Responding to events and calendar items

<h1>Responding to Events and Calendar Items</h1> <h2>Overview</h2> <p>Events are a great way to connect with your community on Zakaya. Whether it's a virtual meetup, an in-person gathering, or a scheduled activity, knowing how to respond to and manage events will help you stay engaged and organized. This guide covers everything from RSVPing to events to participating in event-related discussions.</p> <h2>How to RSVP to Events</h2> <p>When you receive an event invitation or see an event in your community calendar, you can respond in several ways:</p> <ol> <li><strong>Open the event</strong> by clicking on it from your notifications, the community calendar, or the events feed</li> <li><strong>Select your response</strong> from the options at the bottom of the event card:</li> <li><strong>Going</strong> - Confirms your attendance</li> <li><strong>Maybe</strong> - Indicates you're interested but not committed</li> <li><strong>Can't Go</strong> - Declines the invitation</li> <li><strong>Remind Me</strong> - Sets a notification without committing to attend</li> </ol> <p>Your response will be visible to event organizers and, depending on privacy settings, may be visible to other community members.</p> <h2>Adding Events to Your Personal Calendar</h2> <p>To keep track of events outside of Zakaya:</p> <ol> <li>Open the event you want to add</li> <li>Click the <strong>Add to Calendar</strong> button (calendar icon)</li> <li>Choose your preferred calendar application:</li> <li>Google Calendar</li> <li>Apple Calendar</li> <li>Outlook</li> <li>Yahoo Calendar</li> <li>Or download an .ics file to import manually</li> </ol> <p>The event details, including date, time, location, and description, will automatically sync to your chosen calendar.</p> <h2>Setting Event Reminders</h2> <p>Stay on top of upcoming events with customized reminders:</p> <ol> <li>Open the event</li> <li>Click the <strong>Reminder</strong> option (bell icon)</li> <li>Select when you'd like to be reminded:</li> <li>15 minutes before</li> <li>1 hour before</li> <li>1 day before</li> <li>1 week before</li> <li>Custom (set your own time)</li> </ol> <p>You'll receive a notification based on your preferences through your Zakaya notifications and, if enabled, via email or mobile push notification.</p> <h2>Engaging with Event Content</h2> <h3>Before the Event</h3> <p>Make the most of pre-event interactions:</p> <ul> <li><strong>Ask questions</strong> in the event discussion thread</li> <li><strong>Share resources</strong> related to the event topic</li> <li><strong>Connect with other attendees</strong> through the "Who's Going" list</li> <li><strong>Suggest agenda items</strong> if the organizer has enabled this feature</li> </ul> <h3>During the Event</h3> <p>For virtual events hosted on Zakaya:</p> <ul> <li><strong>Join the event room</strong> directly from the event page when it's time</li> <li><strong>Participate in polls</strong> created by the organizer</li> <li><strong>Use the chat feature</strong> for questions and comments</li> <li><strong>Turn on your camera and mic</strong> when appropriate for more personal interaction</li> </ul> <h3>After the Event</h3> <p>Continue the conversation after events conclude:</p> <ul> <li><strong>Share feedback</strong> in the post-event discussion</li> <li><strong>Upload photos</strong> from in-person gatherings</li> <li><strong>Access recordings</strong> if the organizer has shared them</li> <li><strong>Connect with new contacts</strong> you met during the event</li> </ul> <h2>Communicating with Event Organizers</h2> <p>Need to reach out to the person who created the event?</p> <ol> <li>Open the event</li> <li>Click on the organizer's name or the <strong>Contact Organizer</strong> button</li> <li>Send a direct message with your question or comment</li> </ol> <p>For private questions about attendance, special accommodations, or other concerns, direct messaging is often better than posting in the public event discussion.</p> <h2>Managing Your Event Responses</h2> <p>To view or change your responses to upcoming events:</p> <ol> <li>Go to your profile</li> <li>Select the <strong>Events</strong> tab</li> <li>Filter by <strong>Going</strong>, <strong>Maybe</strong>, or <strong>Invited</strong></li> <li>Click on any event to update your response</li> </ol> <p>You can also cancel your attendance if your plans change. Just open the event and select a different response option.</p> <h2>Examples</h2> <h3>Example 1: Responding to a Community Workshop</h3> <p>You receive a notification about an upcoming "Intro to Photography" workshop in your Zakaya community:</p> <ol> <li>You open the event and see it's scheduled for Saturday at 2 PM</li> <li>You click <strong>Going</strong> to confirm your attendance</li> <li>You add it to your Google Calendar by clicking the calendar icon</li> <li>You set a reminder for 1 day before</li> <li>In the discussion thread, you ask: "Should I bring my own camera?"</li> <li>The organizer responds that loaner equipment will be available</li> <li>On the day of the event, you receive your reminder notification</li> <li>After attending, you share some of your workshop photos in the event discussion</li> </ol> <h3>Example 2: Managing a Schedule Conflict</h3> <p>You previously RSVP'd "Going" to a virtual book club meeting, but now have a conflict:</p> <ol> <li>You navigate to your profile and select the <strong>Events</strong> tab</li> <li>You filter by <strong>Going</strong> to find the book club event</li> <li>You open the event and change your response to <strong>Can't Go</strong></li> <li>You send a direct message to the organizer explaining your absence</li> <li>You remove the event from your personal calendar</li> </ol> <h2>Troubleshooting</h2> <p><strong>Problem:</strong> You can't find an event you were invited to.<br /> <strong>Solution:</strong> Check your notifications or search for the event name in the search bar. You can also ask the organizer to send you the event link directly.</p> <p><strong>Problem:</strong> You're not receiving event reminders.<br /> <strong>Solution:</strong> Check your notification settings in your profile preferences. Make sure you have event notifications enabled and verify your email and mobile notification settings.</p> <p><strong>Problem:</strong> The Add to Calendar feature isn't working.<br /> <strong>Solution:</strong> Try using a different calendar option or download the .ics file and import it manually. If problems persist, try using a different browser or the mobile app.</p> <hr /> <p>Remember that active participation in events helps build stronger connections within your Zakaya community. Don't hesitate to reach out to our support team if you encounter any issues with event responses or calendar features.</p>