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Meeting Maker Quick Reference

General Questions

Palm Specific

PocketPC Specific

MMCO Specific


General Questions

Tell me more about Meeting Maker use at Northwestern.

There are currently over 3,200 Meeting Maker users at Northwestern. To use Meeting Maker, you must have an account on the server. To add a new user, you must provide a valid Chart of Accounts number. NUIT keeps track of existing Meeting Maker licenses; if a user leaves your department, there is no charge for allowing another employee in that department to take over the account. There is no limit on the number of copies of the Meeting Maker client at any one site.

The MM client is available for Windows, Macintosh, and a browser-based web version is offered. A central server holds everyone's calendar data; this allows each user to attempt to schedule meetings with other users. The client software allows each user to establish work hours, to propose meetings and events, to be notified of meetings to which he/she has been invited, and to provide a local means of displaying the schedule. When you run the client software, it connects to the server and downloads your most recent calendar information to your computer.

You set up and maintain your own calendar information. You can also designate another MM user as a proxy with read/write privileges, which allows them to propose meetings in your name and keep track of your schedule for you. No one else can see the names of your meetings and events (unless you allow them to by naming them as a read proxy), but to allow other users to propose meetings, they are able to check your availability.

Can I synchronize Meeting Maker with an Outlook Calendar?

The Meeting Maker Connector for Outlook (MMCO) allows Meeting Maker and PC-based Outlook users to view each others' availability and schedule meetings in either Outlook or Meeting Maker. The meetings are then automatically synchronized between the two applications. Windows mobile devices can use the ActiveSync Windows utility to synchronize calendar events on a handheld device with an Outlook Calendar.

How do I add a user or resource/location account?

Review the Meeting Maker Licensing Information and then submit the Meeting Maker User Request Form or the Meeting Maker Location/Resource Request Form.

I forgot my Meeting Maker password. How can I get it reset?

Your Meeting Maker password is synchronized with your NetID password. Try accessing your account using your NetID and your current NetID password. If this does not work, send e-mail to the Meeting Maker administrator and include your account name and sign-in name. The administrator will issue a temporary password for your Meeting Maker account and e-mail it to you.

How can I set up a group proxy in Meeting Maker?

To set up a group proxy, add a Global Group (if you have one) to your Group View.

How do I back up my Meeting Maker data?

You can either export it as a text file or publish it as a Web page. For detailed instructions, please select your operating system below:

Exporting Meeting Maker data for Windows
Exporting Meeting Maker data for Macintosh

How do I proxy another account?

These scenarios may sound familiar:

  • I want to be able to see another user's calendar. I have added him/her to my proxy list, but they still don't show up on the list.
  • I want to be able to see if our conference room is busy. My co-worker can see the room in her proxy list, but I don't see it in my list and can't add it to the list either.

Proxy, as the name implies, allows a user to see and/or edit another user's calendar as if they were signed into the account. For example, an administrative assistant may need to schedule meetings for his/her supervisor, or a lab manager may need to schedule times when the computers in the lab can be used. In both cases, having proxy access is helpful.

If you need to see and/or edit another account's schedule, that account must add you to their proxy list. Likewise, if you want other users to see and/or edit your schedule, you need to add those users to your proxy list.

Only User accounts have the ability to proxy other accounts. Locations and Resources cannot proxy other accounts (clearly, a room could not edit another user's account). This is why you cannot add a Location or Resource to your proxy list. Also, if you are already proxying a user, you cannot edit his/her proxy list. This is done for security reasons, so you are not able to access other accounts through the proxy user.

Select your operating system (below) for detailed instructions on how to add users to a proxy list:

Adding MeetingMaker Proxies For Windows
Adding MeetingMaker Proxies for Macintosh

Is Meeting Maker user documentation available?

Yes. You can download the following Meeting Maker 8.7 user documents in PDF format. You will need Adobe Reader to view these files. If you do not have Adobe Reader installed, download it from the Adobe Web site.

Is there a Meeting Maker Web client available?

Yes. You can access your MM calendar via the Web at any time from a networked computer with a Java-enabled Web browser.

How can I set up Meeting Maker to print only the range of days that I specify?

To set up Meeting Maker to print a specified date range:

  • From the File menu, choose Print Schedule.
  • In the Print Schedule window, enter the beginning and end dates of your schedule in the From and To fields, or click the calendar icons next to each field and click the desired date in each calendar.
  • Choose a schedule format from the Form drop-down menu.
  • Choose a page setup from the Page drop-down menu.
  • Click OK to close the Form Options window.
  • Click OK to close the Print Schedule window and open the Print window, then click Print.

How can I print my Meeting Maker schedule to display work days only?

To print work days only:

  • From the File menu, choose Print Schedule.
  • Click Form Options.
  • On the right side of the Form Options window, select the radio button next to Work days.
  • Click OK to close the Form Options window.
  • Click OK to close the Print Schedule window and open the Print window.
  • Click Print to print your schedule.

