Chandler Version 1.0 Released!
My family has been using Chandler for about a year. Chandler, in case you haven’t heard, is a “Note-to-Self Organizer“. I am not convinced that this tagline does the application justice. It provides a task list, note management and calendar that are easily shared with others through server software known as the Chandler Hub. Further, the tasks, notes and calendar entries are easily reclassified.
Chandler provides two interfaces: 1) a rich client that is installed on a PC and 2) a web interface used to interact with the information via a user’s browser. The Hub also provides a web-based service that is used by the desktop application to share information among users.
The Chandler Hub is available for download, along with the Chandler Desktop, so groups can run their own Chandler service. For those not interested in running the server, the Chandler Project provides a free Chandler Hub instance.
Chandler’s interface is great for sharing information, and in my case schedules. Multiple calendars are easily overlaid. Further, the sharing of a calendar is done by sending people a URL that allows for either read-only or read-write access to the data.
In my family’s case we each have a separate calendar with read access to each others data. We can easily see the entire family’s schedule in a unified presentation. For me this is great since I travel a fair amount and when scheduling appointments it is helpful to know what family-related events (e.g. concerts, recitals and anniversaries!) are coming up.
Extended family members also use Chandler to see what we are doing. Grandparents (ours live locally) are able to see upcoming school events for the grandchildren. My mother appreciates having access to my travel schedule so that she knows when I am in or out of town. I really value having the ability to coordinate between myriad schedules, which get more and more hectic as my children get older.
I know that others are making far more sophisticated use of Chandler, including integrating with email to send appointments and managing complex lists of tasks. Access the Chandler Wiki and Blog to read about how others are using this application.
The user support team is top notch as well. When a question is submitted to the chandler-users mailing list it is amazing how quickly the Chandler team responds. They are clearly a bright and motivated group!
As an aside, I learned about Chandler when I read the book “Dreaming in Code”. I recommend the book for those involved in the creation of software. The book showcases various project ups-and-downs from early in its development. It provides interesting insights into the indirect route that software takes as it goes from concept to reality.
Relevant URLs:
- Chandler Homepage: http://chandlerproject.org/
- OSAF: http://www.osafoundation.org/
- Dreaming in Code: http://www.dreamingincode.com/
February 18th, 2009 at 22:25
Hey Dave – I finally got around to checking out the Chandler website, and, after reading about it and reading your post here, I’m going to try it out. I’ll see if I can get Caroline to try it out as well.
Do you run your own hub, or, are you and your family using the hub provided by Chandler?
February 19th, 2009 at 00:46
Hi Paul! I use the Chandler hub. I don’t put anything proprietary in the calendar just to be safe. Let me know how you and Caroline make out with it.