Problem with Official Communications PDF's

[garystroble]

For several days now Official Communications PDF's have been posted which initially do not open from the web page, nor when they are downloaded. The first two were about the new temple recommend procedures and finally opened after about 24 hours. One which was posted Friday, November 26 still will not open late today, Monday, November 29. Feedback has been uploaded from the Official Communications web page in LCR.

[jdlessley]

I have not had any issues with any Official Communications Library documents (PDF). I would suspect local computer, local computer PDF reader, or web browser issues if few others report having any issues.

[russellhltn]

I would suspect the cookie build-up problem. I remember having a problem where I couldn't download a PDF. But after trying the "cookie" solution, I could.

I'm not sure why. I suspect it's not just a simple link, but the website is checking to see if you have permissions to get that file and that's when the cookie problem bites.

[garystroble]

I was directed to speak to the Global Service Center today after I submitted feedback yesterday. The feedback email asked me to call GSC. GSC could not get the latest PDF to open either. So apparently it is not a cookie or browser issue. Others here on the tech page had problems with the temple recommend change PDF's when they were first uploaded as well. A church employee reported the same thing with multiple machines, trying over and over. Please see this link: viewtopic.php?t=39894

My guess, the PDF's are either corrupted or incorrectly uploaded due to new personnel, new software or some other issue. and then are not being checked on the LCR web page after they are uploaded to see if they work. Meanwhile older PDF's open just fine.

I have decades experience in catalog production with PDF's. 3 of the last 4 PDF's on the Official Communications page have had this problem and I clear my cache and cookies frequently, am using the latest version of Adobe, and I often see the links way before the email blast goes out to leaders about the bulletins being available on line. I just checked, the latest bulletin about the scriptures in Swahili which was posted 4 calendar days ago still says please try again later.

Perhaps indeed the proper permissions are not being programmed prior to the bulletins being uploaded but are done on a trailing basis, why that would be, heaven only knows. However, I can also open older Official Communications PDF's which are not specifically targeted to me by calling, so that does not make sense either.

[russellhltn]

I can read three of the last four (Youth Face to Face Event on January 29, 2022, Temple Recommends for Proxy Baptisms and Confirmations, and Temple Recommends for Proxy Baptisms and Confirmations.)

If I attempt download "Current Hymns in Swahili", I get a zero byte file. Needless to say, that doesn't work. However, if I switch the language to Swahili, I can see the PDF.

[garystroble]

I can read three of the last four (Youth Face to Face Event on January 29, 2022, Temple Recommends for Proxy Baptisms and Confirmations, and Temple Recommends for Proxy Baptisms and Confirmations.)

If I attempt download "Current Hymns in Swahili", I get a zero byte file. Needless to say, that doesn't work. However, if I switch the language to Swahili, I can see the PDF.

Thank you for proving my point and finding the issue, at least for this particular bulletin. The bulletin should obviously open in English also. But English has not been enabled, though many other languages including many in Europe and Asia do work.

It is an operator error as originally indicated regarding this particular bulletin. The cause of the 2 temple recommend bulletin's problems cannot be ascertained for sure at this time as they were fixed within 24 hours from posting time, but it does not take a lot of imagination to hypothesize that the same problem was presented with those communications. Someone is not enabling all the correct languages and it has now been proven that they are not checking to see if the English upload works.

[lajackson]

I was able to download the two temple recommend PDFs the day they appeared, and they opened just fine. Since then, I have not been able to download them again. The Swahili file and a few of the other older ones have never worked.

[garystroble]

I was able to download the two temple recommend PDFs the day they appeared, and they opened just fine. Since then, I have not been able to download them again. The Swahili file and a few of the other older ones have never worked.

That is odd as the temple recommend PDFs work fine for me now and have since they finally opened. Perhaps you have a cookie issue

[lajackson]

Perhaps you have a cookie issue

I will admit to eating too many cookies. [grin]

[garystroble]

I was able to download the two temple recommend PDFs the day they appeared, and they opened just fine. Since then, I have not been able to download them again. The Swahili file and a few of the other older ones have never worked.

Maybe they have retroactively restricted those two temple recommend PDF's by calling, stranger things have happened.

Actually, I do recall something they sent in email about disregarding at least one of the temple recommend PDF's unless your stake had been selected to participate or something. So maybe they accidentally made access available to all units initially in error.

I have reported the additional information regarding English not being enabled on at least one PDF to the GSC.