Not long after I started this blog, I was contacted by Dave Thewlis, who just a few years earlier had started CalConnect, the sole organization focused on improving calendar interoperability. Today, I learned that Dave passed away at age 82 on June 17. I was honored to serve on CalConnect's board from 2012 to 2018, including a stint as chairman. The organization was filled with top-notch technical talent and genuine collegiality.
It is no fault of CalConnect -- nor of Dave's -- that the technology industry never fully embraced the standards they promulgated. The problems this blog and CalConnect identified more than 20 years ago continue, at least in part, due to this lack of embrace. It would be a fitting testimonial to Dave's memory if the industry didn't morph into error-prone AI-powered solutions to calendar interoperability. Sometimes, it takes embrace of true standards and not vendor lock-in strategies. That day cannot come soon enough.