Mormon Messages Site Refused as A Resource on LUWS

Share discussions around the Classic Local Unit Website (LUWS).
techgy
Community Moderators
Posts: 3183
Joined: Sun Jan 13, 2008 6:48 pm
Location: California

Mormon Messages Site Refused as A Resource on LUWS

#1

Post by techgy »

The recent addition of MormonMessages, an official Church channel on YouTube is being refused as a Web Resource on LUWS's

I suspect that the reason is that the base domain of YouTube.com is being refused. Perhaps someone with the ability to correct this would make a note and add this new web site to the list of acceptable domains. ;)
User avatar
mkmurray
Senior Member
Posts: 3266
Joined: Tue Jan 23, 2007 9:56 pm
Location: Utah
Contact:

#2

Post by mkmurray »

Techgy wrote:The recent addition of MormonMessages, an official Church channel on YouTube is being refused as a Web Resource on LUWS's

I suspect that the reason is that the base domain of YouTube.com is being refused. Perhaps someone with the ability to correct this would make a note and add this new web site to the list of acceptable domains. ;)
I would perhaps call it a sub-site (or even just a channel), since there is no reason to have all of YouTube's domain accepted.
bdalton
New Member
Posts: 24
Joined: Thu Sep 06, 2007 12:41 pm

#3

Post by bdalton »

I was a bit shocked this morning when I discovered the LDS.ORG link to MormonMessages. It was very pleasant looking at the different church videos. However, I quickly discovered that MormonMessages is NOT a safe place to play. I certainly hope this is not being advertised as an official church site. It is YouTube! Imagine my surprise when I unwittingly clicked on one of the "Promoted Videos" at the bottom of the screen under Jeffery R. Holland's wonderful testimony. Suddenly it changed to "Sexual Chocolate" and further examination showed links to Angelina Jolie, Mylie Cyrus and a host of other stuff. I found several anti-mormon things and odd clips from other churches. Personally, I think the official church sites should not be encumbered by these kinds of links. I really wonder if any of our church leaders have seen what happens when you click on MormonMessages from the LDS.ORG site. As it stands right now, I'm going to have to remove LDS.ORG from my list of safe sites.
User avatar
AileneRHerrick
Member
Posts: 299
Joined: Mon Dec 08, 2008 2:33 pm
Location: Moses Lake, Washington, United States

#4

Post by AileneRHerrick »

BDalton wrote:I was a bit shocked this morning when I discovered the LDS.ORG link to MormonMessages. It was very pleasant looking at the different church videos. However, I quickly discovered that MormonMessages is NOT a safe place to play. I certainly hope this is not being advertised as an official church site. It is YouTube! Imagine my surprise when I unwittingly clicked on one of the "Promoted Videos" at the bottom of the screen under Jeffery R. Holland's wonderful testimony. Suddenly it changed to "Sexual Chocolate" and further examination showed links to Angelina Jolie, Mylie Cyrus and a host of other stuff. I found several anti-mormon things and odd clips from other churches. Personally, I think the official church sites should not be encumbered by these kinds of links. I really wonder if any of our church leaders have seen what happens when you click on MormonMessages from the LDS.ORG site. As it stands right now, I'm going to have to remove LDS.ORG from my list of safe sites.
YouTube is not an official LDS.org site. The Church does not endorse YouTube. They only sponsor a channel on YouTube. They can ensure that everything that is on their channel is safe... but not everything that is on YouTube.

If you click on videos underneath the "More from MormonMessages" those will be safe and Church-sponsored.

Things under "Related Videos" may be related to the videos sponsored by the Church, but that does not guarantee appropriateness. Use caution in clicking on those.

Things under "Promoted Videos" are videos that are promoted by YouTube, NOT the Church! I would recommend not touching those altogether.

I don't understand why you would have to remove LDS.org from your list of Safe Sites. Everything on LDS.org is safe. If you go to MormonMessages on YouTube, you just need to be careful where you click and make sure that you stay on the MormonMessages channel.

