Photos in 3 places in Directory

I have received a charge to get "All Photos in the Stake into LDS.ORG/Directory".
I have permissions in my own ward as Ward Website Admin. & I am also The Stake Website Admin. If I had the calling of Assistant Stake Clerk would I have permissions to put photos in ALL wards in our Stake?
My problem is working thru the Ward 'Techies'. Sometimes they only put a 'couples/family' photo in or they only put Single man or woman in and NOT Couples.
Is there a way that the system can sense if any photos are present and display that photo anywhere in the database, i.e. in the CALLING Section as well as the PHOTOS section as well as the MANAGE PHOTOS section???
I have to keep going back to the Ward Clerks, Techies, etc to get total coverage.

WWS36 wrote:I have received a charge to get "All Photos in the Stake into LDS.ORG/Directory".

Careful. Not everyone may want their photo there. The Stake President can't overrule that.

WWS36 wrote:If I had the calling of Assistant Stake Clerk would I have permissions to put photos in ALL wards in our Stake?

No.

WWS36 wrote:Is there a way that the system can sense if any photos are present and display that photo anywhere in the database, i.e. in the CALLING Section as well as the PHOTOS section as well as the MANAGE PHOTOS section???

For a single members it is sufficient to upload the individual photo. For all others, you need both an individual and family photo.

WWS36 wrote:If I had the calling of Assistant Stake Clerk would I have permissions to put photos in ALL wards in our Stake?

Yes, stake assistant clerks can edit photos (and contact information) for everyone in the stake through the LDS.org Directory and LDS Tools. This isn't the way permissions are set up in Leader and Clerk Resources, so I imagine that privilege will go away eventually, but for now it works. (I'm a stake assistant clerk and I just tested it.)

WWS36 wrote:My problem is working thru the Ward 'Techies'. Sometimes they only put a 'couples/family' photo in or they only put Single man or woman in and NOT Couples.

Sometimes it's tempting to just do the job yourself if another person doesn't do it, or doesn't do it well enough; but it's best to work with them (at a minimum, get permission from them before making changes in their ward) because it is their calling and stewardship. Nobody likes to feel like they aren't good enough, so be sensitive in how you approach them.

Elder Bradshaw: Thank you for info and for the kind, loving advice. I have been on this project for 5+ years and yes, Temptation reins supreme! BUT I understand your advice. We move at church/people speed. Thank you!

sbradshaw wrote:Yes, stake assistant clerks can edit photos (and contact information) for everyone in the stake through the LDS.org Directory and LDS Tools. This isn't the way permissions are set up in Leader and Clerk Resources, so I imagine that privilege will go away eventually, but for now it works. (I'm a stake assistant clerk and I just tested it.)

By chance are you also a ward admin? The Directory Help file says that stake admins can't edit photos.

I can say that a STS has no edit rights at all. It's a case of "stake assistant clerk - technology specialist" being less than just a "stake assistant clerk".

I am a Stake Website Admin and also a Ward Admin, so I would need to be up-graded to an Assistant Stake Clerk, which my President said he would do, but has not happen yet. Thanks for the follow up.

WWS36 wrote:I am a Stake Website Admin and also a Ward Admin, so I would need to be up-graded to an Assistant Stake Clerk, which my President said he would do, but has not happen yet. Thanks for the follow up.

I was aiming my question toward sbradshaw. I'd like him to double-check his statement by seeing if he can upload photos for a different ward.

According to the Help file a Stake Website Admin already is a stake directory admin. But then again, it claims the STS is as well - which is no longer true.

russellhltn wrote:

sbradshaw wrote:Yes, stake assistant clerks can edit photos (and contact information) for everyone in the stake through the LDS.org Directory and LDS Tools. This isn't the way permissions are set up in Leader and Clerk Resources, so I imagine that privilege will go away eventually, but for now it works. (I'm a stake assistant clerk and I just tested it.)

By chance are you also a ward admin? The Directory Help file says that stake admins can't edit photos.

My only other recorded calling is a custom calling in our ward "service committee" – no ward-level clerk or website administrator callings.

Regarding single members: I make it a habit of uploading a photo to both the household and individual spots. For anyone whose photo I've uploaded, it's the same photo for both. Some single people have uploaded their own photos and have a different household vs. individual photos.

Different systems use different photos. Having them in both places just makes things work better and I find it's not a great deal more effort to do this.

mevans wrote:Regarding single members: I make it a habit of uploading a photo to both the household and individual spots. ... and I find it's not a great deal more effort to do this.

Except when you're in a Young Single Adult ward, where this applies to every member, and the members change every semester.
I do like uploading the photo to both places – it feels more complete.

sbradshaw wrote:

mevans wrote:Regarding single members: I make it a habit of uploading a photo to both the household and individual spots. ... and I find it's not a great deal more effort to do this.

Except when you're in a Young Single Adult ward, where this applies to every member, and the members change every semester.
I do like uploading the photo to both places – it feels more complete.

