maps 3.0 beta - mechanism for personal privacy of info still unclear

#1

On maps 3.0 beta, the method to select privacy for personal information is still unclear. We've discussed this before as it relates to the calendar....

Problem: Beta Maps uses the directory (as does calendar, and other LDS.org apps) to "globally" select options for the privacy of personal information across many applications. However, the directory DOES NOT specify your selections will have any effect other than from within the directory itself.

For example, to "unlist" family personal information, beta maps 3 explains that a public profile can be made private by "editing your profile."

: public profile.jpg (21.43 KiB) Viewed 1084 times

When you choose the link provided to "edit your profile,"
you are taken to the main directory screen, which you don't expect, then you must choose again "edit profile." At this point you are no longer in maps, but now in the directory, and it is not clear why you would be specifying a preference for maps from within the directory.
(middle right in picture below)

Untitled.jpg: (33.12 KiB) Downloaded 53 times

Then, assuming you are brave and forge ahead and figure that "edit profile" is what you want, you are shown the "household information" screen (your profile) in the directory.

At the top right (and the bolding is my emphasis)

Allow authenticated members of my stake [district] to see my household information in the online directory as configured on this page. Unchecking this box will override the individual visibility settings below.

or, a checkbox next to the following line of each family and individual email and phone number:

Show in ward directory

Both of these options CLEARLY state that choosing these options effect the display of your information IN THE DIRECTORY. No mention is made that these settings also affect Maps, which is what you thought you were selecting.

Further, the choices you make here are far more reaching then anticipated, and act globally to hide or show personal information in the family of LDS.org applications, including Maps, Directory, calendar, and the clerk and leaders resources "email" options.

For example, if I choose to uncheck the "show in ward directory" for my email, it will not show my email in the directory, or maps, or the calendar, nor will I get notifications from the calendar, nor from my leaders trying to send a email notifications specifically to me from the Leader Resources tool. In the leader resources tool it will say I "opted out" or did not have an email in the directory.

I'm not suggesting we be faced with a ton of options so we can specify where our phone and email can be shown, I'm suggesting the wording of the directory "profile page" needs to be tweaked and further explained so people clearly understand their choices affect a wide range of applications, and not just the directory as it suggests now.

aebrown · #2

kisaac wrote:I'm not suggesting we be faced with a ton of options so we can specify where our phone and email can be shown, I'm suggesting the wording of the directory "profile page" needs to be tweaked and further explained so people clearly understand their choices affect a wide range of applications, and not just the directory as it suggests now.

Thanks for bringing up this issue -- it's led to confusion for some people I've been supporting as well.

You touched on the phrase "opt out" -- that phrase is used in various places in the documentation and a place or two in the lds.org web applications. That's a confusing term, too. For one thing, depending on your country's default setting, it's either an "opt in" or an "opt out" setting -- choosing one term or the other could be wrong.

But the biggest problem is that at the very point where you specify that setting (the check box at the top of Edit Profile in the Directory), there is no mention at all of that phrase. If the phrase isn't used there, it seems hopelessly confusing to use that term anywhere else -- how are people supposed to make that connection? It's not at all clear that specifying your visibility in your profile is "opt in" or "opt out".

jdcr256 · #3

The screen for managing your household profile in Directory is currently being re-implemented with a new design. We will try to address some of these issues and make this a clearer picture. I will have a discussion with the Maps team to see if we can create a better integration point for them.

I would like to clear up one point. You said:

kisaac wrote:For example, if I choose to uncheck the "show in ward directory" for my email... get notifications from the calendar, nor from my leaders trying to send a email notifications specifically to me from the Leader Resources tool. In the leader resources tool it will say I "opted out" or did not have an email in the directory.

This should not be the case. I can't speak for the Messaging app (which is sending the messages you are referring to from the Leader app), because I am not familiar with its implementation, but choosing to hide your email address should not affect whether you get notification or other emails.

The intention is that users have three levels of possible interaction through email.

- They can choose to not have an email address on record, in which case their leaders will not have access to their email address and they will not receive messages from church email servers.
- They can include an email address, but choose to hide it from ward/stake members. In which case their leaders will have access to their email address and they will receive messages from the church servers (application notifications, or messages sent through the Messaging app).
- They can include an email and choose to make it available to the ward/stake.

I just wanted to be clear on how things are INTENDED to work. I do however agree that the current situation is confusing, especially across multiple apps that are designed/developed separately, but intended to work together.