A blog about my blog
I've been meaning to start a blog for years, with people constantly telling me that something we had discussed would make a great blog post. There's no time like the present, so this weekend I decided to go ahead with it.
One reason I had been putting it off for so long, was that I've never been satisfied with the existing tools for blogs. I believe the tool that I've developed for this blog addresses many of these issues, so I'll go into a few of them here.
Internationalization and localization
As you may have noticed already, this blog post is available in two languages, and two dialects of English (that last bit is more of a joke than anything), and the blog overall is available in four languages. I won't rewrite everything here in so many languages, but I want the flexibility to publish across languages when it is warranted, or just when I feel like it. I am a language aficionado, so this feature was on the top of my mind.
Many blogging platforms have some form of multi-language support, but usually it is a bolt-on, and there may be features that haven't been considered in combination with it, since it wasn't a requirement from the start. This blog has a full-text search system; while it is data intensive, it works from the start with multiple languages because I started with that requirement.
Static publishing
Many blogging platforms have whizbang editing programs, dynamic elements, theming, and other generalized features. I am making this myself, so I can do it my way. I have no need for theming because I can just write it my way to begin with. I have no need for dynamic elements, since I'm not trying to sell you anything; and I don't need an editing program because there are enough text editors out there already.
Hosting this site is a simple matter of copying files; Even the full-text search on the home page is just a file sitting there; and that is a big plus for me.
Total control
Above all, the greatest benefit of a system like this is total control. If I would like to publish photo essays, or podcasts, or screencasts with notes, I can integrate any technique to get that just-right. A common problem with other people's software is that, if it doesn't work out for you, you are basically out of luck. Even if you have access to the code, you didn't write it, and you may not even know where to start.
Taking total control of my blog allows me to blame only myself when it's not the way I'd like it; and that's just the way I like it.
I look forward to showcasing things of interest here on a regular basis. Thank you for reading! :+ )