Joelle said in the early morning on September 18, 2007 while listening to Art Pepper
C.Y.A. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed herein do not reflect those of Moxie Design Studios™ as a whole. Just me.... the girl ready to throw her laptop out the window.
Considering we just wrote a book about blogging, I don’t often smack talk about various blog platforms. I’ll rally around my fave, but diplomacy, professional courtesy and respect keeps me from being too public about my occasional irks with various software. Sadly, that ends right now.
When I first started blogging, I used Movable Type 1.something, like most others that weren’t on Blogger. I think I made it into the 2.0 version somewhere before Expression Engine graced me with one of a thousand free copies of their new software in May 2004. I used MT because that’s what was available and it’s what my friends used. It was the hot property at the time and while it frustrated me sometimes, it was “all there was” (sort of) and well… that’s just what people used. I liked it because I didn’t know anything different.
Since I started using Expression Engine and love it so much, I don’t work with MT as much as I used to. Depending on the client’s needs, we usually recommend Expression Engine or Wordpress. It’s rare that there’s a project that one of those platforms can’t handle. But if a client has MT already and wishes to stay with it, we will happily upgrade them to the latest released version and work with that.
Well, it used to be happily. This release of MT4 has been nothing but a pain in the keister. It seems quite buggy, it’s slow and we’re still “rebuilding”? Still? They’ve changed the term to “publishing” now so we don’t know that it’s the same thing, but it still takes up to 20 minutes sometimes to rebuild a blog that has over 1000 entries. Why? WHY are we still rebuilding? I know they’ve made it “more flexible” by adding static or dynamic publishing, but even doing what we do, the archiving and template functionality of MT seems extraneous and unnecessarily complicated. The new interface in MT4 is really pretty (kudos on that!), but there are WAY too many clicks to get to what you want and it’s just not very straightforward. You can put lipstick on a pig…
My other big beef is the community. I’ve never had a satisfactory experience with the MT forums, documentation or tech support. Once last year Kathy had an issue with a client’s MT install and she contacted MT’s tech support, who in turn, practically accused her of using unauthorized copies of the software because Kathy didn’t have that client’s license number in her Typekey “account”. Well, that would be because it was the client’s license number and that onus would be on them. It would be in their account — we’re just the ones hired to ask the questions. It turns out the client had a paid license and we probably should have had that at the ready, but there was no question of whether or not the license belonged to the client or any concern about whether or not their product was causing Kathy problems… their only action was to imply that we, professionals in this industry since 2003, skirted the system. Give me a break! The client ended up having a paid version of the software, but the license itself was not our responsibility and we were just inquiring about a simple challenge with the software for our client. Because Kathy wasn’t the official license holder, we were told to use the MT community forums, as though it were free.
Yeah. 
Now, I can totally appreciate that they don’t want to pay someone to provide tech support for their free products. I totally get that. But, compared to the EE community forums, the MT forums are ridiculous. There are so many knowledgeable, friendly and helpful people in the EE community, if I have a problem, my first stop is the forums and inevitably, someone helps me or at least tries. Most of the time on the MT forums, I’m completely ignored (and I know I’m not the only one — I’ve heard this from other designers, too).
I also feel that MT relies too heavily on 3rd party add-ons like plug-ins in a community that offers little to no support. In developing a site for my client, almost everything I wanted to do that EE (and often Wordpress) already had built in, I had to go hunt down a half-assed, outdated plug-in that someone wrote and may or may not still support. The plug-in also may or may not be compatible for whatever buggy version of MT they’ve released that day.
I am in the process of putting the finishing touches on really cute site (if I do say so myself!) for a very sweet client on a timeline that didn’t take MT4’s drama into account. What should have taken me a day (two… tops!) to develop took me almost three weeks and stripped me of my will to work with MT ever again. I moved her to EECore (the free version) like I should have done from day one. I hated not meeting my deadline and I hated that I had to make my client wait because MT released a platform that wasn’t ready for prime time (in my opinion). In the future, if I client mentions MT, I will do whatever I can to convince them switch to a more stable platform, one with strong community support, thorough documentation and no delays. Like Expression Engine.
Ok, ok, Lisa, like Wordpress, too. 
I really, really wanted to love MT4. I respect Six Apart and was honored to be a judge in their Style Contest last year. I really like the people I’ve worked with from Six Apart and/or people I’ve gotten to know via this blog that work there, like Lilia and others. I really, really like Vox (whose praises we sing in the book, by the way). But Movable Type and it’s occasionally more frustrating offspring, Typepad? I shake my behind-schedule fist at you! Both of them. Twice.
This may actually be helpful for our potential panel at SXSW. I know there are people out there who still love MT, so in the interest of professional curiosity, what blog platform do you use? Why do you use it? What do you like about it? Or hate? Do tell!
Joelle said at some point on September 12, 2007
I just got back from Starbucks. I had to get in on the whole Pumpkin Spice Latte extravaganza. I wait all year for these to come out, then I drink about 4 and lose interest. By that time, it’s Christmas and I’m ready to move on to Peppermint Lattes anyway. It’s the circle of life.
