Heideldesign: Movable Type Consultants

Backups are an essential part of any website maintenance plan. Even with the most reliable hosting and hands-on care, servers can fail, sites can crash and online destinations can be hacked. Luckily for Movable Type users, the software has a built-in backup utility to help ease the burden of performing MT-specific back up tasks.

However, these backups only cover files accessed through Movable Type. These include Movable Type pages, entries, comments, templates, users and assets. It does not include any static files on your server that were not uploaded or managed through Movable Type (like FTP'd images, documents, scripts or media files). It also does not backup database information that is not related to MT or Movable Type's system and plugin files.

To conduct a full backup, you'll need to use the Movable Type backup tool as well as regular flat file backups and database dumps. As server configurations and available software can vary greatly from host to host, I won't get into all of the manual and automated options for backing up your website's files and non-MT databases. If you want to know more about your specific backup options, let's talk.

To create a Movable Type backup for a single blog, follow these steps:

1. From the "Tools" menu, choose "Backup."
2. Choose your archive format. Zip and tar.gz are both compression formats that make the downloaded file smaller. You will need software to decompress these files. "Don't compress" provides the files without compression.
3. Choose target file size. For sites with a lot of content, this helps to break up the downloads into smaller pieces.
4. Click "Make Backup" and download the file after it has been processed. Save that backup in a secure location.
   
5. Repeat for each blog in your system.
   

In the backup archive,  you'll find the images uploaded through Movable Type's asset manager, an XML file containing your templates, entries, comments, etc and a manifest file which references your assets.

The official documentation on backup provides more in-depth information about the procedure including exactly which content is backed up and how to restore the files to a new installation.

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With the assistance of online services like Twitterfeed, it's simple to update your Twitter account automatically with RSS. You've probably seen these automatic posts show up in Twitter from those you follow from time to time. But do you ever click on them?

The problem with these auto-populated tweets is that they don't have the same impact as a custom-tailored message. It's usually the title of the post and a link that appear as the tweet. While your title is most certainly expertly crafted to engage your readers following your blog directly or by RSS, it's not the same as the conversational style of a Twitter post.

Your other option is to take the time and editorial initiative to create a blog post, then separately log into Twitter and craft an audience-appropriate post in the 140 character format. But how often are you going to do that?



The solution lies in a custom RSS feed for your Twitter account. Using Movable Type, it's simple to create a custom entry field for your Twitter message. With this custom field, your author creates the Twitter-specific message at the same time as publishing the entry. This saves time and effort. You'll also need to create a custom RSS feed to send to Twitter. You can clone your existing Atom feed template, and that will work just fine. Edit the feed to use your custom Twitter field instead of the Entry Title. Finally, create an account at Twitterfeed.com. When prompted for your RSS address, enter the URL to your new Twitter-specific feed. Be sure to choose the option to only show the post title (which is now your Twitter text).

If you'd like to learn more about connecting Movable Type to your social networking accounts, let's talk.

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The great thing about iPhones, the reason people stand in lines and upgrade before their contracts have expired, is the experience. The responsiveness of the interface and simplicity of the control scheme make iPhones the bright spots in our tech-saturated lives. Toddlers can use them. Grandparents quickly gain mastery of the devices. The most tech-savvy of us can find solace in having one piece of hardware that doesn't require obsessive maintenance.

That's not to say that there aren't occasional hiccups with iPhones. But those issues are far more likely to be a by-product of a stand-alone app. Flash, the plugin that can facilitate certain streaming media and gaming experiences on websites, is not a stand-alone app. It integrates directly with a web browser (in the iPhone's case, Safari) a core application of the device. Apple didn't create Flash and doesn't control its codebase. Because of that fact, they do not want to integrate it into the lifeblood of their device. It's that simple.

Instead of Flash, Apple has opted for the open standards of HTML5 and CSS3. They cost nothing for web developers to use and the future of the codebase is not owned by any one company. The story might have been different if Flash had a history of being a good steward of computer resources and user-interaction. Regardless of past transgressions, Flash is still a harbinger of security and stability issues. Just take the following screenshot for example:
 


This Firefox browser message clearly warns of stability and security. It's red. It has an exclamation point. It's scary. That's the antithesis of the iPhone.

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For the last twelve years (!) of our existence, Heideldesign has relied on email, office visits and phone calls to communicate with our clients. We have an internal collaboration system for our designers, developers and staff to discuss project milestones and major work cases. However, we've never automated our system of ongoing client requests.

Today we're launching our Help Desk. It's an online ticketing tool that allows clients to easily input minor website requests directly to our staff. This support system enables any member of our team to see items waiting for action and get them handled quickly and efficiently.

