Google Maps glitch

There is an issue with the Google Maps component; users who submit their locations are reporting that the map marker does not appear on the Class Map right away.

I am not entirely sure why this is, I think that it just takes a while for Google Maps to update. A couple of things may help:

  • Submit only one marker.
  • Try using proper capitalization where appropriate.
  • When you submit a marker, you only need to fill in your City/Town and ZIP Code. If you are overseas, you should also submit your Country.
  • Filling in more information such as your street name will make the marker location more precise (Note: this information will also appear on your marker.)
  • After you submit your marker, try refreshing your browser, closing and reopening your browser window, or restarting your browser.

I check all Google Map markers that are submitted to make sure that they work. So if your marker doesn't show up right away, please be patient and I'll check on it as soon as possible.

News from A to Z

Taken from the DHS 1997 Yearbook, news headlines from A to Z:


  • A: Affirmative action laws repealed, voters in California voted to stop this program

  • B: Bombing of the Summer Olympics in Atlanta

  • C: Cosby's son murdered near Los Angeles

  • D: Disney's Mainstreet Electrical Parade ended

  • E: Ebonics, Oakland school board started a controversy by voting to include the teaching of ebonics

  • F: Fire at the Oakland Coliseum

  • G: George Burns died at the age of 100

  • H: Herb Caen, San Francisco columnist, died

  • I: Inauguration, Bill Clinton became the last president elected in the 20th Century

  • J: Jon Benet Ramsey, a 6 year old "beauty queen," was murdered and made front page news

  • K: Knee surgery for President Clinton

  • L: LeAnn Rimes became a 14 year old superstar when she won the Grammy

  • M: Madonna had a baby

  • N: Newt Gingrich is reelected as the speaker of the House, amid ethics investigation

  • O: O.J. Simpson was found responsible for two murders in his civil trial

  • P: Princess Diana and Prince Charles officially divorced

  • Q: Quest to follow Earhart launched by female pilot

  • R: Rapstars TuPac and Notorious B.I.G. died

  • S: Starwars, the movie, returned to the big screen

  • T: Tickle-me-Elmo became the must-have toy

  • U: United Nations voted to send peace-keeping troops to war weary Bosnia

  • V: Value Jet crashed in the marshes of Florida

  • W: William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet became a popular movie

  • X: X-Files, a popular television show, won the Golden Globe Award

  • Y: Yosemite closed due to heavy flooding

  • Z: Zebra was born to a horse due to cloning experiments

Welcome early adopters

To my fellow classmates visiting this site and those who have already registered, welcome! This is the defacto site for the DHS Class of '97's 10-year reunion. This site continues to be a work in progress, so don't be surprised if you see new features mysteriously appearing on the site.

I started building this site because I love reading community blogs and wanted to take a shot at creating one based on the collective contribution of our class. The ultimate goal for this site (besides figuring out the reunion details) is for it to be filled with photos and memories submitted by YOU. It's been a while since we've last talked; we want to know what you've been up to, what you think of those crazy times (good or bad), and even what you look like!

In that spirit, I'd like to ask a few favors of you after you register:

  • Add a portrait of yourself in your profile (so that we're not talking to a bunch of blank heads!)
  • Invite friends from our class to visit this site
  • Post a blog about yourself (about high school, your life, whatever you want us to know)
  • Upload pictures to the gallery: a high school era picture and a post-high school picture
  • Map your location on the map (you only need to list your city and zip code; include your country if you're overseas)

Contact me if you have any questions or need help with this site. Looking forward to getting reacquainted with you all!

Frequently Asked Questions

What is this website about?

This is a website for the 1997 graduates of Dublin High School (DHS) in Dublin, California. It's main purpose is to be an online gathering point for the DHS Class of 1997 alumni, and to disseminate information about the upcoming ten-year class reunion in 2007. 

I can't post a blog or comment!

You have to register with the site to post comments or blogs.

I just registered on the site but I can't login.

When you first register, you will receive an automated email message to the email address you provided. This message contains a link to validate your email address and finish the registration process.

I'm already fully registered on the site, but I'm having trouble logging in.

99 percent of the time, login problems can be traced to cookies. You must have cookies turned on. Joomla uses them to remember your user preferences, display preferences, and comment preferences. If you have cookies on, and it still doesn't seem to work, then it might be a cookie logjam. You might have an old, non-working cookie lying around which prevents the setting of a working one.

How do I post a comment?

You have to register with the site to post comments. To post a comment: find the blog you wish to respond to, then click on "Add a comment" near the bottom of the blog. This will open a new comment box. Put a title for your comment in the title box. Put the body of your comment in the large box. Use any html formatting you want to.

How to post a blog:

After you login, in the menu box on the bottom left, click on "Post/Edit Blogs." This brings up a row of icons across the page; click on "Create Blog." Give you blog a snappy but appropriate title so that people know what they're getting. You can put your entry into the intro copy box, but if it goes on longer, you may want to consider putting the rest of your entry into the main text box.

The blogs don't seem to let me post something unless I have a certain number of characters in it. Why?

