Dear list I'm not a developer, but I have a suggestion/question (probably very basic) re Darwin Calendar Server/Apple iCal Server: * is there scope for events to be tagged with metadata, such as 'category'? Background ---------- Most recently, in the context of <http://www.hefce.ac.uk/research/funding/dual/trac.htm>
One of the major activities involved is the annual time returns (In Year Time Allocation Schedule & Time Allocation Survey) for academic staff
and
You will be required to complete a time survey for 6 separate weeks of the year, once every three years.
It might not sound much, but it can be tedious! My workers may be working on multiple projects, each of which may require time sheets of a different nature, and this particular survey is just one more to add to the list. </end sob story> Notion ------ If calendar events can be categorised (in our HEFCE-related example, only three are required: 'Teaching', 'Research' and 'Other'), then applications could be designed to gather the required survey data. (Maybe such applications already exist?) Such applications are beyond the scope of this list, but you see why I'm writing/asking: * if the GUI of the calendar server/client is simple enough, then adding metadata (such as category) to events, at time of entry, becomes less of a chore. Fewer systems/procedures/surveys to worry about. Everyone's happier. The calendar server becomes everyone's friend :-) Incidentally, whilst I'm no fan of project management software, I am impressed by the simplicity of Basecamp <http://www.basecamphq.com/> and its interactions with iCal. See <http://www.basecamphq.com/tour-milestones.php> and my example at <http://omnium.freeman-centre.ac.uk/~gjp22/rt/7277/71419.png>. It's this type of simplicity + extensibility that I'd like to see in the forthcoming calendar server... Many thanks for your consideration. Regards Graham Perrin, Projects Media Development Officer CENTRIM - <http://www.brighton.ac.uk/centrim/> <sip:17476059854@proxy01.sipphone.com> +44-1273-877922 <http://schooltool.freeman-centre.ac.uk/persons/gjp22/calendar/ yearly.html>