I am getting requests from HS classmates not in our exact year (we only have a single year site), as well as other known folks, such as widows of classmates, or former teachers etc - wanting to browse thru the site. The idea of "system password" simply scares the hell out of me, so I provide guest access - thus if they contact someone on the site, they are identified as to who they are. But I don't want 20-40 guests - although I guess I could. I've read the distinction of system password access, and it just doesn't quite sink in on why this is good, especially vis-a-vis a guest access. And I did my best to RTFM as well. Please advise.

Dick,
I have given other classmates from previous classes and classes after us, guess privileges. It does increase the utilization of the site. Also, some of the classmates especially in the classes after ours, like to hang out with us. When ever we have any event, an email blast goes out to all the classmates and guests. I have over 100 guests. They all want to part of our year.

George

I'm very cautious, as Dick is, with both of those things since I have promised privacy to our class members. Sometimes I let another admin or a person from another year who is considering CC have access for a couple of days, but most of my classmates are not thrilled with other people having access, given when we have promised privacy - the difference between CC and using other sites.

We have guests [23] who are siblings, folks from other classes, former administrators, teachers, etc.
[We have 263 active members.]
Have had no problems from any of them.
I check website statistics every day, and I only see one or two of them on a week, at the most.
I have never received a single complaint about them being on the site!

As a side note, I posted a 'purpose statement' on the home page, in order to avoid problems before they develop, and so far, everyone has adhered to it.

I may be missing something here but I don't see how any privacy can be breached by using a system password. None of the classmate profiles can be accessed nor can any messages be sent to anybody through the message center. In fact a classmate cannot be contacted at all by using the system password. And by not having them as guests they will not receive any emails from the site, etc. It seems that by using the system password more privacy is accomplished than by adding them as a guest.

Somebody please let me know if I am missing something because I have let a number of people use the system password.

Jim