New blog software (w/Ruby rant) |
2006-06-11 |
I've switched from Movable Type to Typo, an open source Ruby on Rails-based blog application. It was time for a new design, the old one was so cluttered it made my head hurt. And it was time for a blog system that gives me full freedom to change it. Movable Type is fine if you don't want to change it too much, or if you know Perl and don't mind being restricted to extending it with plugins, but if you really want a blog system you can do whatever you want with, then you want one that's open source and written in a friendly language.
That's right, I said friendly. I don't often write about technical stuff so I'll just take this opportunity to rant about how wonderful Ruby and Ruby on Rails is to work with. I think someone has described Ruby as the kind of programming language that comes right up to you and gives you a long, warm hug, and that about describes it.
And Rails does so many things about web development right that it's a good alternative to ASP.Net 2.0. I say this as someone who writes ASP.Net (v1) web applications for a living. If you've ever worked with ASP or PHP or even ASP.Net 1, (or - God forbid - J2EE!) you wouldn't believe how easy it has been to make the changes I've done with Typo.
If you're a web developer, Ruby on Rails is the environment you've always wanted. The one you had in mind all those times you thought "why does this have to be so difficult?" Rails is unorthodox, and a bit frightening at first. Not because it is difficult as such, but because it does so many smart things without telling you that you're at loss on how to make it do those things differently. Rails makes assumptions about your web application, good assumptions. Thanks to those assumptions you get your first web form up and running in two minutes. Your first confused thought as a Rails beginner isn't going to be "how am I going to do make this?" but "how the hell did I make all that happen without writing any code??". Then you figure it out, and then the fun starts.
Ahem. Enough about that. Back on track: New blog software. A couple of new features. I haven't converted the old blog content, but I haven't deleted it either. I've tried to preserve things so that every URL that has worked in the past will still work, but if anything looks odd let me know.
Hi there Bjørn.
Are things working out as they should? :)
More or less. And that reminds me: I've added a link to your organization in the left bar. Credit where credit is due.
Everyone: Rune-Kristian here representes the Norwegian chapter of New World Order, who have been kind enough to host the new blog. They're not really a public hosting provider, but if you know the right people on the inside they can offer some of the best hosting services in the country. Highly recommended. All they've asked in return is the right to insert occasional opinions into my posts. Not too often, so it's no big deal.
(Btw, Rune-Kristian: Did the post above meet your expecations? I gushed about this "Ruby" thing as you wanted, and mentioned "open source", whatever that is .. should I have done more? I'm open to suggestions. But perhaps we should continue this in private .. I'll drop by your office tomorrow, so we can discuss the details of our arrangement. Please invite you-know-who.)
You've inspired me to read the new Dr. Dobbs issue. Ruby on Rails is the cover story. I was a bit leery because, yes, while I'm aware that the state of the art does progress (I used to tear my hair out trying to debug IBM JCL errors), I generally end up with this feeling of "is that all there is?". I came to both loath and love Perl... same for C++. Eiffel, now that's a language...
http://www.bearstrong.net/blog1.2/ is dead (the link I mean). Might want to redirect.
Bjørn -- The site looks clean and beautiful to me. I wish I could discard the poison corpse of MT. It's a good publishing system, but it dies when asked to go to war. And your new spam-filtering is especially cruel. It denies Sploid, the only site I update! I am forced to leave my personal-music site as URL.
Ken - oops, yes that is cruel and unnecessary. Fixed the link, and I'm not sure I trust a spam filter that thinks Sploid is spam. Weird, yes, spam, no.
Hmm.
One comment... I think the new design is pretty good, but one thing I'm having problem with is distinguishing itallic text from regular text. If I forget a closing tag, I'm having trouble finding where the itallic text stops, and then finding where the closing tag actually is.
Not sure if you have the same problem there.. Not sure if the choice of font is the best one.
i like the format. tis clean and beautiful, as another commenter wrote. i'll soon read your newest posts, which seem awesome but too long to be read right now.
Hope URL works I don't have a personal one!
I was investigating Movable Type and saw to my delight in the User Manual that there was a template for Product Management Team Blog. This is what I'm after. Does Typo have the same depth of templates and security etc. I know anything is possible but I'm looking for a 'turn key' solution. I would prefer to support open standards and Ruby on Rails and Host with BlueHost. How do I get the same result as Movable Type going that route?
I was investigating Movable Type and saw to my delight in the User Manual that there was a template for Product Management Team Blog. This is what I'm after. Does Typo have the same depth of templates and security etc. I know anything is possible but I'm looking for a 'turn key' solution. I would prefer to support open standards and Ruby on Rails and Host with BlueHost. How do I get the same result as Movable Type going that route?
The new design is really cool and italic text is ok imho
Wondering if you knew of any turn key solutions pre-fab myspace like designed for the ruby on rails framework?
Interesting that you say that the Ruby version is to be "tampered" with! I mean isn't it a good feeling to just type a couple of lines and see how the entire functionality of the blog is changed? I love it. I still have some blogs in Wordpress but prefer 10 times the ones I have merged to Mr. Rails.
Thanks
Jenn Ruby Developer