Two Lives
Like Neo in the only decent Matrix movie, I lead two lives. In one life, I use Movable Type to blog; in the other life I use WordPress. This analogy can be extended to a lot of other areas - but today, I am focusing my attention on this one.
In Order to Write is a blog I started (after discussing concept with Erin) about writing. We thought, after the name came to me in a flash of inspiration, that this would be a good idea and a place where I could begin "giving back" for the talents and abilities I've been given and have developed over the years. I believe that we grow (not only as individuals but within the field) by helping people around us improve. At work, if I am not assisting others in improving in the areas I have more expertise, than I am, essentially, killing my job. In short, I have to spread what I know to the people around me.
So, In Order to Write is a way, a means, of doing just that. There are plans for the site; but for the most part, those plans are still in the future as I browse and scour the interweb to develop new skills. But they are there from forums to publishing to other things. Yes, I dream big.
IOTW is a site that is run on a WordPress backbone. One thing I have learned (especially from the previous employer) is that the best way to build a successful and dynamic website is to not reinvent the wheel; to not try and recreate something a bunch of other people have done; but rather, to find what works for you, that is learnable (within your own set timeframe) and then to change what works so that it reflects what you want it to reflect.
As a result, taking a job that allows me to move from assisting people with dumb problems to actually learning some of the backbone to WordPress helps me immensely because I move away from trying to recreate the wheel into the realm of taking the wheel and building something on top of it. The outcome is that WordPress runs on on PHP and MySQL. There are some drawbacks, if the database is down, for any reason, so is your site; but that's not (necessarily) a bad thing.
On sw-c.com (StandingWater Creations), I use Movable Type. This was chosen for me by my brother Jack. Thanks. And I've had some success with the software. As I understand it, this software is based off of Pearl. This means nothing to me as the main frame of the site is also built around an HTML document. The HTML document (like WordPress, which relies heavily upon Includes functions) also runs off of a .CSS file that tells Movable Type what it is supposed to look like. Movable Type also builds static pages and does not rely (much, I think...) on a database. Therefore, SQL goes down and your blog, in all its glory, is still there.
A part of me feels as though there is a disparity between the WP and the MT sides of my life. Sure, sure, MT is very usable, though I find the version Jack has up to be a little cumbersome compared to WP. I like the idea of having content and pages exist only when they are accessed (e.g. dependent upon a database). There are people out there who disagree with me.
At the same time, as I've used and become acquainted with WP I've found that this architecture allows for some pretty nice expansion and adaptation. Where MT forces the user to rebuild every little page; WP does not. When a change is made, it is made across the board - universally. Which is very nice.
Granted, with MT most of the changes I might decide to make are really HTML and CSS edits; where WP requires some PHP hacks as well as HTML and CSS. With that, I spend more time on In Order to Write than I do on StandingWater Creations. Of course, when Erin is more into her website, I spend some time there as well... and on other sites.
I guess, the outcome is that I have divided loyalties. In one instance, I really enjoy this blog and the architecture. It is both familiar and comfortable (for me). On the other hand, working on IOTW allows for some enjoyment and growth as well. Sometimes I consider axing MT and moving everything to WP with some standard looks, feels, and etc. At present, though, I am not certain I am ready to do that.
Divided.
John Hattaway | smokingpen | Alicia Grey | Clockwork Princess | Cassandra West
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