Calendar functionality (GSOC 2010)

[panna]

Hello!

I'll very shortly introduce myself here, just not to be out of the blue :P :
I'm Ania, a Computer Science student from Gdynia, Poland who would like to participate in this year's Google Summer of Code (GSOC). 

And - yes!- the point:
I'd be pleased to create a tool that would be useful for DreamWidth Members: a calendar - on-line time organizer. ( http://wiki.dwscoalition.org/notes/Summer_of_code#Calendar_Functionality )

I would do as much as I can to create a practical, intuitive and configurable tool that could meet Your expectations, therefore I'd be very thankful for any requests, suggestions, advice.
 
Below I attach an outline of the calendar functionality. It bases on the requirements from Dreamwidth GSOC ideas page and the research I conducted among my family and friends about the functionality that they look for in this kind of utilities or they think this tools lack of: 
 
 
I TECHNICAL FEATURES
 
1. Synchronization handling (proposition below is a open list of possible options): 

a. iCalendar format (RFC2445) - used e.g. in Google calendar
b. CSV format
 

2. Exporting calendar to printable format
 
 
II USER FEATURES
 
 3. Multiple calendars

- Calendars may share information with each other
 

4. Events

a. Relating events to categories
  b. Support for recurring events

- Choice of recur period

c. Possibility to set a note
d. Possibility to assign file, etc
e. Possibility to assign to persons, groups...
 

5. Group events

a. Group events - possibility to create events shown in group members calendars
b. Event invitations
 

6. Notifications (highlighting on calendar, pop-ups, email)

a. Reminder of incoming events
b. Reminding of past - not done events
 

7. Reconfigurability and personalization

a. User's ability to control calendar's visibility (public, private, among group)
b. Calendar features personalization
c. Configurable time zone
d. Configurable calendars days (e.g. Mon-Fri), hours, …
e. Configurable design
 

8. Design

a. Skin personalization
b. Coloring events depending on it's category, priority
c. Highlighting events that are of a high priority, are already delayed, etc...
d. Pinning images in the background of an event/day/… view
 

9. Searching

a. Pick a data/month/year and search through the portal for specified by User data, events
b. Displaying history concerning specific category, person meet, etc
 

10. Others

a. Todo notes -> events to place in time in the future
b. Events -> todo notes  -possibility to "unschedule" an event
 

 
III WORTH CONSIDERATION
 
11. Interesting fields to look at

a. Weather calendar

- Displaying background views for e.g. future week weather

- Retrieving data from web service
 

b. Sms notification about important events

- Possible only for particular phone operators
 

c. Integration with MS Outlook

Once again - I'd be very thankful for any comment, suggestion or criticism and for your attitude to this subject. I'm looking very forward to this.

Thanks!

Comments

Re: Group calendar events

[denise]

This looks very well thought out -- I'm really impressed by the effort you've put into this so far! Taking the time to draw pictures is always appreciated. :)

I think that the best way to handle these security questions would be an option at the time of creating the calendar -- I like what Google Docs does, where you can have a public document or an invite-only document. Maybe we could make it so that calendars were public (and listed, linked off the profile, like right next to tags and memories), access-locked (listed linked off the profile, visible to all people on your access list), custom group locked (listed linked off the profile, visible to all people in a custom group), or invite-only (not listed linked off the profile, viewable only through the invite link until you become a 'member' of that calendar) -- making invites essentially an access group without having to form an actual access group.

I particularly like your attitude on options. There's a careful balance between making something have enough options to be useful, and making something have too many options and be confusing!

And yes, we would absolutely post an entry asking people what they would want to see in a system like this. Our users are very, very good at giving their opinions. :)