For email, IMAP has existed for ages. It allows you to see multiple email inboxes in one place (among other things). This is great.

But there is an even stronger need for this functionality with calendars. I want to be able to see my work calendar, personal calendar, and those of certain friends/family, all in one view. Basically the ability to synchronise multiple online accounts/databases with one application. Just like IMAP.

Why doesn’t it exist?

I’ve heard of caldav. But either it doesn’t work, it is not meant to do that, nobody supports it properly, or else I just couldn’t figure it out.

A working version of this is a big thing the world needs.

  • roastpotatothiefOPM
    2·
    3 years ago

    What’s missing then? Is it too difficult to implement, or proprietry, bandwidth intensive? What’s stopping businesses from offering it?

    • pinknoise
      2·
      3 years ago

      Most people use either paper calenders, google or maybe an exchange server at work so dedicated CalDAV/CardDAV hosting isn’t a thing. But i’m pretty sure you can get managed hosting of next- or owncloud. Theres also managed hosting for so called “groupware” that usualy includes a calendar, but thats, as the name implies, meant for group coordination so not so much for private use. (May still be useful for family or organized hobby stuff)

      • roastpotatothiefOPM
        1·
        3 years ago

        but if you want to merge your gmail calendar with your ms outlook calendar, there is no solution.

        even though you could easily merge your gmail and ms outlook emails.

        • pinknoise
          2·
          3 years ago

          You can get your google calendar via CalDAV, Microsoft uses “ActiveSync” (which might be better or not, lets hope I never have to find out)

          If you don’t use outlook (which you should) then chances are that your e-mail program already can show you all these calendars in one, at least on desktop.