You will now see your image in your editor.
   8. Right click (control click on Mac) on your image and then select "Image Button Properties" to set alignment options for your image if desired.

   Note: It's ok to upload oversized images to your site, such as large photo scans. However extremely large images, such as very large digital photos or image scans, may cause our system or yours to time out. If you are working with an extremely large image you should resize it to 1,000 pixels wide before uploading (a great free image resizing utility can be downloaded at www.irfanview.com). Our system will automatically resize any uploaded images to fit perfectly on your web page. After upload your image just press the Save button, and you will see that your photo has been perfectly sized for your page. Tip: After uploading an image into your editor, we recommend you click the "Save Changes" button immediately and allow our system to resize your image. Then go back into your editor to make any additional edits you desire. This way you can work with the resized image instead of the original larger image that you uploaded.
   
   America Online Users: In some circumstances you may experience problems with uploading images. If you do please switch to your regular Internet Explorer, Firefox, or Safari web browser instead when you wish to perform image uploads.
   

8. Where is this Yearbook slot to which I upload Senior photos? Can Classmates upload Yearbook photos, or only Site Administrators?
   
   Answer: Only Site Administrators can upload Yearbook Photos. Classmates can of course upload any photos they want into their Profiles, but the Yearbook Photo slot (the photo that appears in the upper right corner of a Classmate's Profile) is restricted to Administrator access only. We restrict this so Site Administrators who choose to scan and upload Yearbook Photos can keep the photos consistent site wide for all Classmates.
   
   A good example of nicely done Yearbook photos can be seen on the Marshalltown High School Class of 1958 web site. Click on any Classmate's name and you'll see the Yearbook photo in the upper right corner.
   
   If you wish to upload Yearbook photos for your Classmates follow these steps:
   
   
   1. Click on Manage Classmates
   2. Click on the Enter/Edit Classmates Manually button
   3. Click the Details link next to a Classmate's name
   4. Click the "Browse" button next to the Yearbook Photo field to select a Classmate's Yearbook photo from your hard drive, then click the "Save Changes" button.
      
      
9. How do I add a deceased Classmate to the "In Memory" section of my web site?
   
   Answer: Follow the steps below:
   
   
   1. Add deceased Classmate's Name to your active list of Classmates if you have not already done so.
   2. Click on Edit Site Pages from your Administration Area.
   3. Click the Edit button next to "In Memory."
   4. Select the deceased Classmate's name from the dropdown list.
   5. Click the "Add Deceased Classmate" button.
   6. Follow the instructions on screen..
   7. Repeat for any additional deceased Classmates.
      
      
10. What's the difference between a Poll and a Survey?
    
    Answer: Here's an explanation:
    
    Poll: The Poll embeds right into your home page and is often used as an entertainment feature. Polls can only have multiple choice answers. Each Classmate can only vote once, and after voting Classmates see the Live Poll Results in a graphical pie chart format (pie chart will not appear until 2 or more Classmates have selected 2 or more answers). To create a Poll click on Edit Site Pages from your Administration Area, then click the Edit button next to "Home Page". Finally click on "Manage Poll" and then follow the instructions.
    
    Survey: The Survey module allows you to create sophisticated surveys with simple point and click functionality. Surveys are usually used for collecting necessary information, such as information to assist you in planning a Class Reunion. The sky's the limit on the types of surveys you can design and the questions you can ask. You can even put more than one survey live at a time. Classmates must log in to vote, and each Classmate can only vote once. Surveys have their own visibility permission settings, allowing you to decide if Classmates see the results of a survey, or if the survey results stay hidden and only available to you, the Site Administrator.
    
    
11. I want to build a web site for multiple graduating years, such as the Class of 1983 through Class of 1986. Is that possible?
    
    Answer: Yes. Just follow the steps below:
    
    
    1. During the site creation wizard, when asked for graduating year select the first year of Classmates you wish to include (e.g. 1983).
    2. Complete all 16 steps of the wizard.
    3. After completing the wizard click on "Edit School/Logos" from your Administration area.
    4. Change your dates. (e.g. change 1983 to 1983-1986).
    5. That's it! Although optional, we recommend you purchase a domain name for your site if your site includes Classmates from multiple graduating years. If you don't, then only the first year you selected will show in your web site's address, for example: http://www.classcreator.com/City-State-YourSchool-1983. With a domain name you can easily overcome this by choosing whatever name you'd like (e.g. www.yourschool83-86.com).
       
