5.9 The Future of Movable Type

Version 1.0 of Movable Type was released in October 2001, and Version 2.0 was released in March 2002. As such, the system is still young, but it is still developing very quickly.

Features for future releases of Movable Type include:

Enhanced data storage

In addition to using Berkeley DB for your data storage, the system will support the MySQL and PostgreSQL databases.

Remote operation

Currently Movable Type works best when you run the system on the same server where you host your public web site. In the future, the system will support automatic distribution of your site to a remote server through FTP or SFTP.

Posting via email

Post to your blog simply by sending email to a specific email address. Digital signatures will be used for secure authentication, therefore, your username and password never need be passed through an email message.

Peer-to-peer pinging

Track and list posts from other blogs that reference a specific category or post.

Localization

The entire Movable Type application interface is available in multiple languages. The application has been restructured so that adding support for a new language is as simple as dropping in a plug-in module with the new language support.

Also in the works: an official service that provides turnkey solutions for users who wish to use Movable Type, want affordable web hosting, and do not want to worry about the hassles of installation or upgrading the system. This service will likely be launched by the time of this book's publication, so be sure to keep an eye on http://www.movabletype.org for further details.