Classmates.com: Difference between revisions
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{{dablink|This article is about the [[social network service]]. For other uses, see [[Classmates]]}} |
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{{Infobox_Website |
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|name = Classmates.com |
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|url = http://classmates.com |
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|commercial = mixed |
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|screenshot = <!-- Deleted image removed: [[Image:Classmates.com logo.gif|Classmates.com logo|{{deletable image-caption|1=Tuesday, 8 April 2008}}]] --><br>[[Image:Classmates.com Member Homepage.jpg|200px|thumb|Typical Classmates.com Member Homepage]] |
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|type = [[social network service]] |
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|owner = [http://www.untd.com United Online, Inc., Nasdaq UNTD] |
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|author = Randy Conrads |
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}} |
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'''Classmates.com''' is a [[social network service]] created in 1995<ref>[[CBS News]], [[August 30]], [[2003]]. ''[http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/05/05/60II/main552363.shtml In Search of the Past]''.</ref> by Randy Conrads who founded Classmates Online, Inc.<ref>Classmates, 2006. ''[http://www.classmates.com/cmo/about About Classmates Online, Inc]''.</ref> The social media website helps members find, connect and keep in touch with friends and acquaintances from throughout their lives — including [[kindergarten]], [[primary school]], [[high school]], [[college]], work and the [[United States military]]. Classmates.com has more than 40 million<ref>[[The View]], [[February 1]], [[2006]]. ''[http://www.theviewnewspapers.com/article.asp?article=7029&paper=91&cat=187 Take a Second Chance with that First Love]''.</ref> active members in the [[United States]] and [[Canada]]. [[Nielsen Online]] ranks Classmates as number three in unique monthly visitors (U.S. home, work) among social networking sites.<ref>[[Nielsen Online]], February, 2008. ''[http://www.marketingcharts.com/interactive/top-10-us-social-network-and-blog-site-rankings-issued-for-feb-3851/nielsen-online-top-10-social-networking-sites-us-february-2008jpg/ Neilsen Online Unique Monthly Visitors Ranking for Classmates.com]''.</ref> |
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== Headline text == |
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'''Bold text''' |
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==Business model== |
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skfhaiuhfpieuafhwufawpaifaupifahffffffffffffffffffffeipwhituhithpqeihtnfeoiwuncds;jhipwhfwnfiuwepfuh |
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The company’s [[business model]] is based on [[user generated content]] and [[revenue]] from paid [[subscription business model|subscriptions]] and [[advertising]] sales. ''[http://archives.seattletimes.nwsource.com/cgi-bin/texis.cgi/web/vortex/display?slug=classmates26&date=20041026 No. 2 Internet service provider buying Classmates Online]''. In the first quarter of 2008, Classmates added 322,000 net pay accounts for a total of more than 3.5 million paid subscribers.<ref>[[Seattle Times]], [[May 6]], [[2008]] "[http://blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/venture/archives/138289.asp]".</ref> Classmates Media revenues for Q1 of 2008 were $51.9 million, an increase of 22% compared to $42.4 million in Q1 2007.<ref>[[United Online]], [[May 6]], [[2008]] "[http://www.irconnect.com/untd/pages/news_releases.html?ref=rss&d=142061]".</ref> The Online Publishers Association Paid Content U.S. Market Spending Report, Classmates.com was Number 4 among the Top 25 Web Destinations Ranked by Consumer Content Revenue in both 2002 and 2003<ref>Online Publishers Association, May 2004. ''[http://www.online-publishers.org/pdf/opa_paid_content_report_may04.pdf Paid Content U.S. Market Spending Report]'' ([[PDF]] file).</ref> (the last years that individual site rankings were broken out). |
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==Privacy== |
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Classmates.com members use real names, not screen names. Member privacy is protected through a double-blind email system, so email addresses and contact information are never revealed unless self-disclosed by members one-on-one. |
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==Registering and networking== |
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It is free for people to register as a Basic member of Classmates.com, for them to list themselves to be found, search the entire [[database]] for friends. Members may also post photographs, announcements, biographies, read community message boards and be informed of upcoming reunions. Gold members, who pay a fee, can also initiate sending email to any member, use website tools for planning reunions and events, and form private groups and use My Network to communicate with friends. Basic members who receive email from a Gold member are encouraged to upgrade to Gold membership in order to read the received messages. |
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==Ownership== |
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Classmates International, Inc., a subsidiary of Classmates Online, owns and operates [[Stayfriends.de| StayFriends.de]], the number one website in Germany for reconnecting with school friends.<ref>Hamburg News, [[April 10]], [[2006]]. ''[http://www.hamburg.de/news.do?ok=11357&teaserId=453332&cid=5205490 Klassentreffen: Auf Zeitreise mit alten Schulfreunden!]''. {{de icon}}</ref> It also owns and operates StayFriends.se, the largest site in Sweden for reconnecting with school friends.<ref>StayFriends.se, 2006. ''[http://www.stayfriends.se/pressclip.php Press Coverage and Membership Counter]'', {{sv icon}}</ref> and [[Trombi.com]], the second largest French site for reconnecting with school friends. |
