With our last update we did extend the timeout session for our customers. As a reminder, this setting helps protect users from more than just leaving their workstation with eTapestry open but also helps in a variety of other situations regarding security (no matter where you are working from....even from home). In the end, security of your data is most important and we will continue to try and balance your data security and convenience in using the system.

I work for a non-profit company and we have recently started to use E-Tap, which on the whole appears to be a good system. However, the frustration we are all experiencing is the auto log-off function. Most of us work from home and are finding it very frustrating that if we stop working on the system to take a call, inevitably we have to sign back in. This happens numerous times each day. Please can you change the settings to allow the user to determine how long they wish to stay logged into the system? This would reduce my stress-levels massively!!

We have worked with our security team and with our next release, scheduled for mid-March, you will see an increase in the forced timeout for inactivity in the system.

Again, please provide an update as to when this will be resolved. Mike Rusche indicated this would be addressed and resolved in early 2022. It is now almost March, and continues to greatly affect all users.

What is the status on this? Mike Rusche, you advised that a solution was in process back in November. It is now February, and this problem continues to impact users all day, every day.

I cannot believe this issue still hasn't been sorted. I work from home. I am on my own. I can be responsible for making the decision about when I need to be logged out. If I can choose an option on my phone, surely it can't be that hard for you to sort. Literally I swear out loud at etap 50 times a day. It's not good for my mental health.

@Mike Rusche, that's so great to hear! Thank you for this update.

I want to give you an update on this item as I know a lot of folks have posted about it. We have heard the feedback and we are working on a solution to allow the time out to be longer than the 30 minutes. While I can not get it out before the end of the year, I am pretty confident we can eliminate the frustration soon into 2022.

Also, agree with so many others that it's not simply just having to re-log in that is the most frustrating - but the fact that eTapestry does not retain any of your settings, something that is annoying enough on it's own. So you have to keep following all these steps over and over again all day long. Blackbaud, pay attention.

I've had the system time out my log-in information while I was in the middle of working in the system - it's really incredible that this has not been resolved. Blackbaud, this is an issue that must be addressed. This can't possibly make the system any safer than timing us out after 2 hours of inactivity even, but it's regularly frustrating and annoying 100% of your clients.

Agree 100% with so many of these comments and can't believe this major issue is being ignored. Simply revert back or put a user option on so we can choose. This is beyond irritating. I have at least three other programmes open and do not see the log out prompt. It is my responsibility to ensure my device is secure. I work from home, no one else is here.

Circling back on this issue. Love the comment here from Robert Burch, "We already have screen saver locks and passwords. I believe workstation security is our issue. Application security is yours. Please please listen to us. We use the system for hours each day. I doubt you do so you don't realise the damage you are doing."

Mike's response in this thread is tone-deaf. Blackbaud is taking a sledgehammer to an issue that needs more nuance.

I agree with this, my team has been complaining since the update. I understand the need to keep our information secure, but (at least in my operation) we lock our computers with password protection when we leave our desks, and our PC screens also time out due to inactivity after a short time, which requires a password to reinstate. Please consider making the timeout either customizable, or putting a longer time in before it logs us out. This is very inconvenient. Thank you.

After using eTapestry for 6 years, I was a big fan. I never had anything but positive feelings about it as the database manager. I now feel negatively towards eTapestry multiple times a day. This needs to be an optional change or it must be worked in that I as the Admin can change the timeout limits.

We are a tiny nonprofit. In the last year, I personally have (no imports or mass updates on these specific numbers) added nearly 10,000 journal entries. On top of answering the phones, purchases and daily errands. Glory be, daresay sometimes I have to use...a different program! So if I use Excel, have a phone call or do an errand for 31 minutes, I have to re-login to eTapestry and then lose all the defaults. If I'm doing all that, imagine how much our president has to do? She is the other person who uses eTapestry in our office. We DO NOT need to be dealing with logging in and out of eTapestry.

As I said, after using eTapestry for 6 years, I was a big fan. I never had anything but positive feelings about it as the database manager. I now feel negatively towards eTapestry multiple times a day.

I will join the chorus here and just say that the new auto time out limit is annoying and frustrating. I also support this idea from Robert Burch another commenter here, "If Blackbaud will not make the timeout longer for everyone, could they at least allow Users with Admin rights to set the timeout for either their organisation or for each individual User?"

Just chiming in here to say that the new auto-time out is very frustrating and inconvient. Definitely seems to time out faster than 30 minutes. No option to change the time length is condescending to users as if we are unable to securely manage data. Would very much appreciate the option to change or shift this setting.

It certainly doesn't sound like you are listening to our comments at all, as you clearly state this unilateral change to the system is not going away. I also do not appreciate the implication that we are unable to provide our constituents with security on our own. The idea that I would walk away from my open database in a public place is insulting. I am working from home, in the deep woods, on a computer that no one else can access.

I have in the past been a reference for ET. I have always filled out my customer satisfaction surveys and given your usually excellent help department high marks. Between this new, unasked for and unwanted change to the system and the new, $600/year added on fee, I, too, am looking at changing my CRM.

Mike - thanks for responding. However, despite all the negative comments below I am not sure you realise how bad this is for users. We have five eTapestry systems in three continents and all the users I have spoken to are finding this a massive inconvenience. I really like eTapestry and have recommended it to other organisations. This single change would remove that recommendation. We all appreciate the security considerations but I feel that you should provide the security mechanisms in your product but allow our system administrators to configure them to suit their organisation. You could provide configurable timeouts so that we could set it differently for home workers or those in an open office. We already have screen saver locks and passwords. I believe workstation security is our issue. Application security is yours. Please please listen to us. We use the system for hours each day. I doubt you do so you don't realise the damage you are doing.

Again, appreciate all of the comments, even if you are sharing the frustrations....while the 30 minute time-out is not going to change, we are continuing to look at ways for the system to be smarter and recognize work being done so it does not time you out if you are actively working. I

n the end, we want ti to be a good experience for our users without sacrificing a certain level of security. I would imagine that many of your constituents like the fact that you can not just leave your system unattended for a length of time that would allow someone to sit down and be able to see any information they wanted on them. I know I would feel that way. However, I also understand the security balance and the use of the system, so we will continue to work to find ways to meet both sides.

If you would like to reach out to me personally, please do not hesitate, mike.rusche@blackbaud.com. I am happy to have conversations about eTapestry at any time.

You probably already have the idea this change isn't being well received by the user community, because the update to force a logout after 30 minutes of inactivity creates problems for users.

Your claimed security enhancement with its new arbitrary time limit may solve a problem that didn't exist. How many security issues resulted from the 90-minute limit?

Have you considered that a 15-minute limit would be even more secure than 30 minutes? What about a limit of 5 minutes? But wait! There's nice symmetry to changing the inactivity limit from 90 minutes to 90 seconds.

On last thing. Do you know the contact number for Donor Perfect?