I am willing to bet that Chad Pugh, creator of “Science Machine,” did not think that his 40 hours of work would get such an intense reaction of awe and appreciation after publishing it to Vimeo nearly a month ago. Who knows what he was thinking. One thing is now certain though—his hard effort and dedication has inspired many of those that have watched it. Yes, it has probably been on the front page of Digg, but it is still worth watching again. It might not be life changing for any of you, but it really has given me a boost in motivation as of late—perhaps it will do the same for you. Check it out after the break.
Do You Prefer Seeing Images Within Blog Posts?
Desktop Blog Editing Software Roundup—Which Tool is Right for the Job?
Even with the development of web-based editors, there is just some things about them that do not match up to the quality of an offline editing equivalent. One day, in the future, we will find the perfect solution for a web based editor, but for now, if you are looking for speed and efficiency, you might very well use one of the applications mentioned in this roundup.
The requirements for consideration were as follows:
- The editor must interact with major blogging services (WordPress, Movable Type, Drupal, etc.)
- The editor must allow HTML editing capabilities
- The editor must allow the insertion of media such as images and videos.
Each application will be judged on two specific criteria—interface and features. I will then post my final thoughts in the “overall” section of each application.
So, let’s jump right into the reviews.
Mac
Ecto (ecto)
Ecto is by far my favorite tool that I have found so far on the Mac operating system. Considering that there are only two well known competitors on the Mac OS that I have heard of, the other being MarsEdit, ecto makes things interesting by providing a better set of features than their competition. This review is of the latest beta release (ecto 3.0b44) as it has performed well in a production environment—mine anyways.
Interface
The interface design is pretty good, and although there are some improvements I would like to see implemented, I am satisfied with what it offers. Contrary to MarsEdit, ecto provides more features with a nice rich text interface. I also enjoy how you can access most features with one click, as I hate having to access drop-down menus. I do wish that the tags and categories section was a little less glitchy, and I also wished that removing special formatting was easy, but fortunately, these are some things that can be addressed with a simple patch.
Features
Ecto has an impressive set of features, but I am most impressed with how little work I have had to do to setup everything. I installed the application, added my blog, and started writing. Importing media is also no big deal, and it all works very nicely. I did not notice a way to place media that already exists on the internet (like an image on Wikipedia) without having to go into the code view, and that is definitely a problem that needs to be looked at, but if you know basic HTML, this is only a minor setback. There is absolutely no reason why ecto can’t be an amazing addition to your blogging workflow.
Overall
If you are using a Mac operating system, ecto is my recommendation. This is based off the fact that I want an editor that will allow me to jump right in and be creative, not have to deal with editing markup and other things. Thankfully, ecto makes this easy by giving us a lot of control. I also really like the HTML that ecto generates. The ecto blog editor for Mac OS X is available for $17.95 at the time of this writing, and it is certainly worth every penny.
MarsEdit—the more expensive option—offers a more simplistic experience, and still accomplishes what it was created to do. With MarsEdit, you are essentially given a notepad equivalent with the ability to add markup to your posts. It will appeal to those that like to interact with code, but for others, it will not be the best option.
Interface
MarsEdit features a similar interface to ecto, but there is less emphasis on the rich editing environment—fortunately, this means less clutter. Truth be told, if you enjoy manipulating HTML and having absolute control over your content, MarsEdit should be great for your needs; however, if you are looking for an experience where you don’t need to edit HTML to complete a post, then it all can end up being a deterrent.
Features
As far as features are concerned, MarsEdit does not have some key features that I would have liked to see when compared to other blog editors. There are some innovations I do like though—the ability to use AppleScript to increase the functionality of the editor is key (e.g. the ability to perform a Google search on your post) and the text (e.g. add paragraph tags automatically). Still, it could be better.
Overall
In the end, MarsEdit would be a worthwhile purchase to those that like to tinker with HTML code. MarsEdit can be purchased for $29.95, and while it is slightly more expensive than ecto, it does have better backing. I just think there is room for improvement, and ecto has the features to get the work done faster.
Check out my thoughts of WriteRoom (and its Windows equivalent) here. It doesn’t meet the requirements for this roundup, but it is still a worthy editor.
Windows
Windows Live Writer is one of the first free products from Microsoft that I have thoroughly enjoyed. Trust me when I say that I have been extremely disappointed with Microsoft products in the past; however, Windows Live Writer makes me feel like there is still hope for Microsoft to release quality software. It is a great editor, and it is free.
Interface
The interface of Windows Live Writer ties in with the rest of the Windows Live products released by Microsoft. The interface is one of the most complex of all the products reviewed. The bread and butter of the application is the “web layout” view—I absolutely love it! I think it should be standard on all new blog editors created in the future. A true WYSIWYG environment.
