BlogJet
While the Movable Type interface is nice enough, it’s still pretty clunky when creating new entries, requiring you to use raw HTML if you want to do anything beyond simple text. I saw mention in another blog of the concept of a blogging front end, so went looking to see what was out there. What I found was BlogJet. This nifty little utility runs on my Windows machine and provides a true WYSIWYG front end to Movable Type (and other hosting software). If I want something in bold, I highlight it and click the bold button. If I want to create a link, I highlight it, click the link button, and paste in the URI.
The best feature, at least for how I manage my blog, is the “insert image” button. In Movable Type, anytime I wanted to include a picture, I had to tell it where the original was, where on the server I wanted to put it, then hand edit the HTML to make it line up the way I wanted it. With BlogJet, I click on the image button, tell it where the original is, and select formatting options in a dialog box. When I save the blog entry, it handles uploading the graphic and formats it just right. Now dashing off a quick blog entry is easier than ever.