Tentacular blogworks
So while I'm the last thing from new as far as Macintosh applications and UI development (going on 16 years now), I'm new to publishing of any kind. Make no mistake, HTML is not about programming so much as publishing. Content-tracking, pulling things in from various places, and making sure that it works on a regular and properly-structured basis is an exercise in organization, not engineering.
I am not the Organizer Bunny.
The commenting system I just shunted in is from HaloScan. I followed directions, as a novice cook might follow a recipe, with no appreciation for the particular chemistry of what is going on. This is un-nuanced business for me, folks. As President Jed Bartlett (from The West Wing) said: "Unnuanced days rarely occur without a body count."
To which I say, "My blogging day is not yet over, people!"
So commenting comes thanks to HaloScan, SFBayBloggers comes through blogrolling, and page counts & tracking come from SiteScan.
Who knew a humble webpage could have so many tentacles, so rapidly?
And soon, with the help of a gloriously-bedecked HTML editor (I don't want to see the HTML code) for Mac OS X (I haven't started looking for one yet...anyone know of a good one?) I shall have an About Box/page: context is crucial and personal comments never arise from nothing.
Eventually, I will bring all this into a MoveableType installation on my G4 Cube (which serves you these pages already), but as the old adage goes, too many degrees-of-freedom spoils the blog. Or is it, "too many aphorisms makes your car bumper look tacky"?
I'm taking this bird-by-bird.
Of course, once I do get MT (or some other standards-supporting backend) running on Mac OS X Server, I hope to speedily develop a blogging client application. Mac OS X only, thankyouverymuch—I have no wish to bust my ass working on a slick application only to have it wearing the tacky, tasteless dress of a typical Windows application.
Did I mention I am a Mac guy?
So...bring on the comments, if you would! I love constructive criticism (let's face it, loving unconstructive criticism usually comes with a penchant for roleplay and a love of leather-hammocks).