Re: Using Org-mode for mass-scheduling appointments

["Peter Neilson" <neilson@windstream.net>]

On Sat, 15 Mar 2014 07:07:22 -0400, Marcin Borkowski  
<mbork@wmi.amu.edu.pl> wrote:

> Dnia 2014-01-22, o godz. 12:55:43
> Marcin Borkowski <mbork@wmi.amu.edu.pl> napisał(a):
>
>> Hi list,
>>
>> I have the following problem: I want to schedule quite a few short (10
>> minutes, say) appointments with my students ("mass" is probably an
>> exaggeration, but there are going to be around 50 of them).  I'll have
>> several time slots, and I want the students to reserve one for each of
>> them.  I'd like to publish a table with "free/reserved" info on the
>> web.  I don't want any fancy web forms and automatic reservation, just
>> emails+manual updates of the table.  Can you imagine any way Org (with
>> tables, or maybe scheduling) might help, so that I don't have to write
>> html by hand, for instance?
>
> Just for the record: I ended up using Org to prepare a table with the
> possible time slots, which was then printed and attached to a pinboard
> near my room. Then, each student could come and write down his/her name
> in a selected slot (with a pen).  This way, I solved the problem of
> race conditions in (probably) the simplest possible way...

This is actually a good solution. If, for example, there are two students  
who are there to sign up for exactly the same slot (a conflict) the  
resolution is obtained by their mutual discussion, right there by your  
room. You do not need to invoke Dijkstra or any sort of mutex devices.  
Deadlock is impossible. Some problems are better solved if the computer is  
removed.

If student A absolutely must have the time slot already held by student B,  
it is the responsibility of A to contact B. You, emacs, and the Org crew  
easily relinquish any responsibility.