Early in 2025, the Acton Exchange Team will be rolling out a new calendar feature, using technology available on the WordPress platform we use to produce our online newspaper. The new calendar will allow Acton Exchange readers to control how they view information about events and to search for events they only know a bit about, and will minimize inaccuracies that can sneak into event entries in our current cut-and-paste system. To make this new system work, we need some additional volunteers, on both a short-term and long-term basis.
The planned calendar options include:
- A Month view, which looks like the paper calendars we used to hang on our walls, except that you can click on an item and pull up more information (see screen shot below).
- A List view, which includes basic information about all events scheduled for the coming week in chronological order. Clicking on an item brings up more details, and another click adds the item to your personal digital calendar. Some of our readers have said they prefer this style, as it allows the reader to review upcoming events on one page.
- A Week view, which maps out the current week’s events in blocks by time of day.
- A Summary view, which gives just dates, times, and titles for events further into the future.
Events are retained in the database and accessible to view even after the date has passed. There will also be a “search feature” so you can track down an event that you vaguely recall hearing about.
All the views are generated from information entered into a web form, usually by the person or organization submitting the event. Information types include: Event Title, Time & Date, Cost, Venue, Organizer, and a short Description of the event. The Time & Date fields allow for recurring events, and the Venue field accommodates virtual, hybrid or in-person options. Although software will format the events and views, we will not be using auto-posting; all events will be reviewed by the Calendar Committee who follow the Acton Exchange’s policy about the scope of events we will publish.
We need your help!
To spin up this new capability we need two types of people:
(1) Calendar Committee members:
The Calendar Committee is envisioned as an approximately 3-person group, analogous to the Letter Committee. The Calendar Committee will vet new items as they come in, support new contributors in learning to use the entry system, follow up with contributors about items that are unclear, answer queries from prospective contributors, and scan the Acton horizon for events that may be of interest but that we aren’t currently including. Would you like to be among the first to know what’s coming up in Acton? Are you careful and thorough? Are you comfortable working online? Would you like to help create the most-requested new Acton Exchange feature? We anticipate that the time commitment will average about 3 hours per week, flexibly distributed. We hope to recruit committee members from a variety of demographics so as to be able to tap into different social circles in identifying upcoming events.
(2) Members of groups that sponsor a lot of events, to help beta-test the calendar entry system:
Early in 2025 (tentatively the afternoon of Sunday January 19) we are planning a beta-testing / brainstorming session with representatives of a handful of local organizations that sponsor frequent events in Acton. Each of the reps will fire up the data entry webform on their laptop and attempt to enter upcoming events from their organization. Coaches from the editorial and tech team will be available to help. As they go along, organization reps and coaches will note where there are glitches or confusing moments. The group of the whole will brainstorm how the system could be made easier for data-enterers or more useful to calendar users.
If you are potentially interested in taking on either of these important roles, please email editors@actonexchange.org
Development of the calendar functionality is being led by tech team member Jeff Vandergrift. Associate Editor Kim Kastens is leading the development of the Calendar Policy. Associate Editor Miriam Lezak will serve as the technical support person for the Calendar Committee and as liaison between that committee and the Editorial Team.