A good alternative to Google Calendar

[Ashley_Price]

I run a Google Calendar for the hire of our church hall, and while the calendar is okay, it has a couple of very annoying issues which never seemed to have been resolved, so I am wondering if there is a good and FREE alternative that (and this is a MUST) runs on a P.C.?

The two main issues with Google are:

1/ Adjust start time and Google automatically adjusts the end time. So, like this morning a hirer has asked if they can start earlier, I change the start time from 5:15 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Google adjusts the end time accordingly which I didn't want. It seems with Google has been programmed so the duration stays the same. (It's funny how you can change the end time without it automatically changing the start time.)

2/ GMT/BST - I don't know if it is something when I set up the appointments but when we change from GMT to BST or vice versa some of the appointments move forward or back by an hour - as some appointments are weekly this can cause problems with bookings.

 

[martin_shl]

Google is cloud based. If you already have a PHP webserver you could add the open source and free Meeting Room Booking System (MRBS) which is powerful and flexible.
See https://mrbs.sourceforge.io/ for a demo
See https://github.com/meeting-room-booking-system/mrbs-code for the code

I use to run this for my church and have worked with it recently so am familiar with it and it is good and quite easy for users

 

[Ashley_Price]

If you already have a PHP webserver you could add the open source

Yes, you see right there, I have no idea what any of that means.

 

[martin_shl]

Yes, you see right there, I have no idea what any of that means.

Sorry about that. I wasn't sure, but if it makes no sense then that is unlikely to be a suitable solution for your church. There are probably some free but limited solutions out there but I'm not an expert on any of them. Good luck.

Just to clarify:

that (and this is a MUST) runs on a P.C

By this do you mean NOT something that is only available as a mobile app?

 

[fisicx]

Do you have a church website? There may well be a extension or plugin you can install making the calendar available to everyone.

 

[Ashley_Price]

Do you have a church website? There may well be a extension or plugin you can install making the calendar available to everyone.

We do but it's maintained by a web company for us. I also don't want the calendar available to the public because of some of the information it has on it.

 

[Ashley_Price]

By this do you mean NOT something that is only available as a mobile app?

Yes, I am at my desktop most of the day and I also find putting in anything but basic information on a phone tedious - I've never got on with virtual keyboards.

 

[martin_shl]

I also don't want the calendar available to the public because of some of the information it has on it.

The system I mentioned and many others, can be restricted so you have to login and the general public either can't see the details or can't see anything.
Do you know what web system your church website is on?

 

[Ashley_Price]

The system I mentioned and many others, can be restricted so you have to login and the general public either can't see the details or can't see anything.
Do you know what web system your church website is on?

I have no idea this is all done through a (very reasonable) web company.

I am not sure why this is so complicated. Isn't there just a simple calendar that I can keep appointments on but which DOESN'T automatically change the end time when you change the start time? Apart from Google, I've tried Lightning (Thunderbird) Calendar , Team UP and still have this problem with the times.

 

[martin_shl]

I have no idea this is all done through a (very reasonable) web company.

I am not sure why this is so complicated. Isn't there just a simple calendar that I can keep appointments on but which DOESN'T automatically change the end time when you change the start time? Apart from Google, I've tried Lightning (Thunderbird) Calendar , Team UP and still have this problem with the times.

If you are very happy with your web company, you've nothing to lose from asking if they have anything they can enable on your site.

I tried on Zoho calendar and it behaves the same - seems to be a common assumption that is made.

 

[martin_shl]

The system I mentioned, you can adjust the start time without adjusting the end time. Maybe see if your web company can install it for you after you try the demo and see if it does what you need.

 

[Paul Kelly ICHYB]

If your host uses CPanel, they may have 1 click install options via Softaculous.

Here are the calendar programs you/they can install in seconds:

Softaculous

 

[fisicx]

We do but it's maintained by a web company for us. I also don't want the calendar available to the public because of some of the information it has on it.

Then you make it a private page (password protected).

 

[Ashley_Price]

Then you make it a private page (password protected).

But why do I need to do all this stuff with it being connected to a website? Are there no stand alone calendars out there?

 

[martin_shl]

But why do I need to do all this stuff with it being connected to a website? Are there no stand alone calendars out there?

