Event list allows for events to be added with the same time

[YiFei2]

For an app with the main goal of helping students manage their time and internship applications, I believe that the app should not allow or notify user if the user attempts to add an event with the same date and time. For a busy user with many events, it is likely that events may be scheduled at the same time and the app should account for that behaviour.

[nus-se-bot]

Team's Response

The is the intended behavior. Many event management apps (such as Google Calendar), for example, will allow users to place multiple events on the same date and time. Allowing adding multiple events with the same date and time can also help users find any conflicts in their schedule. Not an issue.

Furthermore, adding another constraint that "any events with the same time cannot be added" will not be appropriate. Notice that InternBuddy allows you to record the start time of the event and not the duration.

Items for the Tester to Verify

❓ Issue response

Team chose [response.Rejected]

• I disagree

Reason for disagreement: "The is the intended behavior."

Hence it is a feature flaw. The functionality works as intended but the feature becomes less useful to the intended target user for normal usage of adding events. It is less useful because the feature becomes more of just a list of events rather than a feature that helps to manage events.

"Many event management apps (such as Google Calendar), for example, will allow users to place multiple events on the same date and time."

This is not a reason as to why it is not a feature flaw. For Google Calandar, the calandar itself is displayed split into days, which makes it easy for the user to notice any conflicts in event timings. This is not the case for InternBuddy.

"Allowing adding multiple events with the same date and time can also help users find any conflicts in their schedule."

While this is true, the app does not have any features or functionality that does help users find these conflicts. There should be some indication such as a notification upon adding of the event or a label on the event to show that there is a conflict. Refer to previous example of Google Calandar. This is only an issue because I believe that it is easy for users to not notice conflicts as events are displayed in a list, where it is visually difficult to notice conflicts.

"Furthermore, adding another constraint that "any events with the same time cannot be added" will not be appropriate. Notice that InternBuddy allows you to record the start time of the event and not the duration."
The app will still be able to check for conflict in start time of the event, at the very least. Perhaps recording the duration of an event would be a good extension in future as well.

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❓ Issue severity

Team chose [severity.Low]
Originally [severity.Medium]

• I disagree

Reason for disagreement: No reason was given for the downgrading of severity. I believe the severity to be Medium as adding events is a key feature in the app and the feature flaw causing it to be less useful as explained above will indeed cause inconvenience. As a busy user with many events, the app should allow me to notice any conflicts in event timings so that I can reschedule events accordingly. If a user fails to notice conflicts, it could lead to major inconveniences such as last minute cancellation of important meetings or having to miss out on important events.

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