Tech Forum

Our stake has, for years, been printing a small pocket-sized calendar containing a one page per ward leadership directory as well as a few pages of stake leadership. We also include a calendar for the year. Because of a considerably increase in cost this "pocket edition" of our stake directory will be abandoned soon.

We are going to be urging our members to use the LUWS (local unit web site) instead. The major problem with this approach is that we won't have the convenience of the handy pocket version and not everyone member can afford to purchase a palm or other device.

I'd like to know what others have been doing? Do you print a calendar that's pocket sized or simply rely upon the LUWS?

Techgy wrote:I'd like to know what others have been doing? Do you print a calendar that's pocket sized or simply rely upon the LUWS?

Our stake just relies on the LUWS. We occasionally post an updagted PDF of the membership to the LUWS that they can print off, but it is not pocket-sized.

Here is an old thread that has some attachments of templates, if you need some.
http://tech.lds.org/forum/showthread.php?t=678

opee wrote:Our stake just relies on the LUWS. We occasionally post an updagted PDF of the membership to the LUWS that they can print off, but it is not pocket-sized.

Here is an old thread that has some attachments of templates, if you need some.
http://tech.lds.org/forum/showthread.php?t=678

Opee,
Thanks for the suggestion. Some of the links to templates in the thread you recommended are no longer functional. However, there are some that still function and I'm looking them over. I had searched the forum a little but didn't see these.

Could the developers of the LUWS add a print option to print only the leadership with a small foot print? I have had to do that for work related print items.

If cost of printing the booklet is an issue, can you charge for the calendar? After all, if members have a printable source and print one, it'll cost them more for just a few pages (on an inkjet) than what a printer would take for the full calendar.

I realize the year is pretty far by now, but there are years to come...

Our Stake (La Verne, California) has decided to continue to print the pocket size Stake Directory. We determined that the costs are offset by its value. In most of our meetings we take time to consult the calendar and make modifications as needed.

Because of the vast amount of time that it takes to prepare the MLS data for the directory I decided to develop a computer program to simplify the process.

You can view my objectives and progress at www.4cadi.com Pick the Stake Directory link at the top of the page.

Before another moderator removed the link to your site I was able to take a quick look at a few aspects of the site. There is a problem with your method. Data exported from MLS or the LUWS is loaded onto a third party server. We have been instructed that this is not permitted. (See this post by a Church employee) Secondly the site has member privacy information available to the public in the examples you provide. This is also not permitted.

Because the site uploads MLS or LUWS data to a third party server I would not recommend anyone using this service.

Jdlessley,

I am not sure what you are saying. The original samples on my site were actual pages from directories that I printed for the Stakes in 2010. As per techgy’s post, I removed these pages and replaced them with generic names, addresses and phone numbers.

What is important to me are the different formats of the different directories. I am trying to develop a program that will satisfy the most users without dictating specific formats.

With my program each member that has the task of generating the data will obtain and run the interactive program that I am developing on their own computer. There will not be any third party server involved so the actual MLS data is not being compromised or misused, or transmitted.

After the member has completed their task then that member will transmit the completed directory to a commercial printer for printing.

I am hoping to find members who would like to test my program and make suggestions for improvement.

Stan

I see that the actual data pages have been replaced as you said with placeholder information. That resolves the privacy issue.

The other concern was the uploading of data to a server. Your site is not clear whether that upload of data is for all the services offered on your site or just the four commercial services. If the "Pick here to send data (Upload)" link is only for one or more of the commercial services then there is no problem. Stake Directory is listed on the same page as the other four services and I did not get past the login for uploading data, it looked like the upload link was for all services.