Privacy Issue

Discussions about the Ward Directory and Map tool on churchofjesuschrist.org.
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spartner
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Posts: 2
Joined: Thu Oct 27, 2016 8:19 am

Privacy Issue

#1

Post by spartner »

I have my email address set to Private which should make it visible to administrators only. However, I am receiving lots of unwanted emails that don't pertain to me from the Relief Society and the High Priest Group that are just shotgunned out to everyone. I am a High Priest but don't want all the noise everyone sends out. Those who are administrators are welcome to my address but I want it private from all others. How can I do that. I am currently the Membership Clerk but that shouldn't make any difference.
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aebrown
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Joined: Tue Nov 27, 2007 8:48 pm
Location: Draper, Utah

Re: Privacy Issue

#2

Post by aebrown »

spartner wrote:I have my email address set to Private which should make it visible to administrators only.
Just to clarify, when you set your email address to Private, it makes it visible to what the site describes as "Leaders only." The current definition of that term is stake presidency, bishopric, and ward and stake clerks. That's not "administrators only," but it is still a small group.
spartner wrote:However, I am receiving lots of unwanted emails that don't pertain to me from the Relief Society and the High Priest Group that are just shotgunned out to everyone. I am a High Priest but don't want all the noise everyone sends out.
There are a couple of possibilities here. The most likely possibility is that the people sending these emails obtained your email address some way other than through the Directory on LDS.org (perhaps you sent them an email at some point in the past, or you or someone else shared your email address with them). In this case, they are just using their personal contact list or email address book to send the email. The only way for you to fix that situation is for you to contact the sender(s) directly and ask them to remove your email address from their address book.

Another possibility you might want to check into: the Directory lists both a household and an individual email address. Although you might use the same address in both places, each has its own privacy setting, and so it's possible that you set your individual email address as Private, but your household email address is still Ward or Stake visibility.

Another thing to check is who is actually sending the messages. Are they coming from the Church system, even though they have a person's name on them? You can verify this by digging into the email details to see if they actually came from the account "noreply@ldschurch.org". Emails sent through LCR will look like that, but emails sent through the Directory will actually come from the sender's email system.
spartner wrote:Those who are administrators are welcome to my address but I want it private from all others. How can I do that.
As long as you've made your email address (both household and individual) private, that's all you can do. Leaders who have access to all email addresses, even Private ones, need to exercise good judgment in what emails they broadcast to large groups.
russellhltn
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Re: Privacy Issue

#3

Post by russellhltn »

aebrown wrote:... "Leaders only." The current definition of that term is stake presidency, bishopric, and ward and stake clerks. That's not "administrators only," but it is still a small group.
I know that used to be the definition, but I'm not so sure but what it hasn't expanded to include RS/EQP/HPGL depending on the tool used.
Have you searched the Help Center? Try doing a Google search and adding "site:churchofjesuschrist.org/help" to the search criteria.

So we can better help you, please edit your Profile to include your general location.
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aebrown
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Location: Draper, Utah

Re: Privacy Issue

#4

Post by aebrown »

russellhltn wrote:
aebrown wrote:... "Leaders only." The current definition of that term is stake presidency, bishopric, and ward and stake clerks. That's not "administrators only," but it is still a small group.
I know that used to be the definition, but I'm not so sure but what it hasn't expanded to include RS/EQP/HPGL depending on the tool used.
That sounds like speculation. Do you have any source?

The current documentation for the Directory, specifically Editing Your Profile, still has a definition very close to mine. It is dated January 2016. If you have any documentation or specific experience to the contrary, please share it.
russellhltn
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Re: Privacy Issue

#5

Post by russellhltn »

aebrown wrote:
russellhltn wrote:I know that used to be the definition, but I'm not so sure but what it hasn't expanded to include RS/EQP/HPGL depending on the tool used.
That sounds like speculation. Do you have any source?
As you know, there are three sources of information: Directory, LCR and LDS Tools. Each on their own update cycle, such that at any given time, one may do things differently than the others. As far as I know, what you cited for the Directory is still correct. It hasn't been updated in some time. (And then again, Help files don't always get updated when there are changes.)

The information may be exposed in LCR, but since those leaders do not have access to "Send a Message" (according to the access table), that doesn't seem as likely.

That leaves LDS Tools. We learned back in March of last year, that LDS Tools "Added access to additional membership information and reports for ward council members and their counselors and secretaries." Things like Birth Years. And, looking at the LDS Tools release notes, it appears that leaders do have various options of contacting members from the Tool.

So yes, it's speculation, but IMO, if LDS Tools exposes ages to "quorum" leaders, it's not unreasonable speculation that it also exposes "leader only" email addresses.

I suspect OP's real concern is that leaders are sending messages outside of the group of members they lead. I think that's a valid point to bring up with the bishop.
Have you searched the Help Center? Try doing a Google search and adding "site:churchofjesuschrist.org/help" to the search criteria.

So we can better help you, please edit your Profile to include your general location.
spartner
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Joined: Thu Oct 27, 2016 8:19 am

Re: Privacy Issue

#6

Post by spartner »

Thanks, I'll talk to him.
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