Viewing other ward calendars

The ability to view the various wards' calendars, their auxiliary meeting schedules and activities, etc., would be a material asset to the stake leadership and help them lead the wards more effectively.

As the Stake Calendar / Webmaster, I'd like to avoid setting up stake events that conflict with ward calendars. it's frustrating not to be able to view all of the ward calendars in the entire stake.

I've attempted to set up building use on multiple occasions only to find a hidden conflict with a ward calendar that I can't see. Sure, I can use the week / building view, but that is time consuming, and looking at the calendar one week at a time is like looking through a peep hole.

I don't understand why the ability for the stake leaders to view any ward's calendar is restricted. I can't imagine a rationale for this. Can anyone provide any insight into this strange restriction?

I feel like we're being asked to lead the way with technology but then told to tie one hand behind our back. Our stake--and I've heard via Philmont that many others do as well--has issues with the calendar technology and management. Is there a method to provide input to the developers?

Brian Phelps
Stake (AND ward) Webmaster / Calendar Admin

btphelps wrote:Is there a method to provide input to the developers?

The developers do not make those kinds of decisions. You need to get to the decision-makers.

The "Feedback" link on the main lds.org page (not the forums) is the way to do that.

There is unfortunately no Feedback link on the Calendar page. It's bad software development practice that the individuals closest to the customer have no say in the features they provide.

Directly below the list of subscribed calendars is a link called "subscriptions." When you open this, it shows every calendar in the stake, with the ability to subscribe to any of them. I just tested it by subscribing to a callendar called Leadership Meetings in another ward and I can now view their meeting schedule. I am doing all this on an iPad, and I am an assistant clerk in both the ward and stake, so this may not work with everyone.

btphelps wrote:There is unfortunately no Feedback link on the Calendar page. It's bad software development practice that the individuals closest to the customer have no say in the features they provide.

The Feedback link on the home page of LDS.org works just fine. So you do have a way of providing your suggestions to those who manage the product.

zaneclark wrote:When you open this, it shows every calendar in the stake, with the ability to subscribe to any of them.

What is your calling? I just tried this and can only see the stake and my ward.

I do remember discussion about giving "leaders" access to this, but couldn't remember if it had been implemented. Unfortunately, some people may not agree with the definition of "leader". At the moment it would appear that STS and "Stake Calendar / Webmaster" isn't among the privileged.

I am ward membership clerk, ward website administrator, stake website administrator, and in the stake YM presidency. I can see only our stake calendar(s) and my ward's calendar(s). No other ward's calendars are visible to me.

As I said before, I am both ward and stake website administrator and also an assistant clerk, both in the ward and stake. I don't know which of these lets me see all the calendars.

Here is where I can subscribe to any calendar in the stake.

zaneclark wrote:As I said before, I am both ward and stake website administrator and also an assistant clerk, both in the ward and stake. I don't know which of these lets me see all the calendars.

If everyone is accurately reporting their experiences, then it's pretty clear that it is your assistant stake clerk calling that lets you subscribe to calendars from other wards. Obviously no ward calling will give you access to calendars of other wards. This post says that assistant stake clerks do have access, although this post excludes stake technology specialists from having access. Finally, this post uses nonstandard terminology, but I think it is claiming that the calling of Stake Website Administrator also does not grant access.

So to sum up the conclusions so far, stake clerks and assistant stake clerks (excluding STS assistant stake clerks) have access. I would be quite confident that the stake president has access, and would guess that SP counselors have access. But I doubt that anyone else would have access, if access is denied even to the stake website administrator and STS -- that's an indication that permissions are tightly restricted, since those callings would have good reason to have access and yet they don't.

I'm posted feedback on the LDS org website and awaiting a reply.

btphelps wrote:I'm posted feedback on the LDS org website and awaiting a reply.

Be aware that the feedback will probably not come from the product development team, but rather from a missionary or volunteer who will do little more than thank you for your suggestion. And that feedback may come in a few days or weeks. But the product development team will indeed see your suggestion.

Yes, I already heard from the volunteer. She said she would ask some questions. Will my query have any impact? I don't know.

Here's the reply from my feedback form:

LDS Response Team responded on August 8, 2014 at 6:28 PM as follows:
Brian,
This is what I learned fro the calendar folks.
When they first created the calendar the direction was that members, regardless of their calling would be able to see the calendars of their ward and stake. My guess is that this was more of a technology issue than anything else.
There is a new release of calendar scheduled for 4th quarter 2014. What can be viewed will be much improved. It will allow missionaries to see both their home ward and stake as well as the ward and stake where they are serving. Out of unit callings will have the same ability. Stake leaders will have the ability to see all of the wards in their stake. However what stake leaders will have this ability is still under discussion. Right now is it Stake Presidency, Stake clerks, Executive Secretaries, and High councilors. A final decision has not been made.
Details about the new release currently schedule to be talked about at the LDS Tech Conference to be held on October 16 and 17.
Even though there is no feedback for the Calendar folks they do receive feedbacks based on key words or phrases so your feedback will be reviewed and considered by these specialists.
Response Team Volunteer, MJM

aebrown wrote:I would be quite confident that the stake president has access, and would guess that SP counselors have access.

You are correct on both counts. And this confirms what btphelps just posted:

. . . what stake leaders will have this ability is still under discussion. Right now is it Stake Presidency, Stake clerks, Executive Secretaries, and High councilors. A final decision has not been made.

btphelps wrote:However what stake leaders will have this ability is still under discussion.

To satisfy the request to see all the wards for scheduling purposes, it would need to be all stake calendar editors.