Computer Bytes - No. 44 It's a busy world we live and you may be keeping track of appointments by notes taped to the refrigerator or cramped little handwritten notes on a paper calendar. However, a more effective way to keep up with all of those appointments is to have them in your computer on a calendar that you can easily view or even share online if you so choose. Google Calendar is an online, private calendar that you maintain. It can be viewed and edited by other people if you allow them access. This feature is particularly handy if there is an ill or aged person that several relatives need to monitor. To create a Google Calendar you will first need to have a Google account. If you don't have an account it is easy to get one. From the Google home page click on the 'Sign In' link in the upper right corner. This will take you to the sign in page where you select the link to create an account. Once you have an account, you can 'Sign In', click on 'My Account' and go to 'Calendar'. Here you will see a list of calendars to the left. By default, there will be only one calendar, but you can add more and give permission for each individual calendar. You create a calendar by clicking on the 'Add' link located in the box under the default calendar shown. Place your cursor on the arrow pointing down to view the menu box. Select 'Create a new calendar'. Assign a name to the calendar and enter a description. If you want to share this calendar go to the bottom of the box used for creating where you will see 'Share with specific people'. Under 'Person' you will enter the email address of the person with whom you want to share the calendar. In the 'Permission' settings, you want to select the appropriate action from the menu. You may want the person to only view or you may want them to give them permission to make changes. You will repeat this process for each person that is to have access to this calendar. When finished, click 'Create Calendar'. Invitation emails to view the calendar will be sent to the people at the email addresses you entered. If the people listed in the permission setting do not have Google accounts, they will need to create a Google account using the same email to which you sent the invitation. There are many more features available on Google Calendar so check them out. Just click through the links and see what features you can use - it can't hurt anything and it's all free. If you don't need to share a calendar or maybe you don't want to have to connect to the Internet every time you want to view or make changes to your calendar, you can use the calendar feature available through Microsoft Works. To access this feature you will first go to 'Start' on your desktop then go to 'All Programs'. Select 'Microsoft Works' or 'Microsoft Works Task Launch'. Select 'Calendar'. From here you can create a calendar, get Help or 'Take the Tour' to familiarize yourself with how the calendar program works. Either one of these calendar features can help you organize your busy schedule. Moncrief Web2 Home Page Moncrief Web Design Computer Bytes Index Web Design | Search Engine Optimization | Site Maintenance & Management | Request Information | About Us ~ Sample Sites Send Us an Email | Home Page Copyright 2007-2008. All rights reserved. Computer Bytes articles may not be reprinted, published, quoted, copied, or used in any manner whatsoever without the expressed written permission of David Moncrief.