Classmates Connections

August 2005

I was excited to find the web site several years ago and that some classmates had already registered. I have often wondered what had become of classmates and had hoped that such a site would appear to help me find and get back in touch with them. But my excitement was short lived and I was disappointed to find, but only after registering,

• that Classmates Connections "FREE" registration is nothing more then deception and a misleading trick to obtain my classmate information that was needed to help lure more classmates into also registering,

• that Classmates Connections would be the only one receiving anything FREE which was the information that I provided for FREE to them when I registered and

• that one must upgrade their membership and actually "PAY" to contact any listed classmates.

I have no problem with fair reimbursement for providing a service, but I feel this is an example of another .com trying to make an unreasonable overnight fortune and that Classmates Connections rates are much too high, considering the number of classmates they request payment from and the cost to provide the service. The cost of a software program, a few computers and an internet connection to operate the service is surely far from $342 million/month or $4 billion/year that $68.50/yr (average of 1 & 2 year membership costs) would provide if the 60 million members Classmates Connections wants payment from all paid. And this does not include revenue from all of the advertising one must endure that many internet services seem to manage just fine with. Some will disagree (some always do), but many, like myself, feel Classmates Connections could also manage OK with advertising revenue alone, or greatly reduced rates, and hate having been deceived and that Classmates Connections now has and uses their name and classmate information to help lure others and receive more FREE classmate information through their so called "FREE" membership.

My "FREE" membership is one that will definitely never be upgraded to a "GOLD" membership so after my Classmates Connections encounter I decided to create my own web site to help classmates and myself locate each other and share memories. But little was done until my class 40th year reunion when I got busy and finally made my web site a reality.

My classmate web site may not offer "FREE" registration like , but at least it is
 "FREE" of advertising, "FREE" of annoying pop-ups, "FREE" of deception and "FREE" of cost.