August release of Maps

[aebrown]

I was looking around on new.lds.org and found the new Meetinghouse Locator site. It's got some cool new features:

• It is styled like the directory and calendar on new.lds.org
• You can now view all the households in the stake (on beta-maps.lds.org you were restricted to just the households in your ward)
• Since you can view all the households in the stake, you can also theoretically download GPS data for the whole stake. However, that doesn't work right now -- you get an empty CSV file. Nonetheless, you can download each ward's GPS data separately, which you couldn't do before (you could only download for your own ward).
• Single sign on works (with beta-maps.lds.org you had to login again, even if you were logged in to beta.lds.org)
• A member can verify (or adjust) the location of his own household.
• Each household has a Directory link so that you can quickly switch back to the Directory and see more detailed household info.

As an assistant stake clerk, I especially appreciate that I can see all the households in the stake. Now I can see which ward clerks have verified the addresses in their respective wards.

[jonesrk]

I was looking around on new.lds.org and found the new Meetinghouse Locator site. It's got some cool new features:

• You can now view all the households in the stake (on beta-maps.lds.org you were restricted to just the households in your ward)
• Each household has a Directory link so that you can quickly switch back to the Directory and see more detailed household info.

For me I am getting the eternal spinner trying to load any ward's list. I don't see any javascript errors in Firebug.

If I go to the directory via the link the list pulls up just fine.

I then tried it in IE and it worked. So I tried it again in Firefox and it worked too. I don't know if it was just a one time problem or in the way I got to the sign-in page or what.

[atticusewig]

You can download each ward's csv of GPS info, but when I then looked at the contents they weren't complete. At first I thought if might just be releasing "verified" addresses, but my home ward which is about 90% verified still only had 3-4 addresses in the csv.

It's still a new site, and I'm sure they're still working on it, but for now don't rely on the downloads. Once it's fully functional it will be a great resource.

Great work from the church development team in charge of the project.

- Atticus

[cognifloyd]

Awesome. I love how well it's integrated in the new design.

For me, my ward info loads great, however, search doesn't seem to be working for me. If I put in an address and hit search, the spinner goes for a second and then it shows the search box again. I never get a list of the wards assigned (eg to find a local YSA ward I might want to attend)

Also, I think I may be the only one in my ward that's aware of the beta/new site, so as of now, my home is the only verified home in the ward. If I try to grab csv for my ward, I get the header row, but nothing else, not even my address.

[cognifloyd]

One more thought about the maps and missionaries:

I made large maps on my mission and put different colored pins in to denote active members, less-active members, investigators, and potential investigators. I doubt that all of that will be on this map, but that's not the point.

I would have loved a tool like this to quickly look up how to get to a member's house and not have to badger (gently and kindly of course ) the ward secretary to get me an updated ward list.

Policy aside (ie assume that the area presidency, mission president, stake president and bishop/branch president are all on board, and permission is not an issue for missionaries. Please do not mention the policies involved.), is there a way, planned, in the works, or already implemented, to give missionaries access to the ward directory/map where they are serving? Technically, their church records will still be in their home ward, so they would only see their home ward if they were to log in - right?

In my ward we regularly have service missionaries who help the Bishop with welfare assignments. Assuming they know how to use a computer, I can see that the map would also be very beneficial for them, as they may not be familiar with the layout of the ward, where the boundaries are, where the people are that they're trying to find, etc.

If that's not on the list, then I'll definitely have to submit a feature request.

[scgallafent]

Policy aside (ie assume that the area presidency, mission president, stake president and bishop/branch president are all on board, and permission is not an issue for missionaries. Please do not mention the policies involved.), is there a way, planned, in the works, or already implemented, to give missionaries access to the ward directory/map where they are serving?

The biggest difficulty is that missionaries don't have regular access to a computer. Even ignoring policy issues, I doubt that missionaries will have this kind of regular computer access any time soon.

It would probably make more sense for this to be one of the things that a ward mission leader does as he works with the missionaries.

[jdlessley]

Policy aside ... is there a way, planned, in the works, or already implemented, to give missionaries access to the ward directory/map where they are serving? Technically, their church records will still be in their home ward, so they would only see their home ward if they were to log in - right?

The current LUWS permits this by entering them as an out of unit member. If that capability is retained for the future LUWS then that would be a way. There are problems however. Each member can only be an out of unit member for one unit not their own. With missionaries moving from ward to ward as frequently as they do they would run into the problem of being locked out of being an out of unit member if the previous stake did not remove them as out of unit members. This would not be an issue for moves within a stake.

I would expect that when policies change regarding computer use and access then a feature designed specifically for them would be a good idea. But for now it is really a mute point.

[BlancoGR]

Hello all,

We're ironing out some "undocumented features" (;)) and one of them is the problem that makes some people's wards to not load. We're aware of the problem, and have already identified the solution.

Try back in a couple of days!

--
Gerardo Blanco
Maps developer

[kisaac]

Hello all,

We're ironing out some "undocumented features" (;)) and one of them is the problem that makes some people's wards to not load. We're aware of the problem, and have already identified the solution.

Try back in a couple of days!

--
Gerardo Blanco
Maps developer

Thank you for your efforts.

And while ironing out things...one itty-bitty suggestion...Could we have an option to use "preferred names" from MLS on maps instead of being forced to use first and last given names?

One really big feature request...Is user-definable boundaries on the horizon? I'd love to have the ability to make emergency response zones, or fast offering collection routes within my ward boundaries.


I've submitted both as feedback.

[kisaac]

Also, I think I may be the only one in my ward that's aware of the beta/new site, so as of now, my home is the only verified home in the ward.

Of course, your ward clerk can verify your whole ward's households...maybe send him an email with the link?