Is there any way to display the message forum on the home page? People don't seem to use it very often.

It isn't possible unless you know JavaScript programming that could do it for you.

Another option is to put a link on your home page content area that says "Click here for our message board", then uses the INSERT/EDIT LINK to paste the link to your message forum so the classmates see it better.

I have a link on my home page. Going to make a larger one. Nothing is working to get classmates to the forum. Oh... but they can post like crazy on a group page about our hometown with the overall topic... "Remember When". I've had a thought or two of... why am I bothering?

Gwen,
You're not the only one...we have classmates that post their daily menus and all about their colonoscopies,etc on Fb but will not answer any surveys.polls,forums,messages,etc...
If it wasn't so comically frustrating, and i wasn't such a stubborn old troll, this may not all be worth it...Hope still springs Eternal! ohwell...if anyone has any secrets, it would be wonderful to hear them!
What's an old troll to do?
Thanks in advance!

Kris,

The "Remember When" group page on Facebook has been fun... is fun. However, if you've used a FB group page, the most recent post moves to the top. Members believe the have a new topic, post it and we begin beating that 'old' post from 150 posts ago like a dead horse.

When I asked the members who contact their individual classes (covering four years) to send everyone the info on the alumni site, one replied that they are planning their 60th birthday in 2013, their 45th reunion in 2016 and she doesn't want to send anything extra to them in emails. I replied that I can not imagine anyone not sharing an alumni site that is for all classmates across the years. Then she tried to use the fee as a reason. I let the elephant out and honestly wrote (remember this is to all four) that I have paid for it out of my unemployment. (I should have said the other classmate who is currently paying the monthly subscription is doing so out of her disability.) Closing in on 60 and controlling others... I just sit here shaking my head.

Gwen Corey wrote:

My error in writing, Jack.

Example: Someone posted a topic asking if there were any photos of the old Bolger's Drug Store. If the one who wrote this had scrolled through the 700 or so topics (posts with at times over 40 comments) they would have read that was discussed a couple weeks ago. In other words, the topics seem to be coming around like a merry-go-round.

IF this group would frequent the web site, they would find a topic in the Alumni Forum titled "McHenry Remember When". Under that topic are the first 30 topics posted by the one who started the group. I can not keep up with the topics by myself.

Another thing they are doing is posting photos from the 60s of our hometown and buildings. A classmate has been taking photos on her daily walks of the buildings that have been posted from the 60s and shares them. What followed... 'can anyone stitch the old and new photos together?' All I could think of was the photo gallery.

Now they are into playing the games with each other? The subscription cost is one thing. I built the site because it was the one thing I could/can do for my classmates and other classes. But is it worth continuing? I've been wondering.

I still vote a big "Yes", but admit to great disillusionment,etc..I have warned some that I will start "stealing their Fb posts/pics...instead, they post stuff/jokes that I have already posted long ago on our site and pass it off. I am trying to be understanding...can't blame it on the full moon, but people drive me crazy me sometimes! They play for hours on end in some imaginary life, but refuse to participate in other real life stuff! It's frustrating...I have to remind myself that it is an "investment", but my husband can't see it...ohwell! His HS class let their CC site expire after very minimal effort to even start it. Am trying to keep a long-term perspective and trust that there is much that is unseen! Gotta have Faith! Some daze, it's all that I have! It's been said that "Faith is the essence of things unseen..."
ohwell again! I am still counting my blessings and trying to "keep the vision"!
I say "borrow" the Hometown pics for your site if you can! (Crediting the source/picture taker of course!)
Hang in there...my Dad always told us,
"The Best is Yet to Come"!

Playing in the background... Ole Blue Eyes
Here is the link:
http://youtu.be/F5Umu7Hxc_c

Thanks for the great you-tube! Perhaps that is where my Dad got his "advice"! It will make a great addition to our playlist/flashwidgetz list! They do not make them like this anymore!
I contend that today's "kids", including our own 3 in college, missed out on generations of "great music" that they should now listen to. There would be far less "depression" and angst,etc if they could enjoy the great music that has played in years past! They would appreciate fun dancing in a new light! I played almost everything for them, much to their complaints...but do not regret a minute of it!
Thanks again for sharing this great "addition"!
Here's to the music and the singers that stir our souls to Dance (and romance!)!
The Best is Really Yet to Come! Hang in there...! Somehow, someday it will all be worth it!

Gwen, I'm running 100% on donations, paid for the next 10 years. I can't get a soul to post in the Message Forum, but when I asked if they wanted me to let the site go, people stepped forward quickly with donations. I get about 5 visitors a day, and I only add content occasionally. My folks are over on Facebook, posting like crazy too. I'm one of 'em. If you can't beat the dead horses...join 'em!

btw: I'm waiting for the new Class Creator version to arrive, and then I'm going to start copying and pasting some of the great stuff from FB, into our site. Hoping that will start some new activity, but if not, I'll just go back to status quo. At least they can find each other, when they are in to mood to do so!

@kris...Love your comments about FB postings they are making...menus, colonoscopies,etc!! Too funny! (but true)

Kris,
The one who started the Facebook page gave me approval to copy all the topics for the web site and the photos. I ask the one who posts the photos for approval, as well. It will be fun... if we ever get this going on the web site.

Ruth,
I am running on 100% donations for our class site. That is paid for ten years, as yours. The alumni page is the one I mentioned above.