There are ranging estimates of how many emails get "lost" in the ether. And, as much as we like to take notes in client meetings, some details may never make it into our notebooks. This new system helps everyone stay on top of pending work and new feature implementation or requests for assistance.  As we watch our support system grow, we'll continually add information to the Knowledgebase, allowing many questions to be answered by clients without ever issuing a ticket.

We're excited about this new tool and providing even better service to our clients.

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Movable Type has long provided various RSS feed templates to help you share your website content. But what if you want other websites (even those run by the non-tech-savvy) to run your articles seamlessly on their pages as if they were their own posts?

We've been asked that by a couple of clients lately. They're looking to expand their publishing businesses into the syndication realm. Using Movable Type custom templates and javascript, we've found a way to make that possible - and easy to boot.

Now, there are lots of ways to syndicate content from one website to another. But most of them rely on the receiving site to have a strong command of different technical concepts or have a programmer on-hand for integration. They may need an RSS parser or special plugin for their CMS to make it happen. It's a case-by-case issue that can be frustrating and limit the number of sites with which you can share articles.

Our solution is simple. The partner websites simply install one line of javascript on their site. Your Movable Type CMS does the rest. You publish your content just like always and the appropriate articles are automatically updated across your entire syndication network.

If you'd like to learn more about how we can help you turn your Movable Type installation into a wide-reaching syndication platform, let's talk.
 

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Kyoto is a direct influence on Glen's artwork, especially his "Broken Cities" series from the mid-90s.


While studying his oeuvre in college, the graphic inspiration for Glen's work seemed obvious.

• Metal leaf is a regularly found element in ancient Japanese screen paintings, like the work of the Kano school.
• The sea of rooftop clay tiles of Kyoto can be seen through his studio window.
• The background silk is reminiscent of kimono fabrics.
• The overlay grid reflects the pattern of shoji screens.
• Japan is an earthquake prone area, and the "cracks" or broken iconography in the work symbolize not only the physical science of the area; but also symbolize the cultural shifts that move Kyoto away from its history and into the future.

But then, you go to Kyoto and see things completely differently. My previous assumptions were all valid to different degrees. But what you don't realize is the shocking prevalence of these elements until you see the city for yourself.


Yes, the use of metal leaf can be seen in the screen paintings of Nijo castle; but gold and silver leaf are also found throughout Kyoto ornamenting sculptural and architectural elements and artifacts. Its shimmering detail can be found throughout the city, not just in temples and shrines. Then, of course, there's the Golden Pavilion.


The rooftop tiles are perhaps the most recognizable single element of Kyoto. It's impossible to look across the city without being overwhelmed by the patterning, reflection and depth of these surfaces. They seem archaic with their matte textures and the oni (devils) perched at their peaks and end caps. The interplay of light and shadow on the roofs of homes, businesses and temples create an amazing show, culminating with the overlapping pitches of successive structures.

The presence of kimono, however, is not as obvious. But when you do see these flowing wrapped gowns, they make an incredible impact. While most Japanese opt for more modern attire, there are a significant number who do wear traditional kimono when shopping, visiting temples or performing cultural activities. When you see one of these individuals, the power of the kimono is apparent against a sea of cell phones and designer sunglasses. The beauty in the material, patterning and craftsmanship is unparalleled, especially when presented alongside the detached sleekness (and sometimes gaudiness) of the contemporary urban environment.

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Lately, we've been getting a lot of questions about integrating Facebook with Movable Type powered websites and blogs. Facebook provides a way to automatically import an RSS feed onto your business profile this tutorial will show you how.

1. Create a Facebook "Official Page"
The first step is to create a Facebook page for your website, if you don't have one already. To create a page, follow this link (make sure to log in to Facebook first). You can also cross-post to a personal page - just skip down to the "Notes" section below.

» Create a Business, Public Figure or Product Page on Facebook

2. Set Up the "Notes" Application

• Visit your new page on Facebook and click the "Edit Page" link (Fig 1).
• Scroll down to the "Notes" section and click the "Edit" link (Fig 2).
  
• Next, click the "Import a Blog" link on the right side of the page (Fig 3).
• In the "Web URL" field, enter the full path to your website's RSS feed and click "Start Importing" (Fig 4).
  
  • The default feed URL for new Movable Type installations is http://yoursite.com/atom.xml.
  • Older Movable Type installations used the path http://yoursite.com/index.xml.
  • You can find your path by going to Design > Templates in Movable Type 4+ and find the template titled "Atom" or "RSS".
    Click the "View Published Template" link (or this icon: ) to get the URL.
    

3. There is no Step 3!
If you entered the correct URL for your feed, your Facebook page should import your most recent posts to your Notes section. By default, they should also post to your Facebook wall.

