Curious about better BLOG software

 I've been using iBLOG for 3 or 4 years now.  It's time to evaluate alternatives.

 When I first purchased iBLOG it was a very comfortable place to work and I didn't have to invest a lot of "heartbeats" into figuring out how to setup and use it.  It also didn't bother me much that it seemed to be slightly non-standard.

But it seems to me lately that as my needs to expand what I write about and where I am writing become more important, there may be a better solution.  I have no solution picked out yet.  But something I would really love would be where I can use my iPhone to write quick simple BLOG entries, maybe attach a photograph, and then publish to this same site.

Truth is I'd rather spend my time researching topics I'm passionate about.  Setting up my BLOG is not one of those.

Oh yea, it was pointed out to me recently that my BLOG site doesn't openly declare who I am.  I never noticed that before.  For the years that I've been posting here I've never noticed it doesn't say my name  anywhere.  Hmm.

To be clear.  This is a personal BLOG by Steve Wessels.  My home page can be found here: http://www.preeminent.org/steve/

I also have a web site for my board game reviews and essays.  Next to Smalltalk programming, I am passionate about Board Games.  That URL is: http://www.aworldwithoutstring.com

I also published a very extensive tutorial for one of my favorite board games (Twilight Imperium III) here: http://www.preeminent.org/steve/games/ti3/ti3demo/

That TI-3 tutorial was written with multiple purposes in mind.  I wanted to be better at understanding how to play the game, and there's no better way to learn material than trying to teach it to someone else.  I was also interested in trying my hand at writing a web site using Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) and Server Side Includes (SSI).  So I used the opportunity to create a new web tutorial as a way to try out that technology as well.

I've been publishing a web site for Squeak Enhancements since 1998: http://squeak.preeminent.org/

And I've been working on an update/re-write of my Squeak Development Tutorial, published here: http://squeak.preeminent.org/tut2007/html/index.html

My goal is to publish that well received tutorial as a book.  I'm rewriting it to use the newer version(s) of Squeak and to incorporate the richer development image environment.  I'm also intending to expand the updated development tutorial to include a refactoring of the application so it can be deployed on a touch-screen system like the iPhone.  So, iSqueak here I come.

I also own another domain, which my wife named in one of our humorous discussions: http://www.befuddledminds.com/.  The Befuddled Minds web site is a "placeholder".  I intend to write about management in the world of software development.  There's so much bad management out there that it will be easy to write about good and bad practices.  I'll probably start posting something meaningful there after I'm layed off from my current employer.  I'm scheduled to be "let go" late in November 2008.  The prospect of finding new work doesn't concern me too much (good jobs can be found -- and maybe as my earlier BLOG posting suggests, it may be time to help start something new).  But I admit to some anxiety about entering the job market during the Holiday Season at a time when the economy seems to be in decline.  Maybe I'll have some time to work on my book.  Anyway, more on that jobs topic at a later time.