After toying around with Google Calendar for a while, I can finally say I’m loving it, especially the freedom I’m getting in integrating it with KilkennyMusic.com. Using a modified version of the gCalJSON its a breeze to pull out all the calendar details, format them however you want without the need for a WordPress plugin.
If you’re looking to integrate a calendar feed into your blog or any other web site, give gCalJSON a look, have a toy around with the script, throw in 3-4 lines of code to call it out (including your full Google calendar feed) and you’ll have your dates straight away. I’ve been doing some work on KKM over the last week, tying a few services together and adding Google calendar to back the gigs was a bit of a no-brainer.
The use of Google Calendar is perfect for KilkennyMusic.com though as the access to the calendar is shared between four of us, allowing gig and event updates by any of us from any location. Seen as we all use Google Talk to communicate during the week, everyone’s Google ID gets added to the Calendar admin (invitation) and everyone can get involved. It also helps in taking an iCal output of the calendar as well to allow us keep local copies (3/4 of us are Mac users). Allowing HTML in the gig descriptions is a bonus as well in terms of providing links to bands and venues. Just gotta get some co-ordinates in there and plot the gigs on a map and away we go.
Its damn easy to use as well if you haven’t tried it before…. give it a lash.
So when is the intergrated google calender widget going to appear on the site (I only found out about it yesterday [and then integrated it 5 mins later] so don’t be too rushed)
Must actually pass it to the sidebar. As regards KilkennyMusic.com I’ll be removing the video area of the homepage and turning it into a user area, including upcoming dates.
Really do need to dump it out to the front though.
Finally got around to adding the calendar to the homepage… 5 latest gigs, links through to the gig guide instead of jumping out to Google.
It is a great product and it can only get cooler!
Certainly finding it useful anyway!