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Revision as of 09:50, 8 July 2006

Main Page > Websters

This page contains a list of software and/or solutions used to manage calendar information on UU congregational websites.

CalendarScript

Advantages: Powerful script, easy to install, allows multiple views, search features, templates, user authentication, multiple calendars, and SSIs. You can configure your home page to be automatically updated with new calendar information. Plug-ins extend the feature lists.

Disadvantages: Requires duplication of efforts to maintain an online calendar and one for your newsletter and/or order of service, though it's possible to save the "Printable Calendar" as HTML and bring it into Word to manipulate if you have added the Printable Calendar template available from www.much2.com. This Perl script requires the ability to execute cgi scripts on your server, which not all churches may have. Fairly slow to update for those with dialup access. Individual instances of recurring events cannot be changed without an additional plug-in from www.much2.com. An event cannot begin and end on different days (e.g., a party that lasts from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. cannot be entered).

Cost: $50 for non-profit license. NOTE: UUism Networks has a license for UUN members that want to share a single installation on uuism.net. Each calendar is separate and can be administered by a single user with a password. Additional users are available. - Jim Hermann


Examples:

ServiceU/EventU

Advantages: Integrates multiple workflows : event management, resource scheduling, volunteer management, registration for events, donations, and newsletters. This is an ASP which means it can be used by anyone with access to a browser.

Disadvantages : Compared to the other options, this is the most expensive. There is a risk of interrupted service if the company experiences technical or financial problems. Exit strategy (i.e. switching to an alternative) may be difficult.

Cost: Start-up fee of $199. Monthly charges depend on the number of features used, but can range from $45 to $145 per month.

Examples: All Souls Kansas City, First Unitarian Society of Madison

LoCalendar.com

Advantages: FREE & it provides FREE PUBLICITY for your events (if you want it can put your events in a public search where people can find your events on a zip code search, though events like meetings can be left off the public search); it can be edited by anyone who has the username and password anywhere with no special software or web editing knowledge (just ability to fill out a form on the internet)

Disadvantages : Like all free services, it is subject to change without notice; site goes down occasionally; it may not remain free; some customization features are Windows compatible only; if you want your neighbors to know about the LoCalendar zip code search function, you have to do the PR for it, including adding the information in the footer or header; it has a feature that warns you if the subject line is too short for the public calendar, though you can add anything & then go back & edit it & it then will publish; it takes a little longer to edit than other calendars because you're editing it online instead of on your computer so you have to deal with internet speeds

Cost: FREE

Examples: Davies Memorial UU Church Calendar - do a public search on our zip code 20748 to see which events are on the public calendar - you might need to do a search for the month instead of the week since we don't have public events every week, especially in the summer (well, we do have services, but sometimes the sermon is not listed). A search also found that these churches use it.:

WebCalendar

Advantages: Full-featured, widely used, well-documented, free web-based calendar system. Can be configured as an event calendar viewable by visitors, and also as a single-user calendar or a multi-user calendar for groups of users. Supports views, reports, log-in security, search, recurring events, import/export to ical, vcal, palm, ODBC, etc. The flexibility of the "reports" feature allows it to be used to post and display a clean view of upcoming Sunday Services, etc. Free on-line demo at the web site. The software (written in PHP) is also free (licensed under the GPL). Currently in Release Status, and has very high "activity/usage/ranking" - 99.95% / >500 downloads per day / ranked 9th most active project on SourceForge.net.

Disadvantages : Latest Release is Version 1.0.2 (corrects a security flaw with all previous versions)

Cost: FREE

Examples:


VCalendar

Description: VCalendar (Virtual Calendar) is an open source Web calendar application with related tools, for posting and maintaining events and schedules online, in calendar format. This is an excellent and free solution for use by online Web communities and any commercial and non-commercial organizations. Unlike any other online calendars, VCalendar comes with source code in multiple programming languages: PHP, ASP and ASP.NET (C# and VB.NET); with potential for adding more technologies in the future.

Some of the advanced features of VCalendar include:

- Localization features, with initial Internationalization in English and Russian, with language selectable by end-users - Dynamic CCS (stylesheet) styles, selectable by end-users - Annual, monthly, weekly and daily calendar views - Multiple categories for classifying calendar events - Recurring and all-day events - Role-based user permissions and calendar configuration

Cost: FREE

Demo:


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