Website Changes - Recurring Sessions

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Chris__M
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Joined: Sun Apr 02, 2006 7:55 pm
Location: Market Deeping

Website Changes - Recurring Sessions

Post by Chris__M » Tue Aug 24, 2021 6:01 pm

With lockdown hopefully coming to an end, we will hopefully be using the website more to plan game sessions.

One thing that has been requested is the ability to set up recurring sessions - being able to add something to the calendar for every Tuesday, without having to make posts for each session. This was not the easiest thing to do, so has been low in my priorities.

One of the problems is that although I can make the code cause recurring dates in the calendar, it is still only one post. So the new attendance option would not work, as which session is it measuring attendance for? I also think that replies may get confusing - someone says "I am going", but are they talking about this week, or next? Or did they write it last week, and we have only just noticed?

What I have done is created a whole new section - so we now have "Event Planner" as before for Game Sessions, Online Game Sessions and Other Events, and the new "Recurring Events" for the new requirement. I'd recommend to most that you continue using "Event Planner" as before, and make a post for each game session. But if you have an absolutely regular event that it too troublesome to make individual posts, use "Recurring Events".

I think it is fairly self-explanatory. I have given you two choices - either every 7 or 14 days from the first session date, or you can schedule in a monthly session along the lines of "Second Saturday of the Month".

For a start, I've taken Sarah's post for the Brewery Tap and Mulberry Tree Farm sessions, and split the post in two, so each venue has it's own dates in the calendar. That's all there is at present, but as new dates appear, things will begin to look better.
Chris
User avatar
Chris__M
Member
Posts: 666
Joined: Sun Apr 02, 2006 7:55 pm
Location: Market Deeping

Re: Website Changes - Recurring Sessions

Post by Chris__M » Tue Aug 24, 2021 6:02 pm

To post a new session to the "Session Planner", it works like this:
  1. Go to the forum, and click on "New Topic".
  2. If you need to change the event type, use the drop-down box. It defaults to "Game Session", but there are two other options "Online Game Session" and "Other Event" (for social meets and things).
  3. Pick a date. At the moment, either using the dropdown boxes for Day, Month, Year, or clicking on the little calendar.
  4. Enter a subject line. As before, this is clearer if you type <game session name> @ <venue> - like "Twilight Imperium @ Market Deeping", "Tuesday Evening @ The Brewery Tap" or "Online Session @ Discord".
  5. Enter details of the session, as usual - time, games being played, any limit of attendees - anything relevant.
  6. Click Submit. A new box will appear, headed Attending. Fill out the form and click Enter - even if you are hosting; it does not assume the person scheduling is attending.
Other folk can reply as before, but they will also see the Attending list. So if they plan to go, they should also use that to tell the host (even if they have already said so in their reply. This is because it keeps a tally - Attending: ( Yes / No / Don't Know ): 3 / 0 / 0 - as people enter their attendance.

It isn't really necessary to answer "no" or "don't know", but the option is there should people want it. In particular, if you say "yes", and then change your mind, please come back and say "no", so people know you are not coming.

The details of the sessions will appear both in the sidebar and the forum calendar, with the number attending in [brackets]

Any questions, feel free to ask, here or in "Helpdesk".
Chris
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