       
12. Do you have an option for an Alumni Association to have a main site with each class having sub sites like they can set up now?
    
    Answer: Yes. You can accomplish this with Class Creator by performing the following steps:
    
    
    1. Alumni Association builds its web site with Class Creator.
    2. Alumni Association turns off all pages of the site except for the home page by unchecking them.
    3. Alumni Association turns off all right hand modules on the home page by unchecking them.
    4. Alumni Association creates home page content or uses any of the 8 custom link slots available to customize its site. Alumni Association now has a totally functional web site consisting of up to 9 links/pages with only the content they've chosen to post.
    5. Each Class creates a site using Class Creator.
    6. Alumni Association links to each class site from its main web site.

    If you need assistance with the above procedure please call us. We'd be happy to walk you through it by phone.
    
    

13. Can single year sites from the same school be linked in any way to share information?
    
    Answer: Not currently, but this is something we will be exploring in the future.
    

14. Can I change the default questions in my Classmates' Profiles?
    
    Answer: Yes. Simply log into your web site and click the "Profile Generator" link under your Administrative Links. You can ask anything under the sun to make your Classmate Profiles interesting and engaging, but here are some ideas to help you get started:
    

    1. Where do you live now?
    2. Where else have you lived?
    3. If you could build a second house anywhere, where would it be?
    4. Still have family around <city name>?
    5. How often do you get back to <city name>?
    6. Would you ever move back to the <city name> area?
    7. Do you still see/talk to/hang out with any classmates? Who?
    8. What did you do right after high school?
    9. What do you do now?
    10. How did you get into that?
    11. What did you want to do or think you were going to do when you finished high school?
    12. Past jobs?
    13. What did you always want to do that you haven’t done yet?
    14. High points of your life since high school?
    15. Married? To who? When? How long?
    16. Kids?
    17. Grand kids?
    18. What do you like to do in your spare time?
    19. Any vices?
    20. Travel much?
    21. What's the farthest you've been from home?
    22. Favorite place to go?
    23. Places you want to go?
    24. How old do you feel?
    25. Any gray hair yet?
    26. What would we be surprised to know about you?
    27. Did you have any nicknames in school?
    28. Any nicknames now?
    29. What’s your favorite memory of FHS?
    30. Least favorite memory?
    31. Biggest thing you would do differently if you went back to your time at FHS?
    32. 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)?
    33. Favorite Drinks?
    34. Favorite sports?
    35. Favorite Food?
    36. Favorite Movies?
    37. Favorite music?
    38. What was the last cd you bought?
    39. Famous or interesting people you've met?
    40. Cool things you've done?
    41. Any words of wisdom?
    42. Anything else we should know?

    And here's some more submitted by an Administrator:
    

    1. Gone on a blind date?
    2. Skipped school?
    3. Watched someone die?
    4. Been lost?
    5. States you've lived in?
    6. Countries you've visited?
    7. Gone to Washington, DC?
    8. Swam in the ocean?
    9. Cried yourself to sleep?
    10. Played cops and robber or cowboys and Indians?
    11. Recently colored with crayons / colored pencils?
    12. Sang Karaoke?
    13. Paid for a meal with coins only?
    14. Done something you told yourself you wouldn't?
    15. Made prank phone calls?
    16. Laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose?
    17. Caught a snowflake on your tongue?
    18. Danced your heart out?
    19. Written a letter to Santa Claus?
    20. Been kissed under the mistletoe?
    21. Watched the sunrise with someone?
    22. Blown bubbles?
    23. Gone ice-skating?
    24. Been skinny dipping outdoors?
    25. Sat outside in the rain?
    26. Lived one of your dreams?
    27. Gotten divorced?
    28. Been in love?
    29. Any nickname?
    30. Favorite drink?
    31. Body Piercings?
    32. What animal would you be if you could choose one?
    33. Birthplace?
    34. Favorite vacation spot?
    35. Ever been to Africa?
    36. Ever eaten just cookies for dinner?
    37. Ever been on TV?
    38. Ever steal any traffic signs?
    39. Ever been in a car accident?
    40. Drive a 2-door or 4-door vehicle?
    41. Favorite brand of body wash?
    42. Favorite TV show?
    43. Favorite number?
    44. Favorite movie?
    45. Favorite holiday?
    46. Favorite dessert?
    47. Favorite food?
    48. Favorite day of the week?
    49. Name something you love.
    50. Favorite toothpaste?
    51. Favorite smell?
    52. How do you relax?
    53. How do you see yourself in 10 years?
    54. When was the last time you belly laughed?
        