I realized as I was gearing up to go out for this momentous occasion that there should really be a more discreet and efficient way to order your overpriced frou-frou coffee beverages. I propose business cards (or perhaps a badge if you’re feeling eco-friendly and don’t mind looking like you’re on a challenged kids tour at a museum). Better yet… stickers! Oh, I think I’m on to something here.
This way, when your order, you’re not that pretentious ass that holds up the whole line announcing your order like you’re calling bingo. While I secretly loathe those people, sadly, I sometimes am one of those people. Though, in my defense, I do try to be discreet purposefully so the guy behind me ordering a tall Americano doesn’t hit me in the head with his New York Times. They could look something like this:
It doesn’t say “crazy hot lady” because I think extra highly of myself. Nor is it because I’m mentally unhinged. It’s because I like my lattes “crazy hot”, so a few baristas at my local Starbucks have started referring to me as “the crazy hot lady”, which I find amusing. 
Anyway, you just walk up to the register, give your pleasantries, tear off a sticker for them, they slap it on your cup and ring you up. It’s all there in black and white. Simple, easy to read. Sure, some stores have the little print-outs so when they punch it in the register, it prints a sticker that they slap on the cup. I think that’s a great improvement, but there’s still a bit lost in translation between the orderer and the barista punching it in. With your own labels, you save time repeating yourself, you don’t have to be “that guy” who orders the most complicated thing and I would imagine it might actually improve the accuracy of the orders. It’s less work for them, better beverages for you. If I’m paying $4.50 for a beverage, it damn well better be right.
Though, when you slip one across the counter at them, they might think you’re robbing them… or does that only work at the bank? Hm.
While I may look a little silly, I think I might try it at my local Starbucks and see if it helps speed things along any. Maybe get their feedback on it. It seems like a reasonable thing for people who go every day… the regulars. I don’t every day anymore… but I go about once a week (twice if the spirit moves me). Starbucks should also do some kind of punch-card thing where you get your billionth latte free.
I also think they should buy me a puppy, but that’s really a long shot.
Joelle said around mid-morning on September 11, 2007
(Every year since 2004 I’ve participated in San Diego’s AIDS Walk event. The first year I did it, I personally raised over $3000, then joined forces with a friend of mine to throw a concert to raise an additional $1200, making me the #1 fundraiser in San Diego that year. I was so proud.
The next year, my friend decided we should do it “full-time”, she wanted to make it a huge money-making “non-profit” event. She wanted to take salaries and really blow it out into a huge thing. I just wanted to do something good for other people. I wasn’t interested in making it a major production or taking a salary or whatever. I personally enjoyed raising that money, it made me feel good and I was really proud of the fact that I’d done most of the fundraising on my own. This wasn’t what I wanted and I said so. Next thing I know, we’re a 501(c)3 non-profit, I was designing a logo and we were promptly in over our head. While our first concert in 2004 was such a success (mostly because I’d already raised quite a bit of money; the concert was just icing on the cake), the reliance on the concerts to raise the same kind of cash was a bit deluded.
Needless to say, I didn’t have time to work a non-profit full time. I didn’t feel right about taking a salary (though I don’t believe anyone ever did since we never had any money), so I relied on my friend to take care of it.
I really was so proud of what I had accomplished in 2004 and I knew in my gut when my friend wanted to “go big” with it that yet another thing I was proud of would be played with by her for about 10 minutes and then left for something shinier in a matter of months, and the Little Fundraiser That Could (that’s me!) would end up a joke. But, my friend is persuasive and I loved her very much, so I believed. I believed she wouldn’t let me down.
Unfortunately, we’re no longer friends, but I am still participating in AIDS Walk. I’m a little late this year, so I don’t anticipate that I’ll rake in thousands, but I’d be really honored to offer them whatever I can raise.
AIDS Walk San Diego is on Sunday, September 30, 2007. I’ve registered to walk and if you’d like to sponsor me, I’d welcome your donation.
Any donation, no matter how small, is appreciated. And don’t forget! The Boobiethon is coming soon, so if you’re into breasts (and really, who isn’t?) get ready to get your give on.
Joelle said in the early morning on September 10, 2007
While doing my morning rounds through myspace, Ross reminded me that his friends’ new single came out today. If you’re looking for something snappy, check out the new release by Dan le Sac VS. Scroobius Pip out today in the UK. I really liked their last one, “Thou Shalt Always Kill” (watch the video before you decide based on the title — irony is your friend), but I think I like this even more. It’s definitely got a good groove to it, it’s probably a bit more radio friendly and the lyrics, as always, are clever as hell.
This is my public service announcement for the week. I’m on some deadlines, so I’m going to go crawl back under my code now…
Joelle said around mid-afternoon on September 8, 2007
Oh. Hello!
Went to the Weinerschnitzel Weiner Nationals this morning and took over 300 photos with my Nikon D80. I posted my favorites. I totally had a blast. I almost changed my mind about going because it was so early and I didn’t want to deal with potential crowds, but it was absolutely one of the best ways to start a day. Really sweet dogs, really nice people and all kinds of cuteness!
Moxie Design Studios™