[Ldsoss] Ward Website Email Broadcasting

[Tom Welch]

Steven H. McCown wrote:
> When someone goes to Amazon.com or researches genealogy at genealogy.com or
> somewhere like that, they can simply log on.  However, with the church's
> system, you must remember on a frantic Sunday to meet with your ward clerk
> (who's usually busy or disappeared), ask for your membership number and your
> date of confirmation.  While both are personally unique, they are simply
> hard to [remember] to get.  If you forget on one week, then you must
> remember on the next.  After a few weeks of forgetting, then users simply
> lose interest.
>   
This is being discussed and addressed at the Church.  We are working on 
a new identity system that will try and enable single sign-on for all of 
the various Church websites (both internal, external, and 
ecclesiastical).  In the process of doing this, we are looking at 
alternative methods of authenticating people without making it so hard.  
I'll pass your suggestions on to those working on the project.
> **I'm not sure if there is a better way (i.e., at least as secure) to
> authenticate users, but this seems to be the real deterrent.**
>
> Here are some alternative ideas:
>
> 1) Would it be possible to log in and setup your account from your clerk's
> terminal?
>
> 2) Could a member simply ask the clerk to 'enable' their account for them to
> log in?  (without their membership # and such)
>
> 3) Could a member ask the clerk to send an 'invitation' to subscribe to a
> member's personal e-mail account?  This could then be authenticated by the
> user via their personal e-mail -- kind of like subscribing to the LDSOSS and
> other news lists.
>
> I applaud the intent of security with the current system (I am a security
> professional), however, it does seem like a deterrent for most [non-tech
> industry] users.  
>
> Option #3 would streamline the process and make it simpler and easier for
> users to subscribe.
>
> Other ideas?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Steve
>
>   

-- 
Tom Welch
welchtc at ldschurch.org
(801) 240-1609
(858) 829-4614 - Cell


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