the rest of the web
I have installed an interesting application - BlogJet. It’s a cool Windows-only (the only negative aspect I’ve encountered) client for my blog tool. Get your copy here: http://blogjet.com
“Computers are incredibly fast, accurate and stupid; humans are incredibly slow, inaccurate and brilliant; together they are powerful beyond imagination.” — Albert Einstein
It’s 30–day trialware, but appears to be well worth the $39 registration.
Within the last month I’ve upgraded 13 blogs, two just today. All the upgrades went smoothly because I follow WP’s suggestions and do the following:
I had already decided to dump e107, the CMS I was using on this site, and replace it with something better (easier to manage, faster loading, cleaner looking) when Word Press released version 2.5 out of beta. The timing was perfect. After trying out many platforms intended for both blogging and website creation, I’ve come to accept that Word Press offers the best experience for the website builder. I never could have created a layout, added all the widgets I wanted, imported posts, set permissions and had it all up and running within the same 5 hour window it took with Word Press had I used Dreamweaver or Contribute.
I’m composing this and you’re reading it on Word Press 2.5. There isn’t much different to see on your side of the screen, but the backend has undergone a major overhaul. The control center has been entirely redone, not so much with new controls and options as a reorganization of the former controls. It was a bit intimidating at first. I kept losing track of where I had to go to change a widget or add a link. Even the interface of the posting page has been redone. Selecting a category for a post has moved down below the fold, a less convenient place than before. With several scrollable windows on the page, it can be an awkward process getting down to those lists. The settings and plugin controls have been inexplicably moved to the right of the menu bar, separate from the other major options. I’m not sure what the point of that is, but once I adjust I don’t think it will be a real issue.
The inconveniences are few, though, while the improvements are worthwhile. I was able to import posts from three other blogs quite easily using the import option. The widget controls are much easier to use than in previous versions, and all the widgets I was using on other, older blogs, still functioned properly under this version.
I still wish we could change the color scheme of the backend. I’m so tired on what I call “internet blue”. I’m getting to where I won’t, if at all possible, have a blue layout on any of my sites.
All in all this appears to be a worthwhile upgrade. If you give in to the constant nagging on your older version of Word Press to upgrade your blog, just be sure you follow the upgrade suggestions. A full backup is always necessary, and don’t casually overwrite the /contents folder if you have plugins or themes you want to keep.
Now I have three more blogs to upgrade before it gets too late. If I can avoid checking FriendFeed for two hours, I should be able to get it done.
I guess for some geeks, nothing could be more depressing, more disheartening, than to do everything they can think of to increase their blog’s audience and interest - submitting site maps to Google, studying SEO tips, posting every 13 minutes - and then see a Google Alert for blogs return a result like the following;
First post- why blog?
ProgressiveU.org - San Mateo,CA,USA
My name is Kaylen and this is my first blog. I’m going to write about WHY I made this blog, and why I am planning on writing in it each day. …
It makes me just want to slash my wrists.
Well, not me…I meant the hypothetical blogger I mentioned above.
I’ve been reading a lot of comments from internet pundits lately predicting that 2007 will be the year that blogging will reach its zenith in popularity.
The blogging phenomenon is set to peak in 2007, according to technology predictions by analysts Gartner.
The analysts said that during the middle of next year the number of blogs will level out at about 100 million.
The firm has said that 200 million people have already stopped writing their blogs.
Since I’m notoriously oblivious to most trends, I’m choosing to ignore this one as well. While I might agree that the number of quality personal blogs may level off or even decrease in the near future, I think we’re going to see an increase in the number of companies that embrace the blogging ethic to create a relationship with their customers and the public at large.
To help empower bloggers, I’m creating a forum for both personal and professional bloggers that will offer resources and support. Check it out and join up. Share your knowledge and pick up some hints, learn more about customizing your site and how to provide quality content. Any type of blogger using any platform/software is welcome. Bloggers need community, too.
Bloggers-exchange.com forum. Let me know what you think.
Loading ...
