We're lucky if we know they're even working on a project, much less the details.rhusted wrote:What is the name of the maps project that the Church is working on? What features / functionality will it provide? Is there a wiki page or anyplace where I can get additional information?
rhusted wrote:What is the name of the maps project that the Church is working on? What features / functionality will it provide? Is there a wiki page or anyplace where I can get additional information? Since we'll likely have to inform our well-intentioned members that they need to pull this information off Google, I'd like to give them some information about what the Church is doing and hopefully thus avoid any hurt feelings.
zaneclark wrote:After reading all the posts on geocoding I am a little confused. Is it OK to use Google Earth to map the members homes? I have managed to do this but I hesitate to offer ti to anyone else in the ward...
(The following is my personal opinion, not necessarily held by any sane person.rhusted wrote:For what it's worth - I have 8 children. Today I saw a map that a very well intentioned member of our ward put online. It had my name, my wife's name, my children's names, and our address all listed in a public forum. Granted it's not readily available because the URL isn't publicly available - but it's still concerning. I'm very nervous about having that information available for other people to see - particularly if there is any potential for abuse. I don't want my kids to inadvertently be put in harm's way.
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... and I would let any hurt feelings be the problem of the person who posted the info. Again, I admire your restraint.rhusted wrote: ...
Since we'll likely have to inform our well-intentioned members that they need to pull this information off Google, I'd like to give them some information about what the Church is doing and hopefully thus avoid any hurt feelings.
I interpreted your question to be more about policy, and as far as I know, Google Earth is not going to send an ounce of your ward's personal information over the net. As far as redistributing within your ward, my personal opinion is that it is okay, but I would keep close reigns on it and only give it to those who really need it and would actually benefit from it. I would also give them a charge to be very careful with the information as well, maybe even securing it by password-protection in one way or another.zaneclark wrote:After reading all the posts on geocoding I am a little confused. Is it OK to use Google Earth to map the members homes? I have managed to do this but I hesitate to offer ti to anyone else in the ward...
I'm sure there is a way of uploading information via GE, so there's a way the info could get public. Hopefully no one is that dumb, but that one possibility keeps me from giving it a catagoric "It's safe".mkmurray wrote:as far as I know, Google Earth is not going to send an ounce of your ward's personal information over the net.
Since our ward has been using Google Earth as a tool in our missionary work (we just implemented a new program that involves nine ward missionary couples in nine ward missionary districts) I have been keeping the enthusiasm to spread household information properly oriented - supported by discussion information I have garnered from these forums. After instructing our ward mission leader in the use of MLS export information, batchgeocode.com geocoding, and Google Earth tools, he became so excited that he was promoting the idea of uploading Google Earth KML files to Google Maps for better distribution of information throughout the ward and ward missionary couples. Of course once he and the others were informed of the dangers and conflicts with Church policies on use of exported MLS and LUWS membership information over the web they restrained from using Google Maps as part of our missionary tools as he had planned.RussellHltn wrote:I'm sure there is a way of uploading information via GE, so there's a way the info could get public. Hopefully no one is that dumb, but that one possibility keeps me from giving it a catagoric "It's safe".
jdlessley wrote: I had no idea Google Maps could import KML files. But after researching it I discovered that Google Maps cannot directly import a file from a PC, or Google Earth, but it can import a KML file from a web site. The work around described in the Google Maps forum is to host the KML file at a URL address and then use the search feature of Google Maps to find the KML file on the other web site. So I guess indirectly it can be done. And with as many people out there that are not aware of, or familiar with, the Church's policies on MLS and LUWS data there is a chance for personal information to be inappropriately, or inadvertently, disclosed.