[uf-discuss] UTC Datetime formats & Google calendar

[Mike Kaply]

Operator should be converting that tzoffset (+1200) and passing it to
Google Calendar correctly.

What version of Operator are you using?

Mike Kaply

On 7/19/07, Rebecca Cox <lists at reb.net.nz> wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> Apologies if this has previously been asked.
>
> I've been trying out hcalendar and been having some issues with the
> datetime format.
>
> I'm in New Zealand (UTC +12), am using Operator to add my hcalendar
> events to Google calendar.
>
> If I use the hcalendar creator
> http://microformats.org/code/hcalendar/creator - this puts in the time
> format with offset from UTC appended, like so:
>
> <abbr class="dtstart" title="20070720T0900+1200">July 20, 2007  9am</abbr>
>
> All good, but Google Calendar doesn't like it, gives an error when you
> try to add an event to your calendar via Operator.
>
> If I markup times with no UTC offset, ie in my local time:
>
> <abbr class="dtstart" title="20070720T0900">July 20, 2007  9am</abbr>
>
> Google Calendar will grab the event OK, all good under the assumption
> that the time is given for timezone of the event's location. Not so
> useful if the event is online or otherwise more than one timezone.
>
> If I markup times in UTC time, but display the NZ time eg:
>
> <abbr class="dtstart" title="20070719T2100Z">July 20, 2007  9am NZT</abbr>
>
> Google Calendar also likes this one, and will convert the UTC time to
> my local time. Useful, but perhaps doesn't give the user enough
> control over how the timezones are handled?
>
> Perhaps this is a non issue. Say someone in the UK added my event, to
> be held in New Zealand, to their Google Calendar. It would get
> displayed to them in UK time. Then say they travelled for the event,
> and switched their calendar timezone to NZ time while they were here,
> so keeping to the correct time for the event. I guess the issue is
> making it clear to the user that this is what will happen?
>
> My thoughts are, for an event located in New Zealand perhaps do something like:
>
> <abbr class="dtstart" title="20070719T2100Z">July 20, 2007  9am NZT,
> (July 19, 2007  9pm UTC)</abbr>
>
> What are people's thoughts on giving times, would you normally just
> give the local time and not worry about timezones? What about for
> online events where the timezone does matter?
>
> Also wondering if any of the other hcalendar - using applications or
> services have problems when times are given with the offset?
> (20070720T0900+1200)
>
> Cheers,
> Rebecca
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