On the Horizon

I'm moving closer and closer towards utilizing Movable Type as a publication interface that I can utilize to manage websites effectively. This has been a goal of mine for some time now. I prefer Movable Type over other CMS platforms primarily because it publishes straight to HTML, which is the most scalable option. I know that I will have dynamic sections that will cause server strain (such as the discussion platform), but hopefully the reduction in load from most web pages will serve to alleviate those problems to the degree that I can manage the financial implications of scalability well.

There have been a few holdbacks prior to really moving forward with my plans for web publication, and they really all fall into the realm of scalability, manageability, and responsibility from a webmasters standpoint. Additionally, I did want to get to a place where development of utilities and such for my various websites was streamlined.

All along, I've had the goal of being able to manage a small group of sites by being able to publish information regularly, promote the sites, manage end user interactivity, and handle issues associated with security, search engine optimization, web site optimization, and quality control.

I feel I've come a long ways in regards to all of these subjects over the past 6 months and now I'm at the point where I can migrate priorities from development and education towards publication and promotion. I still have the goal of maintaining a reasonable development schedule for creating new utilities and software products, but that really should take a second priority to acquiring an end user base that can take best advantage of those efforts.

This week, I'll be launching the first site. Next week I'm going to take a look at revising some of my existing sites so that they can be managed under the new structure. From there, I'll take a look at the timelines involved in publishing some of the management structure. It will take some time to properly analyze licensing options and ensure that the public release of the utility suite is manageable from a support standpoint.

I'm really excited about the changes I'm about to make - it will actually mean a bit of a lifestyle change for me, and one for the better as my social activities will start to increase as I gradually pull myself away from crazy long development work days.