HT/VT Reporting Website Overview

[hpaulsen]

Perhaps something like the following:

Home Teaching:
Green - visited in person and delivered a message
Yellow - mailed letter, contacted by phone, or talked briefly at the front door
Red - no contact made

For those of us who are color-blind, an alternative to color coding would be helpful. Usually an icon or a shape in addition to the color is sufficient.

-Hyrum

[mkmurray]

For those of us who are color-blind, an alternative to color coding would be helpful. Usually an icon or a shape in addition to the color is sufficient.

-Hyrum

Excellent point.

[russellhltn]

For those of us who are color-blind, an alternative to color coding would be helpful. Usually an icon or a shape in addition to the color is sufficient.

Wouldn't shading (making sure that the colors are not the same intensity) do the task? Granted, it wouldn't communicate status quite the same, but it would indicate grouping.

[hpaulsen]

Wouldn't shading (making sure that the colors are not the same intensity) do the task? Granted, it wouldn't communicate status quite the same, but it would indicate grouping.

Yes, shading works. However, because I never developed the memory capacity for colors, shading does not stand out to me as do icons, patterns, and shapes. I could probably use the program for months before even noticing that there is a shading difference.

Another possibility that is easier than adding icons to drop-down boxes is to add groupings in parentheses following the visit type, e.g. "Phone contact (not counted for HT)", "Visit (counted for HT)".

[Mr. M-p40]

Ahh...but there are those of us who do count it....

Maybe it would be helpful to manage visit types at the user lever and add a field that tracks whether or not a specific type of visit is counted.

I don't think that we can set standards for by the book or not as the program's logic won't be able to automatically adjust for inspiration, where a bishop or stake president says to count it, etc.

If we could toggle the types of visits and also whether or not they were counted that wouls allow us to make changes dynamically in cases of differing guidelines. It will also allow us to change later in a ward that has been doing it one way and gets a different directive later.

Hey, combine that with the color coding and we can even assign our our colors to each one. it wouldn't be that hard to do, it could all be tracked with user preferences.

[russellhltn]

I don't think that we can set standards for by the book or not as the program's logic won't be able to automatically adjust for inspiration, where a bishop or stake president says to count it, etc.

If you're talking about reports for the bishop or stake president, that's fine. But most of us follow the guidelines for reporting back to church headquarters and I don't think the guidelines allows for such inspiration. Certainly that would have to be reviewed at a higher level before that feature is added to the program.

Personally I think the 3, 4 or 12 month chart that shows visit history and gives different indications for the type of visit would work well. The numbers don't always tell the story. A companionship that always misses 1 out of 5 assignments, but rotates the missed family is different then a companionship that consistently misses the same family.

The leader is free to read the chart as they wish, but the hard numbers confirm to CHQ's instructions.

[Mr. M-p40]

If you're talking about reports for the bishop or stake president, that's fine. But most of us follow the guidelines for reporting back to church headquarters and I don't think the guidelines allows for such inspiration.

I know I am a new member to these forums and i don't want to ruffle any feathers but I don't question my leaders inspiration or the general authorities that ask us to count calls and letters as visitis in specific circumstances. I would ask that we focus on the the technologies ability to handle different ciircumstances and not bring our personal judgements of others inspiration into these forums.

Thank you.

[russellhltn]

I would ask that we focus on the the technologies ability to handle different circumstances and not bring our personal judgements of others inspiration into these forums.

Flexibility is one thing, but I'd have a big problem with programs that would openly allow the system to function outside of published guidelines. At least not without review of the appropriate leaders. Perhaps there would be a "secret switch" that on approval of the proper GA, the reporting guidelines would change. I don't have a problem with allowing the underlying infrastructure to deal with such a case. It's when it's openly allowed in the preferences I have a problem.

This is not new. Try calling a Priesthood holder as the Primary President in MLS and you'll see what I mean. But that restriction is in accordance with the instructions found in the GHI.

Tom: since this borders on policy, some general guidance on the subject would be appreciated. To what extent should the technology we develop follow or not follow the guidelines? In a worldwide church which experiences a wide range of conditions there may well be exceptions. I'm guessing that it will have to be reviewed on a case by case basis, but some general statements would still be appreciated.

[Mr. M-p40]

I guess I need to disable that MLS hack that fires the 15th of every randomly selects families and marks them as visited to keep my numbers between 76 and 87 percent.

[russellhltn]

I guess I need to disable that MLS hack that fires the 15th of every randomly selects families and marks them as visited to keep my numbers between 76 and 87 percent.

Really! No one would believe that. It needs to be set to the 30/31st.