Coming off my post yesterday I must vent about my disappointment with my blogging software and host Radio Userland. It seems that for nearly a year I've been riddled with problems related to getting a daily entry effectively posted. However, I barely have a 50% success rate.
Let me explain, Radio actually is a desktop application that runs in a web browser. This means you don't have to be connected to the internet to use some of Radio's functionality such as writing and posting to the local version of the blog. This local version of the blog is mirrored on the Radio Userland servers. When I do connect to the internet Radio's desktop application compares the files on the computers local hard drive with those on the Radio Userland server. Anything not on the server is automatically up-streamed to the Radio server. By the same token if I delete a file from the local drive it will be deleted on the Radio server. This up-streaming is effectively an automatic “FTP” of new blog entries — but it doesn't use the FTP protocol.
So I wrote my post Sunday. When I decided to pop in on my blog this evening I noticed that the last post online is from Friday. Where the hell is my Sunday post? To be sure, it's an up-streaming error related to Radio and its servers.
I'm sick of it. The limitations of Radio are becoming more and more apparent as I want to expand and add more value to my blog The Digital Tavern. The issues related to migrating this blog to another application and hosting provider are complicated. But I've got to start moving in that direction.
I feel bad because in many ways Radio is the grandaddy (or its beefier sibling Manila) of blogging. Back in the day it was simply the blogging platform for serious bloggers. Things have changed. Typically, I'm brand loyal provided the brand lives up to my expectations. But things have got to change.
But I'm not alone. Seems there are many who have left Radio behind. David did just a few months ago. Steven seems to have gone full circle from Blogger to Radio to Movable Type and back to Blogger again. Scott Mace finally got fed up with Radio and moved to TypePad. The author of Gnosis moved from Radio to iBlog. Bill Kearney moved last year to Moveable type and has some instructions about retaining the URL structure during migration — important so readers and those who link to you can the blog after moving. And Christian (xian) Crumlish and the good folks at Radio Free Blogistan mad the move from Radio last year and have collected a bunch of links about Migrating from one blog platform to another. Finally, Richard McManus point black lays out his logic for moving from Radio to Movable Type.
I'm interested in Movable Type. But Expression Engine intrigues me. So does TextPattern and WordPress.
So I'm actively soliciting recommendations for new blogging platform, hosting provider and migration methodologies. Please share in comments or send me an email.