        
15. Can I embed third party objects on my site, such as music or videos?
    
    Answer: Yes. You can easily embed objects from any other web site, such as videos, music, slideshows, reunion countdown clocks, and much more. You can generate third party objects on numerous sites, but here are a few of the major sites to get you started:
    
    
    • One True Media - one of our favorites. Allows you to create stylish and professional-looking video montages quickly and easily online from your digital photos and video.
    • AddonChat - add a real time chat feature to your site and talk to your Classmates live. Best in class. The free version is cool, but if you can spring $80 for the professional version it's even cooler.
    • Chat-Forum - Nice chatroom, professional and stylized. Give this one a look.
    • Everywhere Chat - another real time chat system you can easily add to your site.
    • You Tube - embed your own video from You Tube, or any other video on the You tube web site.
    • Playlist.com - easily add music to your web site. (If you wish to add music to your home page you must shrink the player size — see note below.)
    • Photobucket - create your own slide shows and embed them in your site.
    • Flickr - another popular slide show creator.
    • Slide.com - and another popular slide show creator.
    • Issuu - publish dynamic "turn the page" publications on your web site. Very slick! Some schools use this to publish their entire yearbook on their Class Creator web sites. See Pennsauken High School Class of 1983 for an example.
    • WishAFriend - look under the MySpace Fun Stuff column, and click on the "Flash Toys" option. All of these objects will work perfectly on your Class Creator web site. The sky's the limit on what you can create here.
    • iBegin Weather - add the local weather to your site
    • Countdown Clock - add a reunion countdown clock to your site.
    • SiteMeter - add a visitor counter to your home page or other page of your site.
    • Widgetbox - choose from hundreds of objects you can embed on your site.
    • PagePlugIns - more fun stuff you can put on your Class Creator web site.
    • Dumpr - make cool graphics for your web site from your digital photos. Most are free.
      
      
      

      Put your school logo on a Rubix Cube and other cool effects at dumpr.net.

    
    
    

    The general procedure for embedding third party objects is as follows:

    1. At the third party web site generate the code for your object, then select and copy the code.
    2. Return to your Class Creator web site and enter edit mode for the page on which you wish to embed the object.
    3. Click your mouse on the exact location on your page where you wish for the embedded object to appear.
    4. Click the "Source" button to toggle over to source code view (the Source button is located at the upper left corner of your editor).
    5. Paste the code that you previously copied in Step #1.
    6. Click the "Source" button again to toggle back to design view. Note: You will not see the third party embedded object in the Class Creator editor.
    7. Save you page.
    8. Preview your page live. You will now see the embedded object on your page. If you do not, try pressing "reload" or "refresh" on your browser.
       

NOTE ABOUT THE SIZE OF PLAYLIST.COM PLAYLISTS AND OTHER EMBEDDED OBJECTS: Most embedded objects will fit fine on any sub pages of your web site, however, your home page is divided into two columns and embedded objects that are too large will "blow out" the formatting of your home page and/or cross over other elements on the right side of your page. If you put an embedded object on your home page or Announcement Board do not use objects over 300 pixels wide. If you are embedding PlayList.com Playlists (default width 435) you can easily change the size of your embedded player by following these steps:

1. After pasting your Playlist.com source code, make sure you identify and change all 4 widths to 300 (various browser versions have different methods of embedding an object on your page, so there are 4 separate instances of the width in the code to accommodate all of them). You can use a number slightly larger than 300 depending on the design you are using if you wish — feel free to experiment. Then save your page.
2. Your Playlist Player will now fit perfectly on your home page without interfering with the formatting.

1. Can I control the content on my site?
   
   Answer: Yes, you control all content on your site. You can even add new links and customize your site any way you wish using a visual editor. It is easy to insert pictures, tables, lists, etc.
   
   
2. Can I create content outside of my site in a third party application and paste it into the site?
   
   Answer: Yes, but you'll want to be careful doing this. When you paste content from some applications (Microsoft Word being the worst offender), you'll not only get the content, but a large amount of html code will also paste into your page behind the scenes. Code from Microsoft Word and some other applications can and will frequently "mess up" the formatting on your page. If you wish to use a third party application to write your content, we suggest using something that is code free, such as Notepad for Windows, or TextEdit for Mac. You may also use third party html applications such as Dreamweaver or Frontpage.
   
