AdvisorBits

Movable Type 4 gives us a rich vocabulary of information elements from which to construct small business web sites. As I write this the ultimate irony is that I am using version 3.xx to tell my clients about a feature of 4.x; I really must get this blog cut over to the new version.

An Entry in MT is sometime called a post. This is because MT was originally weblogging (blogging) software. Blog posts, or entries are sequential over time. The last one you write is more current than the previous. Over time they will both become history, archived as it were, but no longer front page news, so to speak. For many business web sites, blog entries serve the same function as news.

Entries can be organized into Categories, and they are placed in chronological Archives by default.

A Page in MT has only existed as a separate informational entity since the latest version, 4.x. Pages are similar in their scope and general information make-up (such as title, content, keywords field, etc.) to a news item but they are more timeless. The information they contain is very slowly changing if at all.

Pages can be organized into Folders.

Both Entries and Pages can be indexed using logical devices called Tags.

The latest version of Movable Type, MT4, comes in three distinct flavors, plus an enterprise version. Since I work with small businesses, and individuals, I thought I would take a minute to go over the various features and license terms as I understand them.

MTOS (Movable Type Open Source)

I have seen the company call this the "core" product, that which underlies all their other versions. And that seems to be decent description. All the normal stuff is there: Catagories, Entries, Periodic Archives, Comments, and Trackbacks. The new and very useful: Page and Folder appear along with an Asset Management tool. (The Asset Management was pretty weak in 4.0, although the community seems to be saying it has improved a bit in 4.1)

This version has a GPL, which means that you may use it for any purposes, including commercial, i.e. business. This version is available from the publisher free of charge. The Movable Type Community site (.org) has more information.

MTP (Movable Type Personal)

Movable Type without the Professional Pack. I am not sure if there are any functional differences between this version and the Open Source version. If there are I haven't noticed them, and no one has made it clear in the stuff I have read.

This version is for non-commercial use by a single user. It is available free of charge from the publisher on their commercial web site.

MT (Movable Type (TM). )

Movable Type with the Professional Pack, and including support from the publisher. The professional pack includes features such as Custom Fields, and the Universal Website Template sets. Template sets are a new feature that is implemented in all versions of the product, Universal Website Template Set is currently only available to those who purchase it with the Professional Pack that comes with MT (TM). With it small businesses could create a simple web presence in a matter of hours.

The commercial version is licensed based on the number of active users, i.e. authors, and starts around $300 for 5 users; which includes support from the publisher for a single user for 12 months.

Tim (we didn't write the book on MT, just the manual) Appnel wrote to the MTOS mailing list, ostensibly addressing reasons for using CPAN modules in place of MT code that replicates pre-existing CPAN mods. He made a technical point, but I think this point is so much more important, I have quoted it. I removed the parts where he was being diplomatic and stating that this is his opinion.

He's right, so he needn't be self-deprecating.

Another [reason to use CPAN mods in certain instances] is in better embracing open source. [...] Releasing MT under the GPL is a good first step, but there is still a certain level of mistrust (I'm not suggesting that its founded or not) nor are open source developers knock[ing] down the MTOS doors to contribute. Drawing in developers from other communities with some of the tools they are already familiar with and using would [...] contribute to generating more interest and breaking done the walls that [...] surround MT.

Conversely taking parts of MT that don't exist in the Perl/CPAN world (the template engine, registry, Promise, FileMgr ) and breaking them off as their own standalone library would have a similar effect [...] . Developers are more likely to write MT like apps that borrow from how it works indirectly learning about MT and perhaps contributing back to its development. Doing both of these clearly demonstrate that Six Apart is serious about MT as open source software and that there is something to gain by contributing.

Movable Type Open Source, MTOS, has been released as a stable version (4.1). No more nightlies for us. This is a good thing, as it can now be safely consumed by a wider audience. (I don't know about you, but "here's what I did today" lost its charm after I couldn't paste it to the refrigerator anymore.)

And there's also a commercial version MovableType 4.1, for professionals or organizations who want direct support from the publisher or access to the "professional pack" which includes among other features the ability to define "Custom Fields".

I support both of these products in my web development, and business web hosting services. In fact, the next post you see on AdvisorBits may well be from 4.1 on those hosting platforms. The whole fast cgi (fcgid) thing is way cool, but really overkill on my own blog, so I am getting ready to host this blog and its related friends on the shared servers for a while.

Pandora's box is open.

Bridges have been burned.

Things will never be the same.

Its the first day of the rest of our lives.

Insert silly metaphor here.

Anil Dash said

As of today, and forever forward, Movable Type is open source. This means you can freely modify, redistribute, and use Movable Type for any purpose you choose.

Sure enough there's a GNU license in the Nightly Build.

And I am very pleased.