Active removal of all Open Source Office (Excel, ...) and every other resource to process donations accurately.

With the recent outages of LCR, and past need for an Spreadsheet to verify amounts - it's always been the recommendation to put the information in a Spreadsheet. Even the recent outages, some users have suggested doing offline Tithing on a spreadsheet.

However, I've noticed that installation of Open Source Offices alternatives such as LibreOffice or OpenOffice are actively being blocked by Administration. We had it installed a few weeks ago, but now it's gone missing - so not only is installation being blocked but it is actively being removed from systems where it was previously installed.

This is an issue because you are requiring clerks to process donations while offline and without access to a spreadsheet or MLS - to ensure that they are calculated correctly. Last week, we had to try and track down a ten-key - but also were unsuccessful there because they've gotten rid of all of them.

I don't quite understand the logic of removing all the clerks tools to process donations accurately and efficiently. Don't you understand that by removing all the resources you are only ensuring that mistakes are made more often.

For what it's worth - please provide a spreadsheet. If you don't want open source alternatives then fork out the cash for Microsoft Office (Excel).

This is the first report I've seen of that.

It's possible that once again a policy intended for employee computers got rolled out to Unit computers. By chance, do you have Sophos antivirus on your machine as well? That's not supposed to be on unit computers, but I've seen cases where it gets installed.

Sophos Endpoint Management and IBM BigFix are installed on the machine.

I believe you might wish to speak with the Global Services Department. Sophos is supposed to be gone from unit administrative computers. LibreOffice is certainly still allowed on those computers, unless there has been some unannounced change.

If you are not in North America, I wonder if your local administrative office is doing things on their own to limit your capabilities. Or as russellhltn has mentioned, it is also possible that your computer has not been provisioned properly.

I second the idea of calling GSD. Tell them about this and Sophos.

They'll probably want the serial number of the computer(s) in question.

Given the flux in Church systems recently, I'd also not assume that what you're seeing is "on purpose policy" (who knows what domino-effects might be at play, although it definitely seems unrelated). Our local computer still had LibreOffice today (fingers-crossed this doesn't jinx us)

Wondering which workarounds for free office suite software have been found. Google Sheets, Docs, etc., or Office365, don't seem optimal because of ongoing Internet access issues on Sundays. Started reviewing MS Store options, just not familiar with any. Collabra is suggested in a tech post if we had a Chromebook, however MS Store wants $15 for it.

At least LibreOffice 7.2... hasn't been auto-removed yet, though updating it appears no longer be possible.

jpjones~ogr wrote: Fri Feb 10, 2023 4:43 pm At least LibreOffice 7.2... hasn't been auto-removed yet, though updating it appears no longer be possible.

How so? Did they block the website?

Edit: after chasing down links from the Help Center, I arrive at this page

Selected quotes:

Clerk computers are to be used to access Leader and Clerk Resources (LCR) to manage membership information and finances for Church purposes only. LCR is accessed through a web browser. Additional software is not generally needed.

If the stake president approves the use of additional software on the clerk computer, it is recommended that the clerk use browser-based products rather than installed applications or programs to help prevent potential licensing, security, support, and data privacy issues.

But then it goes on to say:

When it is determined that a unique need requires additional software not provided by the Church, the Church recommends using free software applications like OpenOffice whenever possible to keep costs down and to reduce the burden of keeping license agreement records.

On the plus side, for the "cost" of a Microsoft account, you can use the web version of MS Office.

Re: LibreOffice - Today, two attempts to upgrade from 7.2.. to 7.4... failed. Our Windows login is probably not administrative, so installing using admin' rights wasn't an option. Then earlier comments in this thread, or maybe another, report automated removal of unauthorized software. And, an attempt to upgrade a photo editor today resulted in removal instead. So, LibreOffice upgrade fails fit.

We use "office suite" components for projects like bulletins, budgeting, schedules, forms, meeting minutes, mailing labels, etc..

Thanks, I came across the software tools page earlier today. I also found an app' in Microsoft's Store that seems to get higher marks than Office365. Though there are a lot of fans of MS Office it's consistently been a disappointment for me. Google's office tools have also been disappointing.

What I have found to be useful is using Portable apps to get LibreOffice. Portable apps provides software that can be installed locally, such as on the desktop or a flash drive, instead of on Program Files or Program Files X86. Just search on Google "LibreOffice Portable Apps".

Side note: I would check licenses on the software before use.

jpjones~ogr wrote: Fri Feb 10, 2023 8:18 pm Re: LibreOffice - Today, two attempts to upgrade from 7.2.. to 7.4... failed.

This sounds real familiar. I think I had that awhile back when we replaced our computers. Something about certain Windows versions and the LibreOffice didn't get along.

IIRC, the fix was to run the MSI installer "as admin" - which is tricky because by default that option isn't available. I think I launched a CMD box as admin and invoked the MSI from there.

Allowed or authorized software/apps would be optimal.

Currently I'm leaning toward Google stuff because a majority of our council uses Gmail, our current exec' is good at making Google tools work, I kind-of expect to end up with a Chromebook as the unit computing device, and we already have a unit Gmail account. Then, I recently discovered Google Sites as a possible method for sharing with the council as well as the ward.

Free access to Office365 tends to be more restrictive than Google, and fewer 'blue collar' families bother with it.
I'm still testing Windows app's, but nagging ad's can be problematic.

Thanks for the insights and reminders.