journal software

Happy Birthday to Lissa Allcock and Beckett Gladney today!

Jeff and I are going to the cottage on the weekend with his parents and our niece Brittany, so I might not be able to catch up on weekend Blatherings until Monday. Unlike Greymatter, I can backdate and pre-date entries, making it much more convenient! Speaking of which, here's the journal software summary I promised a while back...

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Comparing Online Journal Software
(A Blatantly Non-Objective Report by Debbie)

Background: I've had an online journal since April, 1997. I posted my entries manually the first few years (i.e. worked with raw HTML), but then started experimenting with some of the available blog/journal software that would make it easier to manage administration and design layout changes. I started using and/or experimenting with Greymatter, Livejournal, and Movable Type.


* GREYMATTER *

Free (donation encouraged). You have to install it on your own server.

-- PROs: easy to install, highly customizable, software being actively improved by users in Greymatter community, good user documentation, can have multiple authors with their own password access

-- CONs: can't backdate or pre-date entries, no guaranteed support, not database-driven, can never truly delete entries, you have to install software multiples times for each blog/journal you create

* LIVEJOURNAL *

Free (pay for extra features and no ads). Most people use Livejournal's hosting service, but my sys admin installed it on his server.

-- PROs: good for blogs and for those who are happy to use provided templates, no installation worries (good for non-techies), database driven

-- CONs: recent server problems sometimes cause hosted journals to download slowly or not at all (so much that some have fled the official Livejournal server and are now hosted on my system administrator's Livejournal server), not suited to one-page-a-day journals, software not being actively improved, not as easily configurable as others, abysmal user documentation

* MOVABLE TYPE *

Free (donation encouraged). You have to install it on your own server.

-- PROs: easy to import Greymatter entries, elegant user interface, excellent user support (free in forum), software frequently improved and updated by the original creators (who interact frequently with users to find out what features need to be improved or added), highly customizable, can backdate and pre-date, can put entries on hold until you're ready to post them, excellent user documentation, you only have to install the software once and then can create as many blogs/journals as you want (with different users)

-- CONs: not database-driven, can be somewhat tricky to install, tricky to import Livejournal entries (I was never able to do so successfully so had to enter them by hand...this was more the fault of Livejournal than Movable Type, however)

Summary...

I'm happiest by far with Movable Type, was least happy with Livejournal. I liked Greymatter, but I didn't like the fact that you couldn't really delete entries and also that you couldn't backdate (which meant that I could never get my old archives into a consistent layout). I liked Livejournal's database-driven process, but found that it was much better suited to blogs than journals. I also found the software buggy and inconsistent (variables changed across different templates even if they referred to the same thing, much confusion here). I'm sure the bugginess is invisible to those who are content to use the readymade templates, however, and part of the problem could have been because of the version that was installed on my sys admin's server.

Many thanks to Josh Allen for pointing me in the direction of Movable Type in the first place. :-)

Writing Update

- Did manage to send out three queries on Wednesday (Marketing/Finance Day), got a tentative go-ahead (it'll be on spec) for one of the articles.

- Got a snailmail rejection, second in a row from the same publication (popular women's magazine). I'm taking this as a challenge and am going to keep sending them queries until they get so tired of seeing my name that they accept a piece just to shut me up. :-)

- Wrote and submitted two articles yesterday. I have a third one due today, one due next week, and another due at the end of the month. Cartoon to accompany my Country Connections article due at the end of the month, too.

- My novel writing is suffering, so I'm going to pick a an entire day next week just for it.

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Today's Blatherpic:

I got this picture from Graham Leathers, a publicity shot from "Lunar Prospects", a work-in-progress. Gray says that the projected debut is at Fringe Festival in 2003.

relay for life

Allison, Jodi and I are pleased to announce that we've been invited to participate in Toronto's Second Annual Relay For Life. The relay is an overnight non-competitive relay race where teams raise money via sponsorships for the Canadian Cancer society. Last year, they apparently had near 1500 attendees, and they raised over $270,000 for cancer research. We won't be running :-), but will be helping out with the family-oriented entertainment on June 7th at the Birchmount stadium. I'll post more details when they're available.

