Re: UNIX, FrontPage, et al

[Bill Bledsoe <bill -dot- bledsoe -at- CMS-STL -dot- COM>]

After sitting here working web pages all afternoon... and having a major
kaniption about WYSIWYG "editors" (BOTH FRONT PAGE AND NS COMPOSER) I've
got to chime in out of frustration... first to what Suzann chimed in
with, and the person previously had said about Fusion:

Suzanne Maloon wrote:

> >This means that the Fusion HTML will run as-is from any major Unix
> >server (ie Apache) without hassle.  Try getting your sysadmin to
> >recompile Apache just so FrontPage generated pages can be served
> >from it, I dare you!

Well... you won't get anyone to re-compile Apache server just for one
Front Page user that's for sure.  But it isn't just an incovenience....
Most ISP's, okay a lot of ISP's, won't install the FrontPage Server
extensions because of inherent security problems these extensions can
cause on both UNIX and NT servers.  (Pardon my MAC HTTPD ignorance, but
I suspect the same is true for Mac servers.)

> I have been running FrontPage webs, complete with webbots (except in
> the
> case of forms) on a UNIX BSD/OS 2.0 for over a year now, and they work
> just
> fine.

You certainly can use the mapbot without any impact.  But.. that's not
my complaint with Front Page, or with NS Composer for that matter.
<RANT>

My problems with FrontPage have to do with the absolutely RANDOM
insertion and rearranging of valid HTML code when you take a file edited
in some other tool (UltraEdit, HomeSite, NS Composer) and just
completely mucking the darn code up for FORMATTING consistency sake.

I produce formatted HTML code, so that it is easy to follow, edit, etc.
but... apparently, MY format isn't NEARLY as readible as Microsofts...
because their darned tool REFORMATS the code to fit their style.
AGGHHHHHH!  Consequently, I get messed up pages almost everytime I take
a page edited in ANYTHING other than FrontPage, and open it in the
FrontPage editor!!!!

Now Netscape isn't completely clear of this... as I've been having an
equally joyus time trying to get a simple Definition list to work with
NS Composer.  However, for the most part, other than stamping in the
obnoxious Meta Tag for Generator (which FrontPage does as well), it
leaves your HTML Code alone.

That's what bothers me, and other "advanced" HTML developers the most
about FrontPage!!!!! Heck, some of the code formatting out of FrontPage
97 is not readible HTML for Netscape (I know, what a surprise!) I have
all but given up on it.  It was a better tool when Vermeer had it</RANT>

That being said, FUSION's HTML is VERY easy to follow, once you
understand the role of dot_clear.gif.  It uses a transparent gif file to
do the spacing for the pages.  You can certainly modify FUSION pages
once you understand it.

And... You'll never have to ask your ISP or web host to install a thing
for a FUSION developed site... even with forms.  This is something you
cannot say about a FrontPage 97 or 98 site.

whacking my monitor in frustration with FrontPage... here in beautiful
St. Louis this fine, breezy fall afternoon... I'm:
--
****************************************************
Bill Bledsoe
Senior Technical Writer - CMS
Bill -dot- Bledsoe -at- cms-stl -dot- com or intlidox -at- anet-stl -dot- com

Prediction 4
"The people who are studying Tai Chi Chuan instead
of saving money are planning to beat us up and take
our stuff when we've retired"

Scott Adams - The Dilbert Future
****************************************************
If Bill Said it, Bill said it... Not CMS.  Got it?
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