Movable Type, So Far So Good
Adios WordPress?
I’m about 90% sure I’m done with WordPress. Again, per my post regarding the migration; this has nothing to do with angst about security. It’s more about trying and really liking something new. It’s also about simplification & learning better writing habits.
One of those new habits new habits is John Gruber’s Markdown. This really has nothing to do with Movable Type (I’m sure if I looked I could find a plugin for WP). But Markdown and a visual text enhancer called SmartyPants are included. The other new habit — though I’m not sure habit’s the right word — is start using desktop software for writing (no more browser based textareas). I’m using MarsEdit which is easy as pie to set up for basic publishing; but as an added benefit also has realistic real-time preview. I simply copied an HTML page from my site. Then I made sure CSS references were absolute (so that the HTML could stand on its own); and swapped out the existing placeholder post’s data with the MarsEdit syntax from their sample preview document. Now I’m looking at a real-time preview in one monitor & writing Markdown in the other. I feel spoiled. I also feel dumb for not having tried Markdown & tools like this before. Therein lies the rub. I’ve already re-written a lot of posts with Markdown syntax; and it occurs to me that if I was 100% Markdown ‘written’ migrating between blogs that support Markdown would be cake. So the 10%? Well, part of that is based on WP offering some enhancements in a future release; specifically: * Real static publishing * Better separation of Core functionality from User customization (Themes & Plugins) & Data * Improved update mechanisms (WP’s come along way but security releases need to have a ‘push’ mechanism or auto-update feature like some desktop software) * And?? I don’t know, but I imagine a better UI or some unimagined killer feature might bring me back In the mean time, I’m sure the WP community won’t suffer my departure. WP is big & getting bigger. Thanks to simple e-commerce integrations & things like BuddyPress, not to mention WP mu (multi-user).
Is Movable Type that good?
You tell me. The comments are open on this post. I’d really like to know what drawbacks & issues people have had with MT. Anyone go through a WP to MT to WP migration? Or, ever find a signicant reason to ditch MT after years? of faithful usage for WP?
Here’s My Top 7 Features or Aspects of Movable Type
- Static Files (yes, it slows down publishing but you feel it at the other end)
- Search & Replace (the admin interface lets you search text in entries & make actual edits without having to open up individual posts — comes in handy to replace Jon with John in a few posts, for example)
- Familiarity (while different than other blogging tools — nothing out of the ordinary or jarring in the UI)
- Templating, Widgets & Layouts are easy
- Built in Activity Logs & Dashboard Stats
- It’s been around a while (which shows & also proves useful with respect to community support)
- It’s popular (good high traffic blogs use it, whicg adds to support & longetivity) *