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Frequently Asked Questions (and Answers)
BASIC QUESTIONS
What is iCalShare?
iCalShare is the web's largest directory of shareable calendars. We have over 1500 calendars in more than 35 different categories, including calendar for sports teams, music groups, television shows, holidays, and more.
What do I need to subscribe to calendars?
All you need is a calendar application that supports the iCalendar standard. There are several excellent calendar applications available for each major operating system.
Macintosh:
iCal,
Mozilla Calendar,
Sunbird,
Zimbra,
DayChaser
Windows:
Microsoft Works (Version 8 or higher),
WinDates,
Mozilla Calendar,
Sunbird,
Zimbra
Linux:
Novell Evolution,
KOrganizer,
Kronolith,
Mozilla Calendar,
Sunbird,
Zimbra
How do I publish a calendar?
When a calendar is published, it is uploaded to a web server, so that it can be accessed through the Internet. Calendar applications that support publishing calendars usually do so via WebDAV or FTP. New users should consider using a calendar hosting service like .Mac or iCal Exchange. More advanced users may wish to publish their calendars to an existing web server. For exact details on publishing a calendar using your calendar application, check with your calendar software vendor.
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ICALSHARE QUESTIONS
I'm having trouble logging in. What's wrong?
When you first register, you will be sent an email with your username and password. When entering your initial password, make sure to be very careful, paying special attention to characters that can be confused easily (like '0' and 'O'). Once you've logged in, feel free to change your password as you like. (Note: sometimes you login with a new password, it may appear as your login in fails. If this occurs, try returning to iCalShare's homepage. You're probably already logged in!)
How can I add a photo to my user profile?
It's easy. To add a photo to your user profile, just login and then select Account Information from the My Account panel on iCalShare's homepage. Alternately, you can use this link.
Can I become an iCalShare volunteer?
Absolutely! I'll be looking for help with some of the admin tasks for this site very soon. Drop a line to to put your name in the hat.
Do you plan to organize calendars by location?
At some point, yes. That's a commonly requested feature, and one that makes a lot of sense. For now, we've added a 'Local Events' category, but stay tuned for additional updates on this issue.
Do you offer a RSS/RDF newsfeed?
Yep, we sure do. Our newsfeed is available here. If you wish to use it, all we ask it that you link back to us. Text links are perfectly acceptable, but if you want something with more style, check out the iCalShare badges and banners available on our Link to us! page.
What do you use to make this site?
My trusty iMac, of course.
My question wasn't answered? What do I do?
If you have a question that hasn't been answered in this FAQ, you can email it to .
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ICAL QUESTIONS
What do I need to use iCal?
You need a Macintosh running Mac OS X 10.2 (aka "Jaguar") or later.
How much does iCal cost?
It's free. If you have a Mac and Mac OS 10.2 (or later), you can download iCal from Apple's website.
Where does iCal store its calendar files on my machine?
In Mac OS X, calendar files are stored in the ~/Library/Calendars within your home directory. For instance, if your user name is 'kermit', your calendars would be stored in /Users/kermit/Library/Calendars/.
When is the next version of iCal coming out?
The most recent version of iCal is 2.0.3. Apple has not yet announced its plans for the next release of iCal. When they do, you'll be the first to know!!!
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ADDING CALENDARS
How do I add a calendar?
It's easy. Just follow the steps below.
- Create your calendar.
- Publish your calendar using a service like .Mac or iCal Exchange.
- Save the subscribe link that points to your calendar.
- Go to iCalShare and click on Add Your Calendar!.
- Fill out the form, adding your subscribe link and other info.
- Send your submission.
- That's it. You're done!!!
Do I have to join iCalShare to add a calendar?
Nope, joining iCalShare is not required to add a calendar (but highly recommended). If you register, you'll receive full credit for your submission and iCalShare will be able to contact you if there's a problem with your calendar. Additionally, if you post calendars frequently, people who look at one calendar will also be able to see the other calendars you've added. (Don't worry, though. Your email will *never* be sold to spammers. I'll post a privacy policy as soon as I can.)
What should I put in the 'Source' field?
Use the 'Source' field to give iCalShare users a link to the original source of information in your calendar, if applicable. For instance, if you made a calendar for the New York Yankees, you should probably add a link to the Yankee's website. Or, similarly, if your calendar is for some type of activity group, you should provide a link to the group's website. The basic point is to give iCalShare users a place to get more information about your calendar topic.