   
3. Is it possible to have more than one Administrator for the site? I have Classmates who have volunteered to help maintain the site and I want to give them full access.
   
   Answer: Yes. Follow these steps to create multiple Administrators:
   
   
   1. Log into your site and click on Manage Classmates
   2. Click the "Enter/Edit Classmates Manually" button.
   3. Click the Details link next to the Classmate's Name whom you wish to make an Administrator.
   4. At the bottom of the details page click the checkbox to grant Administrator Privileges.
      
      
4. Where will our class web site be hosted? Is there a monthly fee?
   
   Answer: Your web site is hosted on high powered T3 Internet servers located in Texas. We have owned and managed our bank of servers for over 10 years. Our server up time is about as close to 100% as you can get. There is no monthly hosting charge to use the Class Creator system.
   
   
5. Can I upload my Class List?
   
   Answer: Yes. You can use our Excel import template to batch upload all of your Classmates into the system so you do not have to enter them manually.
   
   
   1. Click the Manage Classmates link.
   2. Click the Upload Classmates button.
   3. Follow the directions on screen.
      
      
6. Can I download my Class List?
   
   Answer: Yes. Your Class List changes as your Classmates edit their contact details and Profiles. You can download a real time snapshot of your Class List in Excel format at any time. You do not need to maintain a separate Class List — you can simply let Class Creator do this for you. To download your Class List:
   
   
   1. Click the Manage Classmates link.
   2. Click the Download Classmates button.
   3. Save the file on your computer and open it with Excel.
      
      
7. I've noticed that when I download my Class List to an Excel spreadsheet, any ZIP codes that begin with a zero appear as four-digit ZIP codes without the leading zero. Is there any fix for this?
   
   Answer: Yes. Follow these steps:
   
   
   1. In Excel, select the cells containing postal codes.

   2. On the Format menu, click Cells.

   3. In the Category list, click Special.
      
   4. In the Type list, click "Zip Code + 4" and then click OK. If your current download file has mostly 5 digit zip codes, then change the Special format type to "Zip code" instead of "Zip code + 4".
      
      
8. I need to edit numerous Classmate records manually. Any tips to speed up the process?
   
   Answer: Yes. A user wrote in with the following recommendations and we thought they were worth sharing:
   
   

   "If you have a LOT of updates to make to your Classmates details and / or Profiles, here's a couple of little 'tricks' I found while editing some 250 or so records:
   

   1. It's not necessary to scroll down to click the 'Save' button. Hitting the <Enter> key will do the same thing. Thus with mouse near the number pad on the keyboard, thumb can reach over easily!
      
   2. After <Enter> or 'Save Changes', hitting the 'Back' button twice will take you back to where you were on the Manage Classmates page with the last update outlined in little dashes! Caution: Just don't hit 'Back' before saving.
      

   Yes, it was more clicks but they were easy clicks (and much easier than scrolling!) and it allowed me to, on the way back, verify my changes!"
   

9. I inserted an image into my site, and now the image is missing and a red X has appeared in its place. What's happening?
   
   Answer: There are two reasons images might become a red X:
   

   1. You copied and pasted a photo that was uploaded by one of your Classmates into a different area of your site. And then your Classmate removed the photo. When this happens, the photo also gets removed from wherever else you pasted it to. The best way to avoid this is always save the Classmate's image to your own hard drive first, and then upload it elsewhere on your site yourself.
      
   2. You uploaded an image that was too large for your page. When that happens the Class Creator system needs to resize your image so it doesn't blow out the formatting of your site. When you hit the Save button, the Class Creator system resizes your image and saves it as a new file name. If you then decide to go back in and edit the same page again by using your Back button, this causes the page to load from your computer's memory (i.e. you are now editing a page that existed prior to the time our system resized your image and resaved it as a new name). After making more adjustments to your page and ultimately saving it again, you've now just saved the page with an image name that no longer exists anywhere. As a result you now you have the red X. Of course, the best way to prevent this is either upload an image that is not too large for your page in the first place, or save your page, let the system resize your image, and then DO NOT HIT YOUR BACK BUTTON to get back into edit mode. Instead, go back into the Edit Site Pages function again and hit the Edit button next to your page name again. When you do this, you'll be working with the newly resized and renamed image and you will not experience the "infamous Red X."
      
      
10. Our home page is not loading correctly. The Announcements are taking up the whole page and covering up the login area and some other items on the right hand side. Can you tell me why its doing this and how to fix it?
    
