Beta calendar enhancement wishlist

Discussions about the Calendar Tool at lds.org. Questions about the calendar on the classic site should be posted in the LUWS forum.
kisaac
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Beta calendar enhancement wishlist

#1

Post by kisaac »

inspired by the thread started by JDlessley
jdlessley wrote:I want to get a discussion of things I am finding in the beta calendar before I submit feedback to the developers.
that thread is here:(some of the issues in the thread are already corrected.)

I would like a discussion about enhancements or improvements for the beta version of the calendar, now up and running at https://beta.lds.org/church-calendar.
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I'm very excited about this next generation calendar in association with the next generation of LUWS, and hope this is not taken as criticisms, but helpful improvement ideas. That is the purpose for the Beta test, right? I also realize that for the developers of the calendar to receive these issues, we should use the "submit feedback" link on the calendar page, as they may or may not be monitoring this forum. However, this forum allows the community to brainstorm and collaborate on suggestions, and we can reference this dialog when we "submit feedback."

Here is my short wishlist of changes and enhancements for the short time I've used it.
  1. The repeating event function doesn't include an option to repeat most days, but exclude some days. Example: bishopric meeting is every tuesday, except the second tuesday. Choir practice is every sunday, except fifth sundays. Temple recommend interviews are signed every Sunday except fast (first) Sunday. You can put them in every day, then manually erase each one that is wrong. Tedious.
  2. The increments of time available for scheduling events is 15 minutes, but that may be too long for some events, such as tithing settlement (10 minute) or Home Teaching interviews, (5 or 10 minutes.)
  3. It is impossible to see later events in a very fully scheduled day in month view, with no scroll ability. In week view, 30 minute events are difficult to read. A "day" view doesn't exist but would help. It may also help if a "mouse over" of an event brought up at least the full event title.
  4. The printed calendar is not detailed enough to be a stand-alone calendar. For example, it probably couldn't be useful in the printed ward newsletter.
What have others found?
kennethjorgensen
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#2

Post by kennethjorgensen »

kisaac wrote:Here is my short wishlist of changes and enhancements for the short time I've used it.
  1. The repeating event function doesn't include an option to repeat most days, but exclude some days. Example: bishopric meeting is every tuesday, except the second tuesday. Choir practice is every sunday, except fifth sundays. Temple recommend interviews are signed every Sunday except fast (first) Sunday. You can put them in every day, then manually erase each one that is wrong. Tedious.
  2. The increments of time available for scheduling events is 15 minutes, but that may be too long for some events, such as tithing settlement (10 minute) or Home Teaching interviews, (5 or 10 minutes.)
  3. It is impossible to see later events in a very fully scheduled day in month view, with no scroll ability. In week view, 30 minute events are difficult to read. A "day" view doesn't exist but would help. It may also help if a "mouse over" of an event brought up at least the full event title.
  4. The printed calendar is not detailed enough to be a stand-alone calendar. For example, it probably couldn't be useful in the printed ward newsletter.
What have others found?
I think your suggestions are "spot on". This whole project has big potential.

It is worth repeating your first suggestion:
The repeating event function doesn't include an option to repeat most days, but exclude some days. Example: bishopric meeting is every tuesday, except the second tuesday. Choir practice is every sunday, except fifth sundays. Temple recommend interviews are signed every Sunday except fast (first) Sunday.
jdlessley
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Deconflicting Calendar Events (beta calendar)

#3

Post by jdlessley »

The quotes below are from the beta calendar transitionthread. They follow, but digress from, a post asking if the current LUWS calendar data would move to the beta calendar when it becomes the new LUWS calendar.

RussellHltn made this post:
RussellHltn wrote:As a practical matter, it wouldn't be a good idea to automatically move the data from the LUWS calendar to the beta one. They're structured differently.

The LUWS calendar is one calender for the unit. The new system allows for multiple calendars. Typically I'd expect one calendar per organization in the unit so that members can select what events they see.

Some of the comments that followed were these:
oregonmatt wrote:I'd even go so far as to suggest that you make as many calendars as possible so that each member will be able to see exactly what they are interested in and filter out what they don't.
zaneclark wrote:I wonder about that... One of the many uses of calendars to view and prevent possible conflicts. With everyone having their own calendar, you would have to check several to avoid a running into some elses meeting or activity.
oregonmatt wrote:Identifying conflicts is not really an issue. It takes about 3 seconds to enable viewing of all of the calendars before scheduling an event. Anybody scheduling something would be wise to do so.
After discussing the features of the beta calendar with my bishop he had concerns about deconfliction of events. His primary concern is the number of calendars that can be created and then deconflicting events with such a large number of calendars for a member to have to subscribe to and view, or review, before scheduling an event.

After thinking about it I have the same concern. Requiring a person to subscribe to all the available calendars for your ward and stake to see if there is a conflict before an event is scheduled is going to introduce human error into the process of scheduling events. For those who do it regularly they will do just as oregonmatt envisions with little problem - check, or subscribe to, them all; review the dates and times for conflicts; schedule the event; and then return your subscription list back to the way you had it.

Our (my stake) current experiences with the LUWS ward calendars and resources calendars teach us that errors abound when people have to look in more than one place for information to complete a process.

