One of the many great features your Calendar features is the ability to share calendars with others. You can share individual events or even share an entire online calendar with someone else.
Coordinating schedules is easier and more efficient when you can each see the other’s calendars. But while this feature is useful, there are certain situations when you might not want to share your online calendar.
Although this feature is wonderful, there are certain situations when you shouldn’t share your Calendar. In these nine instances, you might want to think twice before you click that “share” button:
Sharing Truly Personal Events
You can share your online calendar in two different ways: You can share the entire calendar from January to December or share a single event. In most cases, you’ll want to do the latter. Taking this action will stop you from accidentally sharing personal events you didn’t mean to disclose.
You’ll plan and attend a lot of events throughout your life. Not everyone in your life needs to know about every doctor’s appointment or job interview. If you wouldn’t bring it up in person, then you probably don’t want that person to see it on your calendar.
Planning a Surprise
Sharing your online calendar could spoil a surprise you’ve been planning. Even if you don’t share the surprise event directly with those who you’re trying to surprise, it could end up leaking to them inadvertently.
When planning the perfect surprise, keep your online calendar to yourself. Remember, you can always share something later, but you can’t take information back once it’s been revealed.
Meeting Someone New
It would be great if you could trust everyone you meet. Sadly, that’s not the reality we live in. No matter how nice or reliable someone might seem the day you meet them, be hesitant about sharing calendar information too quickly.
Always ask yourself: What’s the worst-case scenario? Outlining your schedule and routine to a stranger gives them information about your life that they could use against you. Keep your sensitive calendar information to yourself.
Balancing Work and Home
Sharing your online calendar is a great way to stay coordinated with your significant other. On a team, it can keep you productive and rowing in the same direction. However, to maintain a proper work-life balance, you might prefer to keep the two separate.
Instead of sharing the same calendar with both parties, create a personal calendar that’s separate from your work one. While you need to keep both sides of your life in the know, you don’t want to risk oversharing.
What about family-invited work events, like company picnics or personal gatherings with your work friends? Remember that you can share single events rather than full calendars.
Using Public Internet
Restaurants and libraries that provide Wi-Fi publicly are handy when you’re on the go. However, any network that doesn’t require a password is highly susceptible to hacking.
While cybersecurity is constantly improving, and there’s not a hacker sitting in every coffee shop waiting to strike, it’s better to be safe than sorry. Wait until you’re on a more secure network to share your online calendar. Again, it’s important to evaluate risks by their worst-case scenarios.
Sharing Before Checking Settings
No matter what situation you find yourself in, you should check your security and privacy settings before sharing your online calendar. If these aren’t set correctly, you could be sharing more information than you’d intended.
Make sure you’re giving the recipient only as much information as necessary. You should also adjust your settings so they can only edit the events pertinent to them.
Dealing With Micromanagers
When you’re in charge of a calendar event, you want things done a certain way. But while you can’t blame others for having their own preferences, some people take things a little too far. If you don’t want someone else taking charge of your event, think twice about sharing your calendar with them.
This can be the case with your entire calendar as well as just individual events. If someone pesters you about everything you have on your schedule, you’re probably better off keeping it to yourself.
Feeling It’s Unnecessary
Think about the situation you’re in and ask yourself one simple question: “Do I need to share my online calendar for this?” If the answer is no, then don’t do it.
In fact, recipients might even be glad you’re not sharing your online calendar. Excessive sharing can be burdensome.
Be especially careful if there are events that have not yet been set in stone. You could be jumping the gun by sharing your calendar too early.
Wanting Privacy
What’s on your online calendar is your business. You decide when to share it and with whom. Don’t let anyone pressure you into sharing your online calendar if you don’t want to.
There may be times when you simply don’t want others knowing your schedule. Maybe your in-laws are a little too involved, or perhaps you’re taking some time off the grid. Remember that it’s up to you who you share what with.
Online calendars are incredibly valuable tools, but they’re also personal tools. Whatever your reason for not wanting to share your online calendar, rest assured that you’re doing the right thing.
Max Palmer
I'm Max, and I love helping businesses we work with expand their businesses online. Growth potential is what we strive for! I help with press, productivity and overall business needs for business owners.