Nov 19, 2007

So, I was writing a post on how I was checking out Contribute CS3, but it didn’t go so well.

Adobe bills Contribute as

Adobe® Contribute® CS3 enables content authors to quickly and easily update existing websites and blogs while maintaining site integrity — with no technical expertise required.

A lofty goal to be sure. Honestly, I was very excited to try it. Unfortunately, it didn’t seem to provide very much value add to the whole blogging experience.  To make matters worse, just as I was in the process of saying that it didn’t provide better:

• Writing experience
• Editing
• Spell checking
• or Previewing

when the program just up and pooped the bed.  Yup, just froze up on me.  In fact, here is a little pic of it doing just that.

Talk about disappointment!  Helpful blogging tool for the technically challenged?  I think not.  The thing didn’t even HAVE the word blog in the darn spell checker.  Need I say more?

And, while I’m at it, what’s so hard about writing a new post in WordPress, or MT or Blogger for that matter.   If for some crazy reason their WYSIWYG editors scare the pants off of some one, just use email submission.  Easy, quick and done from their email application of choice!

Still, I wish that Contribute had the chops to go the distance.  I think there is room for a tool of this nature – there’s a lot of space between Dreamweaver and Outlook.  Maybe CS4 will see a better incarnation.

PS – After the crap that I gave Contribute for not having Blog in the spell checking dictionary, WordPress doesn’t have its own name in the dictionary either…  Wow, I think that’s the first thing I’ve ever said about WordPress that can be construed as even remotely negative.    Not bad for nearly 2 years!