    Answer: The editor component you have on your site is very powerful, giving you access directly to the source code of your site. While this allows you to do some high level editing on your site, it also gives you the power to "mess up" your page. A variety of things can be put in your Announcements box to cause it to be too wide:
    
    
    1. Extraneous html code pasted into your Announcement area from Microsoft Word.
    2. Items that are too large to fit, including images, tables, and horizontal rules.
    3. Third party embedded objects that are too wide for your Announcements box (such as large Playlist.com playlists, or Youtube videos).
    4. Holding down the space bar and putting in numerous "non breaking spaces." Numerous non breaking spaces in a row have nowhere to wrap, thus they blow out your Announcements board. To fix this, edit your Announcements and/or home page content and click on the Source button in the upper left corner. Then look for numerous spaces in the code all run together. It will look something like this:
       
       &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
       
       Select and delete all the non breaking spaces, then save your page. Your Announcements box will now return to normal. If you've taken the above steps but are still having trouble, contact us and we will help you solve the problem.
       
       
11. Is there any way for me, the Administrator, to put the symbols (checkmark, camera, attending reunion, and gold star) next to a Classmate's name on the Classmate Profiles page if that Classmate has not joined my site?  It would give anyone coming to the site a better idea of who is coming to the reunion and which profiles to check.
    
    Answer: You can put most symbols next to a Classmate's name even if that Classmate has not joined your site. Let's take all possible symbols one by one and explain how to do it:
    
     Green Checkmark: You can put a checkmark next to a non Member's name by clicking on Manage Classmates, then clicking on Enter/Edit Classmates manually. At the top of that page select the second radio button, which will show Classmate details even if the Classmate has not joined your site. Next, manually edit the non Member's profile and add at least one bit of information, such as their city, or state for example. Save the Profile. This Classmate will now have a green checkmark next to his or her name.
    
     Camera: Go into the Classmate's Profile and upload at least 1 picture for the Classmate. Classmate will now have a camera icon next to his or her name.
    
     Attending Reunion: Click on Manage Classmates, then click Enter/Edit Classmates manually. Click the Profile link next to the Classmate's name. At the bottom of the page toggle the "Attending Reunion" answer to "Yes." The Classmate will now have the reunion icon next to his or her name. (Note: This option is only available if you currently have an active reunion running on your site.)
    
     Gold Star: This is the one icon you cannot turn on without the Classmate actually joining your site. If you look in the symbol key, you'll see that the gold star indicates that the Classmate has updated his or her profile within the past 6 months. If we let Administrators turn on the gold star for non site members, it would give the false illusion that the Classmate is participating in the site even though he or she is not, and thus cause confusion. If you really want to turn on a gold star for a non member, you can always go to your Classmate Profiles page, click on the Classmate's name, and actually create an account on behalf of the Classmate. The Classmate will now have the gold star too. Note: If you do this, the Classmate's name will also appear on your home page as having a recent Profile update, furthering the false impression that he or she has joined your site. Additionally, if you join the site on behalf of a Classmate, other Classmates will likely try to email this Classmate, thinking the Classmate is actually participating in your site. Be prepared to receive emails on behalf of any Classmates for which you have created an account on their behalf.
    
    
12. I am trying to tweak something in the visual editor and I can't get it to come out exactly how I want it. Sometimes its an extra line space, sometimes I can't indent how I want, sometimes I can't even bold or unbold text. Can you tell me how to fix this?
    
    Answer: Welcome to the world of HTML code! No visual editor will give you the exact result you want 100% of the time — especially when you get into more advanced layouts. Also, sometimes when you create text in another program, such as Microsoft Word, extraneous html will paste into your editor along with your content. This html can often cause display problems. The best way to resolve these types of situations is to simply know a little html yourself. If you don't know basic html, no need to worry. It's easy. Spend an hour or two with a good basic html primer and you'll be able to "tweak under the hood" in no time. Simply Google "html tutorial" and you'll find all kinds of free tutorial sites. Here's a good one: W3 Schools. Once you have a grasp of basic html code, when you're in your editor just click the "Source" button in the upper left corner. You can now tweak your content at the code level. Press "Source" again to return to your design view.
    
