Calendar Software
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:
- First UU Church of Austin
- Fellowship X
- First Unitarian Church of St. Louis
- Michael Servetus UU Fellowship, Vancouver, Washington
- Unitarian Universalist Church of Elgin
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.:
- Unitarian Universalist Church of Jacksonville
- Unitarian Universalist Church of Rockville
- Unitarian Universalist Society of Martha's Vineyard
- Unitarian Universalist Area Church Calendar
- Bowie Unitarian Universalist Fellowship
- Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Fairbanks
- Unitarian Universalist Church of Las Cruces
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 1.0.1 (corrects a security flaw with all previous versions)
Cost: FREE
Examples:
- Aiken Unitarian Universalist Church From AUUC - This program is very easy to use, has some great features and seems very flexible. The color options are wide open so we are still experimenting there. It definately solves our problem with getting information on the web in an easily accessible format.
- Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Harrisonburg VA Just recently installed the calendar with an instruction page [1]. The latest version of this calendar allows custom headers and footers so that you can make it look a part of your site and add links.
- Auburn Unitarian Universalist Fellowship AL
- Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Centre County PA
- Fox Valley Unitarian Universalist Fellowship (under construction)
- Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of La Crosse WI (under construction)
- Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Falmouth MA
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