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Re: Future bapc status
Hi, Ken, and other BAPC futurists,
I've modified the new system according to our prior discussions, and you
can start testing it now. I've changed the outbound messages to go to this
list (bapc-future) for the time being, so if you're receiving this
message, you will also receive digests and late-submission emails. Digests
are scheduled for mailing on Thursdays around midday.
You can interact with the system by emailing bapc submit gmail com (we can
change that address later). Please see attached for the user guide and let
me know if you have any suggestions.
Best,
Ben
# Boston Area Physics Calendar (BAPC) â?? User Guide
This guide is for anyone who wants to **submit an event** to the BAPC or **receive** the weekly listing. No account or web access is requiredâ??everything works by email.
---
## Submitting an event
Send an email to the BAPC submission address (your list administrator will provide it; it is also shown at the bottom of each weekly digest).
**Important:** The **subject line must contain â??Createâ??** (case-insensitive; e.g. â??Createâ?? or â??Create: colloquiumâ??). Messages whose subject doesnâ??t include â??Createâ?? are not processed as new submissions. (Replace, Delete, Cancel, and Uncancel use different subject lines; see below.)
**Required format:** Use the **structured format** in the **body** of your email. You must include **Date:** and **Time:**. **Location:**, **Event:**, **Speaker:**, **Title:**, and **Abstract:** are optional. Order doesnâ??t matter, but the spelling of those labels does.
```
Date: Friday, December 13, 2024
Time: 3:00 PM
Location: MIT Room 4-270
Event: Colloquium
Speaker: Jane Smith (Harvard)
Title: Dark Matter Searches at the LHC
Abstract: We present new results from...
Zoom: https://example.com/meeting
```
- **Date** and **Time** are required.
- **Date:** Use a full date (e.g. â??Friday, December 13, 2024â?? or â??December 13, 2024â??). If you include the weekday, it must match the date. Past dates are rejected.
- **Time:** Only the following formats are supported; any other format will be rejected.
- **Single time** (event duration is then **1 hour by default**): `3:00 PM`, `3pm`, `15:00`. Use hour (1â??12 with am/pm, or 0â??23 in 24-hour style), optional `:minutes`, optional space and am/pm.
- **Time range** (explicit start and end): `3:00 PM - 4:30 PM`, `15:00 - 16:30`, `3:00 PM to 4:30 PM`. Use a hyphen, en dash, minus sign, or the word â??toâ?? between the two times; the end time must be after the start time.
- **Location**, **Event** (event type or series, e.g. â??Colloquiumâ??), **Speaker**, **Title** (talk title), and **Abstract** are optional.
- **Calendar title:** The event title shown on the calendar and in the digest is built from **Event**, **Speaker**, and **Title** (not from **Abstract**). Examples when all three are present: `[Colloquium] Jane Smith: Dark Matter Searches at the LHC`. If only some are present, the title is shortened (e.g. `Jane Smith: Dark Matter Searches`, `Colloquium`, or `Untitled event` if none are given).
- **Abstract** may span multiple lines; everything after `Abstract:` until the next structured field is treated as the abstract. It is stored in the calendar event description (not in the title). Whether abstracts appear in the weekly digest email depends on list configuration.
- Any other text in the body (e.g. Zoom links, extra paragraphs) is included in the event note. You donâ??t need extra labelsâ??just add whatever you want below the structured fields.
- Avoid starting a line in your note with â??Date:â??, â??Time:â??, â??Location:â??, â??Event:â??, â??Speaker:â??, â??Title:â??, or â??Abstract:â??, or that line may be treated as a structured field.
- Submissions that donâ??t follow this format are marked for manual review and will not be added to the calendar until corrected.
---
## What happens after you submit
- Your email is processed automatically (usually within an hour).
- The event is added to the BAPC calendar.
- It will appear in the **next weekly digest** email (see below).
- If the system is configured to notify submitters, you will receive a **confirmation email** that includes a **BAPC ID** (e.g. `BAPC-m5x2k3a7b2`) for each event. **Save this ID**â??you need it to replace, delete, cancel, or uncancel the event later (see below).
- If the system canâ??t parse your submission, an administrator may contact you to fix it; you can then resubmit.
**Tip:** Submit as early as you can. The digest is sent once a week (typically Friday afternoon), so events submitted later may not appear until the following weekâ??s digest.
**Note:** New submissions are only accepted from senders whose email address ends with **.edu** (e.g. `you mit edu`). If your institution uses a different domain, contact the list administrator.
---
## Modifying or removing an event
You can change or remove an event by email using the **BAPC ID** from your confirmation email in the subject line (e.g. `Replace BAPC-m5x2k3a7b2`). Anyone who knows the ID can perform these actions unless your list administrator has enabled **sender authorization** (only the original submitter or an administrator may modify events).
| What you want to do | Subject line (case-insensitive) | Body |
|---------------------|----------------------------------|------|
| **Replace** the event with new details | `Replace BAPC-#####` (use your eventâ??s ID, e.g. `Replace BAPC-m5x2k3a7b2`) | One event in the same structured format (Date:, Time:, Location:, Event:, Speaker:, Title:, Abstract:, etc.) |
| **Delete** the event from the calendar | `Delete BAPC-#####` | Empty or any text (ignored) |
| **Cancel** the event (mark as cancelled but leave on calendar) | `Cancel BAPC-#####` | Empty or any text (ignored) |
| **Uncancel** a previously cancelled event | `Uncancel BAPC-#####` | Empty or any text (ignored) |
- **Keep your BAPC ID private**â??it is the only credential needed to modify the event (when sender authorization is off). The ID is not shown on the public calendar; it appears only in your confirmation email.
