Update: Added a really good Video From http://www.masternewmedia.org
Today’s Download of the day is the windows Live writer. If you are the non-geek-type go here
Part 1. Installation,
Part .2 Configuration,
Part 3 – Editor options, editing and posting
To see a step by step guide to installing windows live writer and configuring it for WordPress and posting from it. I am going to highlight only the best features of windows live writer and why Windows live writer is the best offline blog editor that I have seen so far in fact I believe it has no competition. If you are a serious blogger you would most probably be using offline blog editors like Performancing extension for Firefox, Qumana, wbloggar etc. There are several reasons to choose a offline editor like Windows live writer over the internal editors of WordPress, Blogger, MSN Spaces etc. Lets face it web based editing is always slower and it such a pain to insert links, pictures, files and Tags. Some reasons why you should be using a offline blog editor like Windows live writer over the default inbuilt editor are:
- Easier, Faster editing, modification of your posts and Drafts.
- Support for Multiple Blogs and cross posting.
- Offline Editing. (i.e. you can edit your post when your not logged onto the Internet)
- More flexibility i.e. insertion of similies, Technorati tags, Google maps, Youtube videos, Odeo etc.
- Easier trackbacks Management.
- More Support for other Pinging services other than Pingomatic. (If you want your blog posts listed blog search engines)
- Support for Extra plugins that insert specific functionality/tags. Example Currently Listening to Coldplay – Northern Lights, Support for direct Dragging and dropping From flickr Images and pictures inside the interface, upload pictures, files etc.
Plugins: This is the most important reason why windows live is the best blog editor is apart from providing the basic functionality of various blog editors it supports a large number of plugins. Just like you love Firefox because you can integrate so many things into it which enhance your browser experience. Below I have listed some of the best plugins that can help you improve your blogging experience. Some places where you can get these plugins are the official Windows live plugin page and the unofficial windows live plugins site where there are a larger variety of plugins.
- Insert Tags: This comes by default in Windows live writer. you can insert any kind of tags, the most commonly used tags that you would use would be the technorati tags.
- Insert Map: Another default plugin with which you can insert maps using windows live Virtual earth.
- Flickr4Writer: allows you to directly put pictures from your flickr account.
- Insert Spaces Emoticon: if you want better looking animated Emoticons use this plugin.
- box2livewriter: Upload Files to y0ur box.net account (Note: you need a Box.net account)and directly put a link to the file on your blog. (Box.net is useful it is like flickr but more powerful).
- EmbedVideo Plugin insert youtube and Google videos with ease.
- Currently Listening this adds what song your listening to supports both itunes and windows media player.
- Insert Current Mood Add-In This is a simple add-in to Windows Live Writer that allows you to add your current mood to your blog entry.
Web layout and Web Preview: This the best feature of Windows live writer it lets you preview the post. i.e. how the post will look like once it posted on your blog. In WordPress blog editor you have to save the file as a draft to view the preview and it is slow depending on your Internet connection. Windows live write can show you an instant preview of the post even before posting it.
For geeks who are curious on how it is able to achieve this here is the explanation. When you configure windows live writer initially it downloads all the CSS styling from your blog and applys it to the post, so that you get a instant preview of the post even before you post it online. This is important if you want to get your alignment etc right before you post to your blog. In case you change your theme you can ask windows live writer to update the styling
Multiple Blogs: You can switch between multiple Blog accounts with just a click.
Trackbacks(pings) and Post Properties Editing: Windows live makes it very easy for you to paste trackbacks links and editing the time stamp, enable/disable comments. If you don’t know what trackbacks are look here. Its a way of letting another blog know that you have written about them or a particular post. Editing Time/Date of your post is useful if you want to update a old post with some new information. By default the feature is minimized just click the bottom status bar where it says “Properties and Trackbacks”. It will slide out to show you options to put in trackbacks and edit the time stamps. As you can see I am have put the links so I can trackback(Ping) to the tutorials that I mentioned in the beginning of the article.
Ping Various Blog Search Services: Pinging is a way of notifying blog search engines that you have updated your blog so that they can index it in their search results, this is important is you want your articles listed in search engines. Although most good blogs ping various blog search engine by using pingomatic or pingoat. you can add additional pinging services manually.
Technorati tags: wordpress, windows, live, writer, blogging, editors, blog editor
Yes, I’ve been following WLW too, and it has replaced w.bloggar as my favourite offline blogging tool. Nice write-up!
By: Andy Piper on October 7, 2006
at 6:29 pm
Best is Zoundry and I hope new version will be much much better
http://www.zoundry.com
By: Roman on October 7, 2006
at 8:03 pm
Been using Live Writer a few months now and gave it a vague review on my blog.
I like it alot.
There is only one thing that bugs me with it and that is when I hit enter it adds a line break space. I really would like an enter to simply mean the next line. This sometimes makes quoting a block of text awkward as it adds a space line in between each line. That doesn’t always happen but often does and I see no way around it.
By: becs on October 7, 2006
at 9:58 pm
I’ve heard that BlogDesk is a much better application and that WLW is buggy. If I were going to try one first it would be blogDesk going from the experiences I’ve read about.
By: britgirl on October 8, 2006
at 3:52 am
I have not had any bugs with windows live writer. I have tried blogdesk, but it does not yet work with Vista. It gets itself into a continual loop error.
By: becs on October 8, 2006
at 6:18 pm
I have been a BlogDesk user for months and I am a happy camper. I have never experienced a glitch or problem of any kind using this free opensource offline editor. It’s intuitive and easy to use. Glitz and hype aren’t my bag and Bill Gates doesn’t need my support.
