Rules/restrictions for myldsmail

Discussions around miscellaneous technologies and projects for the general membership.
Post Reply
deansprague
New Member
Posts: 3
Joined: Wed Mar 15, 2017 5:17 pm

Rules/restrictions for myldsmail

#1

Post by deansprague »

Writing to two missionaries. Want to include pictures. Have had little success.
1. Are there rules against sending missionaries pictures?
2. Are the rules published somewhere?
3. Are there preferred methods for sending pictures?
The following are some methods that don’t seem to work
Pasting the picture into the message
Attaching the picture to the message
Sending a link to the pictures
Sharing the pictures from iCloud
4. Does myldsmail work better on some devices than others?
5. Are there more general limitations and/or tips that would help/clarify the process of sending missionaries letters.
kisaac
Community Moderators
Posts: 1184
Joined: Sun Oct 21, 2007 6:04 am
Location: Utah, united states

Re: Rules/restrictions for myldsmail

#2

Post by kisaac »

deansprague wrote:Writing to two missionaries. Want to include pictures. Have had little success.
deansprague,
Many of us here in the forum are members like yourself, trying to help, and not church employees or software developers. While a software tech in the department over MYLDSMAIL may see it here, it's more likely they will not see it.

Since others have yet to chime in, as a three-time missionary dad, I have some ideas!
deansprague wrote:
1. Are there rules against sending missionaries pictures?
2. Are the rules published somewhere?
I can only point you to the online Missionary White Handbook (that's a link to a PDF if you wish to read it yourself,) and you can look at the relevant sections of it on email / correspondence ( page 20) and perhaps ELECTRONIC, VIDEO, AND COMPUTER EQUIPMENT (page 26) for written rules, and then ask your missionaries what each mission president has communicated to their Elders and Sisters- Mission presidents have a wide latitude to make specific policies for their individual missions. "Technology missions," (see below) where they use SMART PHONES or TABLETS will have additional policies for use, but may also make the process of sharing pictures back and forth MUCH EASIER.
I think a relevant point to me is that the white handbook mentions several times that the email service of MYLDSMAIL is to assist in correspondence with the mission president and family, and mentions that a missionary is
“expected to devote all your time and attention to serving the Lord, leaving behind all other personal affairs.” White Handbook, Page 20, "communicating with Family"
While I don't see a prohibition to sending pictures, it clearly is not a priority of the MYLDSMAIL system.
deansprague wrote: 3. Are there preferred methods for sending pictures?
The following are some methods that don’t seem to work
Pasting the picture into the message
Attaching the picture to the message
Sending a link to the pictures
Sharing the pictures from iCloud
As far as the "preferred methods," you might join a FACEBOOK group for missionary parents and ask a question there... Some "mission specific" groups would give you the best indication of what the parents of other missionaries in the area are doing. And realize some specific mission policies may prohibit what other missions may not, relating to WiFi cameras, or shared Cloud folders (google docs, iCloud, etc), transmitting videos, etc.
What I do: I "attach" my JPG pictures to my email, no more than two or three at a time. And it works just fine. I don't send videos. I also don't know what the file size limitation is for MYLDSMAIL, but if it is failing to send, try sending less pictures. I sometimes use image editing software (there are free versions) to make these picture files smaller before I send them, to make it easier for them to download and view them on slow public computers- An internet search will show how this is done.

As you know, some missions are "technology enabled," (that's my term,) meaning the missionaries are using TABLETS or SMART PHONES in their mission work, and likely have access to reliable WiFi, and can also use these items on P-day for their correspondence from and to you. When one of mine "upgraded" to a technology mission with TABLETS in the middle of his mission, we received far more pictures from him, and the communication vastly improved. If your missionary is perhaps in the equal number of missions not "technology enabled," and the missionaries still travel to a library, the Church or an internet cafe to use a public computer each P-day, realize their time and ability to download pictures from you may be limited, and you may be stuck with what your are able to do now. This may not be the fault of MYLDSMAIL- local computer conditions and unreliable or slow connections may be preventing your missionaries from receiving large attachments.

kisaac
Community Moderator
LDSTech Forums
"A soft answer turneth away wrath" works great on LDSTech forum boards!
Post Reply

Return to “Other Member Technologies”