Tech Forum

BGifford wrote:Can someone verify for me whether the preferred names get propogated to the web site or not. We just spent a lot of time updating preferred names for people in MLS and I noticed the updated names are not currently reflected on the web site. The names were only updated in MLS yesterday so I have some hope that they just have not been pushed up yet. However, some of our other changes that were also made on Tuesday have already shown up on the web site.

Preferred first names on the local unit web site (LUWS) come from the user's individual profile. The user can change it, or an administrator can change it. But it does not come from MLS.

E-mail addresses on LUWS come from the user's individual profile. Only the user can change it (administrators have no way to change e-mail addresses). It also does not come from MLS.

The member's last name, address, and phone number on LUWS do indeed come from MLS.

If you search this forum, you can find plenty of complaints about the limited synchronization of data between MLS and LUWS, but for now that is the way it works. A new revision of LUWS (LUWS 2.0) is under development. Perhaps it will address some of these issues, but there have been no public announcements of any particular enhancements to be included.

I routinely go in as an administrator to match the preferred names on the web site with the preferred names on MLS. As new members move into our ward we review this in MLS and in LUWS.


-John

BGifford wrote:Can someone verify for me whether the preferred names get propogated to the web site or not. We just spent a lot of time updating preferred names for people in MLS and I noticed the updated names are not currently reflected on the web site. The names were only updated in MLS yesterday so I have some hope that they just have not been pushed up yet. However, some of our other changes that were also made on Tuesday have already shown up on the web site.

It is my understanding that each individual can access and modify their name and some additional information on the Ward website. The names you enter in MLS do not update that information. The changes you made in MLS will be reflected in ward lists etc. which you generate from MLS.

znauga

znauga wrote:It is my understanding that each individual can access and modify their name and some additional information on the Ward website. The names you enter in MLS do not update that information. The changes you made in MLS will be reflected in ward lists etc. which you generate from MLS.

The name entered into MLS will be the name displayed on the LUWS unless a 'prefered first name' is entered into the LUWS. This preferred first name can be added or changed by the registered user or a LUWS administrator. The last name cannot be changed in the LUWS and is provided by MLS to the LUWS. The registered user is the only one who can change the LUWS e-mail address.

Additionally the LUWS administrator can add a photograph for the household. He can have the following information restricted from display on the LUWS by selecting the item's check box:
-- Do not show anything about this Family on the Web site
-- Do not show home address
-- Do not show telephone number
-- Do not show spouse's name
-- Do not show children's names

znauga wrote:It is my understanding that each individual can access and modify their name and some additional information on the Ward website. The names you enter in MLS do not update that information. The changes you made in MLS will be reflected in ward lists etc. which you generate from MLS.

The name entered into MLS will be the name displayed on the LUWS unless a 'prefered first name' is entered into the LUWS. When a preferred first name is entered into the LUWS any first name and middle name provided my MLS will be replaced by this entry. The preferred first name can be added or changed by the registered user or a LUWS administrator. The last name cannot be changed in the LUWS and is provided by MLS to the LUWS.

Additionally the LUWS administrator can add a photograph for the household. He can have the following information restricted from display on the LUWS by selecting the item's check box:
-- Do not show anything about this Family on the Web site
-- Do not show home address
-- Do not show telephone number
-- Do not show spouse's name
-- Do not show children's names

The only additional information the registered user can change is the e-mail address. There are notification options the user can make but there is no further personal or household information that can be changed on the LUWS.

Note that changes made in MLS will take some time to update and be displayed on the LUWS.

jdlessley wrote:The only additional information the registered user can change is the e-mail address.

There are a number of other things they can change in their profile - but it doesn't go or display anywhere. So it just adds to the confusion. (Address, City, State/province, Postal code, Country, Work phone, Home phone, Mobile phone, Fax)

jdlessley wrote:The last name cannot be changed in the LUWS and is provided by MLS to the LUWS.

True, however there is ONE family name brought over from MLS and is assigned to all members of the household, even though children may have different last names. Hopefully this is one of the things being worked on for LUWS 2.0.

RussellHltn wrote:There are a number of other things they can change in their profile - but it doesn't go or display anywhere. So it just adds to the confusion. (Address, City, State/province, Postal code, Country, Work phone, Home phone, Mobile phone, Fax)

Yes - I intentionally left that piece of information out just because the data is displayed absolutely nowhere. I think it was included for future updates to the system that just haven't happened yet.

BGifford asks

Can someone verify for me whether the preferred names get propogated to the web site or not.

The answer is no, the name transferred to the ward Web site is the name on the member record. However, these can be changed. The member can change this himself by clicking Update Profile in the upper right corner of the Web site. The site administrator can also go in and change names on the directory one at a time if someone requests it.

I wish I had known this before I told all the wards they could update the preferred names in either location. We print a Stake directory every year. This year I told them I was taking it from the online directory and that they could change the preferred name in either MLS or online. I download the csv from the online directory, put it in a database, format it and export it into our directory. It never really crossed my mind that while the names, phone numbers, addresses all come from MLS that the preferred names would be separate! I have two questions:

1) Does anyone know if the preferred names will be syncronized in the future?

2) If you put a temporary membership in MLS, will it show in the online directory?