If your posts are not appearing on your wall, make sure that the application has permission to post to your wall. To check the permission, click "Edit Page." Then scroll down to the Notes Application and click "Application Settings." Finally, click on the "Additional Permissions" tab and select "Publish Content to My Wall" and save (Fig 5).

Adding Additional Feeds



The Notes application on Facebook only allows for one feed. To get around this, you could use a feed aggregator (like Yahoo Pipes) to combine all of your feeds into a single feed that Notes will accept or you can install 3rd party Facebook applications for your different feeds. On our Facebook page, we use the Blog Tab, Youtube  Tab, Flickr Tab, and Twitter Tab applications to display our content in separate tabs.

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A video review of iDisplay, an application for iPhone and iPad which allows the connected device to be used as an external monitor. It works! Sort of.

→ iDisplay website
→ iDisplay in the App Store

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Traveling for the Easter holiday forced my iPad delivery to be a few days behind. After reading everyone's unboxing and first-look stories on Twitter and blogs, I was initially pretty jealous. The plus side was that we had a great time with our family, without new-gadget distractions. The benefit of reading everyone else's impressions also gave me the gift of tempered enthusiasm.

The packaging has been well documented for the iPad. I really appreciate Apple's commitment to removing as much "stuff" as possible from their product boxes. The iPad was a case study in minimalism. The product guide was just a few small pieces of paper in a small envelope. I remember my first Compac PC that came with manual after manual for every piece of third party equipment. I had a dedicated binder for storing all of the collateral (and I had to refer to it often).

The lack of "openness" on iPads and other recent Apple products has its merits for the hobbyist community; but for average users that just want their products to work, this methodology is proving to be a winner. Personally, I don't want to tinker with my gadgets from a hardware perspective. I want to be able to grab it and use it at a moment's notice. I want the software to perform as expected, and I don't want to perform any maintenance. The iPad (and its iPhone predecessor) are proving to be that anytime, anyplace gadget, without compromise.

The iPad (which I named "The Swish" - all of my current Macs are named after songs by The Hold Steady) is a bit heavier than you might expect. That being said, it's also very sturdy. The plus side is that you feel okay about throwing it into a tote bag. The downside is that you have to specifically arrange yourself and the device when reading books or watching movies so that you don't suffer any fatigue in your wrist. I'm sure I'll develop a technique for dealing after further use.

In regards to usage, this is where my complaints start to creep in. It is definitely a limited use machine. It's purpose is solely for consuming content, not creating content. Typing on it is a chore. There's no external input device for drawing or technical manipulation. Simple creativity apps like Adobe Ideas are fun; but they immediately leave you wanting to do more.

Current Killer Apps:
Netflix - It's perfect. Streaming movies in real time, right where you left off from the living room.

USA Today - It's a strong entry in the already crowded news & magazines space on the iPad; but it has a great, useful layout and it's true to the USA Today style.

Most of My Daughter's iPhone Apps - I've been really impressed with how well many kids apps scale to the iPad. AniMatch and Elmo's Monster Maker are both good at full screen.


Future Usage Wishlist:
iPad as drawing tablet - I would love to connect my iPad to my iMac and use it with a stylus for input like a Wacom tablet. The ability to load an image onto the iPad screen to "trace" or guide my work would be amazing.

iPad as secondary monitor - I'll be trying out the iDisplay app tomorrow. Initial reviews don't look good; but I'm willing to give it a chance. I'll probably use it to display Tweetie and/or a chat window. 

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Last night, I watched the film Helvetica. Yes, a movie about a typeface. And it was wonderful.

The film examined the creation of the now-ubiquitous font, beginning with how it was conceived, sold and its sudden rise to prominence. Design examples focused mostly on signage and logos. But the sheer quantity of examples was mind-blowing. Towards the end of the film, there is a still image of an urban street-scape, filled with dozens of signs, and all but two titles were spelled out in Helvetica.

It's the authoritative framework of the city. From traffic signs to ordinance postings and bank logos, Helvetica is seen by some as being oppressive. However, it's also a clean face that speaks to legibility, order and control in a very positive sense. It's used extensively on everything from Sesame Street to IRS forms. You cannot escape its reach.

The discussion between designers on the humanity of the typeface, its lack of expression or over-use is a fascinating one. The mass-adoption of Helvetica is seen as a direct cause of the hand-lettering explosion of psychedelia and the grunge fonts of the 90s. But now, design has come back to the rationalism of Helvetica and it is being used now more than ever before due to the licensing agreements that put Helvetica on every personal computer.

I highly recommend this film to anyone remotely interested in the design process and the careful consideration behind mass imagery. Helvetica's birth as the font of capitalism (or socialism depending on the interviewee) has evolved into a versatile typeface that can be just as subversive as authoritative.

Full disclaimer: Heideldesign is (still) a Helvetica devotee. In fact, you're looking at it right now!

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