Overhauling the calendar system

[AlanG]

given the proposed changes to the gig forum I think its only needed because the calendar system isnt being used.

I want to use this thread to highlight some parts of the system that work, that dont and maybe some ways to improve them. Anyone else please add in. Remember this forum isnt just about complaining about UGS its looking at ways to improve UGS.

What is the calendar for?

The calendar is a central store of events affecting the UGS community.

How is the calendar being utilised?

currently anyone who has entered a birthday in their user profile has this added to the calendar. Additionally any user can add in events such as gigs (what it is primarily used for)

How is the data in the calendar being utilised?

Birthdays: peoples birthdays and ages are displayed in a box at the bottom of the main screen where other users can see them.

Gigs: the headline entered in gig details is displayed in a "7 days upcoming events" box at the bottom of the screen in chronological order.

How else can you view the data?

Going into the calendar system itself allows you to see the upcoming events BUT:
if there are a few birthdays it displays "4 birthdays" when on monthly view (the default) and only about 15characters from the start of an event title at the default monthly screen. The only way to access the full data is to click on an event or switch to weekly view.

How much is the system being used?

not very much, wether this is through ignorance of the calendar system or because people dont like the system is unclear. To try and encourage use I will propose some changes to the calendar system, some are complicated, some are easy. Some would have a lot of benefit, others barely any noticable. Because of this like all suggestions to improve UGS prioritisation is the key.

Suggested Improvements/enhancements.

Default View

Either change from monthly to weekly view OR
modify the monthly view panel to show more text, perhaps change monthly so it looks more like weekly? Or just increase the size of the panel boxes similar to YABB default.

Linking to gig forum.

If a system such as the one suggested by smack is implemented try and find a script to rip the original posts from gig threads and automatically add the data to the calendar.

this way post
[10/12/2004][westie][green day]
with text
"green day are playing westie, its 14+ and only costs 3 pounds" can be auto added to the calendar and updated when the details change such as to:

"apologies, green day have pulled its now only going to be metallica, sorry for dissapointment".

Encouragement of use of calendar
even if the previous suggestion was unworkable, bring in a weekly mail out of all the upcoming events (for say next two weeks) ONLY if these are in the calendar. That way people are encouraged to use the calendar to promote their event, or if being added to gig forum auto adds them it will concatonate all events publicised on the site.

Any feedback, suggestions to modify, whinging that these are bad etc, please keep to the thread.

Please keep all suggestions constructive, this is about improving UGS

[~smack]

I think encouragement of use is definately the best idea. and isnt it already weekly?

Not every thread in there needs to be added to the calndar, as not everyone is an announcement.

A 'add to calendar' button would be a great function for mods.

allowing users to add to the calendar is obviously to be kept, but a button to add a link in the calendar, it could just rip the thread title, and display it as a hotlink to the thread.

[kj]

i can increase the number of days in advance that events are displayed. At the moment its 1 week in advance, i can change this to more.

[~smack]

Yeah i definately think an ADD TO CALENDAR button would be great.

[kj]

how would it function? just a link that goes to the add event page?

>> ok i added a link on the home page in the forum description for gig announcements to take you direct to add event to the calendar.

[AlanG]

I was thinking about this last night and was wondering, if when you choose "new post" woudl it be posisble to create a new form for the gigs forum.

This one could contain:

Date

City [drop down menu with say Dundee, Aberdeen, Perth, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Other] when you choose other you can fill in name in a text field and its added to this data base list for future entries.

venue [checks the city to display list i.e. Beat Bar, West Port other etc]

Bands

Price

time start

time end

then have:

thread title

thread body

---------------------
when you submit it can then add a new thread in gigs forum and also into the calender as a new event.

If this was possible using the "time end" it could be adapted further to close the thread at this time and open a new thread in battle scars. Wether this would need a bot or vbuletin can do it itself is another matter.

This may be slightly far fetched/complicated but if its possible there may be the forms out there on a dev forum that can be adapted.