Uploading Photos of Other Members - BAD IDEA

A few posts have asked how to post photos of others within their organization.

Within my own stake, I have seen a push to get personal information online.

However, the posting of photos, phone numbers, and email addresses must remain a decision for each family and individual.

No photo, email, or other personal information should be posted without the permission of that family/individual. It may be frustrating when ward members are slow to update their information, however, this should not be forced or overly pushed. Some (like me) are likely to rebel.

Privacy must come first.

As for photos, the help file make it clear that one should have the permission to post it. I would expect that it would be obtained when the photo is taken.

Updating contact information can only be done by a Bishopric member or Membership clerk. Presumably they would understand how the member wanted that information distributed.

Note that in all cases a login is required. And except for CHQ, no one outside of the stake can see it.

Additionally, after member information is posted the member can go in and set the privacy flag: stake, ward or leadership only.

Someone actually reads the Help files? Hmmm.. I need to repent.

I did something amazing -- I peeked at the Help files.

I see there are 10 ward positions with the abiltiy to edit photos. There are an additional 12 Stake positions that can edit other profile information.

https://ue.ldschurch.org/ldsapphelp/dir ... es.htm#top

Therefore, it seems appropriate to remind wards and stakes that photos should not be uploaded by these administrators without the agreement of the member. Nor should members feel pressured to agree.

ksroberts wrote:Therefore, it seems appropriate to remind wards and stakes that photos should not be uploaded by these administrators without the agreement of the member. Nor should members feel pressured to agree.

You make good points. However, those specific points are already clearly spelled out in the Data Privacy Laws section of Managing Directory Photos help. What are you hoping for beyond that?

aebrown wrote:However, those specific points are already clearly spelled out in the Data Privacy Laws section of Managing Directory Photos help.

Each time a user uploads a photo or photos they are presented the upload guidelines which includes the privacy statement.

All individuals in the photo have given their consent to its posting. If an individual is a minor, the minor's parent or legal guardian must grant consent.

In my opinion its best to just let individuals up load their own photos.

Gary_Miller wrote:In my opinion its best to just let individuals up load their own photos.

I agree when they are able or capable. Even within a household, minors can't upload their own photo. The ability for administrators to upload photos is the only way for most adults to get photos in the directory when they are not able or capable. Unfortunately the issue in this thread is the zeal of those with administrator rights who are not following guidance.

jdlessley wrote:Even within a household, minors can't upload their own photo.

Then Mom or Dad can help them.

jdlessley wrote:The ability for administrators to upload photos is the only way for most adults to get photos in the directory when they are not able or capable.

These adults that need help then can ask for it.

jdlessley wrote:Unfortunately the issue in this thread is the zeal of those with administrator rights who are not following guidance.

Which happens when leaders make it the responsibility of someone other than the individual to get photos loaded up for the whole ward.

Gary_Miller wrote:These adults that need help then can ask for it.

How does that solve not being able or not being capable? There are several situations that come to mind that would require an administrator to upload the photo. Without administrators having the rights to upload photos for others there is a group of people who would never be able to have a photo in the directory.

Gary_Miller wrote:

jdlessley wrote:Unfortunately the issue in this thread is the zeal of those with administrator rights who are not following guidance.

Which happens when leaders make it the responsibility of someone other than the individual to get photos loaded up for the whole ward.

Although that could happen in some cases, by no means is that a necessary conclusion. In my stake, wards that have assigned a specific person to help ward members upload photos have had a better experience for everyone involved. That person knows the privacy guidelines and follows them. When members upload photos by themselves, they often face technical challenges and get frustrated. They also frequently don't understand the optimal procedure for sizing and cropping photos.

So I see no reason to dismiss this very helpful option out of hand by making an assumption that is in my experience entirely incorrect.

jdlessley wrote:How does that solve not being able or not being capable?

When they ask for help the due to not being able or not being capable. Then and only then do you help them, this could be done through their own lds.org login.

jdlessley wrote:There are several situations that come to mind that would require an administrator to upload the photo.

Name five reasons that would require a photo to be uploaded without using the members log in.

jdlessley wrote:Without administrators having the rights to upload photos for others there is a group of people who would never be able to have a photo in the directory.

What group would that be?

aebrown wrote:In my stake, wards that have assigned a specific person to help ward members upload photos have had a better experience for everyone involved. That person knows the privacy guidelines and follows them.

Taking a picture and uploading the photo is not helping its doing. It also give the appearance that it has to be done. Unless you are having the person sign a document that its OK to post their photo the person may not even know they have a choice.

aebrown wrote:So I see no reason to dismiss this very helpful option out of hand by making an assumption that is in my experience entirely incorrect.

Apparently it is or there would not be complaints about it happening.

Gary_Miller wrote:Taking a picture and uploading the photo is not helping its doing. It also give the appearance that it has to be done. Unless you are having the person sign a document that its OK to post their photo the person may not even know they have a choice.

That may be your opinion. But if someone lacks the technical expertise to upload a photo, but would like it to be uploaded, I think it's quite clear that they would consider it to be helping. And one form of that helping that sometimes happens is where the helper sits down with the member to lead them by the hand through the process.

If the Church felt that a signed document were necessary, they would have made that a requirement. I certainly agree that it is important for those who may be assigned to help with photos to make it very clear what the policy is and get consent before helping in any way with the upload process. The guidelines I linked to say that consent must be "their informed, voluntary consent to add their photos to the directory." Amen to that! But according to the guidelines we have been given, verbal consent is sufficient.

Gary_Miller wrote:Apparently it is or there would not be complaints about it happening.

Um, no, I was speaking of "my experience" which you clearly know nothing about.

Gary_Miller wrote:Name five reasons that would require a photo to be uploaded without using the members Sign in.

Are you saying that other members should ask for and expect to be given another member's account credentials just to upload a photo? (asked with a tone of incredulity) A member's LDS Account credentials are private. No one should ask for another member's LDS Account. Nor should they expect to receive it if they ask for it. What are you going to do when you ask for the credentials and you are denied?

What is the importance of having five reasons to upload a photo without using a member's credentials if only one is needed? But just to humor you, here are just a few. The member does not have an LDS Account, does not want one, will not get one, and wants their photo in the directory. The member has an LDS account but does not feel competent to upload a photo and wants an administrator to do so, and of course they are not willing to disclose their account credentials. The member has an account but does not see any reason why they should be required to upload their photo when an administrator can do it for them. Oh yes, and they are not willing to disclose their credentials. The member does not have a photo they would like published but would like someone else to take a current photo and then publish it for them. And yes, they are not willing to disclose their credentials.

Gary_Miller wrote:What group would that be?

Those in the first reason I gave above. Then there are those who do not have a computer, smart phone, or mobile device and want nothing to do with them but want their photo in the directory. There is also the aged and the infirm who physically cannot upload a photo but want their photo in the directory. Most likely some, or most, of these people may not have an LDS Account. Even if they did they are not required to disclose their credentials just to have a photo in the directory. If I thought long enough I could come up with more. But that isn't necessary. I think I have made my point.

Gary_Miller wrote:In my opinion its best to just let individuals up load their own photos.

When possible, yes. But the fact is that the church has deliberately allowed selected individuals, based on their calling, to be able to do it. That's not the kind of thing that the developers dream up, but something that has been reviewed and approved.