Tech Forum

On another thread the discussion continues about the ever expanding gulf between the IOS and Android versions of the tools. This past Sunday I was shown a survey that is accessed through the lds tools feedback mechanism on the ios platform for lds tools.

There is a survey on the IOS version of LDS Tools that is asking end users about what they want to see developed next? This same survey is not on the Android.

Question. In what myopic view of the world does it make sense to HIDE a survey of end users about the future direction of a tool in the feedback mechanism that hardly anyone would use. You actually must stumble on it to find it.

Why isn't it sent as an email to all Leaders in the church?
Why isn't it sent in a Technology Newsletter?
Why isn't it in a MLS system message to every unit?
Why isn't it posted to the Tech board in the forums?
Why isn't it posted as a blog item on the LDSTECH homepage?
Why isn't it front and center on LDS.org?
Why isn't it a subject of a Tech Broadcast in place of a tool nobody can access yet?
Why isn't it linked to the online Directory in the feedback mechanism?
Why isn't the android version linking to a similar survey or that survey?

Just off the top of my head I rolled out a number of places that could be posted for greater distribution of input from end users of the system.

I am thrilled that we are being asked, don't get me wrong here, but why keep it buried and hidden from plain view?

Will someone please post the survey to this message thread so our voices can be heard. I would, but out of a personal choice of technology bigotry I refuse to own anything made by an Apple.

The reason there is not a survey on other platforms is probably the same reason why the gulf exists between the app versions on different platforms. It almost seems like there is a lack of communication between the development teams.

JohnShaw wrote:On another thread the discussion continues about the ever expanding gulf between the IOS and Android versions of the tools. This past Sunday I was shown a survey that is accessed through the lds tools feedback mechanism on the ios platform for lds tools.

First, I do not have the survey and cannot find it. I use an iOS device.

Second, it was my understanding from posts here in the Forum that the gap is narrowing between iOS and Android versions. Or at the very least, as I understand it, the Android volunteers have said they are trying to catch up. The iOS folks did get a year's head start. And the Win 8 folks are unhappy because no volunteers have stepped up to do the work there.

That said, all of the work on mobile tools is done by volunteer programmers who spend their own time doing it. The Church does not expend resources in this area. They have enough and more to do in other more important areas, and not enough manpower to do it.

So I really doubt that the Church is going to send an email to Church leaders, when it is trying to help them implement the new Youth Curriculum and disseminate the World Wide Leadership Training for 2013. I would not suspect anything in a tech newsletter since the Church is not doing the tech. This really has nothing to do with MLS, so there is no need for a system message there, or LDS.org, or the online Directory.

And the Android volunteers are probably still trying to code the basics and not worried about additional features right now.

I know how nice it is to have mobile devices with features, and how even more unnice it is to have them disappear, as they have for me. (I use an older iOS device and have been left behind.) That said, as nice as it is to have it, I could toss my iTouch in the lake and still function if I needed to.

And there are a zillion other things I would like to have the developers work on and fix than have their capabilities diverted to nice-to-have mobile features.

So we are left with the understaffed Church developers trying to do the critical things they need to do, and the totally volunteer developers trying to make the iOS and the Android and the other mostly mobile devices functional and worthwhile.

As anxious as I am, reality tells me that the priority is going to be Church and need driven, not mobile user desire driven. We needed the satellite system and meetinghouse-to-meetinghouse broadcast systems working Sunday more than I needed to be able to look up something on my iTouch.

And it was more important Saturday evening that the chapel sound carried to the back of the cultural hall than that the members had access to WiFi so that they could ignore the speakers, especially since that is what the speakers were speaking about in the first place.

There are some other very important things I would like to see the Church transmit through all of those communications channels you have mentioned that would make it much easier for me to do my calling. Maybe some day.

Priorities.

You mentioned the lack of Win 8 volunteers, on some of the Win8 posts, there are a ton of developers asking to volunteer. In that case there is a lack of communication that they can help, and more importantly how/by what process.

lajackson wrote:And the Win 8 folks are unhappy because no volunteers have stepped up to do the work there.

This is an incorrect assessment. There are plenty of volunteers. What has happened here is the Windows 8 development has not been let out to volunteers while the internal decision about how this development will be handled is made. The initial information was the ICS department would do the Windows 8 development. I can understand why since Windows 8 covers everything from desktop PCs to smart phones.

JohnShaw wrote:Will someone please post the survey to this message thread so our voices can be heard. I would, but out of a personal choice of technology bigotry I refuse to own anything made by an Apple.

This is the survey:
https://lds.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_esOCWpQ67JUc6na

I like what Gospel Library for iOS and LDS Music for iOS are doing with triple-tap feedback. That would be easier, I think...