I don’t know about you, but I want to make posting to my weblog as simple of a process as possible. I just want to type in my rant for the day, make sure everything is spelled correctly and slap it up on the web.
If I’m not done with what I’m typing, then I need to save it for later when I have more time to finish it. Pretty basic right? If you keep a weblog I bet you’re in the same boat as I am. Granted, the interface provided by BL's Boater's Blogs is easy to use and may be all that you need to post to your weblog, however there is the world of the “desktop client” that can make posting to your weblog faster, easier and in some cases downright fun.
What Is A “Desktop Client”
Simply put, a Desktop Client is a piece of software that you install on your local computer. Once configured, you have a desktop application that allows you to post to BL's Boater's Blogs, instead of posting directly from the web. The great thing is that you can always go back to your normal way of posting via your web browser. The desktop client simply gives you an alternative method of posting your entry.
So Why Use It?
BL's Boater's Blogs has a very easy, straightforward method of posting to your weblog through its web interface, so why do you even need a desktop client. Technically, you don’t need a desktop client. Everything you need to manage your weblog can be done via your web browser, but there are some nice features that desktop clients bring to the table that are worth considering.
» Spell check- This is the biggest motive for using a desktop client. I don’t know about you, but my spelling is horrible and without spell check, my entries would be littered with mis-spelled words. Most desktop clients have built-in spell check and thus help you proof your work before you publish it.
» File & Image Upload Tools - A quick and easy way to upload images to your weblog. Some even include thumbnail support, meaning that you can create thumbnails of images you’re uploading automatically.
» HTML Templates - If you use certain bits of HTML, or would like to, many clients have templates that allow you to quickly insert your “bits” anywhere in your entry you need them. Some even give you the power to completely alter the look and feel of an entire entry through page templates.
» Multiple Weblog Support - Often times, people use more than one weblog within BL's Boater's Blogs. For example, you might create a weblog for “Racing” and antoher for "Cruising" and another to cover Rendevous. I currently use 5 different weblogs to manage all my content. With many desktop clients, you can easily switch between different weblogs, even if they are are different servers!
» A True Preview - When posting directly using BL's Boater's Blogs, you really can’t see how your entry will look until after it’s posted. With many desktop clients, you can customize the preview so that it looks almost exactly as it will appear on your web site. Now you can see how things will look BEFORE you post!
» Save Locally - Although I’ve never lost an entry via BL's Boater's Blogs, it never hurts to have a local copy just in case. Also having a file locally gives you full control of it for future use.
As you can see there’s a lot that a desktop client can do. If any of those items looked like something that you might be interested in, then perhaps trying a desktop client is for you. The beauty of using a local client is that it doesn’t adversely affect your weblog. You can even use multiple desktop clients on the same machine if you want to!
What Do I Use?
For this weblog, I mostly use Zempt, however I did like ecto before the demo ran out. It was a little early in the development of the software to decide if I was ready to purchase it, but I have to say it’s a really nice client.
For simple journal Blogs, I use Slug. That weblog is A LOT simpler, without images and very few links, so I find that Slug is perfect for that weblog. It lives in the tool tray and I can post something in the blink of an eye. It’s ultra simple, but it fits perfectly with that weblog.
I use mo:Blog for posting via Palm OS and when I’m in Linux, I use BloGTK (a great client btw). I mostly post in Windows, but when I’m in other operating systems, that’s the software I use.
Closing
Hopefully this entry has given you a broad overview of what desktop clients are and how they can be used. If you haven’t tried one yet, perhaps now you’ll give one a try and see if it doesn’t make posting to your weblog easier.
All-in-all desktop clients expand on what you’re already doing with your weblog, or extend your posting experience to more mobile platforms. Regardless of what software you choose to use, it’s always good to know that you can fall back on the basic MT web browser interface, should you need to.