Went to my sister's for dinner last night, gave them Heather's Lord of the Rings poster. As you can tell from the photo above, they were pretty happy. :-) Thank you, Heather!

Are any of you watching the Olympics? I missed the opening ceremonies because of Ad Astra, and missed most of the pairs long program last night because I went to bed pretty early. I tend not to be as much of an Olympicsaholic as some others, but do admit a fondness for some of the figure skating competitions in the Winter Games...mainly dancing, and solo men's and women's skating. The pairs competition doesn't appeal to me as much because the routines don't tend to be as individualistic.

After reading the reports on CNN.com, I wish I had forced myself to stay up later and watch Jamie Sale and David Pelletier skate in the pairs competition. Sounds like NBC's broadcasters were pretty convinced the Canadians had won the gold, and were surprised (outraged, is more like it) when the Russians won. Did anyone out there see the two pairs skate? Did the Russians deserve to win? I must know! Please post your comments in Blatherchat, thanks.

I'm not exactly sure why I like the figure skating competitions so much. Jeff has zero interest. I'd be interested in finding out the correlation between an interest in figure skating and a general interest in musicals (something Jeff also has zero interest in :-)). For me, figure skating has the appeal of dance elements, music, and gorgeous costumes...plus the tension of competition and the knowledge that even a slight error can ruin a skater's chance at gold.

I confess that I haven't been keeping up with the figure skating world this year as much as I usually do before an Olympics. The only skater I'm really rooting for is Michelle Kwan (U.S), who will be skating in the women's short program next Tuesday, free skate next Thursday.

waiting for waiting

Congrats to my sister-in-law Larkin and her boyfriend Rick, who got engaged this past weekend! They're getting married on June 22nd. This means I'll be missing Contata, but I'll still be there in spirit to cheer on Dave and Tom, who will be the Guests of Honour at the convention.

More highlights from Ad Astra weekend:

- Finding out how similar Jodi and I are in the morning re: online habits. Lacking Allison's usual good influence in keeping us off our laptops (she was rooming with John on Saturday night), we tended to sink back into the morning routines we usually have at home i.e. going online first thing in the day...our equivalent of a morning cup of coffee, really. :-)

- Seeing John Hall in a tux.

- Chinese dinner with John, Allison and Jodi on Friday night.

- Tolkien art in the Art Show.



- Hanging out with Allison and Jodi in the hotel room.

- Envying Merav's gorgeous outfits.

- Sunday brunch with Rand.

- Sunday lunch with Amanda.

- Not being sick! I was actually able to enjoy most of the convention without a cold, woohoo!

As usual, didn't get a chance to hang out and/or chat with all the people I wanted to spend time. I only got a chance to exchange a few words with Cory and Michelle, for example. Michelle might be coming to FKO, though, yay!



To close today's Blathering, here are the lyrics to the song I mentioned in an earlier Blathering, a song by Heather about my Waiting For Frodo comic which I found funny and and touching at the same time:

WAITING FOR WAITING
Copyright (c)2002 Heather Borean

We're waiting for Waiting For Frodo
Watching Sam while he's waiting in line
While he's waiting in line, he is doing real fine
But what is he doing for dough?

While Debbie is making her life grow
She is busy with so little time
So Waiting must wait from time to time
So we're waiting for Waiting For Frodo.

While we're waiting for Waiting For Frodo
We debate who is girlfriend should be
Be it Gladys, Lisa or Rosie
For Irma is too old you know.

While we're waiting for Waiting For Frodo
We're hoping each day to see
A new panel so fine that we smile with glee
When it's missing we all say, 'Oh no'.

So Debbie while you're a real pro
And working real hard at your plans
Pity please take on us poor waiting fans
And give us more Waiting For Frodo.

We're waiting for Waiting For Frodo.