The multiple layering of calendars in the beta calendars is good. It just needs to include a quick way to permit a calendar editor to view all events within the ward, and even the stake, for deconfliction and then return to their preferred subscription selections. Perhaps adding a button that toggles between the two would meet this need.
JD Lessley
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#4

Post by danpass »

jdlessley wrote:The multiple layering of calendars in the beta calendars is good. It just needs to include a quick way to permit a calendar editor to view all events within the ward, and even the stake, for deconfliction and then return to their preferred subscription selections. Perhaps adding a button that toggles between the two would meet this need.
I agree. This is an excellent idea!
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mfmohlma
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#5

Post by mfmohlma »

jdlessley wrote:The multiple layering of calendars in the beta calendars is good. It just needs to include a quick way to permit a calendar editor to view all events within the ward, and even the stake, for deconfliction and then return to their preferred subscription selections. Perhaps adding a button that toggles between the two would meet this need.
I agree this is a good idea as well. If building deconflicting is what is required, you can always create a "building" calendar that is similar to the current resource calendar.

Actually, this brings up the critical nature of enabling cross-ward calendars. Building scheduling with resource-type calendars is a must in the new calendar environment. I don't think the new calendars can currently be viewed outside of your own ward.

...and this brings up a current problem we have with wards from different stakes in a single building. The relevant stake presidencies have had to resort to an external calendar to schedule the building. Viewing approved calendars from neighboring stakes would be very appreciated.
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#6

Post by russellhltn »

For managing resources, I'd like to see that as "properties" of the event. So any changes in the event would change the resources used. (Having to schedule resources separately causes errors.)

For people in other units, they see "busy" for resources, but not what meeting was taking place. Much like Google calendars.
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FullmerCB
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#7

Post by FullmerCB »

kisaac wrote:inspired by the thread started by JDlessley

that thread is here:(some of the issues in the thread are already corrected.)

I would like a discussion about enhancements or improvements for the beta version of the calendar, now up and running at https://beta.lds.org/church-calendar.
Sign in with your LDS account.

I'm very excited about this next generation calendar in association with the next generation of LUWS, and hope this is not taken as criticisms, but helpful improvement ideas. That is the purpose for the Beta test, right? I also realize that for the developers of the calendar to receive these issues, we should use the "submit feedback" link on the calendar page, as they may or may not be monitoring this forum. However, this forum allows the community to brainstorm and collaborate on suggestions, and we can reference this dialog when we "submit feedback."

Here is my short wishlist of changes and enhancements for the short time I've used it.
  1. The repeating event function doesn't include an option to repeat most days, but exclude some days. Example: bishopric meeting is every tuesday, except the second tuesday. Choir practice is every sunday, except fifth sundays. Temple recommend interviews are signed every Sunday except fast (first) Sunday. You can put them in every day, then manually erase each one that is wrong. Tedious.
  2. The increments of time available for scheduling events is 15 minutes, but that may be too long for some events, such as tithing settlement (10 minute) or Home Teaching interviews, (5 or 10 minutes.)
  3. It is impossible to see later events in a very fully scheduled day in month view, with no scroll ability. In week view, 30 minute events are difficult to read. A "day" view doesn't exist but would help. It may also help if a "mouse over" of an event brought up at least the full event title.
  4. The printed calendar is not detailed enough to be a stand-alone calendar. For example, it probably couldn't be useful in the printed ward newsletter.
What have others found?
Excellent suggestions - we're on it, but please be patient ... we don't have the resources of a Google :) - Thanks! Chadf - Product Manager
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mfmohlma
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#8

Post by mfmohlma »

RussellHltn wrote:For managing resources, I'd like to see that as "properties" of the event. So any changes in the event would change the resources used. (Having to schedule resources separately causes errors.)

For people in other units, they see "busy" for resources, but not what meeting was taking place. Much like Google calendars.
This is a much better idea. It would still need some supervisory function to answer the question of "Who is using the kitchen when I need to schedule it?"
jdlessley
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#9

Post by jdlessley »

jdlessley wrote:The multiple layering of calendars in the beta calendars is good. It just needs to include a quick way to permit a calendar editor to view all events within the ward, and even the stake, for deconfliction and then return to their preferred subscription selections. Perhaps adding a button that toggles between the two would meet this need.
oregonmatt wrote:I agree this is a good idea as well. If building deconflicting is what is required, you can always create a "building" calendar that is similar to the current resource calendar.
That is an area that needs attention and I am glad you brought it up. What I was addressing is one organization planning and scheduling an event the same time as another organization. For example the Scouts are planning to have an outing in which many of the fathers will be involved but at the same time the Elders quorum is planning to have an activity. A good number of the Elders quorum members will be absent from the quorum activity in support of their son's scouting event. This is a weak example but I think you get the idea. Sometimes these conflicts are caught through the other communications channels such as ward council. The deconfliction of events in the early stages of planning through the calendar can save the late or even last minute cancelation of an event because of participation conflicts or other conflicts.
JD Lessley
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jdlessley
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#10

Post by jdlessley »

oregonmatt wrote:
RussellHltn wrote:For managing resources, I'd like to see that as "properties" of the event. So any changes in the event would change the resources used. (Having to schedule resources separately causes errors.)

For people in other units, they see "busy" for resources, but not what meeting was taking place. Much like Google calendars.

This is a much better idea. It would still need some supervisory function to answer the question of "Who is using the kitchen when I need to schedule it?"
I agree with oregonmatt in needing more information on a scheduled resource. A method we use today for our stake center that has three wards using that same building is to have point-of-contact information such as name, telephone number or e-mail address or both provided with a resource reservation so that others can ask for accomodation for their event directly with the person or organization making the original reservation.
JD Lessley
Have you tried finding your answer on the ChurchofJesusChrist.org Help Center or Tech Wiki?
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