- For **Replace**, the body must be exactly one event in the same structured format as a new submission. If the body doesnâ??t parse correctly, the message is marked for manual review.
- **Replace** or **Cancel** on an upcoming event (before the next weekly digest is sent) may trigger a separate **update email** to everyone on the BAPC mailing list, so subscribers see corrections or cancellations without waiting for Friday. **Delete** does not send a list update (only a confirmation to you).
---
## Receiving the weekly digest
If youâ??re on the BAPC mailing list, youâ??ll get one **weekly digest email** (usually Friday afternoon). It lists all events on the BAPC calendar for the **next seven days**, grouped by date.
- Between digests, you may receive a **BAPC Update** email when someone corrects or cancels an event that was already announced or is coming up before the next weekly mailing.
- No sign-up is needed beyond being on the list.
- The digest is plain text and works in any email client and on locked-down networks.
- Each event in the digest includes a **link to that event** (opens the event in Google Calendar in a browser). Use this to see full details. Use the **BAPC ID** from your confirmation email for Replace/Delete/Cancel/Uncancel.
---
## Optional: Subscribe to the calendar
If your institution allows it, you can add the BAPC Google Calendar to your own calendar (e.g. Google Calendar, Outlook). Youâ??ll then see BAPC events alongside your other events without waiting for the digest.
- The digest email includes a **subscription link** at the bottom (when configured by the administrator). Use that link to add the BAPC calendar in one click. If no link is shown, ask the list administrator for the calendar link or ID.
- Calendar subscription is optional; email is enough to stay informed.
---
## If something goes wrong
- **My event didnâ??t appear in the digest.**
Submissions are processed periodically; it may show up in the next digest. If it still doesnâ??t appear, your message may have been unparseableâ??contact the list administrator and consider resubmitting using the structured format above. If you use a non-.edu address, new submissions are not accepted; contact the administrator.
- **I made a mistake in my submission.**
If you have the **BAPC ID** from your confirmation email, send an email with subject **Replace BAPC-#####** (use your ID) and put the corrected event in the body using the same structured format. Otherwise, ask the administrator to remove or correct the original.
- **I need to cancel or remove my event.**
Send an email with subject **Cancel BAPC-#####** to mark it cancelled (title will be prefixed with â??CANCELLED: â??), or **Delete BAPC-#####** to remove it from the calendar. Use the BAPC ID from your confirmation email.
- **I cancelled an event by mistake.**
Send an email with subject **Uncancel BAPC-#####** to remove the â??CANCELLED: â?? prefix and restore the normal title.
- **I need to submit at the last minute.**
You can submit anytime. Your event will be added to the calendar and will appear in the next weekly digest; there is no separate â??late additionsâ?? list unless your administrator has set one up.
---
## For administrators
If you manage the BAPC automation, set **`ADMIN_EMAIL`** in the script configuration to your address.
**Look up BAPC IDs for upcoming events:** Send an email to the submission address with subject **`Status`** (body ignored). You will receive a **reply in the same thread** listing all future calendar events, each with its **BAPC ID**, title, time, location, and submitter (when known). Use those IDs in `Replace BAPC-#####`, `Delete BAPC-#####`, `Cancel BAPC-#####`, or `Uncancel BAPC-#####` subjects to modify events.
- Only mail from **`ADMIN_EMAIL`** is honored; other sendersâ?? `Status` messages are ignored.
- New submissions can also include the BAPC ID in the admin notification email when that option is enabled.
- Events created before BAPC IDs were introduced may show â??no BAPC IDâ??; edit those directly in Google Calendar.
---
## Summary
| I want toâ?¦ | What to do |
|------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Submit an event | Email the submission address with subject containing **Create** and the structured format in the body. (.edu addresses only.) |
| Replace an event | Email with subject **Replace BAPC-#####** and the new event in the body (same format). |
| Delete an event | Email with subject **Delete BAPC-#####**. |
| Cancel an event | Email with subject **Cancel BAPC-#####**. |
| Uncancel an event | Email with subject **Uncancel BAPC-#####**. |
| Get the weekly listing | Be on the BAPC mailing list; youâ??ll receive the digest automatically. |
| See events in my calendar | Use the subscription link at the bottom of the digest, or ask the list administrator. |
| Fix or ask about something | Contact the BAPC list administrator. |
The submission address, calendar subscription link (when configured), and a link for each event are included in each weekly digest.
> On May 14, 2026, at 14:14, Ken Olum <kdo cosmos phy tufts edu> wrote:
>
> Hi, Ben. I think I've just sent the last BAPC weekly calendar ever.
> Let's come to some agreement about the new system and publicize it
> for testing at least.
>
> Ken