Radio Userland 8.0:
Good, Good Enough, Not Good Enough
Boy oh boy, I really wish Radio Userland 8.0 would be the type of program I, personally, could love. It's not.
Lovable?
It's the type of software a programmer might love. It's the type of software a real newbie might love. But it's not the type of program the vast majority of Web users -- who aren't programmers but do want do experiment -- can love. At least not in its current form.
I've had my wireless data Weblog on Weblogger since late November 2001, and I love the ease-of-use and Web-editing capabilities. But I have been frustrated by the lack of customization for non-programmers.
I have been beta testing (albeit not much) Radio Userland 8.0 for a little while. Unfortunately, for me, 8.0 is too difficult to customize. I suspect that it will be too difficult for just about anyone who doesn't want to program. That's a shame.
It's great for...
Radio Userland is great if (1) you want a news aggregator, (2) you are completely satisfied with the existing (two?) templates and layout or (3) you are a programmer and able to code.
But if you aren't in any of these categories -- i.e., you want to modify Radio Userland, but don't know how to program -- you're stuck.
FrontPage isn't perfect, but...
I can do a lot by using MS FrontPage on my own www.wirelessinternet.com Web site. My Web site isn't much from a design standpoint; indeed, it's rather basic and dull, graphically. But if I want to add tables and boxes, insert and crop pictures, create navigation links, I can easily do it without knowing any programming.
For my reiter.weblogger.com site, I had to look at the Weblogger home page template and try to figure out how to add links to other sites on my home page. I also looked at other Weblogs to see -- and copy! -- their code. It's ridiculous that I should have to do that. I'm not talking about Java animations, but simple links on the home page!
I realize that if a person knows a bit about HTML, Radio Userland 8.0 might be ridiculously easy to use. After all, how difficult is it to add navigational links, insert a photo where you want it or create some boxed text? Alas, if you don't know HTML, it's too difficult.
Increase your audience
If Radio Userland really wants to put the power of the Web into the hands of the public, it should create easy ways for non-programmers to do basic and rather essential modifications. It's insane that a person has to learn HTML in order to do such simple tasks as create navigation bars.
Have you looked at the "Prefs" section about "Navigator links" to see what you have to do?! Or, how about the instructions for adding a graphic? It's just too complicated -- especially based upon how many other programs manage this. Indeed, I can work with MS Word to insert and manipulate boxes, columns and graphics easier than I can with Radio Userland.
If Userland promotes Radio Userland as a great way for programmers to create imaginative Weblogs, that's just fine. If Userland promotes Radio Userland as a good way for non-programmers to post their thoughts on the Web, that's great, too.
But if Userland promotes Radio Userland as an easy way to for non-programmers to do just about anything else -- even an easy way to post graphics -- it will be misleading the public.
The way Radio Userland 8.0 is today, the typical non-programming user will use the power of words to personalize his/her Weblog. That is the best way to personalize a Weblog, after all. But if that same non-programmer wants to do anything with layout rather than words, he/she is basically out of luck.
Cool vs. Basic Functionality
Given the state of today's programming -- and the ease of creating a simple way for non-programmers to modify basics -- it's really a shame that Userland hasn't paid attention to what I believe are the needs of the vast majority of potential users.
I hope "personal publishing" flourishes. Before becoming a full-time consultant, I was a journalist for more than 20 years. The more writers (preferably good writers), the better
But if Radio Userland is purchased by non-programmers, there's going to be a lot of frustrated users. Once a user sees he can't do much to personalize a Radio site without using HTML, that user is going to be angry.
It's "cool" that I can use e-mail to post an entry. Indeed, as a wireless data consultant, I think it's great that some users are employing SMS for their posts. I will do my best to publicize that capability to the wireless industry, which I've been analyzing since 1978.
But it would have made a lot more sense to spend some time -- first -- to improve the ease of use, rather than going for some of the so-called cooler functions.
