Priscilla's Usage of Chandler 0.6

Here are some top issues I ran into this past four weeks:

• I had thoughts my alarms weren't popping up or popping up late. It turns out it was hidden behind my other applications. (This issue has been resolved in bugzilla, not ideal, but for the time being)

• Receiving emails and putting it on my calendar auto-magically would make me use Chandler on a regular basis. I'm doing a work around, where I write events down in my paper calendar (I'm thinking I do that because it's the most stable source to refer to quickly) and there has to be a better way!

• Sharing my calendar is not as intuitive. The copy and past link to a clip board: for now I would have liked better instructions to past it to an email program and send it to your friend to share calendars.

• I ran a quickie sharing calendar task test with my significant other. He also ran into some weird error messages, but was able to complete the task. It didn't take him as long to figure out how to subscribe to my calendar, but he did run into some errors. It took him about 8 mins to complete this task. More notes on his usage of Chandler.

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Notes on Chandler 0.6 Usage:

These notes are organized by dates of using Chandler, not by tasks. In other-words, the tasks are not summerized and may repeat.

In the Beginning - 1/11/06 10:15 AM

I'm time stamping my entries so you have a frame of reference of when I was using Chandler 0.6. I started to convert notes from my physical calendar to Chandler. I started in the morning, had two meetings that took 3 hrs out of my day. I finished before 4pm, so about 3 hrs to investigate Chandler and input 9 events, including 3 recurring events, from my paper calendar.

Adding Events

• Would start up in calendar view and by double click on the calendar to input my entries.
• A bit miffed about the wait time on in-putting tasks, mainly �cause I don�t know if it�s going to a screen for me to input the details or if it didn�t react to the double click.
• Expected to double click to add an event. When double clicking on the calendar palette, the event box did not always display on the correct time. When moving the event box, it sometimes slips a bit over the time event.
• Had double clicked and on an event and ended up on the all list. It really freaked me out as I didn't expect to see that screen and had now idea where I was. I was completely lost. Then looked aimlessly until I realized the button at the top was pressed to the 'All List'. If I can reproduce the trail I will file a bug.

Alarms in Recurring Events

• My alarms came in a bit late today. My wish list is to have it somewhere on the side so it�s not to hidden in the back (of my many open screens) and it�s also not front and center so it bothers me as it pops up.
• Note: As it turns out, my alarms were not late but was hidden under another application. I've filed a bug, and it is resolved for the time being.

Task: I received an email from Katie on current events for Sprint Week:

• I currently copy all the events to my paper calendar when I receive e-mail. Then add it manually to Chandler 0.6.
• I like the visual lay out on my physical calendar, weekly view, then input it onto Chandler in the weekly view of the calendar as well.
• Note: This is a 'nice to have: issue I'm sure everyone is aware of. Provide link in the e-mail to add events sent from Katie to my calendar.

Task: Delete an Event - 1/13/06 11:08 AM

• Realized it�s MLK day on Friday and wanted to delete an even on Monday. I clicked on the event box, the item was selected, then tried to delete it with the delete key. It didn't work. Searching for a delete button. I couldn't find it.
• Note: It turns out on my mac laptop, you need to have the function key down first before hitting the delete key. Is this only a Mac issue?

Subscribe to the Office Calendar - 1/17/06 4:28 PM

I sat down with Mimi to go over how to subscribe to the office calendar. She sent a link in an e-mail to me.

• I think she made me do a set up under File/Account' first. Sorta fumbled through it, but definitely because I had someone there to show me. Then I went through the menus and was hunting and pecking an looking for sharing, and found it under Collection/Subscribe. * Note: The term 'subscribe' was not the term I was thinking of. When it's someone else's calendar, I think of 'sharing' and the term 'subscribe' or subscription is a term used when when I think of a news feed, such as RSS.
• Filed bug: collection/collection sharing/sharing account:/WebDAV account ical.mac.com is set to default in chandler. Setting the default to a .mac account not WebDAV may be more understandable.
• Double clicked and came up w/ two events. Performance might have been slow, and I clicked on the calendar too many times because there was no feedback that it understood I clicked on the calendar.
• The he delete button worked today. Might have been from using my new keyboard.
• I copied the links to clipboard. This term although used in other applications is still a bit ambiguous to me. I just don't believe everyone would know what a clipboard is, but even if they do, there really should be more instructions on pasting it to an e-mail and sending it to the person you want to share your calendar with.

Thoughts on Sharing my Calendar

• My first thought was who I was going to share the calendar with. I would like to type who the person was, then check box/select the person and allow them to either read or read/write my calendar.

