Friends Events Calendar

[mikz]

Title
Friends Events Calendar

Short, concise description of the idea
Add a field to the Update Journal function to specify dates, to be used if the entry is an invitation. Add a calendar function to allow users to see their friends' upcoming events.

Full description of the idea
See the concise description and implementation detials. The form implied that this was not a mandatory field.
An ordered list of benefits

• Makes it easier for people to find out about their friends' parties and other events.
• Makes a great alternative to sites like eVite-no more dubious privacy policies or having to keep track of friends' e-mail addresses!
• Saves rummaging through peoples' journals to find out details about a party-it's all listed in the one place.

An ordered list of problems/issues involved

• Need to add a field to Update Journal-LJ clients will need to be updated so they include this field.
• Would require a couple of new tables and indexes at the back end, but I can't see it being a real biggie.

An organized list, or a few short paragraphs detailing suggestions for implementation

• In the Update Journal function, add an optional date field. The person posting the entry should enter a date here if the entry is an invitation to a future event, such as a party. If the date is left blank, it won't be added to the calendar.
• Ideally, multiple or recurring dates should be allowed, e.g. for people who are in a show that's playing several times, or if people are hosting a games party on the last Sunday of every month. Use the same date entry style as for entries so it's familiar; just allow the entering of dates (like adding multiple options to a poll) and allow repeating (daily until an end date, weekly until an end date, monthly, by weekday or date, until an end date, etc.)
• Add a feature to LJ, simlar to 'Friend's Birthdays' on My LJ, that lists upcoming events for people on their friends lists. It would be a list of dates, LJ usernames and LJ entry titles, with links to the entries.
• Of course, only entries they can actually see should be listed; this allows people to use their existing filters to create invitation lists.
• 'My LJ' is a good place for the calendar, actually. One calendar for upcoming events *and* upcoming birthdays. If the LJ maintenance people use the new date fields in their announcements about servers going down, etc., then these would also be listed on the calendar. Cool.
• Super bonus points if LJ users (probably not basic account users) can elect to have the calendar e-mailed to them regularly, e.g. daily or weekly.