Going online to find things to do around Idaho Falls
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This is the fifth installment of a series published every Monday called “IF Online”. Each article will examine an aspect of our Idaho Falls area that has an online presence. This week I will examine Idaho Falls’ online events calenders.
Creating an ultimate local events calendar was about the tenth idea I had when designing IdahoFallz.com. I quickly realized this effort, like the classified listings described last week, was futile in time and effort unless you completely dedicate your site to the idea. Trying to get everyone to use a single online events calender would be like herding cats.
I decided instead to link to all of the other local events calenders. Since I provide the most links to Idaho websites, I also provide the single best source for finding the other local sources. I deleted several of those calender links while writing this article. Some of them obviously were not updated often, or what little information they did have was spread throughout our region rather than in Idaho Falls.
The things that make an online events calender great is quantity of items, clarity of organization, and frequent updates. I like to see a clear title that clearly communicates what the event is about. I like to see the date, the time, the place, the cost of admission, and a contact phone number clearly listed. I would like to see a short paragraph describing the event in clear terms (not “it’s fantastic for the family!”), or a link to such a description. Too large of a description paragraph can slow down the skimming process for readers, though.
In my view, the best sites to check for local events and things to do include our Chamber of Commerce’s calender, the Post Register’s Datebook, and either KIDK 3’s or Local News 8’s events calenders.
The Chamber of Commerce’s calender seems to have many items and offers a visual calender along with the listings, but the icons are a little confusing. I would change them to be more intuitive, or drop them altogether. The PR’s calender has similar characteristics as the Chamber’s (both good and bad), but it takes a moment to realize the items appear in a small, scrollable window above the calendar. I would make the calender boxes shorter and have the events appear in full below.
Both KIDK and Local News 8’s events calenders could use some display tweaking so you don’t have to click each event to get the basic information. However, they each seemed to display some unique events and both are worth checking for local events or things to do around Idaho Falls.
One feature I wish any or all of the calenders would offer is an RSS feed. It would be nice to receive updates in my favorite RSS reader whenever new events are added. An RSS feature could give one of these online calenders a clear lead over the others.
Perhaps someone could start a website dedicated to being the ultimate Idaho Falls events calender? They could scour all the events in Idaho Falls and post them. They could provide that single RSS feed, or a weekly email list that details the events coming up over the next week. I could even see this type of website publishing a podcast, where a couple of locals talk about the events coming up in the next week.
Next week we take a break from the “IF Online” series for Christmas, but the week after I will examine local user-generated websites (blogs, podcasts, vidcasts, and oh yes, local MySpace profiles). These can be tough to find, so please email me if you know of a local blog or podcast.
What do you think of these Idaho Falls online events calenders?
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Comments
Vote:
0 
0 I did overlook it. I’ll add it to my total list of calender links, but seeing how they only have five events for all of December, they rank as one of the poorer sources of local event information. Even the news sites have more than that.
Vote:
0 0 hey Joe, why did you take the Idaho Falls Magazine website link out of Charolette’s comment…?
and also, the Idaho Falls Magazine website had 27 events on their calendar for December, I printed it out at the first of the month, the events appear to not appear after it is over, I suspect it keeps things up to date…
Vote:
0 0 Actually the website listed for Idaho Falls magazine removes events once the date has passed. December had 27 listings. In January there are 14 events and in February there are 22 events. You will also notice that the IF Magazine web page will list events for the entire upcoming year. Notice November 2007 already has 17 events scheduled. This community calendar pulls from many web sites to get events for mostly Bonneville County and the city of Idaho Falls. They don’t post for Rexburg and Pocatello like the TV stations do.
I have personally used several community online calendars in the past and find the TV stations keep the sites up to date for about a two month period. The chamber site is often inccorect for events because of old information.
Thanks for your forum and allowing people a chance to communicate clarification.
Vote:
0 0 Guest: I often delete links from comments when they are provided on other areas of the site. Too many redundant links can harm the IFz site pagerank in Google. I added it to the “Things to do” list of links.
Magazine Guy: I like the feature of removing old events when passed. Some items are difficult to portray, like the event listed on Dec 7. It’s actually an ongoing exhibit, but because it’s listed the 7th I (and probably others) automatically skimmed past the good info there.
That’s one of the many issues with trying to publish a good online events calender. Maybe an ‘ongoing’ section would better present it?
I’m glad you clarified that, because now I see there are quite a few events listed in the next few months.
I take back what I said, the IF Magazine events calender does rank well with the ones I mentioned in the original article. The only thing to make it that slightly much better would be the visual calender with boxes like some others do.
I don’t know about the currency of the TV sites; I’ll have to watch that. When I check the chamber’s site now, it seems to clearly display information starting with today going forward. I don’t know what you meant by them being incorrect.
And no problem, anytime. We are just folks talking here, not professionals, so anyone can make mistakes and clarification is always welcome.
