Beta Directory Observations

[zaneclark]

We have now been invited/urged to begin using the new directory. I have already been using it for some time and love it. My question is in regards to administrative access. I am the ward and stake wed administrator and also an assistant ward clerk. I currently can upload and manage photos for my ward and update email and telephone info.

Q. Where does this authority come from? Clerk or web administrator?

Q. When will I be able to use the new directory to send broadcast emails to the ward and stake?

Q. Will the members who have an email address listed in the new directory be able to receive these broadcast emails even though they might not have and LDS Account?


(I have sent this same message to feedback.)

[nutterb]

I'll answer with the best of my understanding and then wait to be corrected.

We have now been invited/urged to begin using the new directory. I have already been using it for some time and love it. My question is in regards to administrative access. I am the ward and stake wed administrator and also an assistant ward clerk. I currently can upload and manage photos for my ward and update email and telephone info.

Q. Where does this authority come from? Clerk or web administrator?

Yes. (as in, both..but I could be wrong about the web administrator)

Q. When will I be able to use the new directory to send broadcast emails to the ward and stake?

I don't know that the directory is intended to be linked to e-mail broadcasts. But we've not seen anything about the e-mail broadcasts yet. I wouldn't expect anything before 2012 at the earliest, and I wouldn't hold my breath for that either.

Q. Will the members who have an email address listed in the new directory be able to receive these broadcast emails even though they might not have and LDS Account?

No...at least I hope not. To receive e-mail broadcasts, I imagine you would want voluntary enrollment. The only way to guarantee enrollment is voluntary is to have them sign up for it.

[jdcr256]

Q. Where does this authority come from? Clerk or web administrator?

Both of these roles are given the same admin privileges in the directory app.

Q. When will I be able to use the new directory to send broadcast emails to the ward and stake?

I'm not sure that broadcast emails will be a part of the directory app, or another app under lds.org, but the functionality will be added some time in the next year or so.

Q. Will the members who have an email address listed in the new directory be able to receive these broadcast emails even though they might not have and LDS Account?

Technically, yes. However, there will be opt-out capability, so it just depends on the default setting that is decided upon. If the default is opted-in, then users without LDS Accounts will automatically start receiving emails until they create an account to log in and opt-out. If the default is opted-out, then they will need to create an account and log in to opt-in.

A notification system for the Calendar and Directory apps is already underway and should be delivered in the next couple months. This is not a general broadcast system, but includes the ability to notify admins of new calendars or uploaded photos pending approval, as well as calendar reminders and notification to general members of new events.

[techgy]

When the new directory was first introduced, when you logged on, the first screen was your local ward and stake. Now it opens only to the Area and it is necessary to open the pull down menu and then open the stake to get to your ward. Does this bother anyone else? I have sent an inquiry to feedback but thought I would toss it into this forum as well.

I noticed the same thing. I would agree that it would be better to have the default set to my home ward. Few, if any, members would have use of an area directory and having this set as the default could lead to confusion for some.

It would appear that the default has been changed to the user's home ward. In fact, I didn't notice the Area selection at all.

[zaneclark]

It would appear that the default has been changed to the user's home ward. In fact, I didn't notice the Area selection at all.

And they have corrected the date! Thank you!

[hirsp1]

In the new directory, if I select ward or stake leadership and then print, I only get the ward directory. Is this a bug? I expected (and wanted) to print the stake and ward leadership directories.

[techgy]

In the new directory, if I select ward or stake leadership and then print, I only get the ward directory. Is this a bug? I expected (and wanted) to print the stake and ward leadership directories.

This is a known issue. At present the only directory that can be printed is your own ward's.

[rmrichesjr]

In the new directory, if I select ward or stake leadership and then print, I only get the ward directory. Is this a bug? I expected (and wanted) to print the stake and ward leadership directories.

While it isn't a perfect workaround, you should be able to capture a screenshot of what your browser displays and then print the screenshot. (There's a certain commercial site I frequent that I have to use that method to print a certain confirmation page.) That's also the only method I have found that works well for printing the 'Combined Records' page on newFamilySearch.