April 2004 Archives

Since the release of MT into beta testing there has been quite a furor from the community, much of which really bothers me enough to actually come up for air and make a weblog post.

Many of these missives I've read do not take into consideration a number of things are come off as being rather reactionary and unforgiving for a what has been a relatively good track record so far.

I'm not an apologist. I certainly have a number of gripes and quite a bit of frustration with SixApart these days, but I've chosen to try and be more constructive with them and keep things in perspective. I suppose its that perspective that I don't rant – at least publicly. My professional background is in corporate IT and Internet services that this seems all typical and to a degree expected. (The stories I could tell about Microsoft, Sun, IBM, Macromedia, and Vignette!) Does it still suck? Yes. Do I expect better from SixApart? Yes, again.

Many of the posts I've read don't seem to acknowledge that Six Apart is a real business now and what that means. Besides end users and developers they have brought on the added dimension of investors needed to continue. Having been involved in multi-million dollar contracts negotiations and done some investor relations work, these relationships are highly complex (lawyers!) and expectations of the investors quite high.

Not everything can be open source because developers have to eat too. (I'm ecstatic to have access to the code after a decade+ of working with systems where I had no access and was beleaguered with limitations and bugs I could do nothing about.) Ben and Mena could not humanly meet the expectations of the growing user base themselves and hiring people costs money. It also takes time an effort to get new developers worked in and going. Of the posts I read none of them acknowledge that a significant part of the coding is being done by a new employee, Ezra Cooper and not Ben. I sense the design and HTML was still done by Mena, but could be wrong.

Perhaps 3.0 isn't deserving of the dot 0 label, but I could argue otherwise so its a grey area. The real problem is that the lack of updates to MT has created an anticipation that did not forsee or properly address through their communications in order to manage these expectations. It is here were the radio silence has been so damaging. I can only hope they see how damn important this is going forward and make it a priority and not an after thought as they have. They make a tool of collaboration and communication after all!

I think calling the reaction of a few to MT3 an exodus is quite an overstatement. Users and software systems' paths diverge over time that sometimes a switch is in order. Its a natural part of software ecosystem and not anything to be upset about or take it as the sky falling chicken little. Its going to happen. I've been involved in the MT community since version 1.2 and I seen a lot of users switch from MT to another for various reasons only to be replaced by 5 new happy users.

This biggest issue has nothing to do with software. While I disagree with or think much of this post and the ones it links to are bogus, this point from patchwork progression says it well: Six Apart seem increasingly unresponsive to end users, particularly with respect to communication. We feel resentfully slighted.

This has been especially disheartening and frustrating for me since my primary source of income since laast May has been MT consulting. So I would add developers and not just leave it at end users.

I had hoped for more wow features in MT3, though mine are quite different then many of those then has been voiced. Les at Stupid Evil Bastard rightly points out about the enhanced plugin architecture this may be MT3's saving grace in some respects. Later he states the new plugin API gives good reason to hope that third parties will put out some amazing new plugins that shouldn't require any hacking of the code so perhaps the best is still yet to come. (His comments on the patchwork thread are the most reasonable along with Adam Messinger.)

That is why as a developer I've found it confounding that communications with developers is been scarce – some might even say no existent. Even with funding and staffing up, it will be impossible for Six Apart to address all of the varying and often conflicting needs of their increasingly diverse user base. The only reasonable way to address these needs is through a strong developer community though constant communication, feedback and knowledge transfer. Of course I am highly biased and will just stop here on that point.

I'm still optimistic though not thrilled with MT3 and think there is tons of untapped potential for the tool that has yet to be explored. For the nature of the work I do I'm still convinced that MT suits my needs and my clients well now and going forward. Until that changes I will continue to recommend MT.

Back to work.

For anyone who's interested, the April issue of GQ (yes, I read that) features interviews with Frank Black (Black Francis) of The Pixies fame and Morrissey formerly of The Smiths. I found them to be interesting reads since I'm getting old and haven't read much about these blokes lately.

The article on Frank Black, The Pixie Who Fell to Earth by Brian Raftery, covers the formation and break-up of The Pixies including their legacy today and the significance they had on many of the current day rock bands. The article goes on to discuss the inner demons Black has been battling in recent years and why they are getting back together. (I'm absolutely thrilled about that.) Recently divorced, Black has mellowed after getting therapy and is now living in Portland, OR in almost anonymity. I got a chuckle out of the part were Raftery briefly recounts Black buying music at a local record store and the youth behind the counter wearing a Pixies t-shirt doesn't apparently recognize him.

Jim Nelson interviews Smiths front man Morrissey living in LA and ready to release his newest solo album in 7 years. In the accompanying photo spread of Morrissey wearing some bespoken suits. He looks about the same though his hairline has dropped back a bit, his pronounced sideburns are greyed and his once taunt face beginning to sag and crease. Happier then he's been (but not too happy), comfortable getting old and privileged to be living alone, Morrissey is as pointed and highly critical as ever. Morrissey talks about his attraction to music as a youth being therapeutic, why The Smiths mattered so much to him and why he is still depressed about their breakup. Morrissey also offers his side of the band's breakup – commitment. He had completely invested and committed himself to The Smiths and Johnny Marr did not and just said enough. (He replaced it with what? he asks.) The crooner also provides his brutal honesty of the loss of glamour, how boring he finds youths and how interesting he finds the elderly, having tea regularly with Nancy Sinatra, and David Bowie. (Who is incidently featured in a large photo spread with his wife Iman for Hilfiger.)

Reading the interview, I'm not too optimistic that The Smiths will ever reunite. (sigh.) I suppose the one for two isn't bad, but its disappointing because I never got to hear in The Smiths in person.