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[[United Online]], Inc. (Nasdaq: UNTD) acquired Classmates Online in 2004<ref name="SeattleTimes">[[Seattle Times]], [[October 26]],[[2004]]. ''[http://archives.seattletimes.nwsource.com/cgi-bin/texis.cgi/web/vortex/display?slug=classmates26&date=20041026 No. 2 Internet service provider buying Classmates Online]''.</ref> and continues to own and operate the company as a wholly owned subsidiary. On [[August 13]], [[2007]], Classmates Media Corporation filed for a potential subsidiary [[Initial public offering|Initial Public Offering]] (IPO) with the [[United States Securities and Exchange Commission|Securities and Exchange Commission]] (SEC). Classmates Media Corporation's S-1 and related filings can be found online by going to www.SEC.gov and searching the keyword "Classmates". Classmates Online has consistently, per the S-1 filing, operated at a financial loss. On [[December 12]], [[2007]], Classmates announced that it was stopping the effort to hold an IPO.<ref>[http://blog.seattletimes.nwsource.com/techtracks/archives/2007/12/classmatescom_dropping_out_of_ipo_1.html "Classmates.com dropping IPO filing"], [[The Seattle Times]] [[December 12]], [[2007]]. Accessed Dec 16, 2007.</ref> |
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According to an article in the Motley Fool, "Classmates blew it long before the IPO got shelved. The site was in the right place at the right time, but it was positioned the wrong way. Instead of embracing the open-ended ways of the real stars of social networking, Classmates spent too much time as a walled community with little to offer those who weren't willing to pay for access. The site had amassed user registrations 50 million deep over the years, but just a sliver of those were paying customers and active participants."<ref>[http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2007/12/12/classmates-dismissed.aspx "Classmates Dismissed,"] ''[[Motley Fool]]'', December 12, 2007. Accessed December 31, 2007.</ref> |
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==Controversial business practices== |
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Some of Classmates.com's business practices are controversial. |
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It is standard practice for Classmates.com to auto-renew memberships at the end of each billing period. When [[PC World (magazine)|PC World magazine]] field tested several companies to determine how easy or difficult it was to cancel their service, Classmates.com was one of the companies that received their worst rating. They also determined that commercial emails persisted after the account was canceled.<ref>[http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,128206-page,8-c,webservices/article.html "Just Cancel the @#%$* Account! Big Hassles,"] ''[[PC World (magazine)|PC World Magazine]]'', [[December 22]], [[2006]]. Accessed May 30, 2007.</ref><ref>[http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,128206-page,10-c,webservices/article.html "Just Cancel the @#%$* Account! Want to Cancel That Service?,"] ''[[PC World (magazine)|PC World Magazine]]'', [[December 22]], [[2006]]. Accessed May 30, 2007.</ref> |
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Some users also report that spurious contacts are initiated via Classmates.com, inducing free trial members to join the paid service, only to learn that the contacts are not from anyone they knew.<ref>[http://paulbeard.org/wordpress/index.php/archives/2006/11/18/classmatescom-spam-scam/ "classmates.com spam scam"]</ref> |
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==See also== |
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* [[List of social networking websites]] |
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==References== |
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<references/> |
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==External links== |
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* [http://www.classmates.com Classmates.com official website] |
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* [http://www.classmates.com/cmo/privacy.jsp Classmates Online, Inc. Privacy Policy] |
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* http://www.consumeraffairs.com/dating_services/classmates.html |
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* http://paulbeard.org/wordpress/index.php/archives/2006/11/18/classmatescom-spam-scam/ |
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* http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/09/04/seeing-through-the-classmates-com-ipo/ |
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[[Category:Community websites]] |
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[[Category:Online social networking]] |
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[[Category:Internet properties established in 1995]] |
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[[Category:Global internet community]] |
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[[de:Classmates.com]] |
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Revision as of 16:34, 13 September 2008
Type of site | social network service |
|---|---|
| Owner | United Online, Inc., Nasdaq UNTD |
| Created by | Randy Conrads |
| URL | http://classmates.com |
| Commercial | mixed |
Classmates.com is a social network service created in 1995[1] by Randy Conrads who founded Classmates Online, Inc.[2] The social media website helps members find, connect and keep in touch with friends and acquaintances from throughout their lives — including kindergarten, primary school, high school, college, work and the United States military. Classmates.com has more than 40 million[3] active members in the United States and Canada. Nielsen Online ranks Classmates as number three in unique monthly visitors (U.S. home, work) among social networking sites.[4]
Business model
The company’s business model is based on user generated content and revenue from paid subscriptions and advertising sales. No. 2 Internet service provider buying Classmates Online. In the first quarter of 2008, Classmates added 322,000 net pay accounts for a total of more than 3.5 million paid subscribers.[5] Classmates Media revenues for Q1 of 2008 were $51.9 million, an increase of 22% compared to $42.4 million in Q1 2007.[6] The Online Publishers Association Paid Content U.S. Market Spending Report, Classmates.com was Number 4 among the Top 25 Web Destinations Ranked by Consumer Content Revenue in both 2002 and 2003[7] (the last years that individual site rankings were broken out).
