Greg Hart wrote: > Hi All- > > I apologize in advance if this is beating a dead horse for some of you. > This list is just one avenue I'm hoping the message can reach someone of > influence at HQ. Thanks for any fixes/enhancements you can make. > > Below is a forward from my last ward's ward webmaster and while not > intended to be broadcast like this (I received his permission), > illustrates very frankly the frustrations wards have with using the Email > Broadcast functionality on the ward websites. It is my understanding > based on past memos from SLC, that the Church does not approve of > non-lds.org email groups for official ward/stake business. Yet it is my > observation that many feel like there is no good alternative. It would be > interesting to know... Out of all the wards that regularly use email as an > effective form of communication, which percentage are actually using the > ward websites and which percentage still maintain contraband > yahoogroups/googlegroups or other mailing lists? Then there are the wards > that abide by Church policy, decommission their seemingly effective, > external ward email list, but because of restrictive functionality, never > quite make the transition to using the ward website's Email Broadcasts, > crippling what was once useful communication. The later is my current > ward's situation. > > -Greg > In our ward, it seems to be the exception rather than the rule that anyone enters their email on (or even logs into) the ward website. As far as I know, the Elder's Quorum in my ward is the only ward organization that currently uses email for any communication, and then we use it as a time saving version of the telephone--one email is simultaneously sent to all quorum members instead of multiple telephone calls. I believe that the email list for the quorum is maintained by the quorum secretary in his own private electronic address book and is handed down from secretary to secretary as people are released and called. As far as that goes, email is usually used only to coordinate service projects and remind of quorum activities.
Because of extremely low participation in the ward website and because of previously mentioned difficulties in using the ward website's email system, I don't foresee my Elder's Quorum switching without some major challenges being overcome. I see the challenges as: (1) get people to use the ward websites; (2) set up a useful email broadcast system on the ward websites that is fully accessible by quorum and auxiliary leaders; and, (3) allow ward, quorum, and auxiliary leaders to enter email information for the members just in case those members never actually bother to login to the ward website so that ward website emails are effectively reaching the members. Just my thoughts on the subject. Brice _______________________________________________ Ldsoss mailing list [email protected] http://lists.ldsoss.org/mailman/listinfo/ldsoss