    
13. I followed the steps in #6 above and I've still got an annoying space that just won't go away. Now what should I do?
    
    Answer: The Class Creator system has some built in functions that help you space things correctly. Most of the time these built in functions are beneficial, but every now and then may be preventing you from creating the exact spacing you are desiring. If this is happening to you, click on your "Source" button, and at the top of your source code on its own blank line, paste in this code:
    
    <!--nohardspace-->
    
    Make sure you paste in the entire code above, complete with opening and closing carrot brackets. When you do this you are telling our system to discontinue helping you with spacing issues, and honor 100% of your html code exactly as you've entered it. If you are having any issues with html and display, try putting the tag above at the top of your source code, and the issue will likely be solved.
    
    
14. I inserted an image into my site, and now the image is missing and a red X has appeared in its place. What's happening?
    
    Answer: There are two reasons images might become a red X:
    
    
    1. You copied and pasted a photo that was uploaded by one of your Classmates into a different area of your site. And then your Classmate removed the photo. When this happens, the photo also gets removed from wherever else you pasted it to. The best way to avoid this is always save the Classmate's image to your own hard drive first, and then upload it elsewhere on your site yourself.
       
    2. You uploaded an image that was too large for your page. When that happens the Class Creator system needs to resize your image so it doesn't blow out the formatting of your site. When you hit the Save button, the Class Creator system resizes your image and saves it as a new file name. If you then decide to go back in and edit the same page again by using your Back button, this causes the page to load from your computer's memory (i.e. you are now editing a page that existed prior to the time our system resized your image and resaved it as a new name). After making more adjustments to your page and ultimately saving it again, you've now just saved the page with an image name that no longer exists anywhere. As a result you now you have the red X. Of course, the best way to prevent this is either upload an image that is not too large for your page in the first place, or save your page, let the system resize your image, and then DO NOT HIT YOUR BACK BUTTON to get back into edit mode. Instead, go back into the Edit Site Pages function again and hit the Edit button next to your page name again. When you do this, you'll be working with the newly resized and renamed image and you will not experience the "infamous Red X."

Questions About Promoting Your Site

1. Can I use the Class Creator system to organize our reunion online?
   
   Answer: Yes. You can announce all the details of your reunion with a simple one page setup wizard. You can also allow Classmates to register for your reunion online. Your Classmates can see at a glance who is attending your reunion.
   
   
2. Can my Classmates pay for reunion tickets or other items on our site?
   
   Answer: Yes, you can sell reunion tickets and/or other items on your web site. Class Creator integrates directly with your PayPal Business Account so you can accept major credit card and PayPal payments online. Click here to open your free PayPal Business Account in a new window if you need one. (Note: You must have a PayPal business account, not a standard PayPal account — the link above will take you to the exact account signup page you need.) Full instructions for easy integration with your site are provided inside the Class Creator system.
   
   
3. Can you assist us with the details of our reunion?
   
   Answer: No. We do not get involved in reunion details. For some good tips on reunion planning see the Planning The Perfect Class Reunion article at Reunionannouncements.com. If you wish to hire professional reunion planners you might consider Great Reunions. As they state on their site, they do all the work, you take all the credit. If you are planning a class trip check out Class Reunion Tours.
   
   
4. Can you help us locate missing Classmates?
   
   Answer: No, but one of the Class Creator Site Administrators wrote a procedure for this that was so good we asked if we could copy it word for word. Here it is:
   
   

