Stay Connected In Retirement
This article reviews 5 apps to help you stay connected in retirement. It shows how each app helps with both immediate and long-term posts.
The five apps reviewed are Google Calendar, Facebook, Twitter, Mail Chimp and CareAve - A Nonprofit Organization for Are You Aging Well?
Each app is explained in detail with screenshots and general information about the app along with pros/cons of each. The article also includes a section on "What To Do" to make this step easier.
They are, in order of importance :
1. How do I get the information at the top of my mind? Let's take a look at Google Calendar to find out how it can solve this problem.
2. What should I put in my Google calendar? There are some specific places where you want to put your important information like work and school calendars, birthdays, and anniversaries, as well as other very important events like medical appointments etc. Also you can add events that need to be attended at a later time such as funerals, weddings or parties etc. If you have regular school or work schedules it's a good idea to add them.
3. What should I put in my Google Calendar? All this information can be found under the "Get started" tab and then click on "Add a new event" or "Create an event" as an alternative way to add events. This gives access to more detailed information such as:
- Name
- Time Zone
- Location (this one is important)
- Description (again this is important)
- Recurrence options (Set up recurring events). These recurrences can include:
o Regularly o Weekly o Monthly o Every any time at all. I always chose the option just once.
- Status (this means whether this event is recurring or one time)
- Start date
- End date - Priority (which means how important this event is for me and my calendar)
- Size (the maximum number of people that can be invited to the event) - You don't need to send an email invitation to view the event if you don't want to.
4. What should I put in my Google Calendar? All this information can be found under the "Get started" tab and then click on "Add a new event". Below are some pointers that may help in this process
- Choose the correct time zone. This is very important! Your guests will not thank you if you invite them to an event at 10.00 AM and it will be actually 11.00 AM when they receive your invitation.
5. What should I put in my Google Calendar? At what address do you want to receive your Google Calendar invitations? When you share a calendar, web links are automatically generated for each of the following:
o Share a single calendar (if it's only one) o Or share multiple calendars if that's the case.
6. How to I accept Google Calendar invitations? We need to open any invitation that Google gives us via the email they send us. And then we have different options depending on what's been shared with us by the person that sent the invite.
7. What should I put in my Google Calendar? We can reply to a Google calendar invite by simply clicking "Reply" in the email and perhaps adding some personal greetings and well wishes for example. Or, we can click on "Accept as editor" if we want to be able to edit this event.
8. What should I put in my Google Calendar? We can also click on "Delete". That will remove the event and any invitations.
9. What should I put in my Google Calendar? If we want to accept the Google calendar invitation we will click on "Accept". Then we need to fill out a form that takes us to Google where a copy of our email address and password will be asked.
10. What should I put in my Google Calendar? Once you log into your account click on the following link - https://www.google.com/calendar/handlers/AllAccessInvitations?show=week where you can find the list of all invitations that have been sent to you. Next, click on "Accept" for all or some events (or simply select them).
11. What should I put in my Google Calendar? You are now able to see the event and all its details.
12. What should I put in my Google Calendar? There is a small icon called "i" on the right side of the blue box with your selected information (event name, location, calendar name and time). Click on it and you can edit this event if necessary.
13. What should I put in my Google Calendar? When you want to share your calendar with others you need to click on Share This Calendar first and then click on Create Link next to Add a public link that goes to... Click OK after choosing how many people will be able to share your calendar (only you or anyone).
14. What should I put in my Google Calendar? You will now be directed to Google where you need to fill out a form with your name and email address, as well as several other requirements like password and time zone etc.
15. What should I put in my Google Calendar? After that's done you will get a link to share your calendar, but it will not be available until the next day since the change won't take effect until the event or link that is already on your calendar is deleted. So if you don't want this delay you can just click on "Make changes immediately"
16. What should I put in my Google Calendar? For each event you will be asked if you want it to be "All your calendars", or "Only this calendar". This is also shown on the calendar list.
17. What should I put in my Google Calendar? You can choose to share your private calendar with others by clicking on View My Public Calendars and selecting the appropriate sharing option from the drop down menu under Shared Calendars.
18. What should I put in my Google Calendar? If you have more than one Google account you will see an option for a Shared Calendar. Click on that option and you will be given the opportunity to choose which account will be associated with this calendar.
19. What should I put in my Google Calendar? You can now add new events to your Shared calendars by going back to the "Add a New Event" tab and then selecting "Shared". You can now share your calendar with others (if you wish) but only if they have a Google account. If they don't have one Google offers them the option to create one for free.
20. What should I put in my Google Calendar? Your shared calendars will look something like this - https://www.google.com/calendar/ical/event%40me%40com/public/basic.
Conclusion -
Thanks for reading all the way to here and I hope that you can find useful information in this tutorial that I have written. If you feel like it please "like" and share this post with friends and family as well as comment on any information that may be missing and even ask questions about things that are unclear. Also, feel free to subscribe to my blog, so you can be notified when I publish new posts.
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