All that being said, I think that's probably the exact reason why we aren't able to link to it from the Ward Websites. The Church can't guarantee the safety of YouTube, only their sponsored channel on it.
User avatar
mkmurray
Senior Member
Posts: 3266
Joined: Tue Jan 23, 2007 9:56 pm
Location: Utah
Contact:

#5

Post by mkmurray »

I can understand anyone's hesitation to go there though. It is unfortunate that even though the Church can have a nice, clean, safe channel on YouTube, you can't guarantee what kind of content can be placed around your channel on the same web page.
lajackson
Community Moderators
Posts: 11460
Joined: Mon Mar 17, 2008 10:27 pm
Location: US

#6

Post by lajackson »

mkmurray wrote: It is unfortunate that even though the Church can have a nice, clean, safe channel on YouTube, you can't guarantee what kind of content can be placed around your channel on the same web page.
This is the very reason I was quite surprised to see that the Church has a channel on YouTube in the first place. I understand the desire to place those kinds of videos where others may see them, but it seems to me that the risks at this particular location may become quite dangerous. I suppose, in a way, that is true of the Internet in general, though.
User avatar
aebrown
Community Administrator
Posts: 15153
Joined: Tue Nov 27, 2007 8:48 pm
Location: Draper, Utah

#7

Post by aebrown »

lajackson wrote:This is the very reason I was quite surprised to see that the Church has a channel on YouTube in the first place. I understand the desire to place those kinds of videos where others may see them, but it seems to me that the risks at this particular location may become quite dangerous. I suppose, in a way, that is true of the Internet in general, though.

The simple fact is that almost all young people are spending time on YouTube. You can try to fight that, but you'll lose. So the Church has decided instead to improve the overall quality of YouTube by posting good content. I don't think the Church is enticing people to go to somewhere dangerous; rather it is creating a safe place within a site that a certain set of people will already be viewing.

Going back to the original question on this thread, however, I think the Church should not list the MormonMessages channel on its list of official sites. In that case, the Church would be leading people to go to YouTube who might not otherwise go there, which would increase the risk for some people.
User avatar
AileneRHerrick
Member
Posts: 299
Joined: Mon Dec 08, 2008 2:33 pm
Location: Moses Lake, Washington, United States

#8

Post by AileneRHerrick »

Alan_Brown wrote:The simple fact is that almost all young people are spending time on YouTube. You can try to fight that, but you'll lose. So the Church has decided instead to improve the overall quality of YouTube by posting good content. I don't think the Church is enticing people to go to somewhere dangerous; rather it is creating a safe place within a site that a certain set of people will already be viewing.

Going back to the original question on this thread, however, I think the Church should not list the MormonMessages channel on its list of official sites. In that case, the Church would be leading people to go to YouTube who might not otherwise go there, which would increase the risk for some people.
Well said, Alan. I agree.
bdalton
New Member
Posts: 24
Joined: Thu Sep 06, 2007 12:41 pm

#9

Post by bdalton »

AileneRHerrick wrote: I don't understand why you would have to remove LDS.org from your list of Safe Sites. Everything on LDS.org is safe. If you go to MormonMessages on YouTube, you just need to be careful where you click and make sure that you stay on the MormonMessages channel.
If you go to LDS.ORG you will see a link to Mormon Messages front and center on the main page. Assuming I was in a safe place, I clicked on the link and saw a lovely page of videos. I clicked on the tribute to Elder Wirthlin. When it was finished, the video was replaced by a couple of links to other videos. The first one was "Hitler Reacts to BYU Loss". While I am sure it was hilarious, it wasn't really in the mood I was looking for on LDS.ORG. While looking at one of the other videos from the "Official Channel of the Church", I was really shocked by all the anti-mormon links sitting right next to the video I was watching.

The point is, I had no idea I was leaving the realm of official church sites. It's great to find a church presence on YouTube, but there really should not be a link to it from LDS.ORG unless there is some kind of warning that you are about to leave the safety of the church's site. We cannot link to Mormon Messages from our ward web sites, and it seems a real contradiction to find a link to it from the main page of LDS.ORG.
techgy
Community Moderators
Posts: 3183
Joined: Sun Jan 13, 2008 6:48 pm
Location: California

#10

Post by techgy »

BDalton wrote:If you go to LDS.ORG you will see a link to Mormon Messages front and center on the main page. Assuming I was in a safe place, I clicked on the link and saw a lovely page of videos. I clicked on the tribute to Elder Wirthlin. When it was finished, the video was replaced by a couple of links to other videos. The first one was "Hitler Reacts to BYU Loss". While I am sure it was hilarious, it wasn't really in the mood I was looking for on LDS.ORG. While looking at one of the other videos from the "Official Channel of the Church", I was really shocked by all the anti-mormon links sitting right next to the video I was watching.

I agree and withdraw my original post suggesting that this site be referenced. Although the channel does contain LDS material, the inclusion of what you referenced and what I myself saw after viewing the video, is entirely inappropriate for an LDS site. Although I didn't click and view the video you mentioned, I'd have to agree that it doesn't belong there.
Locked

Return to “Classic Ward & Stake Sites (LUWS)”