Blatherpics

	One of the tables in the dealers room at Ad Astra. I believe this one was promoting a bid for Worldcon in L.A.
	I took this photo during one of our panels.
	Amanda Foubister and Sandra Kasturi at the Kelp Queen Press table.
	Rand ordering sushi when he, Jodi, Allison and I went out for dinner on Saturday night.

ad astra, day 3

Very short Blathering today...just got home from Ad Astra and am dead tired. More on the convention tomorrow.

The photo today is from the "Illustrating Tolkien" panel, with Ted Nasmith (far left), Martin Springett (with guitar), and John Howe (far right). Howe is one of the artists that Peter Jackson recruited to design Middle Earth for the Lord of the Rings movie...Howe's earlier work was especially influential in how Gandalf was portrayed in the film. Enlarged sketches and prints of Howe's work for Lord of the Rings were hung along one wall of the panel room, which was very cool.


I found Howe to be the most entertaining speaker of the trio at the panel. He spent the entire panel sketching (on paper, on a cloth napkin, etc.) and occasionally answering questions that interested him...the other questions he would wave away or reply with a "I agree."

We never did get to see what he was sketching. :-)

Martin Springett did the covers for the Fionavar Tapestry series (Guy Gavriel Kay was a Guest of Honour at Ad Astra) as well as other books (mostly children's, I think). I was surprised and quite delighted when he pulled out a guitar and played a beautiful instrumental piece ("Tears of ???" -- I can't remember the title. Arbonne? Arwen?).

I did attack Rand's registration package for a Lord of the Rings poster for Sara and Annie (he said I could), but was crestfallen to find that it was a Time Machine poster instead...I guess the convention had run out of LOTR posters. Kudos to Rand for offering, tho.

BUT! Heather Borean tracked down a poster for my nieces...thank you, Heather! Sara and Annie are going to be thrilled, I guarantee it. She also graciously agreed to let me post her lyrics to Waiting For Waiting For Frodo; I'll do that tomorrow when I am more coherent.

Blatherpics

	Tolkien artist panel on Saturday.
	Merav performing at last night's open filk.
	Heather cringing as someone performs a song with a lot of very bad puns. :-)

ad astra, day 2

Jodi's in the shower and we're leaving to grab some breakfast soon, so only a short Blather this morning. Fun panel last night, two more today.

Saw Amanda at the Kelp Queen Press table in the dealer's room; she gave me a late Christmas present...a Gandalf goblet from Burger King! :-D It glows red when you turn on the switch.

Jodi and I got here first yesterday, picked up our badges at registration, chatted with Tim Jennings. Allison and John arrived shortly after and registered as well...Allison and I were mightily jealous when John found a small Lord of the Rings poster in his registration bag (the one with the Fellowship at the top) when we had none in ours. He refused to be tricked out of it, so we decided to practice our music instead.

Shortly after, John came back to the room with two extra posters in hand, yay! I was so pleased that I think I might have, um, overwhelmed him with my enthusiasm when he pulled them out. Allison and I each got one, and I'm hoping to beg Rand out of his when he arrives today so I can give it to Sara and Annie. (Notice how I didn't mention anything about giving up mine =:-O...I'm such a bad aunt!)



The highlight of the filk last night for me was when Heather Borean sang her "Waiting For Waiting For Frodo" song. (!) Apparently Allison knew about this project all along but kept it a secret. VERY cute song; I'm hoping Heather will let me post the lyrics online after Ad Astra (or that she'll post them in Blatherchat).

My cold's a lot better, yay! Probably due to the fact that I opted to crash relatively early last night instead of staying up to the wee hours as usual. I got over eight hours sleep, probably more than I usually get during an entire convention. Last night after I changed into my pajamas, Jodi was highly amused because I actually did have pajamas just like the ones in the illustration on my current Blatherings layout. :-)

Anyway, looking forward to the rest of the weekend...



Blatherpics

	Allison and Jodi practising "Starsoul" in the hotel room before the panel.
	Ad Astra registration table.
	Waiting in the hallway with Dave and Judith Hayman before the panel.