SMS reminder problems with RTM for Gcal
eeyore_cm says:
So here's my issue. I'm one of those people who needs constant reminding and prodding. I have RTM setup to email and SMS me for task notifications. I have it setup to send a daily summary and then an hour before the task is due. Now as I said I need a little more prodding and RTM doesn't appear to be able to send multiple reminders for a specific task at different times on the same day, other than above. So with RTM/Gcal I added a default reminder to SMS me 3 hours before the task is due from my gcal page.
All that works great. No problems except I keep getting daily reminders from google at the same time every day, for the NEXT day regardless of whether or not I have a task scheduled that day.
I have confirmed I have the correct time zones setup but each message is time stamped at 8:00pm while I receive them at 2:00pm? of the same day.
If I turn off the default reminder the messages stop, but I also don't get the extra kick in the pants.
Any thoughts on where to look for the issue here?
All that works great. No problems except I keep getting daily reminders from google at the same time every day, for the NEXT day regardless of whether or not I have a task scheduled that day.
I have confirmed I have the correct time zones setup but each message is time stamped at 8:00pm while I receive them at 2:00pm? of the same day.
If I turn off the default reminder the messages stop, but I also don't get the extra kick in the pants.
Any thoughts on where to look for the issue here?
emily (Remember The Milk) says:
Just to clarify, are you using the iCalendar subscription to show your tasks as events on Google Calendar?
And are the tasks displaying as events at the correct times in Google Calendar?
If they look fine in Google Calendar, but the Google reminder is being sent at the wrong time, I probably can't be of much help unfortunately (as that's over on the Google side). I'm not too familiar with how the notification settings in Google Calendar work, but you may be able to get some help in the Google Calendar Help group or by contacting Google support.
Hope this helps!
And are the tasks displaying as events at the correct times in Google Calendar?
If they look fine in Google Calendar, but the Google reminder is being sent at the wrong time, I probably can't be of much help unfortunately (as that's over on the Google side). I'm not too familiar with how the notification settings in Google Calendar work, but you may be able to get some help in the Google Calendar Help group or by contacting Google support.
Hope this helps!
eeyore_cm says:
I guess the answer to that would be yes? I'm using the google gadget to manage the calendar, from google apps if that makes any difference. All the tasks show up correctly with the correct times in the drop down info box on my calendar.
The problem really isn't that I get reminders sent at the wrong time. I have a default reminder setup three hours before the task, and I get that reminder correctly. What happens is that I get a daily reminder sent that I haven't asked for at least anywhere I can see, and I get it whether I have a task or not. As well it comes the day before and the time I receive it is earlier then the google stamped time on the message. Usually indicative of a time zone issue, also that I can't find???
I posted here in the off chance someone else may have encountered this because I've been searching for a while to no avail on google.
The problem really isn't that I get reminders sent at the wrong time. I have a default reminder setup three hours before the task, and I get that reminder correctly. What happens is that I get a daily reminder sent that I haven't asked for at least anywhere I can see, and I get it whether I have a task or not. As well it comes the day before and the time I receive it is earlier then the google stamped time on the message. Usually indicative of a time zone issue, also that I can't find???
I posted here in the off chance someone else may have encountered this because I've been searching for a while to no avail on google.
emily (Remember The Milk) says:
Ah sorry, this is the RTM for Google Calendar feature -- I think I misread your initial post (I thought it was an iCalendar subscription with Google Calendar, which works differently).
We create a 'Remember The Milk' calendar in Google Calendar that allows us to display the gadget with the tasks for each day, but Google isn't able to send reminders for the actual tasks with this feature unfortunately.
This might be the source of the daily reminder that you're receiving -- do the reminders contain the actual task names?
If you're receiving reminders for this calendar and wish to stop them, in your Google Calendar account, locate the 'Remember The Milk' calendar on the left (underneath 'Other Calendars'). Click the arrow to the right, and select 'Notifications'. On that screen, make sure that no reminder settings are turned on.
We create a 'Remember The Milk' calendar in Google Calendar that allows us to display the gadget with the tasks for each day, but Google isn't able to send reminders for the actual tasks with this feature unfortunately.
This might be the source of the daily reminder that you're receiving -- do the reminders contain the actual task names?
If you're receiving reminders for this calendar and wish to stop them, in your Google Calendar account, locate the 'Remember The Milk' calendar on the left (underneath 'Other Calendars'). Click the arrow to the right, and select 'Notifications'. On that screen, make sure that no reminder settings are turned on.
eeyore_cm says:
Okay, I have been experimenting with different ways to get SMS reminders that don't come as an email push, which I have to pay for. I was sure that this had worked except for the wonky daily reminder. I just tested the event reminder with the gadget and yup your right it doesn't send the reminder. My bad.
So are you implying that I could be able to do this if I use the icalendar subscription? Individual event reminders via SMS?
Thanks for the help so far. Just a suggestion about the gadget, though. The gadget puts a check mark at the top of every day in the calendar. How hard would it be to put an indicator with the check mark to show which days actually have tasks associated with them. Say maybe just a different colour. Would save people from having to mouse over each one to see if there are tasks or not?
So are you implying that I could be able to do this if I use the icalendar subscription? Individual event reminders via SMS?
Thanks for the help so far. Just a suggestion about the gadget, though. The gadget puts a check mark at the top of every day in the calendar. How hard would it be to put an indicator with the check mark to show which days actually have tasks associated with them. Say maybe just a different colour. Would save people from having to mouse over each one to see if there are tasks or not?
emily (Remember The Milk) says:
As long as Google Calendar supports notifications on subscribed iCalendars (sorry I'm not sure if they do), then yes that should work.
We'd love to be able to have different icons depending on whether a day has tasks, but unfortunately some technical limitations with Google Calendar mean this isn't possible yet (it's still on our list to look at though).
Not sure if you've seen this already, but an alternative for SMS reminders is our Twitter integration -- you can receive reminders via Twitter (which in turn, supports sending them via SMS).
Hope this helps!
We'd love to be able to have different icons depending on whether a day has tasks, but unfortunately some technical limitations with Google Calendar mean this isn't possible yet (it's still on our list to look at though).
Not sure if you've seen this already, but an alternative for SMS reminders is our Twitter integration -- you can receive reminders via Twitter (which in turn, supports sending them via SMS).
Hope this helps!
eeyore_cm says:
Yup, this pretty much answers my issues. Looking into the reminders with subscribed calendars, I think your right. It should work.
Too bad about the different icons with the google gadget. Would be really nice if and when it's possible.
Already using Twitter, it's actually the only way I've found (for me anyways) to get the SMS reminders from RTM. All other reminders come in the form of an email to my cell, and my nasty cell carrier likes to charge me to get them. So the Twitter option is great. Would make a great sticky somewhere, for others in my position with free incoming text but not email. It took me a good month to stumble across that little tidbit.
Too bad about the different icons with the google gadget. Would be really nice if and when it's possible.
Already using Twitter, it's actually the only way I've found (for me anyways) to get the SMS reminders from RTM. All other reminders come in the form of an email to my cell, and my nasty cell carrier likes to charge me to get them. So the Twitter option is great. Would make a great sticky somewhere, for others in my position with free incoming text but not email. It took me a good month to stumble across that little tidbit.