Palm Specific

Where can I get information about using Meeting Maker with my Palm Pilot?

There are step-by-step instructions for installing and configuring your Palm with Meeting Maker. Go to instructions for Palm with Mac or Palm with Windows. Palm conduits for Meeting Maker is not compatible with Palm desktop versions 6.2 or higher.

Is there a forum or mailing list for Palm Pilot users who use Meeting Maker?

Yes. To subscribe, send e-mail to listserv@listserv.it.northwestern.edu. Leave the "Subject" line blank. In the body of the message, include just the following line:

Subscribe NU-PalmPilot Your-first-name Your-last-name

When your request has been processed, you will receive an automatic welcome message.

To address e-mail to the entire mailing list, send the message to:

NU-PalmPilot@listserv.it.northwestern.edu

PocketPC Specific

Can I synchronize Meeting Maker with my Outlook calendar?

The Meeting Maker Connector for Outlook (MMCO) allows Meeting Maker and PC-based Outlook users to view each others' availability and schedule meetings in either Outlook or Meeting Maker. The meetings are then automatically synchronized between the two applications. This may also be an option if your PDA is Outlook-compatible.

How can I keep my Outlook calendar and my MM calendar separate?

ActiveSync synchronizes your Outlook calendar with your Pocket PC. If you decide you want only your Meeting Maker calendar on your Pocket PC, you must disable synchronizing for ActiveSync:

  1. Select Start => Programs => Microsoft ActiveSync. A window similar to the following will appear:

    ActiveSync for Windows - Main

    ActiveSync for Windows - Main

  2. Click Options. A window similar to the following will appear:

    ActiveSync for Windows Configuration

    ActiveSync for Windows Configuration

    1. Un-check the Calendar checkbox in the Mobile Device field.
    2. Click OK to save your changes.

  3. Close the Microsoft ActiveSync window.

 

MMCO Specific

Where can I get more information about using Meeting Maker Connector for Outlook (MMCO)?

Download the following MMCO user documents in PDF format. You will need Adobe Reader to view these files. If you do not have Adobe Reader installed, download it from the Adobe Web site.

What are the known issues with synchronizing meetings created in Outlook with Meeting Maker events?

  • Initial synchronization from Meeting Maker to Outlook can take at least a half an hour and for heavy meeting users, potentially several hours. The initial synchronization process can tie up your computer's CPU while it is running.
  • Deleting an updated recurring meeting invitation from your Outlook Inbox without opening the invitation first may cause the entire series of recurring meetings to be deleted. All meeting invitation updates should be double-clicked, then explicitly accepted or declined.
  • It is highly recommended that none of your proxies have read/write access to your calendar. If a proxy makes changes to your calendar from another Meeting Maker client, unpredictable behavior will occur.
  • Meeting Maker does not support attachments in the meeting agenda. Your guests will not be aware of an attachment if you send it through the meeting agenda.
  • Meeting Maker does not support "Tentative" or "Out of Office" status. If you select "Tentative" or "Out of Office" an error message appears that "Tentative" appears as "Free" and "Out of Office" appears as "Busy" on your calendar.
  • Meeting reminders set in Microsoft Outlook do not synchronize with Meeting Maker reminders.
  • Changing an individual instance of a recurring All Day Event/Banner is blocked in Outlook. You can save the change or perform a delete, but the original recurrence pattern and "master" will be immediately restored. To change the start, duration, or pattern of a recurring series you must select Open the series on the Open Recurring Item dialog.
  • You cannot invite users to an all day event. All day events are reserved for personal days.
  • Do not use <Ctrl> Drag to copy or move events in Calendar view. Open the meeting to change the time; configure the recurrence schedule to copy the event.
  • Do not use <Shift> Delete to cancel a meeting or unpredictable behavior will occur.
  • Do not drag a meeting to a different location or unpredictable behavior will occur.
  • You cannot change guest status from Optional to BCC or CC. Delete and re-add guest with desired status to the attendee list.
  • If you propose a meeting from Outlook and then change the meeting when the guest accepts it, your changes will be lost.
  • Your external contacts are not shared between Meeting Maker and Microsoft Outlook.
  • Meeting Maker does not support some recurrence patterns. An error message should appear if a recurrence pattern is not supported.
  • Some recurrence patterns do not synchronize with the Meeting Maker server.
    Patterns blocked in Microsoft Outlook User Interface include:
    • Every N days where N > 109
    • Every N weeks where N > 36
    • Day M of every N months where N > 3
    • Monthly patterns that do not occur every month (i.e. every third month)
    • Weekly patterns that do not occur every week (i.e. every third week)
    • Yearly patterns that do not specify a specific day and month (i.e., the first Tuesday of June)
    • Unsupported patterns from Meeting Maker to Microsoft Outlook
    • Any weekend move rule
    • Day N from the end of the month
    • Every month on weeks where more than one week is specified (i.e., 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, Last)
    • Monthly on day 29, 30 or 31

Last Updated: 01 December 2008

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