   RESOURCES AND IDEAS TO HELP YOU FIND CLASSMATES White Pages - Start your search here. Any Who - or Start here (similar to White Pages). ZabaSearch - Is my new (best) favorite search method. Excellent detailed contact information but it really helps to have a first or middle initial of the person you are looking for. Wow! There are a LOT of people with the same name. Google -this search will pull up websites they are listed on but it will also pull up variations of their name that are not related.  Wikipedia - Try this search, sometimes if someone has done something of notoriety you will find them. I did, and was shocked by what I found. Next...call old phone numbers if they are on the list given to you. If a number is bad listen for a forwarding number. Now call or email the alumni association. The classmate may be on their list. They do mailings yearly. Their link is on our Home Page. (See if you can find it now). Identify yourself as being on the Reunion Committee. They may or may not provide you information. Its possible they will only work with one person from the committee or just the committee chairman. Its worth checking what their policy is. You may already have an account at one of the following 4 websites. There may be others too. If not open one for FREE. Of course they do have paid memberships also. You just have to skip or bypass all of their SIGN UP NOW FOR PREMIUM MEMBERSHIP if you don't want to pay a fee. You may find someone at one site and not on another. It takes time but usually you can do preliminary searches to see who is there. You can usually send them a message. If so, invite them to visit our website.  Sometimes you will be able to see an email address, but it may not be current. They may list all classmates who are registered at our high school from all years. Make sure you click on our graduating class year to sort by only our year. This saves time going through the list. While on these class, social networking and reunion sites DON'T FORGET to contact possible siblings. They are in classes before and after ours with the same name. Ask "Are you related to.....". Of course there are many that have the same name and are NOT related. If related, see if they have information on our classmate or ask them to forward a request to visit our website. Ask if you can follow-up with them in a week or so if the classmate has not signed up. Or ask if they will let you know when they have sent a request to their sibling. (Otherwise you may not know if you had a successful contact).  One problem you may run into: many classmates that originally signed up on one of these sites several years ago probably have changed their emails or have moved and did not update them. ONE IMPORTANT NOTE WHEN CONTACTING SIBLINGS OR OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS: They may be hesitant to just give you (a possible stranger) information or an email address. It helps if you give them our web site address: www.SPHS72.com and give them the administrators email address: SPHS72@gmail.com. If they don't know you they should feel more comfortable with this. FACEBOOK CLASSMATES MYSPACE REUNION When all of the above has failed the next option is to try one of the next three web sites. They can be free but they really want to sell you a membership or get you to pay for a service. This is up to you. It may be worth it. People Finders has a 24 hour membership (once) that you can try but you have to select one of their advertisers offers. It may be a free or minimal fee but it allows you to use the service for one whole day. You might want to try it on a weekend when you want to devote a block of time to hunt for a large list of people. Make sure you document all of the information you find. Be careful, there are a lot of people with the same name (and yes even with the same middle name) when searching across the U.S. for someone who may have moved. It is definitely helpful to have their full name or initials. Most classmates in our class of 1972 were born in 1954, a small group in 1953 and yes I know of one born in 1955. She must have jumped a grade at some point. PEOPLE FINDERS PEOPLE SEARCHING OLD FRIEND SEARCH Okay, now we are getting to the LAST RESORT METHODS. I consider mail a last resort because the alumni association has most likely already tried the address we have on file at least once a year. But if a classmate has moved in the last five months there is a chance to get a forwarding address. Of course sometimes emails change, phone numbers may have been changed, people are using cell phones and canceling home phones, and some people just don't respond. Maybe because of too much junk mail, spam email, and unwanted solicitation phone calls. So....try mailing a letter or postcard to the last known address on the list you were (or will be) given. They may still be there. Put "ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED" on the envelope on the bottom right side of the envelope or postcard. Advertise in the local paper (you know...where the high school is located). You may be able to put in a FREE ad that states we are trying to locate "Missing Classmates" to attend the 40th Class Reunion. There names are: (list them). Relatives, friends and neighbors who still live in town may know where they are and could email our class email address. RELATIVES, FRIENDS and NEIGHBORS who still live in town are possibly listed in the phonebook. You can check for names that match the classmate you are looking for but that could take some time calling each one and asking if they know or are related. But it does work. Let them know why you are calling first. "I'm trying to find so and so who was a classmate of mine that we are trying to locate for the upcoming reunion". If you know the address where the classmate lived you can also use CRISS-CROSS directories to find phone numbers of neighbors who may know where they moved to or other helpful information. You can find these directories at the library for free or Google them on line but this will probably cost a fee to use them. How To Investigate-Public Records Sites - this may be useful but you will have to read through it and decide if anything would be helpful to you. Department of Justice-Missing Person Search: If you can’t find them, do a search to see if they are on this list. Hopefully not, but so far we have found one. Social Security Death Index Records Search: FREE search through year 2007. I love this and use this all of the time for family history research and have found several classmates information here. Of course the sad thing is that they are not with us anymore. CRIME TIME - I SAVED THE BEST FOR LAST (Well, what I think is interesting and exciting to use): Way down at the bottom of the page, under RESOURCES click on Black Book Online. WOW! THIS IS A REALLY GOOD RESOURCE FOR LOCATING INFORMATION OF ALL SORTS. IT IS ADDICTING! It is not necessarily just for researching those who have become criminals although you will find lots of that. There are resources that help in many areas and if you have time scan through all the different amazing resources! If you ever come across a classmates email address the BEST thing to do is ENTER THE EMAIL ADDRESS on the HOME PAGE of our website, at the bottom right side in the "MISSING CLASSMATES" box. (You can also go to their name on "Classmate Profiles" and it will ask if you have their email address. You can enter it there too). They will get an email invitation directly from the website administrator. It is nice and official looking! You can email the classmate yourself if you want, but please do this after first entering it into our website as outlined above. Go ahead....put your email address in to see what the email looks like that they will get. If you have any other resources or methods that you feel should be added to this list, please contribute! Thanks and Good Hunting! Bruce Eskander-SPHS Class of 1972 www.SPHS72.com - Website Administrator