Vote:
0 0 Thanks Joe. Ongoing events are difficult to post. I will recommend working on that one.
Vote:
0 0 Joe,
It may just be me, but it certainly appears that Idaho Falls Magazine has been more represented than we usually see, on this site, especially since you started this series. I noticed Steve Sneed had signed in online today, when I checked in briefly. I don’t think anyone answered his remark when he said hello. Maybe no one else was on line at that time, I don’t know.
I have liked Idaho Falls Magazine in the past, but recent actions of employees, since they launched their somewhat competing site, makes me far less comfortable with them. I don’t like having employees at Idaho Falls Magazine finding posts I’ve written nationally and commenting on them and that I should visit THEIR site, when I’ve written here.
It is MY CHOICE of what I read. That is why I have subscribred to I.F. Magazine, given my home residence zip code I have to pay for it. That is ok, I’m willing to do that for the value it has been. However, this new service is really bugging me, and frankly, I’m not sure that it really is worth paying for the magazine any more, given “education” I was given by a person posting.
Maybe the I.F. Magazine people seem to be on line here more when I am, or I noticed them and others don’t, compared to times of posts.
So as I decide how to resolve what certain people at I.F. Magazine have created to be a problem for me, as I didn’t invite Harris Publishing into my life everywhere, only via my subscriptions, I’ve had some new ideas of how to best deal with them and their actions. Granted, I usually would have just contacted Steve Sneed and told him to pull his people off me and what I write any where on the Internet. But, these people have inspired me. In fact, they may have taught me a lesson, classless as it may be, for some people, one has to lower traditional standards to the most basic level for concepts to be understood.
I’ll let you know, Joe, of whether this “tracking” patterns continues. I know I haven’t said much about it, but I can when I have time. In fact, I may even write an article here. Heaven knows the evidence is accessible to all.
What I really wish was I sure wish is if users here would ask them to interview you. If they really do want suggestions from the readers of what to read, I wish someone would recommend you and IFz.Com (BTW - can you copyright that, so no one ripes it off?)
“JOE VANDAL: THE MAN THAT CONNECTED IDAHO FALLS VIA IDAHOFALLZ.COM” …..I like that title. I’m SO pleased this will be permanent so I can reference the date and time of that title too as MY idea.
My fellow readers, if you think a story about IdahoFallz.Com would be intersting in Idaho Falls Magazine, I would recommend you e-mail/call/fax or whatever to reach them and ask them to write an article about Joe and how you feel better connected in I.F. due to IFz.Com. Very cool idea, indeed.
Keep up the good work, Joe!
Vote:
0 0 Hello all:
My name is Steve Smede, not Steve Sneed. My email address is steve@harrispublishing.com. My direct office line is 542-2254. My mailing address is:
Steve Smede, Editor
Idaho Falls Magazine
360 B Street
Idaho Falls, ID 83402
I have kindly requested that Harris Publishing employees do not post here on behalf of our magazine. By far, the best way for you to share questions, kudos, gripes and story ideas for I.F. magazine (both in print and online) is by sending me an email or by calling me directly. I would love the opportunity to chat with each and every one of you about our great city, the magazine, or whatever strikes your fancy. Have a great day.
Vote:
0 0 Hello Steve, few people introduce themselves so well, and it is refreshing.
Contacting you directly would be the best way to get information about your organization. Just remember people who choose to talk about your organization here are free to do so.
You are encouraged to respond to questions and comments about your organization here. I am surprised more local organizations do not take the free opportunity to respond to the public discourse here.
I would hope anybody posting at IFz on behalf of the business they work at is fully authorized to speak on behalf of said business.
Of course there is a difference between speaking on behalf of a business and speaking about a business, right?
I am sure you do not frown on your employees posting here about whatever other subject they like, right?
Thanks for entering the public discussion. I hope other local organizations also enter.
P.S. And you can submit your contact information to our free business directory in case people cannot remember where this comment lives.
Vote:
0 0 Steve,
I sincerely apologize for spelling your name incorrectly. That was not intentional.
I like you inviting anyone to contact you or visit Idaho Falls Magazine for concerns about the publication.
I also appreciate, greatly, you asking your employees to not visit this site to promote Idaho Falls Magazine. In some ways it is too bad, because I like the magazine, but I also think our ability to discuss openly anything is impaired when Harris Publishing employees get involved in discussions about Idaho Falls Magazine (or other publications that Harris prints, as I believe there are many).
Like Joe, I hope Harris Pub. employees, would be able to comment on other stories. Especially issues about revitalization of downtown and other subjects that Harris employees probably know better than many of us, given your business location.
I’ll try to visit Idaho Falls Magazine site in the next week to post a similar message. I think you and your employees have a lot to add here about the city in general. After all, they spend more time finding so many great stories and positive aspects of the city.
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Vote:
You somehow overlooked the calendar on Idaho Falls magazine’s website.
Their forum pages have RSS tags, but the calendar doesn’t feature an RSS feed. I wonder why?