ForumsQuestionsTD plse post when Goog pulls iCal data; seems like > 1/day
TD plse post when Goog pulls iCal data; seems like > 1/day
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lite1 |
Please determine whether your activity logs show when Google pulls iCal data from you and post:
1) Is the frequency really just once/24 hours as you have written? 2) Is the timing of pull(s) reasonably consistent? Thanks for any help, and I understand this might not be a priority. For those of us who like to trust TD as well as our Goog calendar as being complete/upto date this would be important info. If any consistency, then personally I'd set a reminder to consider doing some TD work a half hour before a particular pull. With TD options ( only enter Start Date; only enter Due Date; add Due Time to either, neither, or both; if Due Date is present - what variety is it, Due on | Due After | Due By | Optionally on) there are lots of combinations to try out to determine what shows up on Goog Cal AND how it appears visually on Goog. Then add Task & Subtask variations to above - quite a matrix. So help on when Goog pulls from you would help in testing options. [I do know how many work but since it is visual information and I don't know how to post a screen shot it is useless to try to describe to others in words. Yes I see the image tag so when I sort things out more might try to do something that might be useful to others.] I have added time in task subject I entered new Due Dated item in TD and noted when it shows up in my Goog Calendar. I know that it is at least 2/day and suspect as Remember The Milk has indicated (from their server activity logs?) that it is 4/day. Thx, Edward Edited to add Subtask This message was edited May 15, 2009. |
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Anders |
I would also be interested to know if Toodledo has any way of tracking this. I can tell you a few weeks ago, I was keeping a very close eye on my calendar to see how often it updated, and it was anything but consistent. Sometimes it was a few hours between, and other times the better part of a day. But perhaps that has changed.
Edit: BTW, if you ever urgently need your iCal updated so you can set reminders, etc., you can unsubscribe and resubcribe on Google for an immediate refresh. It's cumbersome, but it works. However, I believe you will lose any previously set reminders. This message was edited May 15, 2009. |
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lite1 |
Posted by Anders:
Edit: BTW, if you ever urgently need your iCal updated so you can set reminders, etc., you can unsubscribe and resubcribe on Google for an immediate refresh. It's cumbersome, but it works. However, I believe you will lose any previously set reminders. I tried this during the couple of weeks I was using RTM and had inconsistent results. By this I mean, that Ander's method worked immediately but when I tried it again an hour later, it seemingly did not force a refresh/synch. Perhaps someone knows, but Google might limit the total number of refreshes/synchs that are possible in any 24 hour period and therefore makes this work around less useful. Has your work around consistently re-synched? If so I might play with that a bit more. Anders thanks for your info/exp on refresh/synch. I don't have enough data points but it seems that my Goog Cal refreshes about 6:30AM and 1PM PDT. Edward |
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Jake Toodledo Founder |
We have looked into this and there is no consistency with Google. Sometimes they refresh after a few hours and sometimes it takes 24 hours. It seems random to us and may depend on Google's server load, or some calculation that Google makes about how often that particular iCal feed needs to be updated based on past updates. If there is any correlation, we haven't been able to find it. I should also note that in our experience, removing and re-adding the subscription doesn't always cause an immediate refresh because Google continues to cache the information on their servers even after you remove the subscription.
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lite1 |
Toodledo ... thx for your clear statement, since this is really in the hands of Goog, that is all that I can ask of you is to empower us users with clear & accurate info. As you edit and update your own official help area you might check your language which I believe currently implies that synch takes place only once/24 hours. It seems like most often it is at least once/24 hours and that frequency and time of day seem somewhat random and that there is no known reliable way to force a fairly immediate refresh.
Again, thanks. Time to continue to nag Goog about making calendar more useful by refreshing more frequently. Edward |
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Anders |
Just found out Toodledo's right about the unsubscribe/resubscribe trick. It does not seem to work most of the time. Also, another Google quirk to look out for is that added events, and changed events do not seem to update at the same time, or at least not with the same frequency. Something new will regularly show up long before a change to an existing event. Frustrating. I'm seriously considering other online calendar options. Are there any non-mac people who would recommend Mobile Me?
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lite1 |
Posted by Anders:
Also, another Google quirk to look out for is that added events, and changed events do not seem to update at the same time... Just tested this myself and makes Goog Cal even nastier to deal with. I think my new sayings regarding Goog Cal will be: 1) If it is really important to your life never trust Goog Cal. 2) Even a stopped watch can be better than Goog Cal as unless you are crossing time zones the watch will be right twice/24 hours, but Goog Cal may give the impression of being right and up to date but rarely is. I am surprised that Goog does not find its calendar to be a major embarrassment, but if it does perhaps it can be shamed into actually making it a worthwhile tool. Posted by Anders: Frustrating. I'm seriously considering other online calendar options. Are there any non-mac people who would recommend Mobile Me? Unfamiliar with Mobile Me as I don't use an iPhone or iTouch but PC Mag online has review of it. Goog Calendar is only marginally useful and even though many of us have added to thread on their cal forum that they need to refresh more frequently, no one seems optimistic. Seems that many here at TD use Firefox as I do. I make a small annual contribution to them. Have never used Sunbird the Mozilla Calendar, but unfortunately it is challenged for funding. Is anyone familiar enough with Sunbird and Mozilla to know whether a bunch of us at TD and perhaps RTM started a campaign to make small contributions to Sunbird that collectively we might get a Calendar that actually works reasonably well? While I really like TD and plan to use it indefinitely as my task manager; its internal calendar does not seem to be super high priority. I have always liked the "biz model"/approach of Mozilla and would be happy to support Sunbird. By the way it is fine with me that this thread has morphed into an "alternatives to Google Calendar" thread. {Wish I could still edit my OP, so that I could alert readers of the additional topic.} This message was edited May 16, 2009. |
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Anders |
Posted by lite1:
By the way it is fine with me that this thread has morphed into an "alternatives to Google Calendar" thread. {Wish I could still edit my OP, so that I could alert readers of the additional topic.} Good point Edward, we are not only off topic, but onto a topic that is a little out of place here. I am going to start a new thread about online calendars in a more appropriate forum (Time Management sounds about right). Edit: BTW, here is that new thread: gcal alternatives? This message was edited May 17, 2009. |
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