Change of Pace

Now would be a great time to know html code.

It would be an even better time to know what the hell to do with iWeb, Apple’s latest “I don’t know what it does but I think I like it” software. The last few days I’ve been totally inundated with different blogging possibilities…each one more complicated than the last. My general goal for a blog–that is, independent from whatever the hell I decide to write about–is to have a unique, professional, eye-pleasing, multi-featured and multi-paged weblog.

What I want from a Web System

• I’d like to have a separate page for music-related musings
• Another page archiving my different photo albums (i.e. one link from the main page called “photos” leading to a page containing several links for other pages, such as “Summer Vacation 2005”)
• A customizable “side-bar” containing a search function, links for the previously mentioned pages and other links of my choosing

What I want from a Web Application

• Easily customize a template (without knowing html code)
• Easily wrap text around images and charts
• Edit the “other pages” (music, photos) from the app directly
• Built-in publishing (without having to export and then use 3rd party ftp apps)

It seems that there is no real combination of Web System and Web Application that allows you to accomplish all of this (assuming you’re not willing to pay for your own web space). Word Press does a good job as a free Web System, and iWeb seems to take care of the first 3 bullets as a Web App…but so far, it seems iWeb isn’t readily compatible with anything other than .Mac. Ecto does a great job of working seamlessly with Word Press, but doesn’t take care of the first 3 bullets for a Web App.

As it stands, either Ecto needs to step up its formatting (for those not fluent in html/xhtml) or iWeb needs to open the door to non-.Mac Web Systems.