Setting a Precise Time � 1/24/06 12:56 PM

• Trying to insert an even from Lori Benefits meeting at 9:45am. Clicked on the calendar, twice then the time started at 9:30, I was trying to type in 9:45AM, but when I typed in the time, it popped a �?�, requesting either AM or PM.
• MimiYin Question: Did you type in 9:45AM? Or just 9:45? The AM or PM should stay put unless you type over it. I think the problem may be that the field is currently too dumb to figure out that 9:45AM and 9:45 AM are the same thing. Bryan says this should be solvable. Could you a log a bug for this for 0.7?
• Priss Response: I typed 9:45 (w/out the AM or PM) and the "?". I will file the bug, thanks.

• I think I would prefer that it knew already that I had put it on the AM in the calendar and wouldn�t pop up the question mark as I already tabbed over to the end date.

Updating Shared Calendars

• I was reviewing the office calendar to see if the recurring Scooby meeting was in, and would send an email to Esther to add it on. I clicked on the circular arrow to the right of the office calendar and thought it was download button to click, similar to the checkmark to the calendar. Still don�t know what that means. Clicked on it and didn�t do anything.

Adding Events

• Noticed something weird when adding information to an event. I didn't add any end date to my event, and realized it's just left at the mm/dd/yy.
• Would like to have seen something like 'never' end date.
• MimiYin I think this problem will go away in 0.7 with the expando date/time fields.

Creating a To Do List � 1/25/06

• Tried to create a task list, check on the check mark and it took me to the All List. Freaked me out.

Subscribing to My Own Calendar � 1/29/06

• I was at home and tried to subscribe to my own calendar and for some reason it did not merge with the default 'My calendar'. I going to delete it and try again.
• Once again I try to delete an item by clicking on the right mouse button expecting a drop down menu. Nothing. Having the item hilighted, I'm going to hunt & peck for the delete menu item. I look under item first, then collection, then roll over to Edit. Go to subscribe my own calendar & uncheck the 'keep out of my items', let's see what happens. It begins to download my calendar then notes 'I'm already subscribed'. Hmmm...Cancel.
• I'm quitting the program and restarting the program to see if that helps. No it did not. May need to file a bug.

Subscribe to the Office Calendar

• I'm going to try to subscribe again to the office calendar & Sheila's calendar to my computer (mac) at home.
• The subscription became much easer then last time, besides trying to find the links in my email.

Task: Rename a Shared Calendar

• So I like to personalize everything in my calendar, and wanted to rename Sheila's titled 'work' calendar to 'Sheila' so I know it's her calendar.
• I first highlighted the time, right click hoping a menu would pop up. When I right clicked�nothing. Then I hunt around the top menu items to look where I can rename the item. I would go to 'Item' first then find it under 'collection'. I find rename, select it and nothing. What's going on? I move my mouse over the shared calendar again, and realize I had to select it with the check mark in the circle, even though the menu item is (highlighted) selected. I check it then the entry box appears for me to rename the item. Not what I was expecting.
• I'm still confused what the check marks are used for opposed to the 'selected' highlighted
• MimiYin I'm thinking this is a performance issue. Basically the feedback is coming so slow that it's hard to perceive the difference between causal relationships and correlations.
• Priss: Well yes this was probably a performance issue, although my first natural instincts is to right click as well. This may be because I've been using bookmarks in firefox, opposed to safari and it would still be a nice to have.

Subscribe to the My Own Calendar

• Started all over again and it says I'm subscribed. I'm thinking of filing a bug, but in the meantime going to cheat and add it back to this calendar by going through the preferences in the user data.

Syncing All of My Shared Calendars � 1/30/06

• Chandler won't open, after using the 'sync all' button & weird behavior in 'Add
• New Event' type box. Error dialogue box when restarting program.
• I used the 'Sync All' button for the first time, then tried to enter in an event. When I clicked on the 'Add New Event', it would not delete the phrase 'Add New Event'. Also when I typed in something in the 'Add New Event' box, it would delete automatically. (Grant is my witness on this weird behavior)
• I quit Chandler and restarted the program. An error dialogue box popped open and now it won't start.
• Note: This incident has been filed as a bug and I am currently not able to open/use Chandler currently.

Restore Publish Shares � 1/31/06

• Restored Chandler by going through the library files in my user directory (thanks Grant!)
• Subscribed back to my existing calendar on Chandler, not a bad fall back feature, having all of my events already stored on Cosmo
• Tried to 'Restore publish shares', 'Sharring Error' displays at the bottom of the dialogue box. Will need to file another bug.