Using Our 1985 Site for First Time Visitors
Please read through this information, even if you feel you already know how to
set up a profile. You'll find important information here about site features as well.
On this page you will find the following:
- The purpose of this website
- Privacy Notice
- Setting up your profile
- Missing Classmates
- Communicating with Classmates
- Adding pictures
- Managing Music
- Other Site Features
1. THE PURPOSE OF THIS WEBSITE
This site was created to connect 1985 Mitchell High School alumni. We have found that it is also the best way on the internet to re-connect with our old high school friends (even those who will not be attending the reunion), because it is a page made for and by 1985 MHS alumni. Our site is ad-free and private.
Everything you need to know about setting up a profile to gain access to the rest of our page, is on this page. If you have a questions, please contact us.
This website is maintained by donations only from our classmates. Individuals from our Class of 1985 will never be asked to pay to set up a profile. Your donations are greatly appreciated. Use the Donations button on the home page or see the "Website Information" page if you would rather mail a check. We really hope you enjoy this website and find it a worthwhile investment of your donation. :o)
2. PRIVACY NOTICE
YOUR IDENTITY WILL BE VERIFIED BEFORE FULL ACCESS IS GRANTED ON THIS SITE - NO EXCEPTIONS. Please understand that this policy is meant only to prevent "profile hijacking" and is not intended as a personal affront to you, or any alumni of MHS, and that the administrators of this site are simply carrying out the wishes of our collective members.
All contact information (address, phone number, e-mail address) that you enter into this website will be kept confidential. The owners of ClassCreator.com are located in Ann Arbor. As a small, locally owned business, they understand the importance of your privacy. Your personal information will never be sold to other sites. It will not be shared or distributed.
Your contact information is private; your street address, e-mail address, and phone number cannot be seen by classmates unless you check the box on your profile that grants permission. Each Classmate has the ability to limit the visibility of their profiles to "classmates only" by clicking on the appropriate answer in the Profile Visibility option when they setup their profiles. If you do not opt for privacy on this line, your profile with be fully indexable by major search engines.
Finding my ClassCreator Profile pages by searching Google or other major search engines:
- If you are signed on to the site, and then use a search engine to see if the privacy options above are working, it will appear they are NOT. This is because you are signed in. Sign out, and check again. Your name will not appear in the search.
Personal e-mails may be shared within this site, using the contact box at the bottom of your profile page, so you will be able to contact classmates without sharing your e-mail address, unless you choose to do so.
Please note that
if you do not want your name and picture on this site it may be removed by contacting
us. This will end all communications to you from the MHS Class of '85, unless you ask that special arrangements be made.
3. SETTING UP YOUR PROFILE
In order to access the pages that are password protected on this site, you must set up a profile by providing a minimum of your e-mail address and a password. Your last known address and phone number appears on your profile page. Please verify this is the correct mailing address, complete with zip code.
NOTE: If you don't wish to have your address displayed on your profile page, make sure the box by Contact Details located near the bottom of the page is NOT checked. See example below. DO NOT REMOVE YOUR ADDRESS AS WE NEED THIS FOR OUR RECORDS TO SEND MAIL TO YOU.
To set up your profile:
- find the "Classmates Profiles" link on the top left side of the homepage
- locate your name and click on it
- follow the prompts to create your profile
Private information like your e-mail address, home address, and phone numbers will
not be visible to fellow classmates unless you check the box that gives your permission. We collect mailing addresses in the event that we need to contact you by snail mail or phone. Your information will never be given to other classmates without your permission. For more privacy information, please see item #2 above.
Your yearbook picture has already been added to the site; you will not have to add it. We encourage you to add a current picture to your profile as well. (see how to add pictures in #6 below) If there is not a yearbook picture associated with your profile, it's because there wasn't a picture in the 1985 "Putting a Year Together" yearbook. Please e-mail your senior picture and we'll add it to your profile.
If you find errors in your listing, please
contact us and we will make corrections. Entering everyone was a bit of a task, and in spite of best efforts, errors have been found.