Functionality
It would also be a fitting end to say that Windows Live Writer has some of the most impressive features of all the reviewed blog editors—this is exactly the case. From the ability to enhance the application with plugins, to the impressive web layout view of your content, Windows Live Writer really does excel. It really ties in well with the Windows operating system, and I also enjoyed the fact you could easily add existing content from the web.
Overall
Amazingly, I believe that Windows Live Writer is one of the best products offered in this lineup—that is, if you are on a Windows-based machine. I actually believe it is quite unfortunate that Windows Live Writer is not available for other operating systems. As weird as it would be to see Windows Live Writer running natively on a Mac or Linux operating system, it is such a great application that should be available to everyone. Let’s hope that Microsoft continues support for WLW.
BlogDesk might have a following, but the author of the application really needs to keep up with current standards if this application is to survive. BlogDesk might be perfectly fine for a few of you, but for most—especially when compared to the other applications in this roundup—it just will not be sufficient.
Interface
The interface of BlogDesk certainly will not win over anyone that is looking for a pretty experience. It is just a bare-bones blogging client. Unfortunately, I could not recommend this application to anyone if the interface design was of importance to the user. There just isn’t enough here to impress anyone, but I believe if the author spent some time to catch up to the competition, it could become bearable.
Functionality
In the functionality department, BlogDesk falls short when compared to the competition as well. The lack of built-in tagging is a huge disappointment [Update: BlogDesk does support tagging with its latest version], and it almost led me to not include it in this review—I decided to do so anyways. I also was disappointed with the fact that the previewing options for the final output are relatively non-existent when compared to the competition. I also could not recommend BlogDesk for its lack of features.
Overall
BlogDesk suffers from not being updated to support the latest and greatest features. Primarily, this would be the tagging feature from WordPress. There are solutions, like adding a plugin to a WordPress installation, but if you are using a service like WordPress.com, it will be impossible to insert tags without having to re-edit the post after publishing. [Update: BlogDesk does support tagging with its latest release]
Personally, I think this would be a prime candidate for being released as open source software. Linux—as you will soon read about—is lacking in quality blog editing software.
At the time of this writing, I was not using the latest version of BlogDesk. There is a new version, BlogDesk 2.8, which addresses a serious issue I had with the application. Please check it out.
Linux
When I got the initial idea for this article, I was confident that all three major operating systems would have great blog editing tools available, and while I knew Linux would not have an ecto or Windows Live Writer, I was sure someone would have created something near either of those. Unfortunately, this was not the case at all. This is especially concerning considering how popular blogging has become.
A Few Words To Open-Source Software Developers
There is a huge opportunity for someone to create an amazing blog editor for the Linux operating system. Believe me—it is a way to generate a name for yourself. As Linux slowly becomes a serious contender in the desktop market, people are looking for applications like this, and the first person to really make something extraordinary will be on the receiving end of some great publicity.
Things that are desired in the first great blog editor for Linux:
- Complete modular design
- A true WYSIWYG view similar to the web layout view in Windows Live Writer
- Ability to have full control over the CSS for this web layout view.
- Ability to extend the application with plugins
- Ability to create custom tags and markup for easy insertion within posts (like ecto)
- Easy editing of the location, size, style, and link of media (e.g. pictures and videos)
- Connectivity with most major and popular blogging services and ability to connect with any service support XML-RPC
- On-the-fly spell checking
- Ability to specify upload locations for images and media via FTP, SFTP, and other commonly used file transfer technologies.
- Support for categories and tags
- Support for excerpts
I would love to have an experience similar to Windows Live Writer available on the Linux operating system. Any software developer or development group that would like to begin working on a project like that, I would be happy to assist with the testing and promotion of this application to help the open source community. I am still disappointed that I didn’t find anything that lived up to my expectations.
Multi-Platform
Scribefire
Scribefire, a Performancing product, is the only product that was not designed for an operating system in this roundup. Ironically enough, it is also the only editor that is compatible with all operating systems! Granted, Scribefire is designed for use within the Firefox web browser.
I decided not to review Scribefire as there is, obviously, a conflict of interest, but I will instead point you to two reviews by others, and you can make the call for yourself:
- Dan Harrelson
- Soft Inquiry
The Rest
There were a few blog editors that did not make it into this roundup which might also be worthy of a try:
The Finish
The writer in you now has the opportunity to go out and download some of these impressive applications to create your content. I am a big fan of desktop editors, and I think they provide a much better workflow than web-based editing environments (e.g. the built-in WordPress editor). You should also check out ScribeFire if you would like to do your editing within Firefox—it is a Performancing product.
Do you use any of these products? Do you use something else for creating and/or editing your blog posts? Let everyone know in the comments section, and if it looks good enough, I might just review it in the future.
Just Remember, It Could Always Be Worse!