The blogs on this site have 200-character minimums, to promote longer, more well-constructed blogs. After all, we want to read the details of your life and your recollection of high school! If you'd like to write short notes, may we suggest either leaving comments on a specific blog item, or using the guestbook and private messaging system in the user profiles. In the future, this site may install a bulletin board or open-thread system, to facilitate shorter running conversations.

Can I edit my blog once I post it?

Yes. Be sure that you're logged in; in the menu box on the bottom left, click on "Post/Edit Blogs." In the middle of the page there is a tabbed window with a list of blogs you've published. Next to the title of the blog you want to edit, click on the pencil icon and make your changes. Be sure to save your changes by clicking on the floppy disk icon in the upper left.

How do I upload pictures?

After you login, in the menu box on the bottom left, click on "Upload Photos." In the tabbed window, you have a choice of uploading either a single file, multiple files, or scanning a web directory for multiple photos.

How do I add my location to the map?

After you login, in the menu box on the bottom left, click on "Map Your Location." Fill in your city, state and zip code. If you are outside the United States, be sure to specify your country. Then click on the disk icon to save your location. It takes a few minutes before your location appears on the map, so please be patient. 

What are the community standards for DHS 1997? Can I use four-letter words?

Hey, we're not in high school anymore (thank goodness!) so you won't be punished for swearing, but use good judgment and try to keep it to a minimum. We're here to reminisce and have a good time, so please exercise common courtesy with your fellow alumni.

As is the case for many online community sites, some things that are grounds for being barred from posting include personal insults, racist, religiously-insensitive, or homophobic statements, and posts that are intended to incite anger. Any comments or blogs that contain such material are subject to being removed by the administrator. These same rules apply to uploaded photos. Although we are pretty open as far as visual taste goes, please don't post nekkid pictures or anything depicting questionably legal behavior.

Probably none of this stuff will be an issue, so let's just have fun. 

How do I update my profile?

After you login, in the menu box on the bottom left, click on "View My Profile." The profile set-up is similar to networking sites such as Friendster and Myspace. Also, there are tabs along the bottom that tell you what blogs you've posted, images you've uploaded, connections you've made (same as your friends in MySpace).

For more info on this, visit the Community Builder website.

How do I view other people's profiles?

After you login, click on the "Find my classmates" link in the menu box on the bottom left side. There you'll find a directory of registered alumni; clicking on their portrait takes you to their profile page. There you can leave guestbook messages (similar to comments on MySpace) and even send private messages and emails.

Alternatively, when you read blog entries, you can click on the names of the authors to view their profile. 

How did you make this website?

This website was built using Joomla! , an open source content management system. The features of the site use the following extensions: Community Builder, Facile Forms , Google Maps API, Joomblog, MyPMS Open Source , Recommend, and Zoom Gallery

Can you add [xyz] feature to the site?

We can certainly try, as long as it's in keeping with the scope and intent of the website. Please do send suggestions for improvements here.

I can't get such-and-such feature to work! -or- How can I do [this-and-that]? 

Contact us and let us know what you're having trouble with, we'll try to talk you through it. To be honest, the administrator doesn't know very much about web programming, so there's a chance that any problems may be due to limitations in the web extensions themselves. (However, anybody who does know about web programming is welcome to become an administrator!)

I tried contacting you and I haven't received a response yet!

Currently this site is adminstered by one person, so please be patient.

 

Welcome to DHS 1997!

Thank you for joining us! You are now registered on Dublin High Class of 1997. Your participation on this site will help make our ten year reunion a memorable one.

Here are some things that you can do to help grow our site and outreach to our fellow classmates:

In the coming weeks we will be adding new features to the site, including new discussion topics, surveys about what you want for the reunion, and much more. Visit regularly to reconnect with old friends and to stay updated on reunion events.

Have a question or comment? Or better yet, want to help us plan this thing?! Contact us here.  

 

Top 10 Movies of 1997

These movies were "king of the world" at the box office in 1997. (Source: IMDB.com)

  1. Titanic
  2. Men in Black
  3. The Lost World: Jurassic Park
  4. Liar Liar
  5. Air Force One
  6. As Good as It Gets
  7. Good Will Hunting
  8. My Best Friend's Wedding
  9. Tomorrow Never Dies
  10. Face/Off

What were your favorite films of the 90s?

 

Top 10 Songs of 1997

Before Puff Daddy became P. Diddy, before Jewel sold out to pop stardom, before the Spice Girls finally broke up, these were the top 10 music singles sold during 1997. (Source: The OZ Net Music Chart)

  1. Something About the Way You Look Tonight (Candle in the Wind, 1997), Elton John
  2. You Were Meant For Me (Foolish Games), Jewel
  3. I'll Be Missing You, Puff Daddy & Faith Evans featuring 112
  4. Un-Break My Heart, Toni Braxton
  5. Can't Nobody Hold Me Down, Puff Daddy featuring Mase
  6. I Believe I Can Fly, R. Kelly
  7. Don't Let Go (Love), En Vogue
  8. Return of the Mack, Mark Morrison
  9. How Do I Live?, LeAnn Rimes
  10. Wannabe, The Spice Girls

Got a favorite tune from the era? Comment about it here!