What should I put in the 'Subscribe Link' field?
iCalShare users subscribe to your calendar using the 'Subscribe Link'. When you publish your calendar, whether using .Mac or some other calendar hosting service, iCal will automatically generate an URL used to subscribe to your calendar. This URL, which begins with 'webcal://' and ends with '.ics', should be placed in the 'Subscribe Link' field.
Example subscribe links:
webcal://ical.mac.com/ausominc/AUSOM32Meetings.ics
webcal://icalx.com/public/icalshare/US32Holidays.ics
webcal://caltech.wap.org/Events.ics
How can I post my calendar in more than one category?
Easy! Just submit your calendar as many times as necessary, one submission per category. (You should be able to just hit your browser's back button after a submission, change the category, and then resubmit.)
How long does it take for my calendar submission to appear on the site?
Usually, calendar submissions are posted within 2 - 3 days from when they are received. Sometimes, we're able to add your calendar soon -- it just depends on how many calendars are being submitted to iCalShare. (We're also working on a new version of the site that will allow us to post more than 10 calendars a day.)
Will I be charged for listing my calendar on iCalShare?
Nope. Listing a calendar on iCalShare is completely free! And it will always be free. (Our gift to the Mac community!)
Does iCalShare host calendars?
Currently, no. For now, use your .Mac account or use a third-party, WebDAV-enabled webhosting account. (Here's a list of hosting providers.)
My calendar hasn't been posted yet. What's the deal?
If your calendar isn't posted within a week, please send an email to . Otherwise, just be patient... we'll get to it ASAP! :)
How do I update my calendar's listing?
The easiest thing to do is resubmit your calendar, using the Add Your Calendar! page. Just make sure you mention that you want the new entry to replace the old one... put 'RESUBMIT' or something like that somewhere in the description. Alternately, you can email with any updates or corrections.
How do I remove my calendar?
Easy! Just email us at , with your calendar's name and the reason it should be removed.
How can my MUG (Mac User Group) publish a calendar?
To find out how to use iCal and iCalShare to promote your Mac user group, read our MUG calendar tutorial.
Why isn't the calendar preview working for my calendar?
This is probably due to a bug in our calendar preview tool. If your calendar name contains spaces, the preview will fail. If you wish to fix this, republish the calendar without spaces or replaces any spaces with underscores. And, of course, make sure to send us the new link!
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SUBSCRIBING TO CALENDARS
How do I subscribe to a calendar?
That's also easy. Just follow the steps below.
- Browse through iCalShare's directory of calendars.
- Find a calendar you'd like to download.
- Click on the 'Subscribe to calendar' link.
- If you're using iCal, iCal will automatically open and ask if you wish to subscribe to the calendar you clicked on. Choose your subscription options and then click 'Subscribe'.
- If you're using Mozilla Calendar, this procedure may differ slightly, but it should basically be the same.
- That's it. You're done!!!
Check below for additional instructions, based on your hardware and software configuration.
How do I subscribe using Netscape?
By default, Netscape does not recognize the webcal protocol (webcal://) used to subscribe to calendars, so you will need to follow the instructions below to configure Netscape so that it properly supports iCal. [Note: ironically, you will need to use Internet Explorer for this fix to work. But don't worry, it's just for a second!]
- Launch Internet Explorer.
- Select Preferences from the Explorer menu.
- Select Protocol Helpers (in Network options).
- Click 'Add...'.
- In the field labeled 'Helper for:', type 'webcal'.
- Click the 'Choose Helper...' button.
- Navigate to and select iCal (which is stored in your Applications folder).
- Quit Internet Explorer.
- Launch Netscape.
That's it!!! You can now subscribe to calendars using Netscape!
How do I subscribe using KDE Konqueror?
Users of KDE's desktop environment with Konqueror (KDE's web browser) and Korganizer (part of KDE's PIM suite) installed can, by default, click on a Subscribe link (webcal://) and a temp copy of the Calendar will be downloaded and opened in Korganizer. It's also possible to preview a calendar in Korganizer without subscribing &mdash just right click on a Subscribe link and choose "Preview in Korganizer".
Alternately, if you wish to view calendars directly from Konqueror, just enable the embedded calendar viewer:
- Launch Konqueror.
- Go to the 'Settings' menu item.
- Select the 'Configure Konqueror' menu item.
- Choose 'File Associations'.
- Type 'ics' in the 'Find filename pattern:' field.
- Choose 'calendar'.
- Click the 'Embedding' tab.
- Finally, make sure 'Show file in embedded viewer' is selected.
- Click 'OK'.
- That's it. You're done!!!
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