Using Free Mapping API's for Meetinghouse Locator

Discussions around miscellaneous technologies and projects for the general membership.
User avatar
thedqs
Community Moderators
Posts: 1042
Joined: Wed Jan 24, 2007 8:53 am
Location: Redmond, WA
Contact:

#11

Post by thedqs »

The part I was impressed with was when he showed ward boundaries, that would be nice to know especially in areas where there are very few or a lot of members. For plain old missionary work you get a good idea on where your area is (where I served no one really knew the boundaries and the wards overlapped up to a mile).

Though the option of knowing which ward you are in is already available. I was lucky in when we moved the ward had kept their site current so we knew when sacrament meeting was.
- David
User avatar
WelchTC
Senior Member
Posts: 2085
Joined: Wed Sep 06, 2006 8:51 am
Location: Kaysville, UT, USA
Contact:

#12

Post by WelchTC »

RussellHltn wrote:Looks like re-inventing the wheel to me. The existing meetinghouse locaterwill take an address and direct you to THE ward that you live in and give you the to option to see it on a map. While I think it would be really nice to see the ward boundaries, doesn't the existing system fulfill the basic need to locate one's ward?

I don't see the point in providing information on multiple wards in your area as the closest one may not be the one whose boundaries you live in. The way wards are handled doesn't permit "ward shopping" unless you're willing to move. Am I missing something?
It's not about "re-inventing the wheel" but is more about exploring the technology and it's capabilities. Very cool!

Tom
canadianforester-p40
New Member
Posts: 1
Joined: Thu Jan 25, 2007 6:35 am
Location: Northern Ontario
Contact:

#13

Post by canadianforester-p40 »

I'm in school right now for GIS. Its pretty impressive the stuff you can do with it. I have been looking into some of the ArcIMS services and abilities and have looked at a number of websites with IMS built in. You can do a lot more than just having a pretty map to look at, it can allow downloading of specific data from the image extent you are looking at currently.

I personally think that having something like this built into the ward and stake websites would make a good addition for reports submitted at year end or quarterly. Like the person said how a picture says a thousand words, a thematic map showing ward attendance levels or baptisms by stake would be pretty cool, and help in the interpretation of the reports.
User avatar
mkmurray
Senior Member
Posts: 3266
Joined: Tue Jan 23, 2007 9:56 pm
Location: Utah
Contact:

#14

Post by mkmurray »

RussellHltn,

You make a good point about the video being a meetinghouse locator replacement. It would be pointless (and even further, misleading) to show more meetinghouses than the one you are suppossed to attend.

However, I just tried my current address and it showed me like 15 meeting houses. The one I attend was like 5th on the list. It must show all meeting houses located in a zip code when unable to find the street address. My housing is fairly new (within a year) and that is almostly certainly the cause. When it doesn't find your street address (or you only know the zip code you may be moving into), it may be helpful to show a map view with ward boundaries so that you can find your house in a ward boundary, even if the locator cannot. Plus, this meetinghouse locator is not solely used after you have moved into a home. I would assume many who use the locator use it during the home shopping process to get an idea of what ward you would be attending if purchasing a potential home.

I also think you're jumping the gun a little though. This technology is not limited to one and only one use. The ward boundary stuff and perhaps showing locations of members homes could prove useful in the unit websites.
User avatar
thedqs
Community Moderators
Posts: 1042
Joined: Wed Jan 24, 2007 8:53 am
Location: Redmond, WA
Contact:

#15

Post by thedqs »

Another part that was in the video that would be nice is the list of the bishop's contact info or e-mail at least so that you can contact your new bishop saying when you'll be moving in. This would help not only the person moving in, but gives a chance for the bishop to get a "welcome committee" (RS President, Elder's, etc) together and help with the moving.
- David
fonzallen
New Member
Posts: 1
Joined: Thu Jan 25, 2007 2:36 pm

This reminds me of when we used to report temple attendance....

#16

Post by fonzallen »

canadianforester wrote:I'm in school right now for GIS. Its pretty impressive the stuff you can do with it. I have been looking into some of the ArcIMS services and abilities and have looked at a number of websites with IMS built in. You can do a lot more than just having a pretty map to look at, it can allow downloading of specific data from the image extent you are looking at currently.

I personally think that having something like this built into the ward and stake websites would make a good addition for reports submitted at year end or quarterly. Like the person said how a picture says a thousand words, a thematic map showing ward attendance levels or baptisms by stake would be pretty cool, and help in the interpretation of the reports.
Cool yes but I am not sure all of the Bishops would appreciate this level of reporting being available to the general stake populace. However, showing a map of ward boundaries would be extremely helpful....

FA
russellhltn
Community Administrator
Posts: 34422
Joined: Sat Jan 20, 2007 2:53 pm
Location: U.S.

#17

Post by russellhltn »

tomw wrote:It's not about "re-inventing the wheel" but is more about exploring the technology and it's capabilities. Very cool!
Yes, it's very impressive. But then there's the proper application of technology.

That said, I'd love to see a way to get a ward's boundaries without having to be a member of the ward. Even if the ward uploaded a JPEG of the area, "outsiders" can't see it as things stand now.

To address another issue brought up by others: There's ways of putting contact information on the main page. I suspect the bishops would like to choose whether or not to publish that information. But it would be a good suggestion to make to the web site admins.
User avatar
pbarrus
New Member
Posts: 26
Joined: Fri Feb 02, 2007 10:47 am
Location: Sacramento, California

Stake and Ward boundaries

#18

Post by pbarrus »

I had a sister contact me this week. She has to move and wanted to know what the ward boundaries are for her ward. If that information were already available on the ward web site, I could have directed her there. Instead, she has to go to the Stake President's offices (when they are open) to see an actual map of her ward produced by Salt Lake City. Seems more efficient to have the maps on the Stake and Ward Web sites available to Stake members after they login.
russellhltn
Community Administrator
Posts: 34422
Joined: Sat Jan 20, 2007 2:53 pm
Location: U.S.

#19

Post by russellhltn »

Phyl wrote:She has to move and wanted to know what the ward boundaries are for her ward.
The meeting house locater does a good first try. But it would be nice to see the map just to verify.
User avatar
phxdwl-p40
New Member
Posts: 7
Joined: Tue Mar 20, 2007 9:50 pm
Location: Gilbert, AZ

#20

Post by phxdwl-p40 »

i have doing somthing similar for ours stake, i generated the ward boundaries in arc map based on a written discription, because the ward and stake clerk didnt know how to get any gis data, i created a poster size print map in arc then exported the shp to a KML using a plugin for arc map called kmler. then when they want mapping updates they give me a csv to import to google to geocode the addresses, and then i can use the same plugin to pull the addresses into arc for a reprint.

is there a way to get the shp data that i can have the stake presidency to request it.
Post Reply

Return to “Other Member Technologies”