Planning for Calendar 2.0

JohnShaw wrote:Original Post was June 20..... Is there going to be a beta at some point??

A beta WOULD be helpful. We're 4 months from the end of the year. With the Classic Sites disappearing at that point, it would be a mess trying to deal with the change-over as well as the major changes that v2.0 brings into the mix.

techgy wrote:

JohnShaw wrote:Original Post was June 20..... Is there going to be a beta at some point??

A beta WOULD be helpful.

The beta is certainly still planned -- recall that the original post of this thread said:

jdcr256 wrote:In the next several weeks we hope to release the new application into a type of sandbox environment where you can get access to try it out.

Note that it said "next several weeks". I'm sure that vague wording was intentional, since there could not possibly have been certainty back on June 20 as to just how long all this would take. Patience, patience.

techgy wrote:We're 4 months from the end of the year. With the Classic Sites disappearing at that point, it would be a mess trying to deal with the change-over as well as the major changes that v2.0 brings into the mix.

This is just speculation on my part, but I'm betting that the Classic sites will continue well into 2012. Note that the Calendar 2.0 was first supposed to be in March, then June, and still isn't out in August. Note that we haven't even seen a hint of a release of the rest of the Classic site functionality. I know the current documentation says that the Classic sites will be retired at the end of 2011, but I don't see how the new site (Calendar 2.0, News and Information, home pages, missionary info, etc.) can be released and solid by then.

Looks like it's time to update the 'current documentation' - Let's also understand, we are all as anxious and excited for the new technology to be implemented as those writing it. I think we all waited for the ...next several weeks.... which have come and gone, and doubled, and added a week. I work in a large data center environment, I understand the why's etc, believe me....

But it is important to keep wards and stakes updated (These are your clients, we are your clients) this is called being service-oriented which I know the church departments are striving towards. Let me give you an example....based on the then known information, I made a case to our stake Presidency that we should hold off on converting to the new calendar stake-wide, because I understood a major version change was coming in June (knowing it could slip a bit - no worries there for me). I didn't want to go through the training, just to do it again in case things were that much different. I'm at a position again (I get asked questions EVERY week about it) of needing to know if I should do the training and get everyone migrated, or wait. This directly effects the callings and work of a large number of people in each of our stakes, we are all waiting on pins and needles, because, yes, we are excited about it... we're not nagging, we're eager. at least that's how I see it.

Additionally, let's not forget... Stakes are planning for next year, wanting to put a calendar together for 2012 by the end of September.... so that Wards and Branches can do their planning in Oct/Nov... The technology is a major part of that planning - just a quick updated is all we really need.

I don't think there is anything wrong with wondering if/when it is going to happen, or to request a better timeline about the release schedule.

JohnShaw wrote:Stakes are planning for next year, wanting to put a calendar together for 2012 by the end of September....

Keep in mind that we're waiting for a beta. One that may not be open to the whole stake. And any information will be lost at the end of the beta.

Somehow, I don't see 2.0 going live by that September deadline.

aebrown wrote:This is just speculation on my part, but I'm betting that the Classic sites will continue well into 2012.

I'm not so sure. I don't see anything that would prevent the directory and calendar portions from being shutdown. Effectively turning on the redirect for everyone.

You could be right, but I'd be cautious about basing any plans on that theory.

RussellHltn wrote:I'm not so sure. I don't see anything that would prevent the directory and calendar portions from being shutdown. Effectively turning on the redirect for everyone.

You could be right, but I'd be cautious about basing any plans on that theory.

I certainly wouldn't want anyone to make plans based on my speculation. But if the Calendar 2.0 beta keeps slipping, then the Calendar 2.0 release will also keep slipping. Many stakes do their calendar planning in September and October.

If the Calendar 2.0 is not released in time for stakes to do their planning using the new system, then it doesn't seem very kind to turn off the Classic calendar before there is a suitable replacement that has all the features in the Classic calendar that many stakes have come to depend upon. We have heard on this forum of some stakes who are still using the Classic calendar because they depend on the stake being able to see ward calendars, or some other feature that the Classic calendar has, but the new Calendar does not have and will not have until 2.0 is released. The logical conclusion of this is that a late release of Calendar 2.0 will put such stakes in a major bind if the shutdown of the Classic calendar still happens at the end of this year.

aebrown wrote:If the Calendar 2.0 is not released in time for stakes to do their planning using the new system, then it doesn't seem very kind to turn off the Classic calendar before there is a suitable replacement that has all the features in the Classic calendar that many stakes have come to depend upon.

True. But before the produce managers come to that conclusion, they'd have to recognize that:
- there are some "deal killers" in the current 1.x version for some stakes
- when it becomes too late to introduce 2.0 for the new year

The last one especially might be a subjective judgement.

aebrown wrote:I certainly wouldn't want anyone to make plans based on my speculation.

And that's my point as well.

My stake has been holding back hoping to avoid training on 1.x. But I think there's going to be a point where that becomes the "lesser of two evils" given the possible outcomes.

I would recommend that you move forward with migrating over to the calendar that is available now. Our Stake converted over within 1 week of release and it has been a great blessing to us. Our building schedulers now all have the ability to work together to see availability of all the buildings in the Stake.

We are able to utilize the automatic email notifications for events.

We are able to view the calendar on our mobile devices easily and with improved efficiency.

The "1.x" Calendar is leaps and bounds above what was available in the classic version. The conversion was simple... The learning curve was nothing that our leaders were not able to figure out with a few different training sessions I conducted.

