I am wondering why so many sitter do not have their availability updated to reflect when they are really available. It seems to me, that would certainly make getting sits a lot easier.
Thanks for the reminder, @Ladygreynius . Even with all the complaints about the availability calendar, it is still usable the way it is. I hadn’t checked mine in a long time and have been getting many invitations that I’ve had to decline. Well … just checked it and it showed I was available through the next three months, which I’m not. So, thanks for the nudge.
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Part of the reason could be there are many, many sitters who are not very active where sitting is concerned and wouldn’t even think or possibly know to adjust their availability calendar. Others just find it not as easy to update as they would like.
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I sometimes forget to update mine, but I do try to remember.
Are you inviting people for dates that their calendar shows as available but they tell you they aren’t? And if so, is there a chance they just aren’t available for your particular area?
Oooh! Now wouldn’t that be handy - a calendar that’s easy to use and includes which country the sitter plans to be located in for the upcoming months…
Probably impossible to implement but wouldn’t it be ideal 
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I must admit I forget to update my availability and, when it was up to date, I still got invitations from people who obviously checked it. It would be great if the system adjusted the calendar as sits are confirmed, but that would probably be an expensive adjustment. Maybe one day….I’m now going to update my calendar though 
The system does update the calendar as sits are confirmed, these are the only dates that are scored through, so obviously unavailable.
It would be great if we could score through dates we are definitely not available too.
Many HO don’t know what the two colours mean, which in conjunction with sitters not always keeping on top of it leads to much confusion
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because the current system is too cumbersome to keep updated
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btw, where is that (in)famous calendar. It is not on the dashboard, not listed under my account picture, and not under my profile. Not sure where else to look
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Dashboard, scroll down to your picture and beside it says “manage availability” in green. Click the green writing.
To view your calendar once you have done this preview your profile by clicking on the box in your picture and scroll down to almost the end. This is what an owner will see.
Mine is all white, I am currently unavailable - Non THS sit.
The screenshot above shows all 3. A random Sitter from Glasgow.
If it is shaded green you are available - having adjusted your availability via the “manage availability” option. If you have a confirmed sit, there is an / through all the dates. However an owner can and will still contact you in any of these scenarios, and there lies the problem.
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found it, thanks
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If you click on the magnifying glass at the top right of your screen and type in “Calendar” it will show how many times this topic has been raised and the fact that THS are working on it. As @CreatureCuddler quite rightly says, it is too cumbersome to keep up to date.
If I wanted to block out months at a time that wouldn’t be too bad but, if like me, you wanted to block out a few days at a time then that would tear your hair out.
I have stated before that if I wanted to block out a day to meet a friend for coffee it would take longer to adjust the calendar than to go out and have coffee
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But you are not blocking out the days you are unavailable. It is an availability calendar - you are highlighting the days you are available.
Until recently mine was all green, then when I got my current sit I changed my availability from June to September, I now have sits until the end of August so I am unavailable. Not that difficult.
The problem is most sitters don’t use it or like @anon47943759 didn’t know how to find it or that it is even a “thing” I didn’t know about the calendar for my 1st year or so. And owners don’t check. I agree it needs to be fixed, modernised, updated, but it should work if everyone used it.
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I have stated that it is not too bad if you are stating that you are available for months at a time, e.g September to December.
I am different in that I have many days when I am available but many odd days that I am not. That is exceedingly cumbersome.
Not really. Start date available, end date hit enter, repeat.
The example I have given in the screenshot above. A couple in full-time employment, who sit their holidays and long weekends. A perfect example of the proper use of the calendar.
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exactly. I’m available from mid may through mid september, except for a few weekends. entering the random weekends i’m not available would mean removing the dates i’m available and then re-entering all the date ranges that I’m available. and if I get a random new day i’m not available, I have to then cancel that availability slot and set up 2 new availability slots to account for the day i can’t do. there is a reason that basically every calendar system on the planet doesn’t work like this. with all other calendar systems the assumption is available unless marked otherwise, not unavailable unless marked otherwise.
They need to adjust it so it functions like a normal calendar sysem and then i’ll be happy to use it. especially if they also include a way to indicate WHERE i’m available. Because just because I’m available doesn’t mean I’m available anywhere. If I’m in germany in june, i’m not available for a sit in south africa.
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But they are not random weekends if you know when they are. Sit with your diary and it will probably take 5 minutes!
Do people still have diaries?
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Thank you - you have explained it perfectly!
but it takes WAY more than 5 minutes to enter in all the date ranges. random not meaning i don’t know when they are. random meaning they’re spread randomly across a multi-month period of time.
Current work flow example:
1 - Set availability for may 1 - september 30.
2 - I am now unavailable for July 15-18:
2.a - delete previous availability set in step 1
2.b - set new availability slot for may 1 - july 14
2.c - set new availability slot for july 19 - september 30
Once you set your availability, any change to it then requires 3 calendar updates (one deletion, two additions) making the process three times as long and three times as prone to error.
Vs a traditional calendar where the process to update your availability is:
1 - set unavailability for july 15-18
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Takes seconds. I agree it is not perfect, but some of the comments about the calendar make it should like a full day job! you have just described 3 moves - probably take less than a minute. Delete one, enter 2.
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