We are fairly new to ClassCreator. We have built the Website, loaded names and personal contact information including those e-mail addresses that we have. We are a few months away from announcing our Website or announcing a 50th Reunion for next summer.

This morning I received a call from the Organizing team informing me that an e-mail from Classmates.com had been received by some of our classmates asking them to RSVP to a reunion. This is absolutely SPAM in the worst sense. I even checked my own SPAM and found an invitation. I did belong to Classmates.com at one time but not for several years.

We are concerned about the confusion this can generate.

My idea is to use our capabilities through ClassCreator and send an e-mail to all of our Classmates alerting them to this SPAM from Classmates.com. We really are not ready to announce our Website or to have people start joining yet.

Can you give me any thoughts or suggestions?

Thanks
Dave

Sending email to warn about email that YOU think other people may not want to receive may not be the best idea. I would recommend that you either do nothing or make a complaint with classmates.com or with the Federal Trade Commission. Most classmates will likely disregard the message as spam anyway, and if they don't then they'll probably figure it out as soon as classmates.com tries to charge them to participate in whatever it is that site is doing.

Either way, if you take it upon yourself to warn your classmates against classmates.com, the response may be to wonder why your message is any more legitimate than that of classmates.com until and unless they discover that for themselves.

Well here's my experience with classmates.com. I joined and became a premium member back in 2008 or 09. I noticed that my e-mails would not be posted if it contained my or anyone's e-mail address. In other words, Classmateswanted to control communication in such a manner sothat 'communication' would occur entirely through them.
However, I believe I found CC through them; I'm not sure. Anyway, once I started my reunion website (with CC's help) I had difficulty spreading the word about it on Classmates even though I was a premium member. Then Classmates changed to "My Life" and got worse. Even today I receive emails from My Life trying to say '2 new members' from my class were trying to contact me. They ended up being classmates I already knew from Facebook. I believe Classmates.com has lost some of their prior integrity.
I agree with Eric. There is little you can do about it. If however, you still are members and want to post a website and get it posted without them picking up on it, just spell out the dot com as in 'dot' com. Their cookies don't pick it up.
BTW, I don't feel that is dishonest since they advertize to be a website that helps alumni find each other.
Barbara

I still have a premium membership at Classmates.com that I established before Class Creator. Everytime I have the opportunity to recruit new members of my class, the words "Free Web Site" appears in heavy captions. The Member ship has learned that the communications for Class Creator is far superior to Classmates.com. Sometimes you have to pick up the telephone to communicate and people will join your site. Your site does not have to be completely functional, all of our sites are a work in progress and we learn from each other.

Hi Dave,

I would double check with all committee members that they did not post the reunion on classmates.com. Another possibility is that during a conversation someone shared info that another classmate posted. So as Eric suggested, I would not send a warning email. I'm sure you know that saying something negative can backfire. That said...

I recommend you upload your class list, if you have not done so. Add eye-catching, informative content to your home page and send out the announcement of your new web site. Your site needs to be welcoming and have a reason to keep coming back. The fact that you are building it is reason enough for classmates to return again and again. Add a fun poll to the right column of your home page and promote it in the home page content.

While you are still building your site, know we are all here with an answer or idea to share.

Oh, you might want to use a construction graphic. I have one or two on my sites, which are under re-construction. Feel free to copy them.

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