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Training for Ward Website Administrator

Posted: Sun Feb 20, 2011 5:53 pm
by bensonmcconkie
I'm a Priest, and was just called to be the Ward Website Administrator for my ward. I had a quick question: What am I supposed to do? :)

I'm going to receive some training from the old WWA, but wondered if I could learn anything before I met with him.

Is there a training course online? If so, what's the link?

As a side note, I suppose I should start using the new calender/directory sites. Is this correct? Or should I keep using the old one?

Posted: Sun Feb 20, 2011 8:00 pm
by mdyoung
To begin you should go to the classic ward website home page and click on administrator options (assuming that they have assigned you as an administrator.) There you will find the old training guide which still provides a number of good points and practices on managing the website.

If you are expected to handle the online calendar you need to know if your stake or ward is transitioning to the new calendaring system on the current lds.org website. If they are not yet doing so, then you will continue to use the old calendar.

Historically your responsibilities might have included;

  • Approving Calendar Items
  • Handling Building Reservations (Still handled in classic.lds.org)
  • Approving and Posting News to the Ward Website (Still handled in classic.lds.org)
  • Approving and Posting Documents to the Ward Website (Still handled in classic.lds.org)
  • Updating the Callings List on the Ward Website (Handled Manually in classic.lds.org but Automatically in the new lds.org)
  • Changing the Welcome Message or Picture on the Ward Website (classic.lds.org)
  • Adding Additional Links to other Church Resources on the Ward Website (classic.lds.org)
  • Sending out Email Messages and Approving other Email Messages
  • Hiding Member Information for Members who don't want their Information Published

I am not aware of any training documents for the new website. Your unit will have to enter your calling into MLS as the administrator for you to have authority over the new functions. I imagine that ward website administrator should give you that but if not then you will need some type of clerical position and that requires the stake to call and set you apart. Once you have authority for the new system the best way to become acquainted with the new system is simply to explore and experiment. Look at the directories and the calendar and explore what options are allowed for you to manage.

Finally, keep checking the wiki and the trainings as the website is slated to continue developing through 2011.

So in summary;
  • Acquire admin privileges for the classic lds.org website homepage and explore the instructions given there.
  • Find out what the calendaring practice is currently in your stake and unit.
  • Make sure your new calling has been entered into MLS and that it allows you to have some amount of admin privileges on the new lds.org.
  • Explore the new lds.org
Also, it appears as though there is a push to allow individual members to select how much of their personal information is made available through the lds website. Before, the website admin had the responsibility of hiding information which members did not want published. You should still have that ability but members should have increased autonomy over their own information as well.

Here is some additional information from the help site;
Cheers!

Posted: Sun Feb 20, 2011 8:00 pm
by aebrown
bensonmcconkie wrote:I'm a Priest, and was just called to be the Ward Website Administrator for my ward. I had a quick question: What am I supposed to do? :)
Whatever the bishop asks you to do :). I've seen ward website administrators do a wide variety of things, but it really does depend on your ward's needs.
bensonmcconkie wrote:As a side note, I suppose I should start using the new calender/directory sites. Is this correct? Or should I keep using the old one?

It's not so much a question of what you should choose, but what your ward and stake have chosen. The classic stake and ward websites are still active through the end of 2011, and at this point still are the only solution available for everything that has been on those sites for years except for the new directory and calendar. In particular for the calendar, some units have chosen to stick with the old sites, while others are moving forward with the new. You should use whatever your ward has decided to use.
bensonmcconkie wrote:I'm going to receive some training from the old WWA, but wondered if I could learn anything before I met with him.

Is there a training course online? If so, what's the link?
There are some online resources:
  • For classic stake and ward websites, make sure you get set up as an administrator (a current administrator for those sites will have to set you up). Once you are designated as an administrator, you can go to the administrator portion of the site (using "Administrator Options") and then click the Help button. That has a lot of helpful information.
  • Similarly, for the new calendar, click the Help button and you can see an entire online help system.
  • The LDSHelp site contains the help for the calendar I referenced above, as well as help for other items on the Tools menu of lds.org.