Do you use multiple iCal calendars? Why?

[Lyle]

I'm considering switching from Entourage 2004 over to iCal, and so I see that they have the option for multiple calendars. The usual justification for this is that it allows you to have a calendar for "home", and a calendar for "work", etc. but I don't see what value that provides. I mean, if I have a meeting or appointment today at 2:00, does it really matter whether that's on the "home" calendar or the "work" calendar?

So my question is: Do you use multiple iCal calendars? If so, why? What are you getting out of that configuration that you wouldn't get out of just one "universal" calendar?

 

[thunderclap]

I have three calendars set up: my personal, my work and my wife's. For me it's just more organized.

 

[swiftaw]

A few reasons to use multiple calendars

1) Multiple colors makes it easy to see what type of appointment it is.
2) I can share my work calendar with my co-workers without having to give them access to my personal appointments.

 

[Lyle]

For me it's just more organized.

I'm not arguing with you, but can you explain why you feel it's "more organized"?

I understand that there must be some reason why this option (for maintaining multiple calendars) exists, but I just don't get it yet.

I can understand how it would useful for some organization to publish a public calendar of events that I could then subscribe to, so that I could keep up to date with those events. So I get that use case. But I don't yet get why I personally would need to maintain more than one calendar for my appointments/events.

 

[Lyle]

A few reasons to use multiple calendars

1) Multiple colors makes it easy to see what type of appointment it is.

OK.

2) I can share my work calendar with my co-workers without having to give them access to my personal appointments.

OK, that definitely makes sense. I personally don't have to do that much (share my calendar with others) but I see how that would be useful.

The light bulb is starting to come on...

 

[dalvin200]

using the different colours for the different calendars definitely makes it look a lot more organised as you can visibly see appointments quickly

i have about 7 different calendars.. home/work/wife/kids etc...all have diff colours and it just makes it easier..

try and out and see for yourself..

might not be for everyone, but it works for me

I'm not arguing with you, but can you explain why you feel it's "more organized"?

I understand that there must be some reason why this option (for maintaining multiple calendars) exists, but I just don't get it yet.

I can understand how it would useful for some organization to publish a public calendar of events that I could then subscribe to, so that I could keep up to date with those events. So I get that use case. But I don't yet get why I personally would need to maintain more than one calendar for my appointments/events.

 

[aristobrat]

So my question is: Do you use multiple iCal calendars? If so, why? What are you getting out of that configuration that you wouldn't get out of just one "universal" calendar?

I use multiple calendars because I publish two of them online.

I have a personal calendar (that I don't publish anywhere).

I have another calendar that has the hours I work for a 2nd part-time job. I publish that via .Mac and gave the link to my friends so that they'd stop bugging me with "Are you off on MM/DD/YY????" emails.

The third calendar is for a PC-owning friend of mine. She puts dates and stuff on it and then publishes it to some PHP iCal software on her personal website.

Also, if you have multiple calenders, most software that syncs to your phone will let you select only the calenders that you want to sync.

 

[nparmelee]

I like to print out my next year's wall calendar with pictures I've taken during the year and with multiple calendars I can select which types of things I want to include, holidays, birthdays and anniversaries and leave out the stuff I don't want on my wall. I also like the organizational part of it, works for me.

 

[Alrescha]

I have a Mac at home and another at work. I use .Mac to sync my calendars. At work I uncheck my home calendar so my personal stuff is not on display, but it's there if I need it.

A.

 

[keehun]

I use multiple calendars only so that they become color-coded. If they didn't have different colors, I would just use one master calendar.