Privacy
Classmates.com members use real names, not screen names. Member privacy is protected through a double-blind email system, so email addresses and contact information are never revealed unless self-disclosed by members one-on-one.
Registering and networking
It is free for people to register as a Basic member of Classmates.com, for them to list themselves to be found, search the entire database for friends. Members may also post photographs, announcements, biographies, read community message boards and be informed of upcoming reunions. Gold members, who pay a fee, can also initiate sending email to any member, use website tools for planning reunions and events, and form private groups and use My Network to communicate with friends. Basic members who receive email from a Gold member are encouraged to upgrade to Gold membership in order to read the received messages.
Ownership
Classmates International, Inc., a subsidiary of Classmates Online, owns and operates StayFriends.de, the number one website in Germany for reconnecting with school friends.[8] It also owns and operates StayFriends.se, the largest site in Sweden for reconnecting with school friends.[9] and Trombi.com, the second largest French site for reconnecting with school friends.
United Online, Inc. (Nasdaq: UNTD) acquired Classmates Online in 2004[10] and continues to own and operate the company as a wholly owned subsidiary. On August 13, 2007, Classmates Media Corporation filed for a potential subsidiary Initial Public Offering (IPO) with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Classmates Media Corporation's S-1 and related filings can be found online by going to www.SEC.gov and searching the keyword "Classmates". Classmates Online has consistently, per the S-1 filing, operated at a financial loss. On December 12, 2007, Classmates announced that it was stopping the effort to hold an IPO.[11]
According to an article in the Motley Fool, "Classmates blew it long before the IPO got shelved. The site was in the right place at the right time, but it was positioned the wrong way. Instead of embracing the open-ended ways of the real stars of social networking, Classmates spent too much time as a walled community with little to offer those who weren't willing to pay for access. The site had amassed user registrations 50 million deep over the years, but just a sliver of those were paying customers and active participants."[12]
Controversial business practices
Some of Classmates.com's business practices are controversial.
It is standard practice for Classmates.com to auto-renew memberships at the end of each billing period. When PC World magazine field tested several companies to determine how easy or difficult it was to cancel their service, Classmates.com was one of the companies that received their worst rating. They also determined that commercial emails persisted after the account was canceled.[13][14]
Some users also report that spurious contacts are initiated via Classmates.com, inducing free trial members to join the paid service, only to learn that the contacts are not from anyone they knew.[15]
See also
References
- ^ CBS News, August 30, 2003. In Search of the Past.
- ^ Classmates, 2006. About Classmates Online, Inc.
- ^ The View, February 1, 2006. Take a Second Chance with that First Love.
- ^ Nielsen Online, February, 2008. Neilsen Online Unique Monthly Visitors Ranking for Classmates.com.
- ^ Seattle Times, May 6, 2008 "[1]".
- ^ United Online, May 6, 2008 "[2]".
- ^ Online Publishers Association, May 2004. Paid Content U.S. Market Spending Report (PDF file).
- ^ Hamburg News, April 10, 2006. Klassentreffen: Auf Zeitreise mit alten Schulfreunden!. Template:De icon
- ^ StayFriends.se, 2006. Press Coverage and Membership Counter, Template:Sv icon
- ^ Seattle Times, October 26,2004. No. 2 Internet service provider buying Classmates Online.
- ^ "Classmates.com dropping IPO filing", The Seattle Times December 12, 2007. Accessed Dec 16, 2007.
- ^ "Classmates Dismissed," Motley Fool, December 12, 2007. Accessed December 31, 2007.
- ^ "Just Cancel the @#%$* Account! Big Hassles," PC World Magazine, December 22, 2006. Accessed May 30, 2007.
- ^ "Just Cancel the @#%$* Account! Want to Cancel That Service?," PC World Magazine, December 22, 2006. Accessed May 30, 2007.
- ^ "classmates.com spam scam"