Hi,

Our last Reunion had multiple events over a 3 day period. Using the "User Forums" (All About Archers), we want to write a descriptive narrative of each event, making each event a separate Forum. We also want to include photos of each event.

Because it has been over 10 years since our last Reunion, we can't recall or recognize many of the people in these photos. So we want to have a Contest whereby we ask clsmts to identify the individuals in each photo. This necessitates the ability for clsmts to enter names. The one with the most correct identifications will win a nice prize.

We started to put photos on the User Forum, but it has been difficult. We would like to use the Photo Gallery (Admin only) for the Pictures, using the caption space to label each photo. Then we want to put a link in the User Forum to the corresponding Photo Gallery. We would then need a link from that Gallery back to the corresponding User Forum so that clsmts can enter identifying names, and/or continue reading the Narratives.

We also do not want these Photo Galleries accessed via the Left hand Navigational Panel, so we don't want to create a link there.

Is this possible? Are we making something very easy, terribly difficult? Is there an easier/better way to do this?

Also, in experimenting with the Gallery, the first Gallery is called "SSHS Tour", and when we get to the "Edit SSHS Tour Gallery", and click on "Add Photos", nothing happens. What are we doing incorrectly, please?

Thanks for your consideration on this. Blessings, N

I'd recommend using the Survey Maker for this. You can certainly start forums about it where everyone can discuss, but from those forums I'd include a link to a survey. Survey Maker is kind of misleading, in that it is really just a form builder. You can build any type of form you want with it. So I'd do this:

1) Create a new survey
2) Upload your photos using the yellow image icon and simply enter a text line under each one for caption
3) Build some form questions to have your Classmates identify the pics
4) The result is you'll have all answers nicely organized and you can even export that to Excel for easy analysis

That's how I'd do it but if you decide to use Gallery Creator anyway, then here's how you create a gallery with no navigation link to it:

1) View your Gallery live in your browser
2) Select everything in the address bar and press control c to copy it
3) Paste this link into your User Forums or wherever else you want it
4) Click Gallery Creator and deselect the "Active" button next to the appropriate gallery

Even though it's not active it will still work whenever there is a direct link to it. There just won't be a direct link on your left navigation.

That's a good point, the survey would have to be active and thus a link would appear on the left navigation. I'm not actually sure why a survey has to be active on the navigation in order to work. It would be better if you could link to a survey even though it's not checked active and is not displaying on the navigation. Let me see if that's possible.

I got my first criticism from a class member -- "there's TOO MUCH on the website. I have to go there and spend TOO MUCH time looking at all the great stuff you keep posting."[/quote]

I got that too..from the Sec of the Reunion Committee. He said too much information. Get's lost in the translation..but what the heck..he suffers from ADD!!! I won't change a thing for just one person. I don't think there is too much on your site.
Keep up the good work..and giving us all kind of tips I can use..but can't figure out how to do them..

John Chidester wrote:

Nancee S. Lougheed wrote:

...Because it has been over 10 years since our last Reunion, we can't recall or recognize many of the people in these photos. ...

Dr, Nancee: You got me thinking that we need a dedicated photographer at the 50th Reunion who will specifically take 'head-shots' of each person WITH THEIR BADGE SHOWING as they pass through the registration process.

I'm swamped with photos from several previous reunions that I did not attend. People change -- some a LOT!

Too late for me. But if you're putting on say your 15th reunion, do that as a courtesy to those who will be managing your 50th 35 years from now!

Not only a photographer..we had one that sold us our pics right away that nite..which was really .
Get a videographer...I wish now we had done that!!! Especially for the Meet N Greet on Fri. nite...and of course the Sat Nite Bash.

I'm ADD, too.

I've got to confess that all those animated gifs, glitter words and busy backgrounds really distract me from the true content the Webmasters want me to focus in on.

Thanks for your kind comments, Darlene.

St. John of the Internet 0 :>)
I'll have to tell the story of how I got that name sometime.

John Chidester wrote:

I try not to put to much background stuff..I do like using the glitter words for attention getting. I try to keep the type larger for our old eyes..no one has complained yet.

Please do tell us the story sometime..would be fun to learn how you got that name.
I can then tell how I got the Nickname 'Wilt' in HS.

Ok, Bradster, Thank you for your answer. You know I have never done a Survey, so that option never occurred to me, but as I understand it must work much like the Profile questions I did, so the "comment box' would work well for this application.

1. And now that JC has made his "good point" (as always ), will you please let me know if one "could link to a survey even though it's not checked active and is not displaying on the navigation, " once you have checked to " see if that's possible. "?

2. If it is possible, ....... so that clsmts may continue to read about the other events, how would I then create a link from the Survey back to the User Forums ?

3. If it is not, then am I to assume the Gallery is still my next best option as opposed to running this all on the User Forum? Would I create a link from the User Forums to the Gallery much as you instructed to do for the Survey? How would I then create a link from the Gallery back to the User Forums ?

4. Can the Navigation label for the Galleries be left inactive?

5. Today, when I click "Add Photo" in the Gallery, it does work, but I tried all day yesterday and it would not work. What causes this to work sometimes and not others?

Thanking you, again, in advance. Blessings, Nancee

Hi John, and Darlene,

Thanks for your comments on the inability to recognize clmts in Reunion Photos. Since our 30th and 35th Reunions weren't well attended, it has really been more like 20 years since we have seen some of these folks. We tried matching the reunion pics with some of the current profile photos people have added. We tried blowing up the images in an effort to read some of the hazy name tags. If we knew who one person was in a photo, we emailed it to them and asked: " who are you talking to/ sitting next to/eating with? etc. And do you know that everyone came back saying 'they didn't know'..... and these people all had name tags on!

So we have already decided, as JC suggested, to take 'Mug Shots' of everyone with their name tags on during the Registration. Sounds simple, yes? But I anticipate this being easier said than done. We had 230 attend our Sat. night party at the Country Club. We had plenty of room so we split the alphabet and had two long registration tables, with name tags lined out in alpha order, with more than enuf attendants to help. What with checking coats, ladies having to put down purses, everyone greeting one another, we still moved them thru more slowly than we wanted to. So I'm not sure how this taking their 'mug shot' will fit into the process and not slow things down. We can't move the photo taking too far from the Registration table, or we will lose people to the Bathrooms, and what not.

Also, if you're lean in the pocketbook, you don't need a fancy-dancy photographer and pro camera to take these ~ a cell phone or throw away camera will suffice, nicely.

Also, you would be surprised at how many spouses who dread coming to a reunion where the 'don't know anyone', will jump at the chance to help out. We had many such spouses, in half hour shifts, manning the raffle tickets, the DVD sales, the drink tickets, memorabilia tables etc.

One last comment: One of our classmates scanned the Sr yearbook pictures to letter size paper, cut out the images, and mounted them on Popsicle Sticks which we gave to everyone at Registration. They were a great icebreaker, and facilitated conversation, as people recognized each other from the Popsicle Stick Photos {PSPs). There were then part of the 'souvenir packages' that clmts took home. We also incorporated them into our Tribute to our Departed Classmates. Wish we would have gathered them up at evenings end, as we are going to make them again, and have everyone hold their PSP when we take this "Mug Shot".

Sorry to take so much of your time, but I thought, perhaps, you would find this interesting.
Blessings, Nancee

John,

I am wandering the forum looking for other info and stumbled upon your problem.... too much on the site. LOL I love it! Congrats!

Gwen