[uf-discuss] UTC Datetime formats & Google calendar

[Rebecca Cox]

Thanks. I'm using Operator 0.7, Firefox 2.0.0.5 / Win.

Rebecca

On 7/20/07, Mike Kaply <microformats at kaply.com> wrote:
> 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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> > http://microformats.org/mailman/listinfo/microformats-discuss
> >
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