C5G iCalendar Calendar Subscriptions

[libertyforall1776]

Just an idea -- it would be cool if we could subscribe to the C5G calendar here on our computers and mobile devices using iCalendar. An example of this is Welcome to iCalShare

The idea is you subscribe by using these .ics files and your device continually updates the feed so you always have the latest events on your calendar. I am surprised this hasn't caught on more, since it works nicely, and is an industry standard...

For example, here's an iCalendar for Chicago Bears:
Chicago Bears Schedule on iCalShare

More info about iCalendar -- works with Apple iCal on Mac, Microsoft Outlook on Windows, Mozilla Thunderbird, Google Calendar, iPhone and other smartphones, and many other apps:
iCalendar - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[Toasty]

It might be easier to just do a shared Google calendar. I'd figure more of us have Google accounts anyway, rather than another calendar sharing site.

[RKFDGEO]

I like it. iCal rocks.
Thanks for the bears one, I was looking for it the other day.

[libertyforall1776]

That is the beauty of iCalendar files, the hosting can be right here on C5G or anywhere, the iCalShare website is just merely one example where it could go.

Basically the .ics file is subscribed to over WebDAV or CalDAV, which in laymen's terms means a file is downloaded to your computer or mobile device, and the calendar is continually updated with the source.

It might be easier to just do a shared Google calendar. I'd figure more of us have Google accounts anyway, rather than another calendar sharing site.

[Toasty]

yeah, icalendars are pretty flexible- not sure what it would take to integrate it up here on the forum, but I think there are plugins for the forum to do it. I've just recently gone to Thunderbird for my mail, it can do caldav, so thats cool

[libertyforall1776]

^ I'm not sure, there are a couple discussions, but I don't see any plugins -- seems like something that should be standard in VBulletin...

iCal integration? - vBulletin.org Forum

[Lawdog]

Im not so sure about this, I just see it as a bigger threat to security and virus problems, I probably would NOT be signing on at work to the calender anymore thats for sure!

[Toasty]

It looks like ical integration to vbulletin is being worked on for the 4.x release. As far as security, that is a valid point, at least for a forum hosted solution. If it were to be set up as a Shared Google Calendar (shared for members only obviously) I think that would be more secure.

[libertyforall1776]

^^ The people most worried about security are not Mac users... ;-) Not that Macs don't have security issues, but next to swiss cheese, well ya know... :bananen_smilies013:

In all seriousness, the security issues are pretty unlikely. Plus calendars can require login/pw and use SSL which make a secure connection from point to point.

iCalendar integration is becoming much more common, with local governments using it too:

http://volz.org/iCalendar.aspx

[Bmoore04]

^^ The people most worried about security are not Mac users... ;-)

All 10 of them.

[Lawdog]

Sorry Not gonna happen here, I run a a business and I can tell you its not worth the headache that it may cause, Illl never use it, I even keep my calender system isolated from my phone and ipod integration, you would be surprised how a simple thing like syncing an ipod, phone or checking your facebook, aol or other mail can do to your outlook calender based systems that many companies use. One bad intention malware company and your screwed with a 5-6 hour minimum job of cleaning it up, sometimes days to repair even with good protection programs. Its just too costly!

[libertyforall1776]

Haha, more like ~10% of the market... Mac users are a little more satisfied too:

All 10 of them.

[libertyforall1776]

These types of calendars are separate from your existing personal, work or other calendars. Think of it more like an RSS feed you subscribe to, if you're familiar with how those work. iCalendars do not populate your existing Exchange calendar, if that's what you mean. It is like a separate distinct calendar overlay that syncs itself on intervals you select or manually and does not write over any other calendars.

Like you are implying, keeping all personal/fun stuff separate from work computers/devices keeps a boundary that way and makes a lot of sense on a variety of levels.

Sorry Not gonna happen here, I run a a business and I can tell you its not worth the headache that it may cause, Illl never use it, I even keep my calender system isolated from my phone and ipod integration, you would be surprised how a simple thing like syncing an ipod, phone or checking your facebook, aol or other mail can do to your outlook calender based systems that many companies use. One bad intention malware company and your screwed with a 5-6 hour minimum job of cleaning it up, sometimes days to repair even with good protection programs. Its just too costly!

[Toasty]

Sorry Not gonna happen here, I run a a business and I can tell you its not worth the headache that it may cause, Illl never use it, I even keep my calender system isolated from my phone and ipod integration, you would be surprised how a simple thing like syncing an ipod, phone or checking your facebook, aol or other mail can do to your outlook calender based systems that many companies use. One bad intention malware company and your screwed with a 5-6 hour minimum job of cleaning it up, sometimes days to repair even with good protection programs. Its just too costly!

You have some valid points, however some of the benefits of having a calendar of events can be realized WITHOUT syncing with any personal outlook calendar. I think it's still something to look at-- but again I would suggest a shared Google calendar... it can be accessed online, without the possibility of it messing with any of your work calendars or whatever, but if there would be somebody that wanted to, the Google calendars can be downloaded or imported to Thunderbird/Outlook, iCal, etc. It would also be much easier to do than messing with trying to integrate an iCal file to the board

I, for one, think it would be helpful to have events, meets, etc up on a calendar. Heck we could even put birthdays up on it if people wanted.