If your name is not already on the site, but you attended school with us at any time, contact us with basic info about when you attended high school, junior high, or grade school with us, and your name will be added.
Updates: If you change your e-mail address, mailing address, or phone number, please update your profile so we have up-to-date information. That way you'll always know what the MHS Class of '85 is up to!
Passwords:
Choosing a password: Passwords here do not need to be the high security style recommended for some sites. Choose something simple that you are certain you will remember. Clicking the "Remember Me" will allow you to bypass entering the password each time you visit, but eventually the "remember me" will fail. Please make note of your password!!
4. "MISSING" CLASSMATES
The site assembles a missing list for us, based solely on the names of people who don't have profiles; so until you have a profile, the site will consider you "missing".
We need your help to contact EVERY classmate. If you have information about any "missing" classmate, please
contact us.
5. COMMUNICATING WITH CLASSMATES
To contact a fellow classmate, you may simply use the e-mail option at the bottom of each Classmate's Profile page. This feature will allow open communication between Classmates, while protecting your personal information. If you wish to share your e-mail address or other personal information within a message written on our site, the site will not block you from doing so. (you may have encounted this problem if you have tried to use Classmates.com)
6. ADDING PICTURES TO YOUR PROFILE
Your high school yearbook pictures has been already been added for you. If you find it is not correct, or you would prefer another picture, please
contact us. Adding current pictures is not a requirement to participate on the site, but it certainly is a nice way to get to know people again. We've had reports of classmates who were routinely running into each other without knowing it, because...well....we've all changed "just a little bit" throughout the years!
To add pictures: (NOTE: A new Photo Maker feature is scheduled for early 2010, so check back for further instructions.)
- On the homepage, locate the links on the left side under "MEMBER FUNCTIONS".
- Click on the link: Edit/Upload Photos.
- The Photo page will appear and you’ll see a gray box titled: Upload New photo. Click on this box
- On the Add Photo page you will find the basic instructions for uploading your photos. There are 3 places on this page to make entries.
- Sort: The sort number controls the order in which photos display on your page. By default your pictures will appear in the order you entered them, so this isn’t important for your first picture. But later if you want picture #5 to appear as #1, you will have to change the sort numbers on your pictures.
- Caption: Caption is the description you write for your picture.
- Browse: Use this to find the picture on your computer. Clicking "browse" will open a window where you will be able to see a list of the folders on your computer. Locate the folder that holds your picture. For most classmates this will be the My Pictures folder located in the My Documents folder.
- Select the picture you want to upload by clicking on it once, and then click Open at the bottom of the box.
- Now you will be taken back to the Add Photo page and in the Upload Photo box you will see the path to your picture.
- Enter the Caption for your picture in the box.
- Click the SAVE CHANGES button.
- To see your picture, go to your Profile page and look for your picture and caption.
7. MANAGING MUSIC and VIDEOS
If you'd like to hear music of our "day," click on the Pop Muzik link to the left. Also added are Music videos, and 70s-80s commercials and television intro themes which should be very familiar to our "age" group! :o)
To switch to a new song, just click on it. To rearrange the songs, click on the "shuffle" button in the upper right hand corner.
There is no way to turn off the music in any section other than turning off the volume on your computer.
If you are having trouble with music anywhere on the site, please contact us.
If there is a specific video or commercial you would like to hear on the player, we'll do our best to add it for you; just send the name of the video, and the artist you'd like to hear performing it; if it's available it will be added.
8. OTHER SITE FEATURES
RSVP HERE! Page
This page is WHERE YOU REGISTER, whether you are coming to the reunion or not. If you unfortunately cannot make it, please enter "0" as the number of people coming. It will indicate you are coming, but the administrators of this site have a Reunion Planner to see the actual number of people coming. If you have already made your profile and have indicated one way or the other regarding your attendance, please be sure to go the Register Here! page next!!! That is where it *really* counts.
Message Forum
This is a page where all members can read messages to and from other classmates.
User Forums
Anyone can start a forum discussion on this page. Topics are unlimited! This is a live discussion board.
Live Chat
Real-time chat with other classmates through this feature. Note: the other classmate needs to be on this page to participate.
