Intro - PowerPoint Presentation

Slide1

Intro

Rethinking the community calendar

Jon Udell

Ann Arbor District Library

Sept 26,

2012

http://elmcity.cloudapp.netSlide2

I went to this universitySlide3

Where I won this awardSlide4

Then I worked on this publicationSlide5

Then went to this graduate schoolSlide6

Then I worked for this software companySlide7

Then I worked for this magazineSlide8

Then I wrote this bookSlide9

Then I worked for this magazineSlide10

Then I went to this companySlide11

Where I’m working to solve this problemSlide12

Why?

Characteristics of the solution:

1

. There's no central point of control

2. Everyone is responsible for their own

data

3. Standards enable

data

contributions to form

networksSlide13

How?Slide14

How not: AnnArbor.comSlide15

Or: A2Y ChamberSlide16

Or: ArborWeb.comSlide17

But: A2ChronicleSlide18

So:

Washtenaw County calendar of events

https://secure.ewashtenaw.org/eventcal/ViewCalendar.do?view=monthSlide19

A2Cal today

http://elmcity.cloudapp.net/a2cal/htmlSlide20

What is iCalendar and why would I care?

What is iCalendar

?

The standard

Internet format for exchanging calendar information.

Supported

by

Google

Calendar, Hotmail Calendar, Outlook, Apple iCal,

Lotus Notes, others.

Why should I care?

When you use a

iCalendar-aware program

to manage your web

calendar:

It creates HTML for people to read.

It also creates an

iCalendar feed

for automatic data exchange.

Unfortunately…

Most web

calendars

(including

eWashtenaw’s

) are only available as HTML (or even PDF). So people

can view

them,

but computers can't automatically exchange

the data. Slide21

A2Cal today all

Today in Ann ArborSlide22

Wurster

ParkSlide23

Wurster ParkSlide24

A2cal feed stats snapshot

Some Ann Arbor feeds I foundSlide25

A2cal feed stats all

All the Ann Arbor feeds I foundSlide26

A2cal quick stats

Sources feeding the Ann Arbor hubSlide27

iCal PRODIDs

Applications that produced the feedsSlide28

Feed count by iCal producerSlide29

Bright lights: AADL

Syndication from the Ann Arbor District LibrarySlide30

Bright lights: Crazy Wisdom

Syndication from

CrazyWisdom

Slide31

Bright lights: City of Ann Arbor

Syndication from the City of Ann ArborSlide32

calendar “dark matter”

dark matterSlide33

The HTML/PDF/RSS fallacy

How humans represent calendar events:“Community

Information Sharing Seminar with Jon

Udell, Ann Arbor District Library, Sept. 26 at 4PM“

How computers represent calendar events:

DTSTART;TZID=EST;20120926T160000

SUMMARY:Jon

Udell: Community Info Sharing

LOCATION:Ann

Arbor District Library

HTML, PDF,

RSS

iCalendarSlide34

“We posted weekly.pdf to the website. Isn’t that good enough?”Slide35

Ann Arbor public schools get it right

school

# events in feedSlide36

A civic scorecard for public calendarsSlide37

5 steps to syndicating a feed

Create a calendar

Share the calendar

Capture HTML (for widget) and iCal URL (for feed)

Embed widget in site

Transmit iCal URL to syndication hub

Note: These steps are

once only

. Once done, all current and future events on the calendar syndicate to the hub. Slide38

Google create new calendar

Step 1: Create a calendar (once only)

Syndicating from Google CalendarSlide39

Google share calendar

Step 2: Make it public (once only)Slide40

Capture Google HTML and iCal

https://www.google.com/calendar/ical/ajgh1q3t9plrlcoobkovsdfm88%40group.calendar.google.com/public/basic.ics

<

iframe

src

="https://www.google.com/calendar/embed?src=ajgh1q3t9plrlcoobkovsdfm88%40group.calendar.google.com&ctz=America/New_York" style="border: 0" width="800" height="600"

frameborder

="0" scrolling="no"></

iframe

>

HTML (for people)

iCalendar (for computers)

Step 3: Capture HTML for website, iCalendar URL for syndication (once only)Slide41

Embed Google HTML

Step 4: Ask webmaster to embed the HTML in your site (once only)Slide42

Transmit URL to curator

Step 5: Send the iCal URL to the syndication hub (once only)

From

:

lucast@ewashtenaw.org

1

To: jonu@microsoft.com

2

Subject: iCal feed for Washtenaw County public meetings

Hi there,

Please syndicate our calendar at this URL:

https

://www.google.com/calendar/ical/8i9vg16fbddqkct11sml54a0m0%40group.calendar.google.com/public/basic.ics

1. Person responsible for the

eWashtenaw

public calendar

2. Person responsible for the syndication hub Slide43

Google create event

From now on, when you create an event here…Slide44

It shows up here

It shows up here: https://

secure.ewashtenaw.org/eventcal Slide45

And also here

And also here: http://elmcity.cloudapp.net/a2cal/htmlSlide46

And potentially A2Chron

And maybe

here? http://annarborchronicle.com/events-listing/ Slide47

And potentially also A2YChamber

And maybe also here

? http://www.a2ychamber.org/Events.aspxSlide48

And

potentially even Community Television Network

And maybe even on community access television?Slide49

Hotmail create new calendar

Step 1: Create a calendar (once only)

Syndicating from Hotmail CalendarSlide50

Hotmail share calendar

Step 2: Make it public (once only)Slide51

HTML (for people)

iCalendar (for computers)

