diff --git a/content/posts/2023/11/why_zola.md b/content/posts/2023/11/why_zola.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..3c2195d --- /dev/null +++ b/content/posts/2023/11/why_zola.md @@ -0,0 +1,42 @@ ++++ +title = "Why I moved from Wordpress to Zola" +date = 2023-11-18 +draft = true +[taxonomies] +tags= ["shortnotes"] ++++ + +I've used a few different site generators and blogging platforms over the years, including but not limited to: +- Wordpress +- Google Blogger +- Tumblr +- Pelican +- MediaWiki (yes, it counts) +- DokuWiki (it counts too!) +- Zola + +Each one comes with benefits and trade-offs. +That should go without saying. +This post about the *specific* trade-offs that made me switch from Wordpress to Zola. + +The first and most important was the writing. +The topics that I like to write about often warrant the use of `monospace text` to denote commands and code. +Inline monospace is fine, but both the block and classic editors fail at making blocks easy to insert. +Combined with the annoyances around making a simple table was enough for me to look elsewhere. + +The second major problem was customization. +Wordpress *thrives* on being customized. +Unfortuantely, it is also a pain to customize. +I'm not a web developer and I don't want to learn a subset of PHP to get my link colors to look right with my color scheme. + +So why didn't I immediately move after making the blog? +Because I wanted to have the "write from anywhere" ability that Wordpress offered, while keeping ownership over the website. +Tumblr and Blogger let you write from anywhere, but come with a lot of caveats for custom domains (or general usage). +On the other hand, Pelican and Zola allow you full control over nearly every aspect, but you'd need to be able to build and deploy the website to a specific place from anywhere. + +My new solution (and latest accomplishment on the "I did something cool!" list) is a Jenkins host to... +1. Poll for new commits in the repo +2. Build the website if new commits exist +3. Push the build if it succeeds. +It's my first time using any kind of CI/CD and it's been an ordeal, but I have it working. +We'll see where it goes from here!