By: timethief on October 9, 2006
at 1:02 am
I have been using Windows LW since quite some time and I really like it a lot. I tried installing the plug-in for inserting Technorati tags..but its not working due to some reason
So, what I do now is write my post using LW and then go to manage posts and add it again! I havent really tried any other writing software…LW is awesome!
By: ruhi on October 9, 2006
at 2:23 am
I must say that BlogWriter is one of the best, if not THE BEST, offline writer out there. I couldnt fine much to whine about. And for M$ to release a product where users have nothing much to worry about..well you know that theyre doing it right this time!
What can i say..”Im Hooked”.
By: wildgrey on October 9, 2006
at 6:02 am
@ britgirl I looked through Blogdesk it looks good. But WLR has more features. I personally didn’t have problems using it also I havent seen any bugs so far.
@timethief you need to use what you feel suits you. I am not a MS hater. I rather look at the quality of the product and I feel WLR is a excellent piece of software.
@ruhi are you using the latest version? have you tried placing the DLL file in the plugins folder where Windows live Writer is installed it should solve your problem.
@Roman I looked at zoundary but I am not impressed with it. I provides the bare essentials.
By: bluesaze on October 9, 2006
at 10:43 am
[...] Alternatif selalu ada, tadinya pakai Performancing -FireFox (PFF) ternyata masih lambat juga. Njla-la (secara kebetulan) ketemu yang namanya Windows Live Writer alias WLW (hehehe… yg alergi ama microsoft dilarang pakai). Klaim dari beberapa hasil review WLW ini: jauh lebih mudah, pengeditan cepat. Mendukung untuk multiple blog dan cross posting. Editing dilakukan secara offline, bila sudah siap tinggal posting. Memiliki fleksibiltas yg lebih, misalnya untuk sisip “emotion”, Technorati tags, Google maps, Youtube videos, Odeo dll. Dan lain-lain lagi. Baca sendiri ah… di sini. Eh WLW bisa juga dipakai untuk WP.com, kalo ngapain sy tulis ini heheheh. [...]
By: WLW Alternatif nDo-Blog Off Line di WP.com « Pengajaran Kimia dan TIK on October 11, 2006
at 4:03 am
@bluesaze.. I currently use Blogjet but LW really looks good. I had just heard of Blogdesk from users and it sounded good. But I think I will give WLR a closer look. Wonder if I can import my posts from Blogjet into WLR?
And I forgot to thank Scribez for such a great review. Thanks!
By: britgirl on October 13, 2006
at 4:48 am
HI Britgirl, I am not sure you can import posts from another blog program, but you can download your previous posts that are up on your blog.
By: becs on October 13, 2006
at 2:44 pm
@becs oops looks like you answered the question before me.
By: scribez on October 13, 2006
at 3:41 pm
I just tried BlogDesk and it does not wrap lines. The lines go on and on until I pressed enter for a new paragraph.
I uploaded a test and it ignored my template style and the words just got cut off at the edge of the template rather than wrapping to fit as Live Write does.
By: becs on October 13, 2006
at 9:14 pm
[...] Page Summary: I am going to highlight only the best features of windows live writer and why Windows live writer is the best offline blog editor that I have seen so far in fact I believe it has no competition. If you are a serious blogger you would most probably be using offline blog editors like Performancing extension for Firefox, Qumana, wbloggar etc. (If you want your blog posts listed blog search engines)Support for Extra plugins that insert specific functionality/tags. Below I have listed some of the best plugins that can help you improve your blogging experience.read more | digg story [...]
By: Mexico501 » Blog Archive » The Best Free Blog Editor : Windows Live Writer on October 27, 2006
at 10:39 am
[...] Доста по-подробна информация може да се почерпи от тук. [...]
By: Loshia Blogs The World » Windows Live Writer on October 28, 2006
at 4:28 pm
Windows Live Writer looks great and you guys seem to have a good opinion of it. However I cannot download it as apparently I dont have ‘NET Framework’ whatever that is. Any help or suggestions please. JohnL
By: JohnL on November 13, 2006
at 3:49 am
hi John
Download the Dot Net Framework from Microsoft. Just like you need Java to run Java Programs similarly you need Dot Net to run Dot net Programs.
The download link is given below.
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=0856eacb-4362-4b0d-8edd-aab15c5e04f5&displaylang=en
By: scribez on November 13, 2006
at 10:41 am
Thamks for that scribez – I spent an hour on search looking for that last night. Doh!
By: JohnL on November 14, 2006
at 2:55 am
HI All, I started using Windows LW today, while downloading the CSS it said “The style post used for editing your post could not be downloaded”…”You will be able to post to this weblog but the editor will not use your blog style”
The style i am using is taken from blogger itself http://mercuryquicktestprofessional.blogspot.com
Please let me know if anybody could provide solution.
By: Ankur on December 28, 2006
at 2:43 pm
I Think its because you are using The new Blogger
By: scribez on December 28, 2006
at 2:52 pm
thats true I m using the new blogger but my other blog hosted on the same(new blogger) is working fine…and the style has also been downloaded successfully
By: Ankur on December 28, 2006
at 3:02 pm
[...] I decided to see if I could do the same thing in WLW, a Google search took me to Scribez, which had this excellent post giving details on configuring WLW, including some useful plugins, some of which I’d heard of, [...]
By: rodtempleton.net » Blog Archive » An Excellent Rundown of Windows Live Writer on January 3, 2007
at 5:03 am