Some classmates are noticing their profiles appear on Google even though they have checked the box that should prevent this. Seems to be hit or miss - I have tried several names and it's not everyone.

This is not good!! Any suggestions?

I just password protected the Classmates Profiles page - does this help going forward?

I'm afraid once on Google, forever on Google. . .

Two examples - Rita van Snellenberg, Valerie Vickerstaff.

Our site is magee63.com

Thanks, Bruce

They are still logged in on your site when they are viewing these google search results. Please have your members click the Log Out link under the member functions and then repeat their search. They will not be able to access the profile if they are not logged in and if the page is locked.

What a relief. Thank you!

That’s amazing. I have always assumed Google took a one time snapshot of a file and archived it. You are saying Google is updated real time whenever the source file changes?

Bruce

No. Google is not "real time". However what was happening was the person who may have been checking to see what results Google would produce, had to have had an active login cookie present on their computer at the time of the search. So, for example, I am not logged in at your site right now and I just did a search for Valerie Vickerstaff. While I did get a search result for your site, when I clicked on the link, it took me to a login screen. So that page is currently locked down.

Got it. Thanks!

Just for clarification - Is it the case that only the person logged onto the site has the ability to see classmates' profiles on Google?
Thanks,
Bruce

The link that is provided on Google takes you to your site. If the person happens to have been logged on at your site and never logged out, there might still be an active log in cookie present. Therefore that person would see the page in the logged in view. There is no other way for someone to access that page.

Perfect - thanks!

Scott,

I just got a message from a new classmate who said he could not access the Classmate profile page to click on his name and begin the registration process. I believe this is because I password protected the page this morning because of the Google issue.

Now I'm thinking that was a mistake. Password protecting that page blocks people without a password from getting one. Correct?

Therefore, all that's necessary to avoid the Google issue is for each individual to check the box under Edit Profile. Correct?

Many thanks (again . . )

Bruce

Bruce,

That is correct. You need to not password protect the Classmate Profile page because that is needed to find the classmate who is trying to join.

Thanks, Kyle!

I think today I have solved my Google problem (there really wasn't one) and learned that password protecting the Classmate Profiles page is a really bad idea . .

But - what is to prevent a snooper from going to the site, getting to Classmates profiles and clicking on the name of someone who has not signed on yet? Couldn't the snooper get a password pretending to be that person and have the whole site open to him?

Bruce

Bruce,

Good question. That is what the NEW CLASSMATE VERIFICATION feature is for.
NEW CLASSMATE VERIFICATION

Which option should I choose? How do I verify Classmates? Get help.

       ALLOW new subscribing Classmates to immediately see any password protected areas of the web site, access any Profiles that have been restricted to viewing by only fellow Classmates, post messages in message forums, and display new Classmate's Profile information.

       DO NOT ALLOW new subscribing Classmates to view password protected areas of the web site, access any restricted Classmate Profiles, send or receive emails, post messages in forums, participate in Live Chat, and hide Profile information from other Classmates until the new Classmate's identity has been verified. (Note: If you select this option, a new "Verified" field will appear in the Classmate's Profile area that only you, the Site Administrator, can see. When a new Classmate joins your site and the Classmate's identify has been confirmed, toggle the "Verified" field to "yes". The default will remain "no" until you do this. Once toggled to "yes" the new Classmate will be granted access to restricted areas of your site.

You can find this option on the PREFERENCES page, about the middle of the page.

Thanks, Kyle.

I don't know how I would verify a person's identity, short of phoning them and asking questions about life at Magee High in 1963. Frankly, I don't want to have to do this and I could be bamboozled anyway. I think I just have to hope no one really cares enough to impersonate a classmate just to read profiles. We're not that interesting, at least in print!

Bruce

Thank you Bruce! I have also been concerned about all that, but unsure how to "ask"

Also, I'd like to keep our whole site open to everyone (not password protect, at least for a while)- not only to keep it easy for our own classmates to sign up - but also hoping other 70's classes will see ours & want to join us in making a "multi-site" for their own class.