As a member of the High Council over facilities and technology in our Stake, I can assure you that you can support the members of your Stake sufficiently with the excellent documentation (help file) that has been put together by the tech folks.

Come on in! The waters fine!

I'd like to at least see the new beta first. If it's 1.x with fixes, that would be one thing, but I got the impression that they tweaked the "model". I just want to know how different it will be.

RussellHltn wrote:I'd like to at least see the new beta first. If it's 1.x with fixes, that would be one thing, but I got the impression that they tweaked the "model". I just want to know how different it will be.

I would agree that I'd like to see more information on what's coming before I jump in with both feet into v1.x.
Many of the wards in our stake ARE using v2 now, but I know that many of the members are still depending upon the classic sites where news items can be posted. The classic sites also still offer the ability for a stake administrator to send out Emails to the members of the stake, which v1.x of the new calendar only supports if your calling permits it - and unfortunately the STS isn't among the priviledged few who can do this - at least not yet.

If anyone in the "know" at CHQ is reading this it would be very helpful to see a list of new features that are being implemented in v2.

So we're still leaving the Classic Sites enabled for a while longer. Alan may have a valid point - that the dates COULD certainly slip a bit. Let's hope.

techgy wrote:I know that many of the members are still depending upon the classic sites where news items can be posted.

How does the redirect work now? I'm thinking the classic site won't go away at the end of 2011, but rather the redirect may become mandatory.

RussellHltn wrote:How does the redirect work now? I'm thinking the classic site won't go away at the end of 2011, but rather the redirect may become mandatory.

I haven't tested it up to this point. I've just left the classic site enabled. However, unless I read you wrong, if the redirect becomes mandatory, would it really matter whether or not the classic sites disappeared? Either way you couldn't get at them, unless someone had knowledge of a back-door approach.

techgy wrote:However, unless I read you wrong, if the redirect becomes mandatory, would it really matter whether or not the classic sites disappeared? Either way you couldn't get at them, unless someone had knowledge of a back-door approach.

The way I read the announcement, it only redirects for the calendar and directory functions. (Aanother post says leadership directory as well). So it's not like the classic site is gone, just those 2 or 3 functions move you to the new versions.

RussellHltn wrote:The way I read the announcement, it only redirects for the calendar and directory functions. (Aanother post says leadership directory as well). So it's not like the classic site is gone, just those 2 or 3 functions move you to the new versions.

Agreed. Given the fact that we're within 4 months of year-s end and haven't been given any recent information regarding the forthcoming changes, I would have to believe that an ever-increasing number of curiosity seekers are wanting to see a status report from those involved in the updates.

One Sunday evening on the OLDER Version Ward Website and Stake Website I noticed a GREENISH notice to MOVE our StAKE
directory-calendar-callings-resources to the NEW Stake Website As I did within 5 minutes anything pertaining to the OLD
site was no longer available to anyone It was redirect you and members to the new calendar and directory
MUST BETTER when YOUR NEW Stake and WARD website is up and running to merge everything
The Ward PC's are all MLS and SO is our New Stake Directory membership and callings
Sharon

RayChristensen wrote:I am interested in being involved. Since it is August 10th, did the release come out. And how can I get more involved.

The release has not come out yet, so you haven't missed anything. We're all just waiting for some sort of announcement that the pre-release is available. You'll definitely find out about it in this thread, and perhaps also through some more direct communication.

At this point, we just all need to be patient and wait for the developers to get the code ready for the pre-release. There is no specific date you can plan on -- just wait for the announcement.

RayChristensen wrote:What is the plan for the Bldg Scheduling upgrade, to make scheduling more visible to members ?

We don't know much about what will be in the next release, except that the Known Limitations page of the help system says: "The new calendar has some limitations that will be fixed or otherwise addressed sometime during 2011." So that gives us hope that the items listed will be addressed in some way. But we don't know the details. I imagine that's one reason why you see so many people responding on this thread (as you have) saying they'd like to work with the Calendar 2.0 pre-release.

Admin note: This thread was pulled from the Preparing for the Calendar 2.0 Release as it's different from the beta thread.

Having seen 2.0, it appears the major changes are:

- Options that used to be on the right side are now on the left.
- Scheduled events now have a setup/cleanup time.

At this point I'm not sure that there's enough of a difference to hold off on training. Certainly I don't see any difference in the calendar "model". Events still seem to on one calendar, rather then a event can be placed on multiple calendars.

I say lets roll it out! Would there be a way for those willing to flex the muscles of new releases to have their LDS Accounts automatically load the new apps?

heyring wrote:I say lets roll it out! Would there be a way for those willing to flex the muscles of new releases to have their LDS Accounts automatically load the new apps?

That's not the discussion at hand. V2.0 is in beta test right now. From what I'm seeing, you want to let it get fully vetted before it's rolled out.

The discussion here centers on wards and stakes trying to decide how the roll out of 2.0 affects their plans for training and creating the 2012 calendar. Some of us held back because we thought 2.0 might be a major shift and that it was better to wait.

I did see that the discussion at hand was related "Planning for Calendar 2.0:. I have been in rollouts of multimillion dollar system that spent years trying to come up with the "correct plan" for a "rollout".

My Point is - Take a few of who have used the existing calendar extensively (almost a full year in our Stake) and lay it on us. We'll let you know through regular and effective feedback what works and doesn't. If that could be dished out to specific Stake Leaders based off of their calling, it may speed the process along.

Since you threw your hat in the ring for beta testing 2.0, you should have access to it now in a sandbox environment.