While Twitter is feeling a little under the weather, Performancing services and products are still working hard for you!
I would now like to take this time to remind all of you to check out Performancing Metrics for keeping in control of your site’s statistics, Performancing Hive for networking with the pro’s, Performancing Services for that professional touch of SEO goodness, and Blogger Jobs for filling up that gas tank. They are all technically solid!
What Makes You Unique to the Blogosphere?
You will not get popular by being just another somebody in the blogosphere. Everyone should know that by now. But, unfortunately, some of us don’t even know if we have a quality that makes us unique to the world of blogging. However, we all have ways of being unique in the blogosphere, and it can come by simply illuminating your own self into an article.
Unique Bloggers
Being Superlative—Darren Rowse of ProBlogger
Being Interactive—Jeff Chandler of Jeffro2pt0
Being Intensive—Andrew G.R of Jack of All Blogs
Being Educative—Steve Spalding of How to Split an Atom
Being Extensive—Tina Su of Think Simple Now
Being Assertive—John C. Dvorak of Dvorak Uncensored
Finding Your Inner Uniqueness
With time, you will notice characteristics from your writings that will represent how you are in life. It is almost amazing how well I can visualize a person just by reading the content they publish. You are not just reading words. You are reading about the life of an author. This is why I find the blogosphere so exciting—each and every person has a unique voice and attitude. It is part of the reason why I enjoy getting to know authors of the content I read.
If you can’t discover what makes you unique to the blogosphere, you might consider asking some of your more devout readers what they think of you. Your peers will able to help you to identify yourself as a blogger and person. While many of you are fine with not knowing these things about yourself, personally, I find it extremely reassuring. It is almost like a confidence boost for me to know what I represent in myself and my writings.
About Me
Now, I figure that someone will get on my case if I don’t answer my own question, so for those of you that wonder what I think about myself, here you are:
I offer all readers my unbound truth and shrewdness with all of my published content. I also take pride with ensuring that my content meets the standards of those that invest the time to read it—after all, why should you have to read a low quality article? I will express myself without holding back, and will work to fix something that is wrong. Finally, I would never remain at a job that would place limitations on what I could write about.
To sum it up—I am deeply passionate (almost completely obsessed) about the truth, and that is a significant portion of my life.
But What About You?
I want to know what makes you unique. What makes you so compelling to have your content read by thousands or even millions of people? If you know these things, tell us about yourself in the comments section. Maybe others will find their way to getting to know the great blogger and person within you.
[Image Credit: Unique Group—Thiru Murugan | CC]
Why Using Excerpts Is A Good Idea
When a person visits your blog, they can be overwhelmed by the amount of content that is on display. It becomes even worse when you consider the fact that some blogs manage to push out several 500+ word posts on a daily basis. For all that content to end up on your homepage, it can just be far too much. The use of excerpts can be a simple and effective way to control information overload.
Truth be told, a simple reverse chronological order of the entire contents of a blog are just unappealing to me—who reads past the first page? I don’t have time for that. It is just more unnecessary effort required by the users.
This is why I believe that many of today’s blogs are going to—slowly but eventually—transition to magazine-/newspaper-like designs in the future. And why not? They look just as good and allow more links to content on your blog. It gives the blog an opportunity to display their best content while organizing it for the reader. The problem with the typical blog these days is that it is just content from all types of categories mashed into one linear listing, and if your blog covers a wide variety of subjects, you could imagine how much more complicated things can get for the reader.
Excerpts
Excerpts can be just as effective as full content listings, and if you can take the opportunity to display more content in the same amount of space (or even less) than you should do so. Your subscribers don’t really care (they end up directly on your content’s page anyways), and those that end up coming to your site via search engines are probably an impatient bunch too. Those that want to find the good stuff on your site in a glance can’t do so because they have to scroll down an endless amount of text and images to find something they like, and that is just a waste of time.
If you visit a site like Wired.com, you are presented with 20 stories in the same space it takes for one blog entry to be completely displayed on the typical blog. It is just too much to bother with reading. Who could argue with displaying more content? Granted, Wired has a pretty amazing site design, but it’s blogging component is the same as that of a magazine article; it can be done with WordPress as newer themes are developed for it.
A Worthy Change?
Now I don’t expect any of you to go out and transform your blog drastically, but I do believe that bloggers benefit from posting excerpts instead of full content on their website. It is a teaser, and it is a paragraph or two that convinces those users that they must read this article.
I also would love to point out the fact that by using excerpts you should be able to generate a significant amount of more views by people that visit your site directly, and that means more advertising opportunities. This is even more true with smaller blogs that are in dire need of views to make a few bucks.
Future Designs
I am certain that future designs will make further use of excerpted content—it is less overwhelming to a user who finds their way to your blog’s homepage. The more active your blog is, the easier it is for your other (and maybe even better) content to be lost in an endless glob of text.