But I'm still concerned also about some people sabotaging or messing with profiles & things...and I haven't "verified" anyone, as you mentioned, not sure what criteria I'd use - any other pros & cons to that??

The way I usually verify is if they have left the entire profile blank, I don't verify them. If they have entered some school information or their address matches what I have record of, I verify them. If the e-mail address they entered and I paste it into Facebook Search and it comes up with their Facebook (assuming they have Facebook), I verify them. If they don't enter anything in their profile or their address is different or no Facebook profile, I ask more specific questions and try to make contact.

In addition to Google, I just did a search on Facebook for 2 missing classmates - should I be concerned that the following came right up? Not sure if this is a good thing, or not?

Classmate Profiles - Hazleton Senior High School Class Of 1973
www.hhs73.net/class_classmates.cfm
Ilona Baran Nita Baran (Zellner) John Baran, Jr. Mary Baranko (Alperin) Louis Barletta David Barna Janet Barna (Korinchock) Sandra Barna (Hoilko) Paula Barnasevitch ...
Hazleton Senior High School Class Of 1973
www.hhs73.net/class_index.cfm
Welcome to the Hazleton Senior High Class Of 1973 web site! It's still "under construction" and we will be adding more and more features, so please stop back …

Also, we have one classmate that is a gov't employee (CIA or FBI or something) - he was surprised & livid that our "classmate tracker" was able to get his home address/phone#!

Am I able to "password protect" his profile only? (seems like our tracker should work for Homeland Security huh? )

With regards to your question about the search results.. Our Classmate Profiles page is designed so that the name will be indexed by Google and give you a chance to have your classmate, who might happen to Google another classmate's name, or their own name for that matter, find the site and join. We can turn on an override on our end if you would like. People who arrive at the page would only be able to get to profiles where the classmate who has joined, has DEselected the Profile Visibility option of: "Allow only fellow Classmates to view my Profile details. This will block the public and search engines from accessing your Profile. Leave this box unchecked if you wish to allow the public (friends, co-workers, family members, etc.) to view your Profile details."

As for the second question of our classmate tracker, this does not plot to the actual address but rather to the geographical center of the zipcode that is provided by the classmate and only does so if the classmate has selected the Profile Visibility option of: "Allow logged-in Classmates to see my address and phone number (this information is hidden from your Classmates unless you check this box). This information is never available to the general public or search engines even if this box is checked." However, we are going to tweak the functionality of this feature to make it a little more secure by requiring the viewer of the map to be logged into the system in order to see a name associated with a pin.

If you would like to email his name to me at customersupport@classcreator.com, I can go in and lock down his profile.

Just thought I would let you know that over a year ago I locked our Classmate Profile page (and most of the other lines) for the reasons as described above. I have the Missing Classmates item open, and direct the classmates that need to join us, to click on that menu line (instead of the Classmates Profile line). In my opinion, that limits the exposure of the classmates that have already joined. I use the following definition.

Current Definition

"Missing Classmates"

are all Classmates who have not (as yet) joined the site.

Would it be possible to add a reminder to Classmates to Log Out when they leave the site positioned somewhere in the Members: Log In box?

While we won't be adding a message to remind classmates to log out, you could add this as a reminder in an announcement that shows only to logged in member on your homepage.

I'm not sure I completely understand you Scott. Where would you suggest would be a suitable, prominent position to place such an Announcement?

Alternatively, would it be possible to alter the position of the Log Out button currently in the left hand column?

You can copy the link location of the LOGOUT link and create a button image and make that button a link by selecting the image and then pasting the link location of your LOGOUT link. Thus when they click the image, the link will be clicked and they will log out

Thanks, Kyle. Sounds simple enough but I'm not sure how I copy the link location.

Sorry, Kyle. I've worked it out. Simpler than I thought!
Thanks again.

I must also mention that I did have one person trying to login into the site using a member name.

Because I set my site not to allow new members access until I approve them, he was not able to join. I also check their IP address when I get that email that they are waiting to be approved. I even ask others on FB if they know them.
This impersonater from a middle east country that none of our members is located.
I think Class creator has done a wonderful job where security is concerned for the CC websites and I am very happy with them even after 2 years.

Thank you!