But the best thing is when someone new moves in and they already have a photo (or two). We ask if they want s new one or keep the old. Why take everyone's photo again if it's already in the system. We save the photo right from LDS.org.

I agree on double uploading for single members. If you only have an individual pic, the main picture on LDS Tools is blank.

sbradshaw wrote:

mevans wrote:Regarding single members: I make it a habit of uploading a photo to both the household and individual spots. ... and I find it's not a great deal more effort to do this.

Except when you're in a Young Single Adult ward, where this applies to every member, and the members change every semester.
I do like uploading the photo to both places – it feels more complete.

Do you get many records that already have photos with them? That might help reduce how many photos you have to upload? Or are the other singles wards not as nice about uploading photos as you are? One problem I've seen is if you move out a YSA from a family unit that even if the YSA has an individual photo, he or she now has no household photo. I've looked the online directory of the singles ward in our stake and seen that some YSA from our ward don't have the household photo, even though they have the individual photo. Maybe I'll have to separate the family unit in our ward first, upload a family photo, and then send them to the YSA ward. But that only works if we're pushing records versus the YSA ward requesting records. I actually got a several updated photos of YM and YW in our ward before the school year was out last May/June and updated their photos, as some of them had pictures from when they were much younger.

I was granted permission to train the Ward Clerks & Ward Ex Secs & Ward Webmasters at this past Stake Conference. Things are moving a little, but it is hard to get a handle as to how many photos a Ward has and therefore give Project Completion status. I ask the Ward Clerks to count the number of photos under 'Mange Photos' from eah Ward as a best guess indicator. Also why can't a Female be called as a Ward Webmaster? Every Ward Relief Society should have one!

WWS36 wrote:Also why can't a Female be called as a Ward Webmaster?

Who says they can't? The big problem I have is the calling grants admin access to a number of tools, like directory and calendar.

I'm not sure where to ask this question: What is the Job Description of Ward Website Administrator?
A ward in my Stake wants to call a Ward Web Admin and wants to know the criteria/scope of this calling.
Also if a Sister qualifies for this calling??? Thanks

WWS36 wrote:I'm not sure where to ask this question: What is the Job Description of Ward Website Administrator?
A ward in my Stake wants to call a Ward Web Admin and wants to know the criteria/scope of this calling.

Not specified. As stated, it's not in the Handbook. Given the broad rights that calling has, I'd say a primary criteria is to stay out of things they do not have permission to change.

However, the responsibilities have to match what a ward website admin can do. The documentation is not completely accurate. IIRC, the documentation shows they can change contact information in the directory, but I think that's been taken away. A clerk can change it, but to be a clerk one has to hold the Melchizedek Priesthood.

WWS36 wrote:Also if a Sister qualifies for this calling???

The system allows a sister to be placed in that calling. (Or, at least it has in the past.)

Keep in mind that the Ward Website Administrator calling began with the old Local Unit Web Sites that no longer function. The ward administrator had complete control over the ward site. A stake administrator could manage any site in the stake, and was the one who gave the ward administrator(s) access to their ward site.

A stake or ward usually had two administrators so that they could still function if one of them moved. A stake administrator was automatically an administrator at all of the units in the stake but, oddly enough, a ward could remove a stake administrator, which they sometimes did.

I think today it gives you default Calendar administrative access for your unit in the distributive Calendar system.

lajackson wrote:I think today it gives you default Calendar administrative access for your unit in the distributive Calendar system.

And since this discussion is about the Directory, I would note that the calling of Website Administrator also gives you administrative access to the Directory, which allows you to manage photos as well as some other functions. It also makes you an administrator for Lesson Schedules and Newsletter.

I am a Stake Assistant Clerk. One of my Ward Clerks wrote back to me the following: " I'm not sure on putting photos in, being anyone but the individual families responsibility. That is my take on the whole issue. " However His/my Stake President wants the whole Stake in there. What is the Chapter & Verse on this responsibility?

Normally, a member or family submits a photo and then it is approved by a clerk. A clerk can also submit a photo for a member or family, if the member or family approves.

The member determines whether or not there will be a photo, notwithstanding the desires of a stake president. If the member or family does not submit a photo, and if the clerk is not allowed to take the photo, he cannot submit/approve it. It is not within his capability to do anything further as the clerk. Of course the request and suggestion of leaders will be relayed to the members, and then the members will determine what to do with that request.

The term we use in the Church to describe this situation is "agency". We fought a war over it, and won.

lajackson wrote:Normally, a member or family submits a photo and then it is approved by a clerk. A clerk can also submit a photo for a member or family, if the member or family approves.
...
The term we use in the Church to describe this situation is "agency". We fought a war over it, and won.

I certainly agree with the principle of agency, and it is definitely applicable here. However, in my experience, what you describe as the "normal" experience is anything but the norm.

