2010 is shaping up to be a banner year for the community. We have some exciting things planned, including the first LDSTech Developers Conference. Those who are interested in coming to Church headquarters, learning about development tools, and getting to work on volunteer development projects are invited to attend. Please mark your calendar for April 1 and 2. Registration and more details will be available in February.
<hr width="100%"> From the Archives
Recreation Properties Application Project
by Tom Johnson
Although the Church has more than 500 properties, from camps to lodges to ranches, there isn't a single content management system that centralizes all Church property information. Instead, many of the Web sites are independent of one another, inconsistent with each other and often incomplete, and maintained by different groups. When you try to locate a property, it can be hard to see the specific rules, availability, cost, activities, and amenities from one property to the next.
The Recreation Properties project will provide a central content management system to manage all the recreation property sites for the Church from a single administrative interface. Each of the recreation properties will contain standard information about the property, including:
- Map and location
- Activity areas and amenities
- Camp sites, cabins, lodges
- Rules about the property
- Reservation details and cost
- Schedule and availability
- Room and sleeping capacity
- Restrooms and showers
- Amphitheaters
Read full article.
<hr width="100%"> Community Projects Status
If you're finding it difficult to keep track of all the community projects available and what they are, see the new Community Projects wiki page.
All projects that you can contribute to are listed on this page, making it easier to find the information you are looking for. Projects are currently divided into Java Web-based projects and mobile project. Each project is summarized and lists the project URL, Subversion URL, and JIRA URL and optionally, a BETA URL.
This page will always contain the most up-to-date summary of community projects. Visit it often and refer your friends to it.
<hr width="100%"> Community Spotlight
James Anderson (user name: JamesAnderson) is a senior member of the LDSTech forums. He has been participating in the community for over two years.
LDSTech: What is your technical background?
JamesAnderson: Actually, I'm not a programmer, but I have tested software, including some family history things for the Church and a Web site that was never completed. I tested to see if the code worked and the site did what it was supposed to do. However, I took some very basic programming classes at a junior college in Arizona, so I have some idea of how things work in the technology and programming area.
LDSTech: How did you find LDSTech?
JamesAnderson: I found out about it from two blogs and a Web search. At the time I had a lot of interest in the new FamilySearch and began working with it only a couple of months later. About that time I began work with the FamilySearch Wiki as a community member, and I have been involved in a number of significant things, both on the tech side and the user side.
I also had been serving in leadership callings in the Church and had some interaction with MLS about the time LDSTech came online.
LDSTech: What do you enjoy most about LDSTech?
JamesAnderson: Being able to interact with the community and help try to resolve common issues that come up. I also desire to help make things work better and make things easier for the average member or leader to use technology in the Church setting.
LDSTech: What potential do you think LDSTech has? Do you have any ideas for the site?
JamesAnderson: I think if more people found this site, or were made aware of it, they would be able to find more help resolving the technical issues that arise in the Church technology setting, whether it's an issue with MLS, FamilySearch, Meetinghouse Webcast, LDS.org, the Mormon Channel mobile applications, or any other application that exists to aid the membership and leadership and help the members to come unto Christ. The Church has come a long way technologically, and more so in the last ten years, than many realize. Many things are much easier to accomplish than before, and the burdens of paperwork and similar things in administrative callings have been eased to a degree already. Much work can yet be done, and will yet be done, to improve things even more in both the short and long term.