Beta Directory: I've Got Too Much Power!

I just started playing around with beta.lds.org recently. I'm really excited about all the things that will be available there. As I went into the directory and started clicking around, I was puzzled by the fact that I could click on any name in the who stake, and it gave me permission to modify their profile. I know I'm Stake Clerk, but I believe that's more power than I'm supposed to have.

I wondered whether or not it would actually let me change something or whether it was just telling me I had rights to edit when, in fact, I didn't, so I tried adding a bogus phone number for a sister in my ward. Lo and behold, I came back a couple of days later, and the phone I had added was indeed in her profile. I have since removed it, but this seems to be a major bug.

Has anyone else experienced this?

DavidCarter wrote:I could click on any name in the who stake, and it gave me permission to modify their profile. I know I'm Stake Clerk, but I believe that's more power than I'm supposed to have.

...this seems to be a major bug.

I've seen this, and it seems like very helpful functionality -- I wouldn't classify it as a bug of any kind. There's a big message saying that you can edit the family's profile, and you have to explicitly choose to edit it before you can make any changes as you've described.

But as stake clerk, you can function as the overall website administrator for the membership directory of the stake. In my opinion, that's exactly how it should work -- but of course, you need to understand the power you have and use it responsibly, with proper coordination with ward clerks.

If it truly is intentional, that's fine. It just doesn't seem consistent with the past pattern of all edits to personal info having to be done at the ward/branch level and not by the stake. I have submitted a comment via the feedback link on the beta site and will see what they have to say.

DavidCarter wrote:It just doesn't seem consistent with the past pattern of all edits to personal info having to be done at the ward/branch level and not by the stake.

I beg to differ.

MLS has the ability to have a "Out of Unit Administrator" - Usually used for the Stake Clerk or STS. Yes, under the current MLS, only the ward MLS can make changes. But on the web, there is no Ward or Stake "install".

Under the current LUWS, the Stake Website administrator has full access to Administrate Ward Websites.

I see no inconsistency.

Some of us have specifically asked for this functionality since the Stake Clerk is responsible to training the Ward Clerks - and it's a bit hard to train them when one does not have the same access.

Well, like I said, if it's intentional, I'm fine. It just surprised me when I saw it, and my first reaction was "this can't be right!" But if it is right, I agree that it could be very useful.

The directory also has a good check in the process. If you make a change to the information on the directory, it updates in MLS and the ward clerk will receive a notification that a change has been made (although I don't believe it specifies how it was made). But, it isn't like you can make changes without them being noticed. A clerk who pays attention to the send/receive reports will notice that changes have been made.

nutterb wrote:If you make a change to the information on the directory, it updates in MLS and the ward clerk will receive a notification that a change has been made (although I don't believe it specifies how it was made). But, it isn't like you can make changes without them being noticed. A clerk who pays attention to the send/receive reports will notice that changes have been made.

I recall seeing an MLS send/receive report recently stating that an email address had been changed by the member.

That's interesting. That might explain why I had a Branch President call me the other day saying that he was getting print outs from his computer about changes to member records, and neither he nor the clerk had any idea what was going on.

DavidCarter wrote:That's interesting. That might explain why I had a Branch President call me the other day saying that he was getting print outs from his computer about changes to member records, and neither he nor the clerk had any idea what was going on.

I believe with the new beta directory, anyone with an lds account has "update" priveledges for their own familiy, and can change their personal and family members contact emails and phone numbers. These changes then flow-back (update) MLS, which naturally would then produce the "change print-outs" that are given to the bishop and membership clerk when a send/receive is made. (I think.-I need to try again-I've done it once and it appeared to do this, anyone confirm? )

This really should be clarified to all MLS users via an MLS notice. Adittionally, perhaps MLS should modified to also indicate where the change came from (MLS by a clerk, or via member update.)

Addresses still must be changed by a clerk on your MLS computer. As Ward clerk I have edit rights on beta directory to anyone in my ward for contact info, but still must update addresses on MLS.

If you haven't looked at beta lds.org in the last few days, drop everything and go here now! https://beta.lds.org/ Make sure you log in at the upper right with your LDS account! Try the new directory link.

I feel a little as davidcarter, in his original post, as I look at all I can (or soon will be able to do) as ward clerk over the internet, and it appears it isn't just changing phone numbers, but might include the whole scope of the membership and finances duties now only available to do on MLS. There is a big increase of power with these new changes, but a big increase in responsibility as well. I see a loosening of things that were once tightly controlled, and it is just a little "surprising," for lack of a better word.

kisaac wrote:If you haven't looked at beta lds.org in the last few days, drop everything and go here now! https://beta.lds.org/ Make sure you log in at the upper right with your LDS account! Try the new directory link.

I just went again, and it's changed since this morning. No additional tools or reports yet, but the main page and menus have changed. Looking forward to seeing more things start to come online.

Just FYI, adding admin rights in Directory for Stake Admins (Stake Presidency, Clerks, STS) was intentional. We discussed at length with our Priesthood Department rep. the pros and cons and ultimately decided this was the best way to go.

kisaac, thanks for the mention of sending out an MLS notice. I asked for it today.

jdcr256 wrote:Just FYI, adding admin rights in Directory for Stake Admins (Stake Presidency, Clerks, STS) was intentional. We discussed at length with our Priesthood Department rep. the pros and cons and ultimately decided this was the best way to go.

Thanks for the clarification. Someone needs to spread the word because I submitted a feedback message through the feedback link on the beta site, and the person who replied said that, as Stake Clerk, I should not have access to change people's info in the directory.

DavidCarter wrote:Thanks for the clarification. Someone needs to spread the word because I submitted a feedback message through the feedback link on the beta site, and the person who replied said that, as Stake Clerk, I should not have access to change people's info in the directory.

Yes, it's been in the last week or so that we made this decision, so...

My branch president is the only one with a calling set in the whole branch. I went to his home the other day to see if we logged in as him, we could setup some other callings. We did not find anyway to do it. How is this is this done?

Thanks,
Walter

By the way, I belong to a branch in Costa Rica, and we don't have our own computer system, so this feature would really be a life saver.