In their ever ongoing quest to dominate the world, after all they have tried a lot of different approaches..., this last move has me busting out laughing!
Lets do this stepwise, at least as far as I can tell, because - I am like still recovering.
To set some foundation
I do consider what Bill Gates achieved in his life amazing, and I do love their products. My Java and Unix friends are like cringing, and I can hear them now talking about that great Windows stability as a server...well, I am not an admin so I cannot debate that. I have had numerous blog-sites, mostly with Google (dotNET-Jeff) - and now I have another with Microsoft (jeffHAMLIN@dotNET) (not comment, I mean if you gotta understand this madness read the post at the other blog LOL).
In addition to this, I have Microsoft's - another dotNET@JEff - (I am seeing a definite, and repeating pattern along with some lacking creativity) version of MySpace (a place I just never got in the groove of, but created a site World of Warcraft - MySpace site for my HORDE toon warrior KAHLESS ...my guild kind of lived out there...I even made a punk-ass Alliance named Agamenon!!. But, I haven't had time for WoW, just been focused on work - and if I can, coding at CodePlex - so that MySpace site is probably dead.
I was tired, it was late, they asked at a moment of severe weakness...
To top it off, I am starting all over making contacts!! No one knows me anymore! ACK!
Back to the issue! [Coming totally clean, my first blog was at my domain, during the upgrade to all new software - it took like a year, they wiped out the database WordPress database, so Google rescued me - with a pretty cool blog that was nice for social discussions JBH.blogger.]
OK. All distractions set aside. But you have a basic picture. Since it is apparent I have tried at least 3 different WEB or Client-Side Blog Editing WYSIWG environments. Maybe I am slow, but - I HATE GOOGLES. They get everything else right, but that WYSIWG - (a few choice words come to mind, serious expletives for a simple process....).
Example:
Write the post, and maybe change the font for emphasis - or to go to a mono-spacing because the presentation type requires it (data from a CSV export). You want it to line up nicely without creating a table.
- Courier New
- Microsoft Sans Serif
- Fixedsys
- Lucida Console (I love it, my boss hates it...)
- Fruitger SAIN Rm (not sure if it is - but is smooth in the IDE)
In Google (Blogger), the <div would constantly loose it's place - or the <font tag. This would cause the formats to scramble and you might see a header with mixed fonts, and sizes. Or even colors. No problem, edit the HTML (that is the fun part), but the moment you past it back into their editor - it is reformatted and inconsistent formats.
MADE ME WANT TO QUIT!!
Google (Known Issues for Blogger) knew they had a problem, they made a newer WYSIWG, and I wasn't satisfied.
In the beginning of the browser wars, I loved IE, but today...it is a resource consuming, unreliable, hogster! I use FORFOX constantly, and sometimes Opera ( to simulate IE if possible, or even - Mozilla SeaMonkey (PROJECT - Browser), but IE - well its a work requirement for some sites in the DoD!!!) I gave Apple Safari a chance, but on three different computers - it was a bad experience - only seems good on my MAC!
But FireFox 3 (oh so sweet) has all these really cool FireFox Add-ons, and one I did really like was ScribeFire. It integrates into the browser, and works like Windows Live Writer - for what to - seemed to be any site, but - even ScribeFire's beautiful rendering was ruined by the Google (Blogger) WYSIWG - (is it movable type - did I miss a setting?).
Microsoft and Bill...er...BALLMER to the Rescue!!!
Amazing GATES WALKS AWAY. I guess no more hurdles....
Along comes my new MSDN.Microsoft toys, me up all night on Charlie Calvert or the VSX Team blogs (these blogs by the DOC_EX are so cool) (very understanding wife), and updating my SDK's, my XNA 2.0, WiX, everything I needed (some I will not be able to use at work, but not gonna stop me!!!) - I realize my Messenger/Outlook need update and get them ASAP, That opens the door to my dotNET-Jeff (1st MS one) blog.
Unfortunately for some Software VENDOR - who I will not name (INTERNET FIREWALL EDITION - Like MS-Office, a new one EACH YEAR with THE YEAR ON IT...*HINT*) - It had caught me at a VERY bad time of trying to do some development, and hunting down a Package in VS2005 that didn't exist, but was crashing the IDE....2-days of registry ...torture. Fighting off their little service who - no matter what I set in the SCM, would startup (internal firewall) and make the situation far worse!
So, my first post at the site was about SECURITY SOFTWARE and how it interferes with the DEV environment [if my boss saw this he would bust out laughing] - trashing
***$$$&*((*Y(and dumping my 168 days of remaining subscription ...or thereabouts...)
With this new "space" comes a very cool client side blogger - incorporating the new Live email, some "Office" technology and nice expandability. It is Windows Live Writer. I am STOKED!! It creates a really cool site at the spaces, so I try it at the dotNET-Jeff from Google, and it seems to work no problem! In addition, this tool is DESIGNED for CODERS...it has features for us to publish source code built in out of the box.
All those mundane articles I have shelved..awaiting approval from my boss (I work in a place where knowledge is protected, I am not such an asset - but I guess, ya know - there are processes to be followed!!) Approval from him...he recalls the abacus....
After Over A Month of Waiting...I Get The Email "Hello and welcome to the WindowsClient.Net blogging community..."
Cool, the Community Server based system. It - has a decent WYSIWG, but now I have been spoiled. So, I try to use Windows Live Writer the MICROSOFT BLOGGING CLIENT for My MICROSOFT BLOGSITE!
The one they are stressing for all the developers. The very same you see most of Microsoft's own people using who post tons of knowledge on.
Windows Live Writer - doesn't work for blogs.windowsclient.net
At first, I think "I just cannot find the setting for remote URL posting" - when I Google the query, I am amazed to see that people are still waiting for this natural integration. There is one post about a 13 step procedure (I never did find) to integrate them - if you use a component!
This is just too funny.
I am like the only .NET developer on the project, the rest are hard core Java, and I am medium core on Java (just never appealed - toolset was crappy and JVM varied from OEM to OEM - IBM for example - but I do love ECLIPSE!) - I am definitely hardcore on the .NET architecture and tools. I can cite example after example of how seamlessly MS devtools integrate while Java - is a serious pain!!
Now this...
Great move Steve!!!
