Stroll Down Memory Lane with Classmates.com
Classmates.com is a social media website that allows the user to find and contact all of those people whose names and faces we may not remember from old high school yearbook archives. It is a great site to reconnect with old friends and school chums from kindergarten to grammar school all the way through to High School and College. More importantly, with the ability to share current as well as past photos, we can check out who has receding hair lines or expanded midsections.
It even provides access to old military buddies and comrades in arms. Since most of the younger generation have grown up with the Internet, email, Facebook and other social media tools used to keep in touch, this site is perfect for the older generation who were not given this luxury back in the “good ole’ days”. Classmates.com has recently changed its name to “Memory Lane”, although you can still access it by its old URL address. The new site is a hybrid that combines the Memory Lane website with the Classmates website.
Screenshot of Memory Lane Home Page
New Name, New Advancements, Same Old High School Yearbook Archives
With the transition to the new Memory Lane platform, a slight transition in concept enhancements also occurs. Now that the social media site is more nostalgic in its content, Classmates.com has added a few things. The site not only specializes in old high school yearbook archives but has now included multiple hot button pull down menus that focus on specific areas of reminiscence. Hit the Music Button and remember the hits from decades past. Want to revisit “The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson”? Hit the “TV & Radio” Tab! How about what sports stars who were so popular “back in the day”? Classmates.com has a link for that too. Each pull down provides web pages chock full of black and white video footage, clips from movies, early “music videos” (pre-MTV, of course) and other fun fair.
Ever wonder what happened to the Head Cheerleader in High School that you had a thing for?
In 2003, CBS News did a cover story of two high school sweethearts reconnecting through the site’s old high school yearbook archives to reignite their love affair. Ever wonder what happened to the Head Cheerleader in High School that you had a thing for? Log on to Classmates.com and see what she’s up to. How about the Senior High School Football Captain that made your life as a Freshman a living Hell? He’s there too! You might have to compare his current picture to the picture in his old high school yearbook archives to recognize him though.
A Look into Classmates.com Membership
Classmates.com is simply a fun way to go back in time without having to wait for a class reunion. The basic membership allows access to old high school yearbook archives, but it doesn’t offer much in the way of interacting with your old friends. You can search and create profiles, but you can’t send emails back and forth until you join as a full member. Memberships are available in 3 month, 1 year and 2 year increments, ranging from $15 to $59 respectively.
Browse Through Yearbooks with Classmates.com’s Slick Yearbook Browser
Created by Randy Conrads in 1995, United Online is now its current owner since 2004. It boasts an Alexa Ranking near the Top 300 in the United States and has upwards of 40 Million Users. In June of 2012, its parent company purchased the somewhat controversial Facebook App “Schoolfeed” hoping to absorb the Apps 19 Million more followers into its burgeoning membership.
Legal Issues with Hosting Old High School Yearbook Archives
Some people are not so fond of the service though. In 2008, a PC World journalist published an article titled, 5 Reasons I Hope Classmates.com Gets Sued Into Oblivion. To no surprise, in 2012 Classmates.com did actually get sued but the case only equated into paltry $3.93 payouts that totaled to $800,000. With an active membership of 40 million users, $800,000 is chump change. Regardless, now is the time to take advantage of the services available from Classmates.com; it might not be available forever.
Classmates.com for Other Countries
Classmates.com serves up old high school yearbook archives for American and Canadian schools. The umbrella company also hosts Classmate.com-like websites geared towards other countries under their Stayfriends brand.
- Stayfriends.de (Germany)
- Stayfriends.se (Sweden)
- Stayfriends.at (Austria)
- Trombi.com (France)
