Please Critique My Site?

The site has been up for 4 weeks. I want to thank all the Class Creator Participants for not reprimanding me while I was "Stealing" ideas from their sites. So many more to look at also! In just 4 weeks we had just under 20% sign up. I am pumped over that. But, I would like some serious advice as to improving it and making it special for everyone. Things you like and those you don't. Don't worry I have B R O A D shoulders

I like it!

I change my site home page pretty often to keep it fresh. If it is static and looks the same, soon people will know what to expect and stop visiting. New Burma shave signs every week and a weekly quiz that I send out group emails to announce. A weekly chat night is a popular feature as well. I plan on changing the Thanksgiving theme to Christmas next week.

Dave

I like it too!!

I have one suggestion maybe find some more information on your deceased and add something to give them a rose. I found obit copies and added those to ours. It gives classmates something to read and the deceased some personality instead of just a picture.

I like your background picture can you post it on the building blocks so we can use it next year?

Stealing" ideas I copy a few from your site LOL

Very nice!

I don't think of it as "stealing" ideas. I like to think of it as borrowing or sharing. I'm going to borrow the chalkboard from you.

Good luck with your site. You are off to a good start.

Tam

Ann,
Would you suggest scanning the obits or just writing what was in the obit? One of our classmates has quite a few of them saved and I believe there are some sites we can view the obits themselves.

fantastic, will you please do my site? How did you do the PUSH ME and CLICK me buttons? I like your site

Dave,
Where can I find more Burma Shave ads. I like them. I spent a lot of time looking at your site. I used to live in El Cajon back in the late seventies. We had a place on Waterloo off Jamacha and Washington. I always said that San Diego weather is so great it "Cures Hardening of the Attitudes". Let me know where I can find them?

Robert Cullen wrote:

I would write what was in the obit. I find that scanning doesn't come out as nice. Most of mine I found online and copy and pasted them so it those cases I would use what was posted that you get from the sites.

For those you have nothing on I added "More information will be added at a later date. If you have any information please let us know". They will get the rose for at least that information.

From my viewpoint, it looks like you are creating an online museum for animated gifs there. Way too much going on for my personal taste (of course I have ADD) and too little information for classmates.

On a postitive note, you are off to a good start with 20% in just 4 weeks.

But IMO, it will be the INFORMATION that brings them back, not to see which animated gif you've chosen for President's Day, Valentine's Day etc.

If I were to use an animated gif, I'd have one on a page. Pictures of your class members then and now with links to other interesting informational content is what will get them to leave the home page and get to the Forums or Surveys.

The members of the Class of 1965 must be 61-62 years of age. Many of them must have been using the internet for at least 10-12 years now. They are used to finding information and facts.

It's easy to get caught up in hanging gee-whiz kinds of 3rd party items on your pages. The only one I'm using on any page is a countdown clock at the bottom of the home page.

Sorry for the negative comments, but you did say you have big shoulders.

On the obituary question, I retype the actual newspaper/funeral home obits, changing the time frames to past tense. I feel strongly about trying to get an obituary for each deceased member. Through the profiles of the living and at the reunion, we'll learn about the lives those still living have led. The obituary/in memory page allows us to learn similar information for those who won't be able to be with us.

HI Bob,

I lived in El Cajon for 48 years but have retired to Prescott Az now. I loved it there as it was, in my High School days, just like the town in American Graffiti. We had the local Drive-In with the car hop girls on roller skates and the whole nine yards. Below are some of the Burma Shave sites.
www.burmashave.org
http://www.fiftiesweb.com/burma1.htm
http://www.two-lane.com/burmashave.html
Or just typw burma shave into your search and find more.

Dave

John,
I thank you for your honesty. Although I appreciate the Kudos this web site is all about our classmates and not me. I was already leaning that way and just wanted some direction. This whole web site business is brand new to me but I am learning quickly. Your points are well taken and I will look to do some changes.
Did you find people were good about giving info about themselves? I have noticed I have to start the conversations in the forums. That looks like my biggest challange. Getting people to communicate with each other. Also, on the issue of the chat room I am concerned that if we start it at this time when we go to the 45th reunion no one will have anything to talk about. It's been 15 years since we had one. At this time I think it would be prudent to promote looking for people. Any other ideas would be appreciated.

