Next Steps for TypePad from Six Apart
I’ve only just now gotten a chance to look at some of this stuff since TypePad/Moveable Type isn’t a platform I’m currently using. (This blog uses Wordpress; and all of my Jackson Free Press stuff uses Expression Engine.) I was just reading Huffington Post and noticed that it’s run using MoveableType, something I found surprising and impressive. So I clicked over to Six Apart and find some fun stuff, in no particular order:
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Great WordPress Templates
Just a quick note that this guy is doing some really fun work with WordPress templates, creating some exciting magazine and “conversation” driven templates. One of his templates, Arthemia, I intend to use for BOOM Jackson magazine; another is Platformate, which is a really interesting layout for a site that offers lots of comment and conversation (not unlike the JFP). I might need to borrow some of these ideas for the JFP; that’s a very “2.0″ design, particularly for a personal blog like this one. (In fact…hmmm. If you’re reading this and you notice I’m using that theme, then, well, I’ve changed to it.)
BuddyPress = Very Interesting
I just came across BuddyPress, which is (or will be) a collection of plug-ins for WordPress MU (multiuser), that makes turns MU from what it is — a blogging platform for multiple users — into what it could be — a full social network.
The plug-ins allow you to create relationships between the blogs — for linking friends, messaging between one another, creating groups and, of course, collecting your photos into albums that can be shared. BuddyPress isn’t out of development yet, but it’s worth watching if you’re interested in a WordPress-based social networking solution…which could be interesting if you’re using WordPress for a CMS platform or for a groups site already via bbPress forum software.
It’s fun watching WordPress grow like this. For the past six months or more I’ve explored the possibilities with social networks; a white-label social network is tough to come by; that fact that one may soon be built on such a robust platform is an exciting testament to the power of open source.
Radio JFP Podcast: 4.6.07
I’m actually just testing podcasting from within WordPress as I’m writing the chapter for HTDE Web 2.0 Blog, but, for kicks and grins, if you happen to want to listen to me, Donna Ladd and Brian Johnson talk about local Jackson and Mississippi issues (plus, we play songs for local artists and talk about events happening each week) then you can access the file below or subscribe to the iTodd Central feed in a podcatcher.
Here’s the JFP on WLEZ podcast link.
What I’m testing, incidentally, is WordPress’ ability to automatically take a link to an MP3 file and turn it into an RSS 2.0 enclosure, which is what makes podcast feeds possible.
Moved to Wordpress
Just after finishing the chapter in my book covering different blogging applications, I’ve decided to move to Wordpress from Blogger. Not sure why, except that I like the new plug-in and Widgets focus, I’m enjoying the interface and I like the font choices in the admin panel. 
When I was searching last night I couldn’t find a good solution for moving from Blogger New (I had upgraded) to WordPress. Searching again today, though, the solution popped up in Google: a new import plug-in. I had to republish the site to BlogSpot (I had been publishing it on my own server) and reset some RSS choices in Blogger. I then gritted my teeth and clicked the Plug-in’s import commmand. Worked like a charm! My entries from Blogger are still long, with no More breaks, but aside from that I’ve got my categories, entries, comments…all went very well. Now, on to customizing my Sidebar.
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