Managing Email Accounts

[yamkela]

So this is the deal, we just transferred to a web host and we now have the ability to give our staff email accounts. Currently the way it is set up (not by me) is that each user gets an account name and a password, but they CANNOT change the password. This must be done by the guy managing the site at our church.

This seemed a little strange to me because at my old High School, University, and where I work, the user had control of the password and in fact you HAVE TO change the password every 4 months in the case of my University.

I'm not sure how the management of the accounts work, I don't believe the Admin has access to the account without the password (I think just the power to create, suspend, or delete).

So this is my questions are
1. do any of your churches have it set us the way we do?
2. Is it really necessary for the church to have access to the staff member's mail contents?

[[Admin] osborn4]

1) No. At our church, users set thier own passwords and have to change them every 2 months.
2) it could be in some legal cases that the church would need access to an employee's (or volunteer's) mail account.

[wvpv]

This is a good reason to set up and use Google Apps for your Domain.

[cbcmary]

I set up our email accts using passwords each staff member wanted and I have a record. If they change it, they tell me. No written policy, just the way we are doing it.
(it's just 3 of us and I have one for the soundbooth computer for downloads only)
mary

[[Admin] osborn4]

Originally Posted by wvpv

This is a good reason to set up and use Google Apps for your Domain.

Or at least Google e-mail.

[tedanderson]

1. We tried it that way at first until the administrator realized that he would be responsible for reminding people of their password if they forgot. Soon it became, "I don't need to remember. I'll just ask the admin."

2. Yes. Sometimes you have issues of misconduct, whether actual, perceived, or for whatever reason otherwise investigation. Other times, you have a situation where someone leaves the church organization and his/her business contacts were never known or reassigned.

We had a situation where both of these circumstances applied. The employee in question was involved in misconduct AND he had business contacts that he used while representing the church. So after this guy was suddenly fired, we had to contact everyone we could find in his email and keep an ear open in case someone was attempting to contact him.

[[Director] Joseph B]

I set up the e-mail accounts all with the same password and directions for them to change it to whatever they wanted.
I could access all the e-mail accounts until they changed the password (and I let them know that) after they changed it I could reset it (if they forgot it) but couldn't access their mail.