Agree? Disagree? Do you use excerpts? Let everyone know! Keep the conversation going in the comments section.
Guest Blogging Is A Great Thing—You Should Do It Too
Guest blogging is simply the act of contributing to another blog which you would not normally do so, and generally those guest bloggers are rewarded not with money but a link to their website with credit given to the author. It doesn’t sound like a big deal, but it can really be significant when considering it from an SEO standpoint.
Guest Blogging For Others
Let’s say you have agreed to post an article on a blog that is well established and has a very high PageRank as a guest blogger. You write the article, it is posted on the site, and you receive recognition and backlinks for your blog (maybe even the ability to promote your own content on other blogs as well). If your blog is not as well known, this could be a great opportunity to spread the word. Not only that, but the search engines will be taking notice as well.
It works out because the owner of the blog you posted on receives free content, and you receive links and recognition. It is practically a mutual benefit, and you might not receive a link otherwise. In other words, if you are dedicated enough to guest post on a wide variety of blogs with high PageRanks, you are helping your own blog indirectly, and you also show that you have experience by blogging at very many other recognizable blogs.
Allowing Guest Bloggers
If you allow other bloggers—particularly those that will post quality content or are well known—to post on your blog, you will receive great content at absolutely no cost (with the exception of possibly editing) to you. There really is little point in not allowing other bloggers to contribute to your own blogs.
Also, chances are high that the person in question will also link to his or her guest post from their own blog(s), and it could also benefit your own blog from an SEO’s standpoint. It really is a win-win situation. Some blogs around the blogosphere thrive on guest posts, and maybe it is time for you to consider opening up to others as well.
Socializing
The final benefit of guest posting is that it allows you to build up relationships with other bloggers. If you make a great impression on a blogger that is well known (or will eventually be as such), perhaps it can open the opportunity to blogging jobs or similar benefits.
As the blogosphere becomes more of an even playing field, it is slowly progressing to that famous “who you know” instead of “what you know” adage. This is an unfortunate truth that all bloggers must realize with passing time, and those that know the best will put themselves in a position to make it to the top.
The Blogosphere
Overall, I must say that guest blogging is good for the blogosphere, and good for the bloggers that actually participate. Both parties will generally benefit from the act of guest blogging, and it allows for great content to be distributed where it might not have been able to receive as many views otherwise.
Have you been a guest blogger before? Have you allowed others to post on your blog? How has it worked out for you? Let us know in the comments section.
Bookmark The Web: A Few Tools To Keep Track of Great Content
We have been handed a double-edged sword when it comes to feed reading technology, but while that has its own problems, we need to find ways to save the content those great pieces of content we find on the web. Whether you use the bookmarking feature within your browser or a web-based service, you should still consider the alternatives available.
The Bookmarking Tools
ScrapBook is not your conventional bookmarking tool. As a matter of fact, I would suggest several other tools for simple bookmarking tasks, but there is one reason why ScrapBook is very impressive—it allows you to capture and save entire webpages with ease. If you are asking yourself why you might want to save a webpage, you might want to pass on ScrapBook, but if you have ever had some content on a site you wanted to save locally, ScrapBook is a real winner.
Zotero is a great tool developed for the scholars of the world, and can be valuable tool for any blogger that learns how to utilize it. Acting more like an intricate digital library for storing information, Zotero allows its users the ability to store webpages, media, links, and other documents, and the best thing is that they can all be labeled in a folder and/or tagging system. The only issue with Zotero is the fact that your information is not saved on a server, so be sure to create suitable backups.
Delicious is the premiere social bookmarking service developed currently owned by Yahoo! It simply is one of the best straight up bookmarking tools that I have been able to find so far. However, it is after you install the Delicious Firefox extension when things really start getting interesting. I am only surprised that there hasn’t been any serious competition to Delicious thus far.
Firefox 3 makes a great move with the built-in bookmarking functionality by giving users the ability to use tagging. This is far more superior to the bookmarking functionality available in Firefox 2. One of my favorite features is the ability to find the site you are looking for by typing in the name, description, or an associated tag of any site. All very handy features, but unfortunately, your bookmarks are always at risk. This brings me to my last option.
FoxMarks compliments the built-in bookmarking feature of Firefox by storing them on a server. This means that those of you who are a bit paranoid (and for good reason) about losing your bookmarks can always have a backup online. FoxMarks also has another benefit, and that is the ability to access these bookmarks on multiple computers through the FoxMarks extension or the website.
Save It or Lose It
There is a lot of crap on the web, so the stuff that really stands out needs to be saved. You just never know when you might want to refer back to some content, but might have lost the link to only never find it again. Be prepared, and be sure to make use of these tools that will help you keep track of great and important content.