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Thinking Again About Text Editors
Thinking about text editor apps. Following a recent article from Jason Snell about finding the best markdown editor for the iPad, I started thinking about using Ulysses for all my text editing needs. Is it the best tool for all use cases? Probably not. But it is cross-platform, and for me, it’s a must. As I write this blog post, I’m using Nova text editor on my Mac to start editing, finishing in Ulysses. Continue reading →
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This Blog Uses Commento - Here is Why - Updated 2024-03-10
You can leave a comment on each blog post, thanks to Commento, you’re not being tracked. When I created the Numeric Citizen I/O blog, I thought it would need a way for visitors to be able to leave comments as they see fit. I decided to go the Commento route because of its tight integration with Blot, but also for a more profound reason: privacy protection. According to Commento’s website: Continue reading →
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Testing wall.blot.im
Testing a web-based blog post publishing tool for posting directly to Blot from a webpage. I’m currently testing a straightforward blog post publishing tool running on a webpage. The tool is accessible at https://wall.blot.im. I wrote a front matter; I guess Blot will process it as usual. The editor provides a character count, a word count, and a way to export the current blog post or publish it directly on my Blot website. Continue reading →
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Learning a Bit of Blot’s Internals
I made a few layout changes to my archives page. Someone on Micro.blog posted something from its Blot website and I noticed he was using an unknown meta tag in the post’s front matter: metadata.icon. He used a tag to add an icon to each of its blog post. I wanted to know how Blot actually used this tag to format the blog post, so I asked the guy. His answer made me look deeper into Blot processing of meta tags. Continue reading →
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Documenting Blog Changes
Using Git instead of Dropbox for Blot content syncing provides an unexpected benefit. As I recently wrote, Blot supports two mechanisms for synchronizing content from my Mac to the web: Dropbox or Git. I chose Git. As I write this, I’m still testing Nova as the Git front-end (I’m a GUI type of guy). One of the great benefits of using Git is the built-in history of commits that is at the core of any Git repo. Continue reading →
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Archiving my Content from Micro.blog to GitHub
Micro.blog allows for archiving all content to GitHub. Here is why I did it. This blog post is about explaining a Micro.blog allowing me to archive all my blog posts, including images and why I do it. First, you must know that Micro.blog already provides an archiving feature of all blog posts to the Internet web archive. You can find mine here. I think it is important because in our society, the durability of the numerical artifacts we create is far from guaranteed. Continue reading →
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The Initial Blot Setup
Setting up this blog with Blot was pretty straightforward. It all started as an experiment. But now, it’s not. It’s something permanent1. In less than a day, everything was set up and running. From the setup of the domain name (with GoDaddy) to having an actual site available for browsing. This is the very short story behind setting up the Numeric Citizen I/O website with Blot. My interest in Blot came from the desire to have better control over the visual appearance of my microblog, which is hosted on Micro. Continue reading →
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Selecting a GIT Client
Selecting a GIT client for the Mac is a bit harder than I thought. When I decided to create this blog using Blot.im, I had to select the synchronization mechanism between my Mac and the Blot.im service. Blot.im offers two choices: Dropbox (easy, seamless, but too invasive and bloated software) or GIT. I decided to use GIT, for a few reasons. First, GIT is geeky. I like geeky stuff. This blog is about being geeky, so why not! Continue reading →
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Where Micro.blog Fails for Me
I’ve been a user of Micro.blog since 2018. At first, I wasn’t sure I would like the place. Eventually, it grew on me because it is such a quiet place1, with more engagement from the community members and with much more respect. There is something that I don’t like about Micro.blog, though. It’s the lack of easy control over the visual appearance of my blog. Micro.blog is based on Hugo, a static site generator. Continue reading →
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The First Post of a Long Series
Writing about my numeric experience isn’t new for me. When I was an indie iOS developer (2009-2013)1, almost at the same time I started learning Objective-C, I opened a Blogger site called “buildingiphoneapps.com”2. The idea behind this was to share my experience of learning a new language and a new programming platform. I wanted to share my discoveries, my challenges, etc. It was fun while it lasted. This website started my experience of being a blogger. Continue reading →
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My Updated Blogger Workflow as of 2021-01
As a content creator, I’m always looking for new ways, tools and services to improve my workflow to be as efficient as possible. If something no longer fits my needs, I’m not afraid to make changes. The last update to my blogger workflow dates back to last November. Since then, I made quite a few important changes. What’s in? First, I added my Synology DS720+ as a central tool to manage my digital assets, mostly pictures used in my publications. Continue reading →
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My Updated Blogger Workflow as of 2020-11
It’s been a while since I updated my blogger workflow. The last time was back in September of 2020. It’s time for some tweaks. The number of services I pay for has increased. Now, I’m paying for IFTTT and Buffer. IFTTT has improved its offerings this year and started to offer a paid tier. I recently added an automation where new posts from my Micro.blog RSS feed will get saved to a Google Sheet document. Continue reading →
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My Updated Blogger Workflow as of 2020-09
Since the last update to my blogger workflow, Substack has been an important addition. Here is why and how I’m using Substack, a content publishing platform that is gaining traction for writers and bloggers like me. Why Substack? As you probably know, I recently started something new: a monthly newsletter about Apple, photography, privacy protection and climate change. I could have done it with Mailchimp or other similar services. Substack is free. Continue reading →
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My Updated Blogger Workflow as of 2020-08
A few important additions have occurred since my last update to my blogger workflow. Here is my updated blogger workflow as of 2020-08. The arrival of the controversial HEY email service has enhanced how I consume information. I recently published my thoughts on HEY. I’m happy to report HEY is now joining other important apps and services like News Explorer and Mailbrew. Who knew emails could become part of my information consumption routine? Continue reading →
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My Updated Blogger Workflow as of 2020-05
Quite a few things have happened since my previous blogger workflow update in March. Mailbrew is in, Apple News is out, forgot about Reddit and a few surprises. Let’s dig in. The biggest change is the introduction of Mailbrew Mailbrew comes in to complement News Explorer as a tool to help me more efficiently consume information that needs my attention. I’m really in love with this service. Please read my Mailbrew review here. Continue reading →
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My Updated Blogger Workflow as of 2020-03
Initially published a month ago, my blogger workflow received a lot of traction, and since then, I made a few important changes. Today, I want to address how I consume content and which tools I use to support my research. A significant change was made to how I manage and consume RSS feeds. I recently switched from Reeder to News Explorer (read my review of News Explorer) because of the more powerful features available, as I wrote in my review. Continue reading →
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Introducing my Blogger Workflow — 2020-02
If you are a blogger like me, you may find it interesting to learn about what tools other bloggers are using. If you are not (yet) a blogger, you’ll see what it takes to start and thrive! As a long-time blogger, I’m happy to share all the details about my workflow with you. You’ll learn about the tools I like to use and the relation between them. Let’s dig in. Continue reading →
