I'm almost embarrassed to ask this question, but is the category "user has created a profile" equivalent to registering / joining the site?

I believe you are correct. "User has created a profile" is the first category on the Classmate Profiles page, and is denoted by a green check mark next to the classmate's name. The only classmates with a green check mark on our site have joined the site.

Scott Moore wrote:

That is not true for our site which is not using the new responsive design.

On our site, the first item under Classmate Profile is "Contains profile information". Several classmates who have not joined the site have a green check mark because the previous administrator entered the classmate's information. Maybe it is different on newer sites.

Jim

Sorry I bungled my last sentence. I should have said, "All classmates with a green check mark next to their name have joined our site."

Interesting how the statements differ: "User has created a profile" versus "Contains profile information."

It is also interesting that sites work differently. I originally assumed that the green check mark meant that the classmate joined until I noticed while browsing through Manage Classmates that some with green check marks did not have join dates and in some cases, did not even have an e-mail address.

A few years ago, I created some profiles for classmates who did not have an email address and had not joined the site. These classmates did not use a computer but wanted to be able to communicate via phone or letter with other classmates. With their permission, I included their phone number and address in the Comments section of their profile. I even think there was a green check mark next to their name.

However, a few months ago, when we converted from the classic profile format to the social profile format (our class was one of the ones who did not convert when the social format was introduced), suddenly the profile information was no longer visible when I clicked on the classmates' names. It now says "Join Here" when you click on the profile.

There's a Preferences option "Admin Entered Profile Data" which you can set to allow the display of admin entered data in non-joined classmates profiles.

Thanks, John. I learned something new today.

Karen should now be able to answer her own question.

John, you're a lifesaver. Under Preferences, after checking the "Show Admin-entered Classmate Profile details prior to Classmate joining the site," the info I had previously entered on classmates who had not joined the site has been restored! They also have a green check mark next to their names. Many thanks.

Well, I answered my question (I think) by further trial and error. 1) I am using the new responsive design. I wasn't that far into the setup of my page when the new format came out, so it was an easy transition. 2) The 88 members listed under "User has created a profile" (which the verbiage can be changed), have indeed joined all by themselves. While some have done nothing more than the the bare minimum and to answer the mandatory 'are you attending' question, they all show under the "User has created a profile".

Interestingly enough, however, the green plus mark (in the responsive design) only appears next to some of the classmates, even though they have "details" and "profile" information. In my test, I notice the green plus mark appears once I click on their name from the Classmate Profiles page (no editing or anything).

I really don't care about whether they have a profile; I'm just interested in a quick look-see to see how many are registered. THEN I download the list, and filter (Excel) by "Joined On" date.

Thanks everyone for your insight.

To be clear, the icon we see as a green check mark (which you've changed to a green plus sign) simply means that the member's profile has some content. While that content usually got there because the member entered something there when they joined, it will look the same if an admin enters some data for a member who has not joined. Content is content.

In our case, the green check mark is replaced by a highlighted white check mark if the profile containing content is new or has been updated since we last viewed it. On your site, the green plus sign is replaced by a blue globe until you've viewed the profile - at which time it changes to a green plus sign.

I really don't remember changing the icon, but that's neither here nor there. However, I ran another test. Created a test member. Updated their details and profile, and still they showed on the "Missing" page, and the count of "user has profile" category did NOT change UNTIL the test member (me) actually joined, and I (logged in as admin) confirmed them.

For us techie people, I think it is easier to count people by downloading the list into Excel and using its functionality to count people.

Karen, you're right that when an admin fills in profile information for a classmate who has not joined the site, the number of members with profile information remains the same. The big thing is that we can create a profile for members who do not use a computer but who wish to have their contact information available for classmates via the site. In the Comments section of the profile I simply say:

"Note from website administrator:

xxxxxx does not own a computer, so we have created this profile for him. He is interested in connecting with classmates. You may reach him by phone at xxx-xxx-xxxx or by letter at (street address)."

Understood, but I am more interested in the number of people who have actually joined the site. I haven't come across anyone who wants a profile created, but doesn't use a computer. Seems counter-productive. However, I have used the Event Planner 'Register a Classmate' for those who, even though they are registered, have given cash or check (small town). Doing it that way, those people at least have to be on the classmate list, but not necessarily have checked in, so to speak.

There's one more point I didn't make clear. That check mark (or plus sign and globe on Karen's site) only appears in the Class Profiles page for non-joined classmates if you've set the Admin Entered Profile Details option in Preferences to "Show".

When that's on, admin entered data turns on the green check mark on the Class Profiles page, and admin uploaded photos turn on the photo icon. And of course, members can then see those profile answers and photos when they view the profile.

When that option is set to "Do Not Show", there's no indication on the Class Profiles page that there's any data or photos there. And classmates who try to view the profile only see the "If this is you, please join" message.

As Scott said in #12 above, we have a few classmates who are still interested in our class but don't have a PC. Putting some contact info in their profile lets others know how to reach out to them. And if they send us some info to fill in (and a picture or two) their profile looks almost normal - except there's no option to add a message/comment or send them a private email - which of course, they would never see.