Bryanbell.com

Manila themes need a rethink.

Vin asked me:

If people use your theme, isn't it a bandwidth consumption for your account at redjupiter? I mean the css uses the images from your account on the server. Are u okay with it? BTW I did take your themes to adapt it some of my friends blogs. Just asking. lemme know. Thanks.

Well Yeah.. that's a bit of a sore point. UserLand's Manila theme implementation does not allow for image distribution. So I have to reference images 'Absolutely'. To mitigate the problem I usually upload my theme images to UserLand's servers. The thought being that it's their odd system, let them host it.

But Maybe it's time for some change. But how would it work?

It's All About the Outliner

Alan Kleymeyer of Social Dynamx commented on my desire for a lite Version of Radio which can be used to manage Manila sites.

"SocialDynamX has cut their teeth on Radio with the release of FM Radio.  Everything mentioned in this thread is a goal we have in our current project of bringing a "Manila lite" to market.  Though initially we'll probably try to leverage the UI developed for FM Radio, we are open to suggestions and are at an early enough stage for everyone here to contribute to the direction of ManilaEdit (I like that name, crueuss, mind if I use it?). Another benefit of keeping the interfaces similar is that we can support the editing of multiple Radio blogs and Manila sites in one application. Tell us what minimum functionality you would like to see, keeping in mind it is a "lite" version intended to satisify the day-to-day update of a site." - Alan Kleymeyer

I'm concerned that Alan doesn't appreciate the Outliner which makes Radio so powerful. It would not be enough to simply have the ability to remotely manage templates, and stories like this.

Plus to have a Windows only piece of software would be extra disappointing.

I like Radio as is. Radio is already on multiple platforms. Radio's native editing metaphor is the outline. All I want is a version Radio with less menus and functions. A simplified Radio purpose built to do only one thing, manage multiple Manila web sites.

Mike Donellan hit the nail on the head

In our recent discussion about a striped down version of Radio Userland which could be used as an advanced Manila editor. Mike Donellan (aka BlackHoleBrain) said something that stuck me as hilarious and insightful.

Hey, using Radio to edit a Manila site is like using a Swiss army knife to cut your fingernails! I've been wanting "Radio Lite" since forever -- so yeah, I love the idea.

Paolo Takes the Manila Editor to a new level.

"...Creating a tool that allows you to edit on any image of your weblog simply by clicking it and having it opened with PhotoShop seconds later would be an easy task for Radio. Same thing for any piece of text (or, in perspective, audio or video).

So this could be my long term wish for UserLand: allow us to manage our weblogs on-line with Manila (doing it server side has some significant advantages), and use the full power of Radio to make integration with local applications a unique experience. I want to write with Word (or BBEdit, or anything different from the browser), edit my images with PhotoShop, organize my pictures with iPhoto, my appintments with iCal, but I don't want to spend my life uploading and downloading files.

PS: if this Radio/Manila integration could be done using some new or extended kind of open API which all developers could use, it could mean changing the world. Once more." [Paolo Valdemarin: Paolo's Weblog]

I Want Radio Lite, or a Manila Remote Control

The best way to edit a Manila site is NOT with Manila. The BEST way to edit Manila is with Radio UserLand.

Some might find that suprizing, but the big secret in Radio is that it allows you to edit your Manila site's stories, templates, and editors within the context of an outliner. When you get used to editing your template, and especially your CSS, in an outliner that allows you to collapse parts of the code you are done with or expand only the class that you want to amend you will never go back to Manila's confined text-fields. Not to mention saving changes is much quicker since all that is required is the standard "Command"+"S", vs. clicking a form submission button and then waiting for your page to reload.

Everyone that I have demonstrated this concept to has vowed to convert to Radio's way of editing. However Radio is setup to manage a Radio weblog when you install it, which is fine. But if all you want to do is edit a Manila site, then you don't ever want to see Radio's web interface. Instead you just want to open Radio, select "File", and "Open Manila Site". Another problem with Radio as a Manila Editor is that the Windows version of Radio is extra confusing because the application loads in the system tray. It's not immediately apparent that Radio is a stand alone application which is separate from the web interface.

What I propose is that there be a simplified Version of Radio, that only allows for the editing of Manila. It would be a huge value added for the Manila Community since editing large documents, and templates in a resizable window is far easier, and more productive.