What is a Shared Calendar?

These calendars may be personal or may belong to a group of individuals who share an interest. Personal calendars and group calendars may be viewed or modified via the Internet. They make it possible to record appointments and plan work. Access to these calendars requires an identification code, which is sometimes created using an individual's E-mail address.

Characteristics

Access to Calendars | Personal Calendars | Group Calendars | Location of the Server

Accessing a Calendar

Participants may be required to provide information that identifies them when they access or subscribe to a public calendar service.

Since access is controlled, participants must identify themselves. An access code, which may be the name of the person and a password, is required. In the case of some software, the calendar administrator provides an access code after receiving this information.

Notification that new information has been posted in a calendar can be sent to a user's E-mail address.

Personal Calendars

Generally, personal calendars can be accessed by only one person. However, some software can make it possible for other users to access personal calendars. Users should be informed about such a situation.

Software applications that automatically give other users access to a user's personal calendar have features to disable calendar sharing. Users should be informed of these features.

Group Calendars

Group calendars are used to record the meetings and deadlines of a limited group of people who know each other and who share a work-related interest. They make it possible to quickly set meetings according to each person's availability.

The identity of each participant should be known to all the members of the group.

Generally, the number of participants and their identity is known by all the members of the group, even if they live in different countries. Any confidential or identifying information that is exchanged usually remains within this limited group.

Server Location

The server that hosts a personal or group calendar may not be under the responsibility of the same authority as the participants.

Some servers that offer such services are not under the responsibility of the school board and are often outside the country. In such case, the school board cannot guarantee the confidentiality of the information provided and cannot always ensure that its obligations will be assumed by the organization that hosts the server.

The school board must ensure that its obligations as regards the protection of personal information are transferred to the hosting organization.