FTA:

Debbie McGrew is the President of Westside's Alumni Association. She says, "It's extremely upsetting. You would think such a web service such as classmates.com would have a sophisticated data base or some sort of internal checks to make sure that the people trying to register with them are valid accurate grads of the high school they are representing ."

Debbie, let me explain to you how the internets work . . . .

Interesting subject but poorly written article

Debbie McGrew is the President of Westside's Alumni Association. She says, "It's extremely upsetting. You would think such a web service such as classmates.com would have a sophisticated data base or some sort of internal checks to make sure that the people trying to register with them are valid accurate grads of the high school they are representing ."

As President of Classmates.com, and former Treasury Secretary of Micronesia, I would like to apologize to Ms. McGrew.

If she would just forward her birthdate and Social Security number, I will personally certify her Classmates.com membership.

FTFA: "An email is showing up in the members' inbox's."

Who proofreads this crap?

GoDeep: FTFA: "An email is showing up in the members' inbox's."

Who proofreads this crap?

My favorite sentence: A cold case with no closure.

People really sign up for classmates.com?

TFA: One of the most popular internet websites is classmates.com.

A survey of 100 AOL users is not the best way to determine popularity of internet websites.

She'll still get asked to arrange reunions through Classmates.

Actually, I got a notice a few years back from them asking if I wanted to arrange a 10-year middle school reunion. Seriously, what the hell?

Confabulat: People really sign up for classmates.com?

Lots of people. Nipsey Russell, Leeza Gibbons, and Kenneth Frequency are all signed up as members of my graduating class.

rava: My favorite sentence: A cold case with no closure.

Their copy editor. (pops)

CheddarPants: Kenneth Frequency...

Kenneth Frequency... That would make a nice Fark handle.

Classmates.com uses social engineering to get people to sign up. It was truly one of the first websites on the internet to use such technique. They are nothing but a fraud and are truly one of the most evil sites to ever have existed on the internet.

Anything from classmates should be viewed as nothing more then a chain letter, no matter whos name they drop. Mary Ellen isn't looking you up.

GIS Classmates+Fraud

In the early days it even tried to get you to sign friends up unknowingly to them.

That article reads like it was written by someone who just learned to speak English.
Here's three explanations I came up with ...
1. It was written by an intern who didn't give a shiat.
2. It was written by Roopesh, the office H1-B guy.
3. It was outsourced to Roopesh over in Mumbai.

AND

There's no editor checking these things because "it's just the web" and not real news like on TV or in the paper.

So, you're saying I still have a chance?

"It's extremely upsetting. You would think such a web service such as classmates.com would have a sophisticated data base or some sort of internal checks to make sure that the people trying to register with them are valid accurate grads of the high school they are representing ."

Well, Stupor Genius, she did graduate from that high school. And as for verifying that the person who registers is really the person they say they are... good luck with that. Most home and business computers don't take and compare DNA samples ;)

Yes, it was tasteless and hurtful.

But get your panties out of your crack people.

hey, check out my profile on cryptbook.com (new window)

Confabulat: People really sign up for classmates.com?

I made that mistake about 7 years ago.
As recently as this week, I get spam alleging that "14 people people have signed your guestbook! Become a gold member to see!" or some such BS.

That's rather odd...could be the killer....

Confabulat: People really sign up for classmates.com?

I did.

Fake email and a short message that included such popular terms as VVVVVV(AT)4farksake(DOT)com actually worked.

I think it's because I took the time to get around the filter.

If I want to hook up with old classmates I just do a national inmate search.

Heh. KMTV news. I remember them. Let's just say they're not known for their quality journalism. I don't think anybody in Nebraska watches Channel 3 news because KMTV sucks.

from TFA: Classmates didn't provide much information. Spokesperson Scott Matulis says, "Classmates regrets any pain caused to Mary's family and friends. Mary's sign up could have been a mistake during a user's search or it's malicious."

However the message got sent, those who are shocked by it believe the intent is clear. Debbie says, "I hate to say it but I think someone is being malicious."

No, it is not malicious, and Classmates.com is being close-mouthed because they don't want to give away how this was just another of their stupid, underhanded attempts to get more users to sign up for their service spam. They just dredged lists of graduates from the same year and spammed them. It wasn't malicious as it was probably completely automatic without any checking.

Stupidity, plain and simple, is what it was.

Anyone can sign up with any name for any class they want. It's been that way forever. I'm actually surprised it took this long for somebody to use that "feature" to be a troll.

The other day, Facebook showed me a friend from high school under People You May Know who killed himself senior year. That was a buzzkill.

/but I didn't freak out and alert the media

Doesn't Facebook do exactly the same things as classmates.com, but for free?

Hey, it's my alma mater! Go Warriors!
*Pic of Golden Spray-Paint guy goes here*
/Class of 07'

First two things that came to mind:

1. I can't believe none of the idiots involved -- neither the "outraged" classmates nor the website owners -- considered that the profile might have been set up by the girl's family members. She still graduated from that school and I can see her parents or siblings setting up an account to memorialize her.

