Lamenting The Lack Of Mobile Blogging Apps

[MLO]

And my lack of ability to write one for myself.

Seriously. I have BlogsInHand loaded on my iPAQ 4150 and I like everything about it...except for the fact that it doesn't support the new Atom API and probably won't any time ever. Which means that whenever I post with the app I have to go online and re-edit the post to include the title that the Blogger API doesn't support.

I've tried PocketBlogger...but it is not as feature rich as BlogsInHand and PocketBlog's performance is spotty at best on my handheld.

The new incarnation of the AtomAPI looks so easy in the RFC...why hasn't Blogger put out a simple functioning mobile client?

:frusty: Grrrrrrrr. Does anyone else share this frustration? It's enough to make me consider switching from Blogger to something else. Not as though that would help.

[Jon Westfall]

Well, don't switch to LiveJournal. I started using it a year ago and really like it (i don't mind the angst-ridden teenagers), however I've yet to find a good pocket pc client or solution for it :(

[kellybelly]

I've always used Pocket SharpMT (http://www.pocketpcfreewares.com/en/index.php?soft=1287) to update my Movable Type blogs. It utilizes the XML-RPC API, so it might be able to work -- or be adapted to work -- with any blogging software that uses the same API. So that option is open if you decide to switch to something else.

Have you tried PocketBlogWriter (http://kevdaly.aspxconnection.com/PocketBlogWriter.aspx) or Finch (https://sourceforge.net/projects/finchpb/)? I haven't tried either.

And I agree with Jon Westfall; there are no good LJ clients. I've been waiting patiently.

[MLO]

I've always used Pocket SharpMT (http://www.pocketpcfreewares.com/en/index.php?soft=1287) to update my Movable Type blogs. It utilizes the XML-RPC API, so it might be able to work -- or be adapted to work -- with any blogging software that uses the same API. So that option is open if you decide to switch to something else.

Have you tried PocketBlogWriter (http://kevdaly.aspxconnection.com/PocketBlogWriter.aspx) or Finch (https://sourceforge.net/projects/finchpb/)? I haven't tried either.

And I agree with Jon Westfall; there are no good LJ clients. I've been waiting patiently.

I'll try PocketSharpMT...do you happen to know if Atom is an XML-RPC API....or more specifically, if Blogger's Atom implementation fits that mold?

I tried PocketBlogWriter and Finch, and they both have the same drawback: they don't support saving drafts of posts. I've checked back repeatedly on Diarist (which is the new name for PocketBlogWriter) but I haven't on Finch....I'll check back and see if there have been any updates.

Thanks for the warning about LiveJournal...I'll steer clear.

[hamishmacdonald]

I just write my blog entries in the notepad, then paste them into PocketBlogger. I find that works really well. (I also think it's the nicest-looking of the programs.)

My only contention with PocketBlogger is that when I call up previous entries to edit them, it converts all my HTML tags into their HTML equivalent (so an e with an accent on it becomes "aegrave" or whatever the code is, and symbols like "<" get messed up by being spelled out).

Of course, it would also be nice to work offline. I'm not sure where the developer is at with the program.

[GSmith]

This is an informative thread.

Let me ask: What features do you want in a mobile blogging tool?

The current list seems to be:

AtomAPI
BloggerAPI
XML-RPC API
Offline create and edit, then queue for posting


Greg Smith
Author, FeederReader - The Pocket PC RSS, podcatcher, videocatcher
www.FeederReader.com - Download on the Road

[kellybelly]

I'll try PocketSharpMT...do you happen to know if Atom is an XML-RPC API....or more specifically, if Blogger's Atom implementation fits that mold?
I found some documentation on Blogger (http://www.blogger.com/developers/) that states that they're moving away from XML-RPC and moving towards SOAP. So I'm guessing that would be a no.

[MLO]

This is an informative thread.

Let me ask: What features do you want in a mobile blogging tool?

The current list seems to be:

AtomAPI
BloggerAPI
XML-RPC API
Offline create and edit, then queue for posting


Greg Smith
Author, FeederReader - The Pocket PC RSS, podcatcher, videocatcher
www.FeederReader.com - Download on the Road


For me what would help would be

-Offline create, edit, queue for post or save as draft
-Preconfigured tags
-Atom API support (although multiple blog support would be helpful too)
-the interface similar to BlogsInHand
-included title tags or a separate textbox for a title