What’s New?

This page highlights changes to the website functionality and/or content

Updates completed April 23, 2021

  • Removed verbiage and graphic asking for help in planning 2022 reunion

Updates completed April 16, 2021

  • Updated Cathedral gallery photo on Choir and Madrigals page
  • Corrected links and descriptions on Penman page
  • Added page for crew
  • Home page adjusted to ask for help in planning 2022 reunion
  • Adjusted menus in light of the above

Updates completed April 13, 2021

  • Created Cavallo Wrestling Legacy page.
  • Created page with links to each individual Penman volume from our 3 years.
  • Created page devoted to Choir & Madrigals.
  • Corrected names on Senior Day page.
  • Reorganized and reworked Menus and Memorabilia page accordingly.
  • Inactivated Yoast SEO.
  • Documented reasons and online references for Additional CSS.

Updates completed March 30, 2021

  • Added plugin BP Blacklist Signup By Email Domain after discovering a couple of bot-like registration attempts.
  • Removed no-longer-used plugins.

Updates completed March 23, 2021

  • Installed plugins BuddyPress Member Export Import and LH Buddypress Export Xprofile Data to use in generating extracts of classmate date — for example, sending report to Cary Hetzer of new website registrations. Need to determine which of the two is best based on experience.
  • Installed plugin BuddyBlock — allows one classmate to block another member from seeing their information. Uncertain if this is the optimal solution — being held in reserve if needed based on request of one classmate.

Updates completed March 22, 2021

Added the plugin BuddyPress Auto Activate Autologin Redirect To Profile On Signup. This will

  • Automatically activate the user account when they sign up for a user name and password, and then …
  • … Keep them logged in right at the point where they can begin to enter their profile.

This solves the following problem of end user confusion:

Even though we inactivated the requirement that an email be sent to each new user (with a requirement that they clink on a link in that message) BuddyPress still displayed a message (in large font) indicating an email was coming along with a contrary message saying they could proceed with signon.

Updates completed March 20, 2021

  • Email link add to “Help Us Find Them” page.
  • Reorganized gallery and post template for “In Memoriam” page.

Updates completed March 16, 2021

This is a long list of the items completed just prior to the announcement of the website on Facebook (March 20, 2021). Click on any of the links below to jump to the description.

  1. Profile Display
  2. In Memoriam
  3. Reminder to Register/Login
  4. Copyright
  5. Wordsmithing
  6. Email confirmation when registering
  7. Search functionality
  8. Missing classmates
  9. User name change
  10. Text boxes in profile — points when copying & pasting (C/P) from another source
  11. Password strength
  12. Address and phone – visibility
  13. Second phone number
  14. Image editing & upload anxiety
  15. Photo-editing requirements for the W-L website
  16. Menu changes

1. Profile Display

There are a number of changes here.

  • When opening up the “Your Classmates” space you will now see a person’s current and former names, and the listing can be sorted by name as shown at right. This is a more logical sort than the default User Name.
  • The two sections of the Profile space have been renamed “My Story” and “Name et al” (the latter reflecting the fact that people may be reticent about displaying the address information — BUT the name WILL appear).
  • In line with the above “My Story” appears ahead of “Name et al” when looking at at classmates material. However, …
  • … When first registering the “old” names and order are as they were previously — i.e., “Account Details” and Profile Details (Name, Address, Phone). [return to top]

2. In Memoriam

This area has been substantially rearranged to both look better and make it easier for people to see tributes classmates have written. [return to top]

3. Reminder to Register/Login

A reminder to users about the importance of registering (1st time) and/or logging in (thereafter) has been added to the menu area. [return to top]

A copyright statement has been added to the footer of each page. [return to top]

5. Wordsmithing

Bill Boyd reviewed pages for spelling, grammar, punctuation etc. and gave me his findings. These have been added. [return to top]

6. Email confirmation when registering

There is in fact NO email confirmation after you first register. With User Name and Password you’re good to go. [return to top]

You can search across the website — both classmates pages and elsewhere — from the red box with the magnifying glass. So, for example, if I mention in my profile a favorite teacher and then do a search on that person’s last name I’ll find that person on BOTH my page (AND that of anyone else who’s mentioned the person) AS WELL AS the faculty page listing. The constraint is that you can only search on a single keyword. This is a technical limitation of the software. The aforementioned red box has been customized to remind the user about the one-keyword limitation.

This red search box was appearing on both the top (as part of the menu) and bottom (as part of the footer) of the page. It has been removed from the bottom.

There is a second variant of search, and that is searching on classmates ONLY. This is the white search bar that appears in the members area. [return to top]

8. Missing classmates

A new page has been added listing classmates we have been unable to locate. Our hope is that people visiting the site may recognize a name and help us reach out to that individual. It is accessible from the main menu, and there is a box and description on the homepage. I am waiting to receive the list from Ethan and/or Sandy. [return to top]

9. User name change

The User Name change can be changed, but — unlike the password — this requires intervention of the webmaster (that is, users cannot accomplish this on their own). People can send me a note including the [current] User Name and Password using the Contact Us page. [return to top]

10. Text boxes in profile — points when copying & pasting (C/P) from another source

  • After saving the copied-in text will inherit the WordPress font and size.
  • The completed C/P may require adjustment of line spacing.
  • C/P should bring in hyperlinks provided “paste” — rather than “paste text” — is selected.
  • Tutorial will add reference as to how to create hyperlinks within the text box. [return to top]

11. Password strength

The BuddyPress password strength algorithm is somewhat mysterious. My WL71 password is “weak”, yet that exact same password is considered “strong” on several other websites I regularly access. Furthermore, you aren’t given a specific guidance how to make it strong.

The response here, frankly, is “deal with it” — this is as-delivered functionality that cannot be changed. I’ll stress more emphatically that whatever you enter WILL be accepted regardless of purported “strength”. [return to top]

12. Address and phone – visibility

We have reversed the default behavior here. From now on the address and phone WILL NOT be displayed by default. However, a person can override these fields in order to make them visible. [return to top]

13. Second phone number

It is now possible to add a second phone number. And the 2 numbers each have a radio button choice of mobile or landline. [return to top]

14. Image editing & upload anxiety

Editing, uploading, cropping etc. digital images are tasks not everyone is experienced and comfortable with. I reeeeeeeeeeeeeeally tried to find an online tutorial that could help here but without success. The combinations of variables — computer platform, cloud upload options, operating system characteristics, differences in using a phone vs. a “real” camera, fancy vs. basic shooting — means there is no set of instructions that can apply to everyone.

I will add to the tutorial instructions suggesting that if people need help they should (a) find a teenager or (b) contact me and we can work out the logistics. [return to top]

15. Photo

There is some confusion around the media (again, mainly image) upload within the BuddyPress space. With two exceptions, you don’t HAVE TO crop the images you upload. Although they are displayed as square thumbnails, if you open them up they can be of any size or aspect ratio (and are visible as such).

The two exceptions are the profile image – which you crop to a square shape right on the WordPress page – and the cover image – which, yes, ideally should be long and narrow. [return to top]

By virtue of adding a couple of new pages and restructuring the presentation of the In Memoriam page, the main menu has been slightly reorganized with an additional color code added. [return to top]