2. The thought that it could be the killer is beyond ridiculous. A) Since it hasn't been solved, it was probably random, and the killer likely never even knew her name, and B) Why would someone who has basically gotten away with murder go out of their way to get themselves caught?

CraicBaby: Heh. KMTV news. I remember them. Let's just say they're not known for their quality journalism. I don't think anybody in Nebraska watches Channel 3 news because KMTV sucks.

This.

/Travis Justice is one of the most annoying people on the air in Omaha...if not THE most annoying person.

She probably voted for G.W. Bush too...

Pic of the Registrar

I thwarted classmates.com by never finishing high school.

I think I speak for all journalists when I say that apallingly written story makes me want to gouge my own eyes out :P

One of the most popular internet websites is classmates.com.

Interesting how an opening fact be so sweeping and so vague at the same time. Good effort.

An email is showing up in the members' inbox's.

Crime against grammar. Sentence: death/ridicule.

/rogue apostrophes make Baby Jesus cry

Veritas: One of the most popular internet websites is classmates.com.

I like that they clarified that it's an internet website, not, like, a real-life one.

shower_in_my_socks

2. The thought that it could be the killer is beyond ridiculous.

No, it really isn't. Unlikely, yes, but killers are known to do strange stuff like that.

And yes, oftentimes that's what gets them caught.

(Haven't you ever seen FBI Files? Geez.)

mamoru: No, it is not malicious, and Classmates.com is being close-mouthed because they don't want to give away how this was just another of their stupid, underhanded attempts to get more users to sign up for their service spam. They just dredged lists of graduates from the same year and spammed them. It wasn't malicious as it was probably completely automatic without any checking.

Stupidity, plain and simple, is what it was.


I agree. Hanlon's razor:
"Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity."

Confabulat: Doesn't Facebook do exactly the same things as classmates.com, but for free?

Facebook either sucks, or I'm doing it wrong, cause all I can do on that POS is see tiny 1cmX1cm pics of who I'm searching for. I'm trying to find an old friend on there, and it doesn't let you view the profile. Screw them, i've found more on Myspace and myyearbook.

Confabulat: Doesn't Facebook do exactly the same things as classmates.com, but for free?

You know you could probably Google that, for free.

Veritas

I think I speak for all journalists when I say that apallingly written story makes me want to gouge my own eyes out :P

You realize that this is not an article, but a transcript from a newscast?

Actually not even a transcript but a teleprompter script, which means it only has to be good enough for the newscaster to be able to read and vocalize in real time.

Maybe she got better. Duh.

Confabulat: Doesn't Facebook do exactly the same things as classmates.com, but for free?

Since classmates.com seems to exist solely to prey on unsophisticated people signing up for This Newfangled Intertubes Thing for the first time, and doesn't require raw page views, I think it has a decade or so left to go.

rava: GoDeep: FTFA: "An email is showing up in the members' inbox's."

Who proofreads this crap?

My favorite sentence fragment: A cold case with no closure.

Sorry, try again, and remember: a sentence has both a subject and a verb.

OMGlookatthat_HUGE_P_HOLE: Facebook either sucks, or I'm doing it wrong, cause all I can do on that POS is see tiny 1cmX1cm pics of who I'm searching for. I'm trying to find an old friend on there, and it doesn't let you view the profile. Screw them, i've found more on Myspace and myyearbook.


I think you're doing it wrong. Unlike MySpace, where a person can list their name as "~~:XXxxxQueEnHeLlokiTtiExxxXX:~~", on Facebook people are listed under their real names. Makes it a hell of a lot easier to find people.

So, I guess she won't be making the reunion?

Chinchillazilla: I like that they clarified that it's an internet website, not, like, a real-life one.

Heh. I wonder if their viewers/readers realise how stupid the reporters think their audience are?

I fail to understand why anyone would sign up for classmates.com (or worse, pay for additional access privileges), when Facebook is entirely superior at doing the same thing on a wider scale, and for free. There is just no way this site can survive for much longer, much less be "one of the most popular sites on the internet".

Article fails.

Classmates.com is a really legitamut website!!! 4 realz!!

aerojockey: You realize that this is not an article, but a transcript from a newscast?

Actually not even a transcript but a teleprompter script, which means it only has to be good enough for the newscaster to be able to read and vocalize in real time.

Oh yeah, I know that. But even read aloud it sounds like it was written by a teenager :P

And I have a violent reaction to improperly used apostrophes, so I have a kinda zero-tolerance policy on that ;)

Oh great. They're remaking another Japanese horror movie.

shower_in_my_socks:
I think you're doing it wrong. Unlike MySpace, where a person can list their name as "~~:XXxxxQueEnHeLlokiTtiExxxXX:~~", on Facebook people are listed under their real names. Makes it a hell of a lot easier to find people.

I was talking about this with my wife today. With the advent of social networking sites based on using your real name, is the net seeing a move away from screen names/avatars/online fantasy representations of self towards one based more on reality? Will WoW players start going by their real names (extreme example, but you get the point).

Is remaining (semi) anonymous online a fading trend?