MovableType 3.0: Ouch
MovableType 05/13/2004 |So SixApart revealed the pricing structure for MovableType 3.0 today.
One word.
Ouch.
Dad, Kirsten — we may have to figure something else out for hanscomfamily.com and geekmuffin.com soon. Since I’m running both of you off of my server, I’m not eligible for the free version of MT 3.0, and the various licensing options are a bit rich for my blood.
Reasons the free version won’t work: No support from Six Apart, No access to paid installation service, No access to fee-based services, No promotion of your weblogs through the Recently Updated list, No commercial usage, No more than one author and three weblogs. Plus a few other apparent caveats that are pointed out in the second and third updates to Shelley Powers’ post:
Just caught this. The following are what you get, specifically, with the paid version of MT 3.0 that are conspicuously missing from the free version:
From Paul Freeman I found out that you have to be registered with TypeKey in order to download the free version. We were assured that TypeKey wasn’t required for Movable Type. I specifically remember this being said. I also didn’t realize the physical limitations of the free version–one installation only, and no installation on multi-CPU machines. Most hosted environments are multiple CPU machines. Does this mean even if you are a single author/single weblog user, but hosted, you still can’t use MT?
- Application updates and fixes (not including major upgrades)
- A guaranteed path to future versions
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p>I’ll let you know as soon as I’ve figured out which direction to head, and how best to go about it.
Update: I have a few more thoughts on this, and will want to clarify my position (I’m not that upset, nor am I going on an anti-SixApart rampage, and besides, thanks to my use of TypePad, I’m quite happy with sending money their way) — I just need to get my skinny butt in gear, so more rambling will have to wait until this evening. Until then, there’s some good points (both pro- and anti-SixApart) in this MetaFilter thread.
iTunes: “Dancesoundtrackmusic (D.S.M.)” by Front 242 from the album Mut@ge.Mix@ge (1995, 8:20).
[See also: MovableType 3: License updates and clarifications | Why I won’t be upgrading to MT 3.0 | TypePad IDs are TypeKey IDs! | Technical Difficulties | Playing with MT 3.2 Beta ]
12 Responses to “MovableType 3.0: Ouch”
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fpz
Gavriel
medhat abbas
Ryan Waddell
Sponge Bob
May 13th, 2004 at 11:38 am
Any compelling reason to move on from 2.x? I’m going to stay with it while I ponder moving to WordPress or something else.
I think SixApart may have a PR issue on their hands if some well-known sites — BoingBoing, CrookedTimber — stay with 2.x rather than pay a fee for what they’re already doing. Punishing group weblogs seems the most offensive and that’s why I singled out those two examples.
May 13th, 2004 at 1:45 pm
Michael, is there a reason why we users should change to version 3.0?
A good idea seems to stay in 2.77 until switching to some other service.
May 13th, 2004 at 4:31 pm
Payable Type
It looks like my switch to WordPress couldn’t have come at a better time. After months of not having any idea on what plans were in store for Movable Type (and consequently leading me to drop it from my site), Six Apart has finally released their plan…
May 13th, 2004 at 5:19 pm
Wow. I certainly never imagined that would happen. I mentioned to you (I think it was you, anyway) the other night that I felt almost dirty, as though I was cheating, when I entertained the idea of switching from MT to another CMS. I suddenly don’t feel that way anymore. C’est la vie!
May 13th, 2004 at 9:51 pm
Paul, Romeo — I’d been looking forward to MT 3 for the improved comment managing abilities (in both moderating and deleting), as comment spam is a recurring problem for both of the sites that I host from my server. I’d also been hoping that some of the under-the-hood changes might relieve some of the stress on the system when rebuilding (though from some of the early reports I’ve read from MT 3 beta testers, there might not be that much improvement there).
As it stands, though, the old maxim of “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” certainly applies. If you’ve got a MT 2.6 or prior install that’s working fine for you, then no, there’s not really a compelling need to upgrade at this point (especially since Mena recently posted that MT 3 won’t be a feature release).
May 14th, 2004 at 8:41 am
Now, I’m looking forward alternatives…
My three final options (the most attractive for me, from top to bottom) are: http://www.b2evolution.net http://wordpress.org http://www.textpattern.com
Any suggestions? First, Wordpress was my first choice, but b2evolution seems more customizable, with much more features, and the most important: it’s supports multiple blogs
May 14th, 2004 at 9:30 am
I’ve read in a few places that WP 1.2 (which is supposed to be out within a week or so) is supposed to be able to support multiple weblogs, though I’m not 100% sure on that. In the meantime, you can install multiple instances of WP on a single machine, and WP also has a number of “hacks” (plugins) that add some of the functionality that I’ve been using multiple weblogs for under my MT installs (for instance, a link manager that would replace my linklog weblog). I’d keep it in the running.
Textpattern also looks quite nice, but I don’t really know much about b2evolution. I’ll do some poking around of my own soon. Let me know where you end up, I’m curious.
May 14th, 2004 at 10:47 am
Before this “storm” striked, neither I haven’t heard much about b2evolution… but it seems very functional and customizable. You too, keep us informed about the alternatives for us - ex MTers =(
May 14th, 2004 at 5:01 pm
Just a note to say that the WordPress fork of b2 is probably going to have a more active developer community than the b2evolution one.
Also, WordPress is the only software I’ve come across in life that I’d describe as “delectable”. It really does possess an ooh-aah type of simplicity and feature-richness.
Textpattern looks good but I can’t stand its permalinks.
May 15th, 2004 at 2:43 am
MovableType 3: License updates and clarifications
Funny the difference a day or so can make
May 15th, 2004 at 2:56 am
MovableType 3: License updates and clarifications
Funny the difference a day or so can make
October 4th, 2005 at 9:21 pm
You are invited to check some helpful info about price .