I doubt xCal is nearly as widely supported as iCal.

Although not a 'standard', per se, Google Calendar's Atom extensions
are also a possible option, given that anything that Google does has
pretty broad support.

http://code.google.com/apis/calendar/

-Ross.

On Thu, Sep 18, 2008 at 12:25 PM, Cloutman, David
<[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> Thanks. Again, we're not looking so much for an application, but a
> _format_ that we can publish from our existing CMS in such a way that we
> could reasonably expect other organizations to import into their
> systems. Because it is likely that some of our community partners will
> need to create the importing capability, I need the format to be well
> documented and easy to build software for. I would prefer something XML
> based because one can almost always write some XSLT to turn the data
> into something that can work with their system, regardless of target
> software or programming language.
>
> What about xCal (iCalendar based XML format)? Does anyone use this
> technology? It is possible to do it with Atom Feeds? Other ideas?
>
>
>
> ---
> David Cloutman <[log in to unmask]>
> Electronic Services Librarian
> Marin County Free Library
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Code for Libraries [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of
> John Fereira
> Sent: Thursday, September 18, 2008 4:04 AM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: [CODE4LIB] Calendar Data Exchange
>
>
> Miriam Goldberg wrote:
>> I'd go with icalendar. It plays nicely with most major calendar
> applications.
>>
>> also, at the risk of sounding like a shill, I'm helping develop a web
>> app (www.fusecal.com) that'll make it easier for web publishers to get
>> their calendar information into users personal calendars and keep the
>> information up to date as the calendar changes.
>
> I'd also take a look at Bedework (http://www.bedework.org)
>
> The problem that I have with Calendar systems is not technical but a
> social issue.  We've got several calendar systems at our campus, but
> other than the Oracle Calendar system that is used to schedule meetings
> I don't use them.
>
> The problem is that, in the case of events, while the person responsible
>
> to announcing the event might put it into a calendar, they also try to
> advertise the event as far and wide as possible so they post a notice to
>
> all of the relevant mailing lists that they can think of.  Since I'm on
> a lot of mailing lists, I might get 5-6 copies of an announcement of an
> event I have no desire in attending, then get reminders on those same
> list a few days prior to the event.  Then there may be someone reading a
>
> mailing list, see the announcement and think that it should be forwarded
>
> to another mailing list they read (which I'm also on) so I get more
> copies of the event announcement in my email inbox.   Unless it's
> mandated by an institution that events and other calendar related
> announcements should *only* go on the institutional calendaring system
> and not be distributed on mailing lists there really is no point in
> consuming calendar events from the calendaring system if I'm just going
> to get them pushed into my email inbox anyway.
>
> Email Disclaimer: http://www.co.marin.ca.us/nav/misc/EmailDisclaimer.cfm
>