Session 3 Calendar deep dive.pdf
This session is going to look at more depth into different kinds of calendar data and how that works in PlaceCal. We’ll also practice adding calendar feeds to partners in PlaceCal. This session should take about an hour. Please let us know if you have any access requirements.
Structured data refers to information which is understandable by computers. This means it is consistent – it’s in the same format every time, and that each piece of information is labelled with what it is, and how it should be used. You can think of structured data as different dimensions:
1D data is data which is visually resolved, meaning you use visual information to pick up cues about how to use the data, for example an arrow on a map pointing to an address, or a transport icon next to the name of a station. It’s not standardised, and often not searchable as text is baked into an image, or physically printed. Instagram posts are 1D data because they often use poster-style images with a lot of information in the image itself. 1D data is not easily usable – a human has to go through every piece of data individually and make it into a more computer-readable format to use it with a piece of software, like a calendar app.
2D data is visually resolved, but has some structure. Spreadsheets are 2D data because while you can apply formulas to them to get some functionality out of them, and they have column headings and titles telling you what each piece of data is, it’s down to a human to make sure all of the information in that column is appropriate and in the right format. It’s easy for spreadsheets to contain erroneous information, for example a date entered into a spreadsheet as 03/10 might be resolved as March 10th or October 3rd depending on how the spreadsheet is configured.
3D data is able to be resolved visually and understood by a computer. It is consistent and has checks stopping the wrong kind of information being entered. This is the most usable kind of data for working with software and integrating data into other places – it requires the least human oversight to work and keep working. This is the kind of data PlaceCal can work with!
Makes information computer readable in a consistent way
Defines what something is (aka metadata). For example, is “3/6” 50%, the 3rd of June, or the 6th of March?
Validate the data - can’t put in wrong values
Have multiple ways of inputting and editing it
Different permissions for different kinds of actions (Create, Read, Update, Delete)
Improves SEO and shows up on Google Rich Results, etc
PlaceCal can read data from a variety of sources, a full list is available in the Partner Admin handbook. Some common formats of structured data are:
iCal is a format for calendar events, which every reputable digital calendar will be able to read and export. It outputs the data in a predictable way every time, which PlaceCal can read and use to output an events feed. It’s used by software like Microsoft Outlook and Google Calendar, so will probably be the type of feed a partner uses if the main way they keep track of their events is through a calendar software rather than a ticketing platform.
JSON-LD is another format for structured data, which can support event data. It’s often used by SaaS (Software as a Service) web platforms like Squarespace, and might be used by ticketing providers too. It’s useful on the web because it’s the format of data Google and other search engines use to find event information on a web page and surface that in search results.
These are custom ways of structuring data which are specified by the companies who make software. These are not standard across platforms, which means that to work with them you need to make your software understand the terms laid out by the API. Companies sometimes use an API if they want to restrict who can access their data – Facebook is a notable example. They have an API but restrict access, which means that independent software can’t access their information, but big-budget companies like Ticketmaster can.
One of the first steps when looking to onboard a partner is to have a look at their existing website, ticketing site(s) or social media to work out what they’re already using. This is a crucial step – it means we don’t make extra work for them or mislead the partner in our initial discussions about how much work it will take to get set up on PlaceCal. It also means that we can get a picture of how the partner is working already – the CTP approach acknowledges that running a group or organisation can be messy, and that having a high quality point of truth which reflects what’s actually going on in a space is usually as a result of social factors (rather than just using the right tool)!
Do they use a ticketing website? If so, this often has a structured data feed (e.g. Eventbrite, Dice). This is the easiest place to start – always check what a prospective partner is already using before suggesting new tools, because they might not need any!
See the full list of sources we support here: Partner Admin handbook. This isn’t a totally exhaustive list – some website builders will output data in a format we can use even if they aren’t on this list. You can check for it on other sites (which aren’t in this list) by viewing the page source and searching for ld+json.
Partners might not always have all their events on their ticketing provider, for example if they have a regular group which meets at a fixed time every week and those who attend ‘just know’. If this is the case, the partner either needs to start adding these kinds of events to their ticketing provider OR add a secondary calendar for these events alone.
<aside> 💡 Be careful when using more than one calendar source – partners need to be made aware that they should take effort to avoid duplicate event listings.
