Spreading the word about LDS Tech

[dobrichelovek]

I'm not sure what you can tell them. The most popular tools seem to be the membership list which is automatically kept up to date by MLS and the calendar which is another item that's quite dynamic and difficult to keep everyone in sync.

Perhaps a better way is to approach the stake president and ask him why he hasn't authorized it. You may need to address those concerns first. Perhaps he hasn't realized LUWS exists or that the ball is in his court to make it happen.

If he does indicate any concerns, I think we can indicate how that's been addressed. The website is only open to members of your stake. If that's still too open for some member's comfort, some or all of their information can be removed by the website admin.

Back when the only Stake administrator for our Stake website moved out of the stake, our Stake website got disabled. I couldn't get anyone in the stake to do anything about it because they didn't know how. One skill I got from my mission was that I learned to pick up the phone and ask questions. I called Church HQ, found someone to talk to about the Stake Websites and that person said that the Stake President would have to personally authorize it. I ended up providing that information to the stake (one of the tech-savvy clerks) and that clerk then called using the information I had provided him and conferenced in the Stake President who gave his permission to re-join the LUWS program on the stake level, making that clerk the Administrator.

Clearly I didn't have the authority to do it, but nobody ever told me I wasn't allowed to find out what it took to get it done and then provide that information to those who did have that authority.

Your case sounds like it is likely a matter of education. Either the Stake needs to be educated on the security of the system, or they don't feel like they have the time to figure out how to make it happen. I find that providing the information in a manner that doesn't require a lot of time (which both Stake Presidents and Bishops have very little of) helps tremendously.

Even this approach might not get what you want. You SP may for a number of different reasons still choose not to participate. This is the time where you have to be satisfied that you have done all you can do and continue your petitions on your knees only. It is he who has the calling. But don't resort to only that until you have done the other. Good luck!

[zaneclark]

I just discovered the site today and immediately broadcast a message to all the web administrators, bishoprics and the stake presidency. Where has this been hiding? I thought I had checked all the corners of lds.org but sure missed this one. Would the Church News be interested enough to publish even a brief article?

[McDanielCA]

That's an interesting idea. I'll look into it.

It is difficult to find the site, and that is why we need everyone to be proactive in telling people about it! One thing that I'd like to stress is that not just people who need help as STSs or ward clerks may be interested in the site. There is so much good information and discussion here that many more people may be interested than just those people. And there is so much more to come.

[jeromer7]

One thing that I'd like to stress is that not just people who need help as STSs or ward clerks may be interested in the site.

Maybe I dozed off along the way. My fuzzy memory seems to recall that in 2007 there were a few times where posters were told, essentially, to "keep it technical." I am not against broadening the scope of the forum, but it seems to have snuck up on me.

I sent info out to ward clerks and neighboring stake clerks early on, but saw that only a few (those I knew to be techies) bothered to sign up. Those who did not sign up may have been put off by the "Tech" implication, because they are not techies (conjecture on my part).

Once you get in and get your feet wet, so to speak, it is informative and useful. So, my thought is that any promotion needs to play up information sharing in the various areas of Church interest with less emphasis on the "Tech."

Just my .02 offered for free.

[McDanielCA]

Yes we definitely want to keep it technical. But I think the audience that we may be losing out on are people like myself. I am interested in technology. Know a fair amount about it, but I by no means that technical. If I had just stumbled upon this site, I would hope to find content that would be helpful to them, as well as to the more technical folks.

[WelchTC]

Maybe I dozed off along the way. My fuzzy memory seems to recall that in 2007 there were a few times where posters were told, essentially, to "keep it technical." I am not against broadening the scope of the forum, but it seems to have snuck up on me.

With the success of the forums, we have added a whole Stake Technology Specialist / Stake & Ward Clerk section where they can get help for more than purely technical issues. However outside of these forums, the focus is Church technology. In other words, we are not opening this up to general discussions about anything.

However your point about how informative this can be to the "non-technical" crowd is well taken. There is a lot of information here that would benefit a lot of people.

Thanks,

Tom