There are services, but they will either be paid, or they will have limits on their free offering. The system I suggested (MRBS) is open source, which means the software is free to install and you are free to inspect the code and modify it. It can be integrated with websites but can also be standalone and I have setup standalone installations before. However, it will need a server and that will come as a cost, though not very much. It might be feasible to put on your web hosting under a subdomain (e.g. if your website is at "yourchurch.org.uk" then the booking system could be at "roombookings.yourchurch.org.uk . It doesn't need a lot of space, but it needs some and a database.

People were suggesting there are systems can be done as part of a website; that is one option. Other options are a standalone service that you install on a server or a Software as a Service provider, who may offer something free, but expect limits and check that use of the service and the information you put in will not cause problems for GDPR - many of these services are based in the USA.

I'm not aware of many options for desktop software. The advantage of some form of hosted solution is it can be easier to share information and share the workload.

 

[fisicx]

But why do I need to do all this stuff with it being connected to a website? Are there no stand alone calendars out there?

Not any more. All calendars phone home. If you want complete independence a Filofax works well. That not a sarky comment, anything you put on your desktop will need an internet connection. Having it on the church website means if you fall over tomorrow someone else can continue your good work.

 

[gpietersz]

Not any more. All calendars phone home. If you want complete independence a Filofax works well. That not a sarky comment, anything you put on your desktop will need an internet connection. Having it on the church website means if you fall over tomorrow someone else can continue your good work.

There are desktop calendar apps that do not. The problem is sync and sharing if you want to work with others.

 

[Ashley_Price]

Not any more. All calendars phone home. If you want complete independence a Filofax works well. That not a sarky comment, anything you put on your desktop will need an internet connection. Having it on the church website means if you fall over tomorrow someone else can continue your good work.

I already have something in place for the "get hit by a bus" scenario. Although currently it is "all me" my fellow Churchwarden does have the log in details if I was suddenly incapacitated.

I don't mind the calendar being online, at the moment it seems every one I have tried annoyingly changes the end time if you change the start time. Not so much of a problem if only happens occasionally but when you're busy and forget it can cause problems later on.

 

[Ashley_Price]

As I've said in other replies, I'm not worried about syncing or sharing.

There are desktop calendar apps that do not. The problem is sync and sharing if you want to work with others.

 

[Paul Kelly ICHYB]

BTW, maybe the time change is a setting - none of my appointments/events time changes when the clock changes!

 

[fisicx]

Just played with thunderbird and end time stays where I put it.

 

[gpietersz]

As I've said in other replies, I'm not worried about syncing or sharing.

Then Thunderbird (email client) has a good calendar.

I cannot recommend anything else (KOrganiser is good, but I have never used it on Windows which is what you probably use) but there will be some desktop app that works. Maybe look at the appstore for your OS (e.g. Windows store or whatever).

 

[Kate Parker]

I run a Google Calendar for the hire of our church hall, and while the calendar is okay, it has a couple of very annoying issues which never seemed to have been resolved, so I am wondering if there is a good and FREE alternative that (and this is a MUST) runs on a P.C.?

The two main issues with Google are:

1/ Adjust start time and Google automatically adjusts the end time. So, like this morning a hirer has asked if they can start earlier, I change the start time from 5:15 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Google adjusts the end time accordingly which I didn't want. It seems with Google has been programmed so the duration stays the same. (It's funny how you can change the end time without it automatically changing the start time.)

2/ GMT/BST - I don't know if it is something when I set up the appointments but when we change from GMT to BST or vice versa some of the appointments move forward or back by an hour - as some appointments are weekly this can cause problems with bookings.

Have a look at Thunderbird with the Lightning calendar (now built in). It's free, desktop-based, and handles fixed start/end times independently — changing one won't touch the other.

The GMT/BST issue is also less of a problem because you're working locally rather than relying on Google's cloud timezone logic doing something clever you didn't ask for.

Only caveat: if you need other people to view the calendar online you'd need to share it manually, but for managing bookings yourself on a PC it does the job well.

 

[MikeJ]

Buy a paper diary.

 

[gpietersz]

@Kate Parker that makes it three recommendations for Thunderbird. From OP's point of view its a good calendar that has email client and a few other things that do not have to be used (RSS reader, chat) and therefore can be largely ignored.

I do think all those are useful (desktop email clients have a better/more productive UI than web ones, RSS is greatly under used).