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Have a click around the prospective partner’s website — is there something that looks like a calendar? This could also look like a list of events all formatted the same way that looks to be up to date (a sign that a partner is updating their website by hand is that it displays out-of-date information).
Sometimes if a calendar is present we can use that right away and feed it straight into PlaceCal, but we might have to ask them for a link if the website obscures where it’s getting its data from.
If the partner is using a site that’s not on our list of supported sources, and you can’t see any JSON-LD data or an iCal feed, there might still be a way to use it. The site might have an API which PlaceCal can use. You can search the internet for this using phrases like “sitename developer documentation” or “sitename API”.
If an API exists – great! If there’s enough demand we might be able to write an importer.
If it’s listed in the Partner Admin handbook you should be able to get it set up following the instructions there. It’s possible that sites might change things from time to time which break how they work with PlaceCal – if you come across this please let us know as it probably affects other partners and sites.
If it’s a site or platform not on our list, do your best to see if there’s a JSON-LD or iCal feed in the first instance. If you’re looking to connect a partner who is using something with an API which we don’t yet support, you’ll need to let us know that too.
We’re happy to talk things through and offer support where needed! This information is here so you have the fullest understanding of how things work and can offer accurate information and advice when working with partners on the ground.
If a partner doesn’t have a suitable calendar already, it’s time to help the partner set something up on their own. This might be the case for community groups which don’t have their own website, or promoters who work across a lot of different venues, each of which handling their own ticketing. Typically, setting this up will also help groups to be more organised internally – it’ll create a point of truth which both they and PlaceCal can refer to, to see an overview of their events in one place.
Typically the easiest option is Google Calendar, Office 365, or Apple’s built-in calendar. The interfaces are different, but the steps are the same.
Show: repeating events, busy/free, sharing settings, iCal feed options
<aside> 💡 It’s important to note that events should be fully filled out when they are added to the calendar which is synced with PlaceCal, and that everything added to that calendar will be shown to the public. Partners might want to have more than one calendar – one for internal planning, and one for promotion.
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Lots of things can publish an iCal feed! Some examples are:
Notion Calendar — for people already using Notion
AirTable — for orgs that need a more granular system or have multi step booking processes
We already touched on CTP methodology in previous sessions. Broadly, this means that we work with what people are already using and then link that to PlaceCal.
This means that sometimes this means we have to work with a group to set up a system which works. Many groups, especially grassroots groups are working with fuzzy and indistinct systems for managing events internally, which doesn’t create a solid point of truth to get the information PlaceCal needs to operate. By working with a group to develop a system which works with PlaceCal, you will also be addressing a social and organisational issue for that group!
Working in this way means getting your hands dirty and being creative. You need to find out who actually manages the diary, which can take a bit of digging (and might not be just one person). To get to the root of it, you can ask things like:
Remember that we are trying to solve the problem for the organisation as a whole, not just the quick fix to make the person you’re talking to happy. But people don’t exist as individuals — they exist in communities where they can get support from others. The key thing to emphasise here is that some work in the short term will make it painless in the long term, but be realistic about the short term commitment.
It gets easier as you do it more but there’s really no substitute for helping out a bunch of people and finding out what works! We can’t tell you exactly what’s going to work in your community, because every community is different. There are common stumbling blocks – but every time we roll out PlaceCal in a new context we discover new tools, new norms, new ways of working. As an organiser you need to be receptive to what the people you’re working directly with are doing, not trying to fit them into a mould which worked somewhere else. Maybe everyone in your city uses a specific ticketing platform you’ve not come across before – that’s really interesting! We want to find a way of working with it, rather than asking them to change how they work to fit a tool.
Part of this process can be facing rejection, or blanked emails. People are busy. People are low on capacity. The environment we’re all organising in right now is challenging at the best of times, and everyone is fatigued and resistant to new tools which claim they’ll help – most organisations have been burnt before. The best way to make these connections is through building trust – do you know someone the prospective partner trusts already, and can you leverage that? Can you build the trust yourself? The best organisers are committed and connected community members, who have access through their own reputation.
See How to add a calendar to PlaceCal.
Please note that changing the address or deleting service area from a partner after a calendar has been linked can make the importer malfunction. Suggest deleting the calendar and remaking it if you want to do this for the time being.