Deckhand (or Deckhand app) and New World Scheduler are apps or theocratic software programs designed for Jehovah’s Witnesses. They have some similarities and some differences.
Our intention is not to criticize other software programs, since we are all “standing firm in one spirit, with one soul, striving side by side for the faith of the good news” – Philippians 1:27.
Instead, we invite you to compare the similarities and differences between New World Scheduler and Deckhand.
What is Deckhand?
Deckhand is an unofficial JW app designed for congregations of Jehovah’s Witnesses. It allows elders to maintain electronic Publisher Cards, Field Service reports, congregation schedules and some other congregation functions.
Deckhand is fully web-based or cloud based. All personal data, publisher data and publisher records are perinatally stored on online storage servers owned by Hourglass in various countries around the world.
How do you install Deckhand?
You cannot “install” Deckhand, since deckhand is not a computer program or app, rather it is a website, or a web-based app.
You can access Deckhand by visiting the Deckhand website and then logging in.
By contrast, NW Scheduler is a computer program that must be installed on your local computer. NW Publisher app can be installed via the Apple or Google App Stores.
Compare NW Scheduler with Deckhand
As both NW Scheduler and Deckhand are constantly changing, we are no longer able to provide and maintain an accurate list of features for both software programs.
Instead, please see a full list of NW Scheduler Features or simply Download NW Scheduler and see for yourself how New World Scheduler works.
It only takes a few minutes to setup, and you can import your Deckhand data directly into New World Scheduler.
Deckhand Data Storage
Deckhand stores all Congregation data, Person data, Scheduling Data, and any other data, permanently on online cloud storage servers.
Deckhand is 100% web-based or cloud-based.
By contrast, NW Scheduler is not web-based or cloud-based. NW Scheduler stores data on your local computer, and this data is always encrypted.
Are NW Scheduler or NW Publisher app web-based or cloud based?
No. NW Scheduler and NW Publisher app are not web-based and not cloud based. They must be installed locally on your personal computer or personal mobile device.
We recommend brothers be very cautious about using web-based or cloud-based apps (such as Deckhand or Hourglass) to store congregation information. While web-based applications are convenient, we personally feel the direction and principles found in sfl do not permit web-based applications to store congregation data.
Web-based applications (like Hourglass or Deckhand) store all congregation and person data permanently online and do not generally use end-to-end encryption.
Web-based applications by nature must allow any website administrators, developers and potentially support personnel full access to everyone’s data. This means they can potentially access every single persons data in every single congregation.
We do not feel comfortable with this, nor do we feel this complies with the principles and direction in sfl.
Web-based applications are also much more prone to hacking or data theft. They provide a single point for a hacker to attack and obtain every single persons data in every single congregation.
Web-based applications also rely on the honesty and integrity of worldly hosting companies, sometimes located in countries with poor data integrity records.
Web-based applications may even be subject to government or company subpoenas, whereby the software company or hosting company must provide access to everyone’s data.
NW Scheduler and NW Publisher app are not web based. Data cannot be opened or accessed by our developers, support staff, or anyone else.
NW Scheduler data is fully encrypted at all times, using End-to-End Encryption.