Skip to main content

MarsEdit Part 2

By
MarsEdit and Blogger are not cooperating, and I’m uncertain if I will use MarsEdit past the trail period. Currently, what the application offers me is a way to compose drafts outside of Apple Mail, but it isn’t offering me much more than that because I use Google’s blogging platform.

Annoyances that require using a menu choice, instead of the Option pane:

  • Date should be included with “Post Status” for scheduling purposes.
  • Enclosure settings should be within the editor window, along with Title.
  • Bullet lists should be a default formatting choice, as they are common.
More serious annoyances:
  • Paragraphs require two blank lines, even in Rich Text mode, or you must clean the code within Blogger.
  • Images do not function properly, no matter how many experiments I have tried. 
I’m not saving much time if I still need to carefully format a post in Blogger and insert images from within Google’s interface.

MarsEdit prefers WordPress, without a doubt. For Blogger, MarsEdit confusingly uses Categories as Tags, and Tags are left blank. If you attempt to migrate, I’m wondering if information is remapped properly or if you then have to fix the post categories and tag. Often, plug-ins exist for such migration hassles. I’d probably migrate outside MarsEdit and simply recreate the accounts in the editor.

I do not like the annoying two-returns as I would in a plaintext editor. Surely there is an easier way to fix the translation of paragraph to two breaks. Though this is a Blogger problem, it is well-known and an external editor should handle the improper but long-standing Blogger method.

It might be worth migrating five of my six blogs to WordPress, if I anticipated more readers and some income. As it is, blogging remains an outlet more than anything. It is a place to store my thoughts. MarsEdit reminds me that Blogger should have been updated years ago to something like Medium or a stripped-down WordPress.

I have too much content to migrate without some planning and effort. Ideally, MarsEdit would adapt, but I assume most of its users are loyal to WordPress.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

More Than a Typewriter: The Power of Word

By
Visalia Direct: Virtual Valley March 3, 2014 Deadline April 2014 Issue More Than a Typewriter: The Power of Word Typewriters still amaze me, especially the antique mechanical models. There’s something wonderful about the feel of levers, gears, springs and rollers working together to transmit thoughts into words. Typewriters possess a romance computer keyboards and touch screens lack. But, please, stop using your word processor like a typewriter. Word processor abuse mars many otherwise good documents. Bad habits people develop over time lead to documents that are ugly and difficult to edit and revise. The numerous excuses for improper word processing deserve dismissal. It does not take days or even hours to learn to use tabs effectively. Paragraph styles take minutes to understand and appreciate. Even a complex looking table of contents takes only a few mouse clicks to create if you construct a document properly. When you know more about your software tools, you also kno...
Post a Comment
Read more

Digital Writing Ideas

By
Online composition and participation are always a requirement in the courses I teach. When I began teaching at Fresno State as a graduate student in 2004, I was one of the few instructors who required students use Blackboard on a weekly basis. I believe there are several reasons to use tools like Blackboard / WebVista: Students can read and respond to the thoughts of their classmates. I have a record of how writing (and thinking) improve during a semester Peer editing can occur online, in small groups. Students less vocal in class discussions tend to participate more online. Normally, I post a " Weekly Response Question/Topic " based on class discussions during the week. Students can then extend the in-class discussion online. Those who were unable to speak up during the class have time to reflect and post their thoughts, too. By requiring every student to post at least 50 to 100 words a week, they soon engage each other in discussion. I always use threaded discussions...
Post a Comment
Read more

Word Macro for Word Abusers

By
I overuse some words and phrases in my writing. Most writers have some problem words. It isn't that the words should never be used, or that we use them incorrectly. We simply use them too frequently. The following Microsoft Word VBA macro marks words I should check for overuse. Also included are words and phrases I should avoid. Feel free to copy and modify this macro. I encourage my students to try this macro, too. Once you have the macro in Word, you can alter the word list to reflect your preferences and habits. Sub macWordsToAvoid() Dim vFindText As Variant Dim txtWord As Variant 'list the exceptions to look for in an array vFindText = Array("about", "all", "almost", "a lot", "already", "always", "along with", _ "anxiously", "absolutely", "as well", "believe", "certainly", "clearly", "definitely", _ "eagerly",...
Post a Comment
Read more