One step at a time. Oh... and I am in the mix of things on Facebook. Figured playing Words with Friends with classmates is not only fun - it may help along the way.

Thanks for the messages!

After writing the above reply, I return to Facebook as a post pops up on the group page. The person who started the group page just posted this:

"I am so entralled with the pictures we have been posting ---lets all take on a project and together build a Face Book multi class Mchenry Year book on here.!!!!.....If we all could post the grad pic in their senior yearbook -- on this site one time we then have a new yearbook 40 years later....what do you all think??Can we do it?!Since all pics are posted automatically in Doc,s it would be accessible to all...Give me your thoughts ----its easy to do with a camera shot of your pic....."

There are times I do not understand exactly what he is saying but there is an idea in there.

Ruth Music wrote:

I missed replying to this point, Ruth. May I ask why you are waiting? Maybe you know something I missed out on.

Kris,

I thought I'd wait to see what shows up in the way of new CC features and then make a big splash with a whole new look. I'll send out notices to everyone and see if I can restart the buzz we had when the site was new. I'm hoping posts and topic ideas that have been enthusiastically discussed on FB will give me added content, since few of our classmates are registered on FB.

I'm sorry, I was confused about your alumni site. I thought you were saying you were paying for your 1970 Class Creator site, out of pocket. I'm glad to hear that's not the case!

Ruth,

I have two sites:
www.mchs1970.com (my class site is paid for ten years)
www.mchenryalumni.com (alumni site that a friend and I are covering)

My apologies for not being clear on that.

Gwen

Thanks for the kind words, Ladies...I am actually pretty well conditioned to being "dissed", but I remain fairly undaunted with this "mission" of sorts. In the big picture, someday I will understand.
In the meantime, every once in awhile, an angel (Often "in disguise") sends words of encouragement my way to keep me going for another day!
I will probably return to working the night shift somewhere in my "nurse" capacity to pay for the site and the college tuition of troll offspring! It's always a new adventure for me in one way or another!
It is encouraging to hear stories of classes that work together and get things done in a positive way, to make a difference in their world and in their reunions!
The "reality" of fb is not reality at all, in my opinion...although it's "superficial" nature can sometimes mimic real life.
I agree with the above comments on desire for "control",etc but in my fantasy world, the two can compliment each other and make all sites "better"! One person's "Too Much Information" is probably not enough for another! It still scares me like the craziness of the girls' bathrooms in our large, very old high school that had 100 years of gossip in the walls!
That's my challenge. I,too am rethinking our site and revamping the format,etc for the future. It's paid for for 10 years and it is "my gift" to the class also, for whatever it is worth! It has kept me out of trouble while learning something new!
Thanks for the words of encouragement!
Have FUN, anyway!
Hope still springs Eternal...

p.s. This just arrive via e-mail...just passing it along, it's for "church" but could just as well be for Class Reunions!

Obituary for - Someone Else.

Our church was saddened to learn this week of the death of one of our most valued members, Someone Else.
Someone's passing creates a vacancy that will be difficult to fill.
Else has been with us for many years and for every one of those years,
Someone did far more than a normal person's share of the work.
Whenever there was a job to do, a class to teach, or a meeting to attend,
one name was on everyone's list,
"Let Someone Else do it." Whenever leadership was mentioned, this wonderful person
was looked to for inspiration as well as results; "Someone Else can work with that group."
It was common knowledge that Someone Else was among the most liberal givers in our church.
Whenever there was a financial need, everyone just assumed Someone Else would make up the difference.
Someone Else was a wonderful person; sometimes appearing superhuman.
Were the truth known, everybody expected too much of Someone Else.
Now Someone Else is gone! We wonder what we are going to do.
Someone Else left a wonderful example to follow, but who is going to follow it?
Who is going to do the things Someone Else did?
When you are asked to help this year, remember -- we can't depend on Someone Else anymore.

Kris,

I'm working over to your right on my site over the coming months. So here is the question, are you rewording this to make it work for our sites?

Alice Gryte wrote:

All you have to do is view your forum page, open the page in source view in the browser. Now go to <!-- content start --> and copy everything from there to <!-- content end -->

Then past all that code on the home page, with this caution: AFTER all the right hand column stuff . This may need some extra text, etc on the home page so it does not appear too soon and shift everything down too soon. Depends on the page.

If CC makes any format changes to the forum page, this will have to be repeated.

And back to regular programming

Jack,

Thank you... three times! Now I have a ton of work to do in adding the photos I've downloaded and more topics to "Remember When". That is my 'regular programming.'

Hi Gwen,
I am not sure what you mean or are referring to...I will keep the forum stuff on their own pages, as I can barely figure out how to do that! It is a goal to minimize excessive clutter,learn more "stuff" and "get organized"!
Life is full of wonderful Ironies!
No Rain, NO Rainbows!
Much of this "stuff" is like that kidney stone joke told by the urologists of yesteryear..."This too shall pass.."
Have a great weekend! And always remember to Have FUN!
Thanks Jack for getting this conversation back on track and helping with the mystery and the coding!

Jack Vermeulen wrote:

Gwen Corey wrote:

we begin beating that 'old' post from 150 posts ago like a dead horse.

Funny. I'll quote you at least once. This started happening before FB though - way back in 1993. The only thing is that on the special interest type forums I visited (and visit), they'll beat the poster like a dead horse

Jack! You replied to me oh...so... long ago. I thought that happened once upon a time.