|
NYCPaul -> Scheduling Reunions and Get-Togethers (9/8/2009 8:52:00 AM)
|
Hi Folks,
Have you ever tried to find out from an extended family across the country when ALL of them can make it to a family reunion or get-together so you can book a date at some facility? I've tried it with a much smaller groups and it can be like pulling teeth with lots and lots of phone calls. Well, I have a suggestion that might help out.
I just discovered Google Collaborative Documents which lets you share a text, spreadsheet or presentation document with many people on the web. That means that everyone you allow (by sending them a link to the document) can add or change the document you create.
My first use of Google Collaborative Documents was to make a spreadsheet with families and individual family members listed with their own rows on the right. On top each column represents the Friday of a weekend for several months to come. Because anyone who visited the document to add to it, everyone could "X" the weekends they are available for the event. When one or more Friday columns start to fill up with "X's" you begin to see what date would get the most attendees. But what is very important is that everyone else can see what dates are popular by returning to the document. That means that some family members may be willing to change their plans to go along with everyone else. That's a really good feature!!!!! And, of course it can work the other way so people can go back and change their original "X" choices.
[image]http://www.nycpaul.com/spreadsheet.gif[/image]
This example was for a weekend reunion at a resort but you can change the dates to mean full weeks, etc. I'm sure you are already thinking of how you could use this idea for small or large groups in family and business life. Perhaps FamilyLobby could incorporate it into one of their options since this site is dedicated to families.
You do have to register with Google Mail which is free. Once you have a Google ID and password, you can use Google Collaborative Docs. However, the folks who use the document with you do not necessarily have to have a Google membership since you can just send them the link to the document in an email. Now that couldn't be easier and more productive.
Finally, after you create your Reunion Schedule Spreadsheet they give you a link which you can use to create a link on your FamilyLobby.com web page so visitors to your FamilyLobby page can add their "X's" while visiting the page. That is what I did and it worked beautifully. If you come up with some uses of the Collaborative Docs please share them.
NYCPAUL
|
|
|
|