1. Do you recommend purchasing a domain name?
   
   Answer: Yes. A domain name will be easier for your Classmates to remember than using the longer system-generated Class Creator address.
   
   
2. How do I register a domain name to work with my Class Creator site?
   
   Answer: Follow these steps:
   
   
1. Go to www.classnames.net.
2. In the search field in the upper left corner type in your desired domain name. Press Go.
3. When you find a name that is available, click the "Add To Cart" button.
4. At the top of the screen click "click here to sign up for your free account."
5. Follow the directions on screen.
   
   Please note, you must enter your credit card number as part of the Classnames.net registration process. Once you have registered, you may then proceed with purchasing your domain name. Once you have purchased your domain name, you must also take these final steps to activate it.
   
   
6. Log into your web site and click the "Register Domain Name" link.
7. In the white box at the bottom of the screen type your new domain name.
8. Click the "Activate Domain Name" button. Your domain name will now work.
   
   
3. What does a domain name cost?
   
   

   Answer:	1	year:	$	19
   	2	years:	$	36
   	5	years:	$	85

   
   
4. I already have a domain registered with another Registrar. Why do you require domain names be registered through Classnames.net?
   
   Answer: Classnames.net is uniquely programmed and configured to automatically interface with the Class Creator system. No other Registrar has this programming. If you already have a domain name registered with another Registrar please transfer it to Classnames.net so it will work with our system.
   
   
5. If I use Classnames.net as my Registrar, do I still have full control over my domain name?
   
   Answer: Yes. You maintain full administrative control over your domain name.
   
   
6. I received a bill in the mail from "Website Listings" or from another Registrar who is not Classnames.net asking me to send money to renew my domain name. Did you send this to me?
   
   Answer: No we did not. If you purchased a domain name from Classnames.net the annual cost is $19 per year, or less if you purchased for multiple years. Solicitations from "Website Listings" and other unscrupulous Registrars unfortunately disguise their solicitations as something that appears to be a bill. Many people who do not know any better wind up paying, falling victim to this scam and inadvertently transferring their domain name away from Classnames.net. If you fall for this not only will you be paying a significantly higher yearly fee for your domain name, your Class Creator site will no longer work correctly as well. If you receive something in the mail that looks like a bill for your domain name, and it is not from Classnames.net, DO NOT PAY IT. Simply throw it away. There are several Registrars out there willing to pray on domain name owners with these types of misleading solicitations. How unfortunate.
   
   
7. How do I transfer my domain name to Classnames.net?
   
   Answer: Here are the steps to transfer your domain name to Classnames.net:
   

1. Domains often have what is called a Registrar lock or a domain lock. This is generally a setting in the domain control panel at the domain Registrar that you must select "unlock" in order to release the domain for transfer. This will sometimes be called "Transfer Prohibited" and you need to check off "allow transfer".
   
   
2. You need a EPP Key or domain authorization key in order to transfer most domain name extensions. This key/code comes from the registration company that holds the domain name at the time of the transfer request. The key is sometimes included on your domain control panel — if it is not you may need to request this key from your current Registrar.
   
   
3. Make sure your email address is listed as the the administrative and/or registrant contact. Once the transfer beings this email address will receive a transfer authorization request. This request will include a domain authorization form that you must choose "I authorize this transfer" and submit. If any of the contacts check off that they do not authorize the transfer the transfer will cancel.
   
   
4. Once you have completed the first three steps (the domain is unlocked, you have the EPP Key/Authorization Code, and you have verified that your email address is the email address listed as the administrative contact you can start the transfer process. 
   
   
   1. Go to ClassNames.net and create a new account.
   2. Click on the Domain Names tab and choose the Transfers link.
   3. By default the form is set to "Auto Verification". If you have access to the administrative contact email address you will want this option so choose the Next button at the bottom of that form.
   4. In the box provided enter the domain name you wish to transfer follow by a comma, a space and then the EPP Key/Authorization Cod