What this is
The Programs calendar is a private feed you subscribe to once, so house programs and events appear automatically in Apple Calendar, Google Calendar, Outlook, or whatever app you already use. New events arrive on their own. There is nothing to import each week.
How to subscribe
- Open
https://desk.ihnyc.affectivetech.com/subscribe-programs. - Enter your name and email.
- Complete the security check if one is shown.
- Submit the form.
- Check your email for a confirmation link.
- Open that link, then use one of the add-to-calendar buttons.
If the one-tap buttons do not work on your device, copy the calendar link and add the subscription manually in your calendar app.
If you opened the link in a different tab or in your mail app’s built-in browser, the original page usually catches up on its own and shows the same buttons. If it does not, just use the page the link opened.
Why there is an email step
The confirmation link proves you control the address, and it is what creates or refreshes your private subscription link. Links expire after six hours. If yours expires, request a new one from the subscribe page.
Requesting a second email does not immediately cancel the first one, so if two arrive, either will work. Using one of them replaces any previous subscription link you had.
Your subscription link is private
The link contains a private token. Treat it like a password:
- do not post it publicly;
- do not share it in group chats;
- if it was shared by accident, request a new link, which rotates the token.
The system stores only a scrambled version of your token, so nobody can look up or resend your existing link. Recovery always means issuing a new one.
Managing your subscription
Open https://desk.ihnyc.affectivetech.com/manage and enter your email. You will receive a separate one-time link. From there you can:
- see whether your feed is active and when it expires;
- renew it for another full term;
- revoke it if you no longer want the calendar.
That session lasts 15 minutes and only covers the one subscription. The page cannot show you your calendar link again, for the reason above.
Revoking is not retroactive
Revoking stops the calendar from updating. Events your app already downloaded stay in it until you also remove the subscription in the app.
Renewal
Subscriptions last about four months. You will get a reminder roughly two weeks before expiry, and again three days before. Either reminder has a renewal button that extends the same subscription, so you do not need to re-add anything.
If a subscription does expire, the calendar shows a single renewal reminder entry instead of going silent. Renewing removes it.
If your calendar stops updating
- Request a new link from the subscribe page, or renew from the manage page.
- Remove the old subscription in your calendar app.
- Add the new subscription link.
Refresh timing
How often the calendar updates is up to your app, not the service:
- Apple Calendar: minutes to a few hours;
- Google Calendar: several hours, sometimes up to a day;
- Outlook: usually within hours, varying by device and account.
Newly published events also wait for the next rebuild, which runs every 15 minutes.
About recurring programs
Weekly programs appear as all-day banners at the top of the day rather than in a time slot, and they do not mark you as busy. They are resident-run and may not meet every week: whether a session happens depends on volunteer availability and resources. Residents usually post in the relevant WhatsApp group chat about whether a program is meeting, so check there before heading over.
A recurring program that stops appearing in the weekly newsletter stops being refreshed and drops off the calendar on its own after about eight weeks.
Subscription versus one-time download
- Subscription, recommended: stays in sync automatically.
- One-time download: a static file that never updates.
If something looks wrong
Report it with:
- your calendar app (Apple, Google, Outlook);
- your device (phone or laptop);
- a screenshot;
- whether you used the subscription link or a one-time download.
Please do not include your calendar link in a screenshot or a message. It is private.