Capture Hotmail HTML and iCalSlide52

Embed Hotmail

HTML

Step 4: Ask webmaster to embed the HTML in your site (once only)Slide53

Transmit URL to curator

Step 5: Send the iCal URL to the syndication hub (once only)

From

:

lucast@ewashtenaw.org

To: jonu@microsoft.com

Subject: iCal feed for Washtenaw County public meetings

Hi there,

Please syndicate our calendar at this URL:

webcals://cid-dffec23daaf5ee89.calendar.live.com/calendar/eWashtenaw/calendar.icsSlide54

Hotmail create event

From now on, when you create an event here…Slide55

It shows up here

It shows up here…Slide56

And also here

And also here: http://elmcity.cloudapp.net/a2cal/htmlSlide57

And potentially A2Chron

And maybe

here? http://annarborchronicle.com/events-listing/ Slide58

And potentially also A2YChamber

And maybe also here

? http://www.a2ychamber.org/Events.aspxSlide59

Blind Pig home calendar

http://www.blindpigmusic.com/calendar.htmlSlide60

Blind Pig in a2cal via upcoming

http://elmcity.cloudapp.net/a2cal/html?view=music

The Hood Internet shows up here via UpcomingSlide61

Blind Pig in facebook

https://www.facebook.com/BlindPigAnnArbor/events

The Blind Pig didn’t include The Hood Internet (Sep 26) in its Facebook calendar.

But it was a source for these events.Slide62

Blind Pig Sept 30 in a2cal

Two Gallants shows up here (at the right time, because The Blind Pig entered the data into Facebook)

Two Gallants also shows up here (at the wrong time, because somebody else entered the data into Upcoming)

Duplication isn’t necessarily bad. When times and titles match, multiples coalesce.

Syndicating from FacebookSlide63

What could the Blind Pig do? (Strategy 1: Use Facebook)

How?

Put

the whole schedule on Facebook.

Pros

Popular, convenient,

great way to socialize events.

Cons

Doesn’t

automatically feed the Blind Pig home site

Event details only available to logged-in Facebook users.

Workarounds

Syndicate

from Facebook to standard calendar, embed that on home site.

Now details visible to Blind Pig home site visitors (as well as Facebook site).Slide64

What could the Blind Pig do? (Strategy 2: Use a standard calendar)

How?

Put the whole schedule into an

iCalendar-aware program.

Pros

Write

it once, show it automatically on website and elsewhere.

Cons

Not in Facebook.

Widgets don’t match site design.

Workarounds

Use one-click Add to Facebook

Extract data from Facebook, flow through site template.Slide65

One-click Add To Facebook

Any syndicated event can also be added to personal calendars in the cloud (Google, Hotmail) or on the desktop (Outlook, Apple iCal)Slide66

Music in Ann Arbor

Feeds in the Ann Arbor hub’s music categorySlide67

Exploratorium

Creating a “Music Around Town” widgetSlide68

Blind Pig with widget

“Music Around Town” widget embedded in the Blind Pig siteSlide69

Crazy Wisdom with widget

“Music Around Town” widget embedded in the Crazy Wisdom siteSlide70

Crazy Wisdom: all

vs music only

http://elmcity.cloudapp.net/a2cal/html?view=crazywisdom

http://

elmcity.cloudapp.net/a2cal/html?view=crazywisdom,music

Organizing feeds into categoriesSlide71

Crazy Wisdom feeds and tags

Organizing feeds into categoriesSlide72

Crazy Wisdom: making the music feed

BEGIN:VEVENT

CATEGORIES:crazywisdom

CATEGORIES:music

DESCRIPTION: Live Music Weekends at Crazy Wisdom Tea Room \n 8:30 to 10

:30 p.m. &

ndash

\; No Cover Charge \n Every Friday and Saturday night C

razy

Wisdom invites you to Tea and Tunes. Not a tea drinker? No problem! C

razy

Wisdom offer a wide selection of coffee drinks. (while

you&rsquo

\;re

here\,

don&rsquo

\;t forget to try some of our tasty treats as well!) \n

Click here to see who is playing

DTEND;TZID=Eastern Standard Time:20120928T223000

DTSTAMP:20120924T135335

DTSTART;TZID=Eastern Standard Time:20120928T203000

LOCATION:

SEQUENCE:0

SUMMARY:Live

Music in

th

Tea Room

UID:eab1368d-f802-45ab-b63f-842bf09fa1c6

URL:http://www.crazywisdom.net/events.html

END:VEVENT

Organizing feeds into categoriesSlide73

Slauson

: all vs music only

http://

elmcity.cloudapp.net/a2cal/html?view=slauson

http://

elmcity.cloudapp.net/a2cal/html?view=slauson,music

Organizing feeds into categoriesSlide74

Slauson

: multiple gcals

Organizing feeds into categoriesSlide75

Arts Alive siteSlide76

Arts alive hubSlide77

music

health

sports

environment

tech

Community Arts and Culture Hub

art

business

music

art

Community Tech and Business Hub

tech

business

State Hub A: Arts and Culture

Ann Arbor music

Ann Arbor

art

Detroit music

Grand Rapids art

…

State Hub B: Tech and Business

Ann Arbor

tech

Ann

Arbor business

Detroit tech

Lansing business

…

…

…

Big

pictureSlide78

For more information: http://elmcity.cloudapp.net

jonu@microsoft.com