I would guess that less than 10% of the members of my stake have ever uploaded a photo. But I would also guess that the vast majority of the members are totally okay with having a photo on the directory. They don't upload a photo because they lack the technical ability, or they lack the motivation to do so. In both those cases, under the direction of the bishop, a ward clerk or executive secretary or website administrator can ask members: "Would you approve the posting of a family and/or individual photo to the directory? If so, please stand here and let me snap your photo." If they say no, we can tell them that they have the option of having the photo visible to only priesthood leaders, and so the photo would not be visible to the ward or stake at large, but would still help the leaders. If they still say no, we politely thank them and move on.

Of the photos in our stake, a large majority were taken this way. The principle of agency is preserved, we have a much higher participation rate than if we just waited for members to upload their own photos, and as a bonus, the photos are more consistent in size, lighting, cropping, etc.

Perhaps instead of "normally" I should have said "ideally". I am fully supportive of photos in the directory, and I agree that the members usually are not motivated to do it themselves. Our clerks have taken the approach you suggest, of proactively offering to take and upload the photographs, and the members have generally been cooperative.

There are only a few instances, in my opinion, where it would not be appropriate to have a photo available at the Directory.

Curious, can just the photo be limited to leader observation, or does the member have to limit everything in the Directory to do that? We have several members who are willing to have their Directory listing generally available but not their photo. We have not uploaded a photo because we have not found a way to remove a photo, only to replace it with something else.

lajackson wrote:Curious, can just the photo be limited to leader observation, or does the member have to limit everything in the Directory to do that?

Yes, there is a privacy setting specifically for the photo alone.

lajackson wrote:We have several members who are willing to have their Directory listing generally available but not their photo. We have not uploaded a photo because we have not found a way to remove a photo, only to replace it with something else.

Didn't the remove link under the photo remove it?

WWS36 wrote:I'm not sure on putting photos in, being anyone but the individual families responsibility.

Looking at the Photo Upload Guidelines, it was written with the idea of someone other than the family might be doing the upload.

I'm sure if we were to break down the responsibilities of a clerk, it would likely include the phrase "responsibilities as assigned". Why would clerks have this permission if it wasn't within scope of being assigned?

eblood66 wrote:Yes, there is a privacy setting specifically for the photo alone.
Didn't the remove link under the photo remove it?

Great on the privacy setting.
There wasn't a link last I tried, which may have more to do with operator error or browser selection than whether or not the link should have been there.

I have not done a lot with the photo side of the Directory, so I really didn't know. We have a few members who will allow photos for leaders since that setting is available. That will leave a very few who cannot allow photos due to legal and other restrictions.

I think most members who use LDS Tools for their calling appreciate being able to see other people's photos. As more photos are added with permission, I think more members will see the benefit and be willing to have their own added.

As for a clerk that doesn't feel comfortable uploading photos, I'm not sure there's anything you can or should do about that other than wait and do your best. First, there are very few policies about using the LDS.org tools that you could refer to. Second, you don't want him to feel pressured to do something he doesn't want to do (who knows, maybe he's had a bad experience with data privacy in the past). Next time your stake president notices that that particular ward doesn't have many photos, let him know why and leave it to him to counsel with the bishop and clerk if he feels it's important that they work to get photos added.

You all have spot on advice. Thank you and God bless you and pray for me!

This has probably been discussed, but what about a photo on the Temple Recommend. That would give the active members and incentive to get their photos in LDS.ORG/Directory??? They could still have the private visibility option, but it might increase the photos substantially!

Here is what we are trying this month:
Please place in ward bulletins:
"The ward and stake leaders love you and benefit from putting names and faces together. Please assist us by putting your picture on the church electronic records system. The ward mission leader or Clerks or Ward Website Admin/Techie will be happy to help.
To do this, you log into LDS.ORG/Directory. You then see My Household on the left hand side.
Would you please place one photo for you and one for your spouse in the single section, and one with both of you, in the COUPLE top section.”
Thanks, Stake Presidency

WWS36 wrote:but what about a photo on the Temple Recommend.

Maybe if they switch to printed TRs instead of from the Book like they do now. However, the ward printers will have to be up to printing the photo reasonably well. That could get tricky.

What exactly should appear in the Household/couple photo? We have members that insist on showing the whole family including the dog/cat! This makes the photo extremely distant and further more there are people in there un-identified??? I insist on full face couples only, but am getting some push back.
What is the official policy?

WWS36 wrote:What exactly should appear in the Household/couple photo? We have members that insist on showing the whole family including the dog/cat! This makes the photo extremely distant and further more there are people in there un-identified??? I insist on full face couples only, but am getting some push back.
What is the official policy?

There's no official policy on this particular question (except, of course, the Photo Upload Agreement that is presented to members before they upload a photo). Relevant to your question, it only says "The photo accurately depicts you and/or your family." So I don't know that you have much of an argument that would allow you to insist that the household photo is "full-face couples only", although you are welcome to make recommendations. It's great to have optimal photos that are nicely cropped, etc., but personally I'm grateful to have any photo and appreciate it when members are willing to provide one.