Tech Forum Archive

Stake Technology Specialists site feedback

7 postsstarted by barkeraj 4,076 viewsoriginal topic

barkeraj
Church Employee
#1
In another thread I mentioned how we are looking to make a new site for clerks, similar to what we did for Stake Technology Specialists. I asked for feedback on how the current STS site was done, but figured people using the STS site wouldn't think to look in that heading and wanted to give more people an opportunity to give feedback.

Here is the feedback I would love to have:
  1. How has the current STS site served those who have used it?
  2. Is it organized well? Can you find what you are looking for?
  3. Does it work for you?
  4. What is missing?
Your input will be valuable as we look to create the new clerks website, and potentially for updating the STS site.

Thanks!!
Aaron Barker
Front-end Development Lead for LDS.org (content portions, not apps) and Ward Executive Secretary.
russellhltn
Community Administrator
#2
barkeraj wrote:How has the current STS site served those who have used it?
So far the only thing I've used it for is to look over the policies and letters. It's quite helpful to have that when dealing with people who want "chapter and verse" on why we can't allow them to do something or we have to do something "that way".

As such I'd like to strengthen this area to become the "STS Handbook of Instructions", to make sure it's complete and organized.
Have you searched the Help Center? Try doing a Google search and adding "site:churchofjesuschrist.org/help" to the search criteria.

So we can better help you, please edit your Profile to include your general location.
Daryl1
Member
#3

Feedback,Suggestions, Improvements for Clerks

The STS (Stake Technology Specialists) web site is a big improvement from nothing and faster then over the phone service. I also would like to say that the most useful item is the Letters & Policies. This part is excellent and easy to navigate.

The Glossary section is also excellent and easy to navigate and understand.
The home page is good also with a list of top troubleshooting articles.
It is also good to have a search section.

I have an issue with the troubleshooting section. Very difficult to navigate! The problem is having to enter precise and correct key words which does not work very well in my opinion. It would be much better to have a navigation bar or topics to choose from. Like it is curretly on the home page with the top troubleshooting articles. Consider some other way other than entering keywords to find the articles.

For the new upcoming Clerks website consider the following topics to be on the home page navigation menu.

Have a letters & Policies section also. Please include Audit info policies etc...
Have a Glossary.
Have a search.
Have a troubleshooting section something other then entering keywords to find articles.
If possible please consider having a WIKI section so Clerks can contribute and edit the page and solve issues and problems faster.
Have a section called MLS
Have a section for Stake Clerk
Have a section for Stake Membership Clerk
Have a section for Stake Financial Clerk
Have a section for Ward Clerk
Have a section for Ward Membership Clerk
Have a section for Ward Financial Clerk

Thank you.
russellhltn
Community Administrator
#4
Is Historical clerk still a position? Might be good to have a section on that. Even if it's not a separate position, it's a separate function that would be good to "break out".
Have you searched the Help Center? Try doing a Google search and adding "site:churchofjesuschrist.org/help" to the search criteria.

So we can better help you, please edit your Profile to include your general location.
thedqs
Community Moderators
#5
It might still be a position but in most wards I've been in it is combined with the ward clerk's responsibilities.
- David
barkeraj
Church Employee
#6
[quote="Mr. Techno"]I have an issue with the troubleshooting section. Very difficult to navigate! The problem is having to enter precise and correct key words which does not work very well in my opinion. It would be much better to have a navigation bar or topics to choose from. [/quote]

We had a great debate when creating the site as to if we should have browse and/or search. The problems we discovered with browse were:
  1. The maintenance of a given topic being in multiple categories. For example a printer issue could be under drivers, printers, hardware, software, etc.
  2. The alphabetical titling and then looking for a given item. For example for a printer problem would it be "Printers on Microsoft Windows" or "Microsoft Windows Printing problems" or "Windows printing problems" etc etc.
Can you give me more specifics on your situation? Were you just wanting to look around to familiarize yourself, or looking for a specific issue that you couldn't think of a good keyword to search on?

We went with the search only version to get something out quickly knowing that we may expand to a browse feature later on. With the above issues still being valid I would like reasons that a browse would be advantageous.
Aaron Barker
Front-end Development Lead for LDS.org (content portions, not apps) and Ward Executive Secretary.
cottrells
Member
#7
barkeraj wrote:

We had a great debate when creating the site as to if we should have browse and/or search. The problems we discovered with browse were:
  1. The maintenance of a given topic being in multiple categories. For example a printer issue could be under drivers, printers, hardware, software, etc.
  2. The alphabetical titling and then looking for a given item. For example for a printer problem would it be "Printers on Microsoft Windows" or "Microsoft Windows Printing problems" or "Windows printing problems" etc etc.
Can you give me more specifics on your situation? Were you just wanting to look around to familiarize yourself, or looking for a specific issue that you couldn't think of a good keyword to search on?

We went with the search only version to get something out quickly knowing that we may expand to a browse feature later on. With the above issues still being valid I would like reasons that a browse would be advantageous.
A wiki for clerks à la Wikipedia would be a solution to this problem. For example an article would be written with information on "Printers on Microsoft Windows". An redirects could be set up pointing to that article from "Microsoft Windows Printing problems" or "Windows printing problems"

I can also see how it would help retain answers to questions in a easier to find format. When discussions coalesce around a single answer/solution this could be the subject of an article in a wiki. The thread could be closed with the last post linking to the subsequent article. Posters of new threads raising questions that have already been answered could also be directed to the wiki article rather than as current being directed to a previous thread which, depending on the number of posts within the thread, may take some time to read through.

Alan Brown has started a thread discussing the possibilities of a wiki here http://tech.lds.org/forum/showthread.php?p=8872