Seeking the Online Calendar Version of Esperanto
June 29, 2017 8:21 AM Subscribe
Is there an online shared calendar I can use where I can convert an event to different calendar platforms BEFORE I invite other users?
I have a new job (yay!) with a startup. However, most of the Big MuckityMucks in the startup are older guys with existing other jobs or people who've come out of retirement, and so everyone has been trying to muddle through with a patchwork of entering things onto their own calendars at their respective jobs (or having admins do it for them) and one of the things I have been looking to do is create a shared calendar that can be easily integrated with their calendars. One problem - most of them are using Outlook, a couple are using Google, and one is using iCal. I know that there are standalone apps that can integrate with all of these, but I have been warned that the big Muckitymucks need things to be very, VERY easy.
So I'm looking for some kind of calendar app where I could create the calendar item, then send an Outlook entry for that item to Tom and Dick, a Google one to Harry and Don, and an iCal one to Sid, rather than creating the entry on my app and then expecting Tom, Dick, Harry, Don and Sid to do the conversion themselves (which I can already tell will not work - someone else in my office is going to be making a day trip to one guy's office to help him set up folders in Microsoft Explorer because he couldn't figure out how to do it himself). All of the apps I've seen so far puts the onus of conversion on the owners of the different apps; I'm looking for one that puts the onus on the calendar owner. Any thoughts?
I have a new job (yay!) with a startup. However, most of the Big MuckityMucks in the startup are older guys with existing other jobs or people who've come out of retirement, and so everyone has been trying to muddle through with a patchwork of entering things onto their own calendars at their respective jobs (or having admins do it for them) and one of the things I have been looking to do is create a shared calendar that can be easily integrated with their calendars. One problem - most of them are using Outlook, a couple are using Google, and one is using iCal. I know that there are standalone apps that can integrate with all of these, but I have been warned that the big Muckitymucks need things to be very, VERY easy.
So I'm looking for some kind of calendar app where I could create the calendar item, then send an Outlook entry for that item to Tom and Dick, a Google one to Harry and Don, and an iCal one to Sid, rather than creating the entry on my app and then expecting Tom, Dick, Harry, Don and Sid to do the conversion themselves (which I can already tell will not work - someone else in my office is going to be making a day trip to one guy's office to help him set up folders in Microsoft Explorer because he couldn't figure out how to do it himself). All of the apps I've seen so far puts the onus of conversion on the owners of the different apps; I'm looking for one that puts the onus on the calendar owner. Any thoughts?
Response by poster: I'm not entirely sure if anyone's ever tried this; when I asked if there was a shared calendar, I was handed an excel spreadsheet. And when we discussed having a shared calendar, the Mac guy spoke up and warned us that he had a Mac and everyone else tut-tutted about how that would make it more difficult. Although good to know about the Google/Outlook crossover. If Google plays well with Mac, then that may be the way to go after all.
I have a lengthier conversation with my predesesor about what they used the calendar for; it's possible that all we need to do is have a calendar that people just look at, which would be even simpler.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 11:20 AM on June 29, 2017
I have a lengthier conversation with my predesesor about what they used the calendar for; it's possible that all we need to do is have a calendar that people just look at, which would be even simpler.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 11:20 AM on June 29, 2017
I can confirm that gCal plays nicely with iCal. I am subscribed to a bunch of gCal-originated calendars on my Mac. I cannot imagine how that would be a problem.
posted by adamrice at 9:22 PM on June 29, 2017
posted by adamrice at 9:22 PM on June 29, 2017
Response by poster: Okay, I'm back.
I created a Google Calendar, and am in the testing phase - I've enlisted the iCal guy as one of the guinea Pigs, and I'm the other. I've tried creating an event in Google Calendar and inviting us both. We didn't see the original notification, so I did a bit of Googling and saw a suggestion to adjust the notification settings on my Google calendar. I then adjusted the time of the original event - and I got the notice in my Outlook about the event, declaring it an "updated invitation".
So I tried creating a new event, still with the same notification settings on my Google calendar. And I have NOT received the notification for that new event.
The iCal guy has not reported back, but I'm assuming he is having a similar experience.
Any ideas?
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 6:50 AM on July 12, 2017
I created a Google Calendar, and am in the testing phase - I've enlisted the iCal guy as one of the guinea Pigs, and I'm the other. I've tried creating an event in Google Calendar and inviting us both. We didn't see the original notification, so I did a bit of Googling and saw a suggestion to adjust the notification settings on my Google calendar. I then adjusted the time of the original event - and I got the notice in my Outlook about the event, declaring it an "updated invitation".
So I tried creating a new event, still with the same notification settings on my Google calendar. And I have NOT received the notification for that new event.
The iCal guy has not reported back, but I'm assuming he is having a similar experience.
Any ideas?
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 6:50 AM on July 12, 2017
Response by poster: Back again.
Everyone finally got around to telling me that they ultimately liked the Excel spreadsheet someone used to send around for their reference because it was "simple", but they just were afraid I would think it was too much work.
So this whole thing is moot. Yay, life in a startup.
Thank you for your time.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 1:25 PM on July 29, 2017
Everyone finally got around to telling me that they ultimately liked the Excel spreadsheet someone used to send around for their reference because it was "simple", but they just were afraid I would think it was too much work.
So this whole thing is moot. Yay, life in a startup.
Thank you for your time.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 1:25 PM on July 29, 2017
This thread is closed to new comments.
On re-read, you might be asking about creating a shared calendar that can be viewed on each platform, but i can't quite tell - if the question is about one shared calendar instead of a series of individual meeting invites the answer might change.
But are running into technical problems with this where it's not working? In what context?
posted by brainmouse at 9:44 AM on June 29, 2017