Help with website calendar

[nabby68]

Hi
Can anyone recommend a free website calendar that I can put on my website to inform people of upcoming classes and what's on. Have trawled the internet but nothing seems suitable
Thanks

 

[OwainDIYer]

You can do it very simply with Google Calendar. All you need to to is put an IFRAME on your webpage and fill it with a special sharing URL you can get from within Google Calendar.
https://support.google.com/calendar/answer/41207?hl=en

Then set the sharing/publi settings for each event
https://support.google.com/calendar/answer/34580


More advanced options let you play with the colour/style to match your website, make it more responsive to mobile browsers and let others interact with the calendar.
https://answers.squarespace.com/que...ed-a-google-calendar-in-a-responsive-way.html
http://www.webdesignerdepot.com/2012/04/integrating-google-calendar-with-your-website/

 

[OwainDIYer]

You can also put a digital signage app on a spare computer or raspberry pi to have the calendar updated in your reception area
http://www.instructables.com/id/Raspberry-Pi-Wall-Mounted-Google-Calendar/
https://www.screenlyapp.com/use-cases/dashboard/google-calendar/

or even have screens outside each classroom
http://www.sixteen-nine.net/2013/12/03/digital-signage-answers-meeting-room-booking-nightmares/

 

[nabby68]

Thanks for all your help. Very informative. I'm a relative novice when it comes to web building but I've taught myself over the past 12 months. We use Godaddy web builder for our website. Do you think this would accept an Iframe ?

 

[OwainDIYer]

You can add HTML:

https://uk.godaddy.com/help/add-scripts-and-html-7684

This says IFRAMEs don't work and suggests a couple of work arounds
http://stackoverflow.com/questions/26220624/iframe-html-in-godaddy-website-builder-v7

This says it could be done with the help of a godaddy supportperson
http://www.localendar.com/lcf/lcforums/viewthread?thread=12610&c=9

Godaddy has its own calendar system you might try

 

[nabby68]

ive managed to install a calender on my webpage and in the process of altering it to suit. Is there a way i can get it to recognise events that i post on my facebook page so it appears on my calendar

 

[OwainDIYer]

Possibly, the Godaddy (or Google, etc) calendar will 'subscribe' to other calendars.

First publish/export the Facebook events as a url: (first part of)
http://support.keepandshare.com/sup...my-facebook-events-to-my-keep-share-calendar-

Then subscribe the Godaddy calendar to the Facebook feed
https://uk.godaddy.com/help/importing-exporting-and-subscribing-to-calendars-3800
To Subscribe to a Calendar

Check the privacy and spam /autodecline settings in Facebook to make sure you aren't exporting stuff you'd rather not appear on your website.

 

[nabby68]

Thanks for your reply. This would work but my website doesn't have its own Facebook page but is a "page" on my personal account and so the options you describe above are not available

 

[Handykindabloke]

Building a site using a hosting sites software means that you will have to do some pretty bespoke code to get it to do the things you want it to do. Plus you have the disadvantage of the time that you want to leave your hosting company and find you cant take your website with you . . sigh

Try looking at Joomla if you want to create a bespoke site or Wordpress if you want it to do it for you.

 

[ericmark]

I tried building a web site, and thought I was reasonable with it, however when I tried taking over a web site I found the ISP was very limiting as to what it would let me do, it would not allow me to even set the meta data to say UK rather than where the server was think Iceland or some where like that, also one of the others reports not safe site when opened with up graded browser, I know it is safe but if others think it may not be then pointless using it.

I suspect it's because I use Java Script but it is the Java Script which allows me to auto change pictures while your viewing.

So it seems today ones options are rather limited.

 

[Handykindabloke]

It depends on what you might understand as limited. (I'm not sure what you mean by the ISP limiting you?)

Any site that offers you their own site builder are limiting in many ways, you have to use what they offer and that's that. Then when you decide you want to leave, you lose all of the work you put into the site as you cannot take it with you. In some cases you may even have a problem keeping your own domain!

If you want to build and maintain a site (or sites) you can rent space from a hosting company there are thousands to choose from. If you want a specific UK server then there are loads to choose from.

Then you can choose either to learn code and build from scratch or you can use one of the two main CMS (Content Management Systems) packages, Joomla or Wordpress. You will still need to learn the package and depending on how bespoke you want to go you will need to learn some of the basics of html and css and possibly a little php.

 

[safetywatto]

Sorry to put a dampener on your efforts but GoDaddy is a bad choice if you wish to get the site found on Google. Their servers are in Arizona and Google.co.uk virtually ignores websites based in the USA