Hi Bob,

I was looking for ideas and ran across your post to critique your site. As a newbie, I can't offer any experienced suggestions, other than "Great Job!" You have some features we really like, such as "How to Use This Site" -- everything is condensed & explained clearly. Also, I like your "Memory Lane" with captioned images. Did you select and embed a playlist for each page? What is your "copy" or "borrow" policy?

Thanks much,

Donna

Susan,
Brad has gone into extensive discussions that I could never duplicate but basically I just did a link to those pages. I found the buttons somewhere. This site has great discussions about linking. I still have to look up how until I remember the instructions. I am still in the dark about Anchoring??????

Donna,
I first must say I don't have a Policy but I will start one now. If you don't "Borrow" or "Copy" some thing from me I will feel it is not good enough to be on the site. Go and Borrow away as that is what I did. I don't remember what site I was on but I copied someones instructions and put it into word and altered everything to our site.
On memory lane I played with the widths of the photos so it broke it up a bit. I have 3 playlists created and want to do more. I don't know if they have a limit but I will keep creating them for each page when needed. Good luck and if I help let me know as I look for new ideas all the time.
Did you see anything that you think shouldn't be there??

Bob,

Thank you! I appreciate the quick response and your generosity as well as the willingness os other CC admins who always seem happy to share what they have. This has been an extremely positive learning experience.

I like what you've done--looks like you've spent tons of time on it. We are gathering input into our site construction and navigation and will go from there. I plan to show your site to our committee. Which is better, more pages that are shorter or fewer pages that are longer? We'd planned to upload our previous class reunion photos via YouTube on one page. Better way? Do you like navigation links spread throughout?

Thanks again,

Donna

I like giving the whole experience. I duplicated the slide show because the one on the home page kept getting pushed down on the page. I am about half way finished. I plan to do a whole page on faculty. Most are passed now so they will go on the memory page. I want to replicate the memory factors and my belief is this will bring the class back together as a bond. This may be a big dream but it is my hopes. As I said to Dave this is about the class not me. The flash seems to have caught everyones eye for now but in the long run it is about them.
I went to a Buffalo Sabers game tonight (They won 5-1) GO SABERS!!!! But it was interesting how everyone wanted to get their faces on the Jumbo Tron. People also want to look for themselves on these sites and that is most important to them. Next they want to embrace the good feelings from their youth. From there is the building of relationships. I would suggest going to as many sites as you can for ideas. When I get the notice of something new on the CC Site I go to everybody's site who responds to that thread. There is where all my ideas come from. Signing up for Class Creater is the best decision I made.
I am going to close up my pages in a few days so let me know when you meet with your committee and I will open them up again for you.

Donna,
Look at the message from Ann above. The best idea is to put the Obituary in the page for each classmate who passed. This gives them as rose as you stated on your home page. This will get people looking and reflecting on their past lives with those people which is part of what I was talking about. Sorry if my COD is taking over. Good luck with your site.

Bob,

You have a real understanding of what connects people and you are doing something about it. Your classmates must really appreciate your efforts. I agree that using CC is one of our better decisions. Great product, great company and great customers, like you!

You said you were going to lock the site. Is there anyway you could add me as a guest? With a busy holiday week for me coming up, I probably won't get done looking through your site--your imagination is endless.

Thanks for your help and advice.

Donna

Not a problem. You are added as a guest. Don't forget to post your e-mail.

Bob,

Thank you!

Donna

Bob,

I agree 100% with john when he says “it will be the INFORMATION that brings them back”.
I have found, however that it is very difficult to have information without participation. The participation is not easy to generate as people are living there lives and have little time or desire to start something new. I took the advice of another CC member that is a corporate website designer who says “if you want people to come back to your site you have to keep it fresh and interesting by adding new content and features on a regular basis and not leaving it static”.

You are doing a great job with you site!

Dave

I like some of your website. Ready for the critique. The main page is waaaay to long. It has lots of bells n whistles, but no content. Most people will not have the time or will not click on every button you have on your page. The Reunion Page is nice.
Poll your classmates to see what they like or do not like and go from there. I just started my site about 4 wks ago...and have no where near what you have done. I applaud you.
You instructions on how to use the site is excellent. I want to steal that page for my site. Most of my classmates just want info on the reunion planned for next yr. So I will keep it simple for now.
Thanx for the access to your site.
Darlene

I have a ton of burma shave "phrases". They were included in a family book I received.