I appreciate the support of my Wish List feature request, but I disagree with the insinuation that my occasional mention of a competing web design app is “bad forum behavior.” I shall now explain why…
My mention of that other web design app is like breathing to me since I’ve used it continually since 1999. How many of you have used a web design app exclusively and regularly for 20 years, from MacOS 9 through every variant of OS X? I was so enamored with that app back in 1999 that I worked with a company here in Japan to get the app translated and sold here in Japan. Indeed, I was one of the two people self-assigned to the translation team who translated the UI (via PowerGlot) and the huge printed manual into Japanese. I attended two Macworld Tokyo shows at a booth created and paid for by the company in Japan promoting the software, along side an engineer from the UK developer. I made a couple trips to Oxford to meet the engineering team. Features that I proposed were included in the software, including a feature that benefited MacOS 9 apps of the era – switchable UI language. All OS X apps have it today but back in the OS9 days it was unheard of. Only Quark Express had at back in 1999, and I proposed it be added to the Freeway app, and thankfully it was implemented. It was raved about at Macworld when when journalists found out and interviewed me at the booth.
Having seen my contributions to that web design app come to light and benefit the app through the years, I naturally treat other apps like Blocs in like manner, hoping to contribute along with the rest of you in making Blocs the best it can be. But I also am well aware that apps only become as good as the developer wants them to be. My job is not to replace the developer but instead be as helpful and suggestive as I can be, for the good of the app. If the developer does not appreciate some of what I contribute, it’s their decision, and there are no hard feelings on my part. That’s the way things work for all of us.
So why is it NOT “bad forum behavior” to mention “Freeway” here in the Blocs forum? Because Freeway is NOT designed for responsive website construction. Seriously, it’s not. Even though some users of it have created responsive sites, if you saw what hoops they leaped through to do it, you would shaking your head laughing while running back to Blocs! Think about it. If that other app can create responsive sites, then why am I here, folks? Think about it. It’s almost like me mentioning Subway sandwiches here and then somebody comes along getting bent out of shape over it! Apples and oranges, folks. Apples and oranges. Blocs is in a league of its own, and I appreciate that.
SoftPress pulled the plug on their company a while back, jettisoned all employees, and then the company mysteriously reappeared a year later with slimmed down staff, still selling the same product they had before. They are still working to make a 64-bit app, but there are no signs it will happen and no signs that the new app will even be different or better at creating responsive sites. Why do I mention this? Because Freeway in no way diminishes the importance of and need for Blocs.
I’ve been attracted to Blocs since version 2.x. Indeed, I’ve raved about Blocs for a long while on FreewayTalk! Indeed, both Norm and I have discussed Blocs on FreewayTalk! So if one contends it is naughty for anyone to talk about a competing software app in the forum of another software app, then one dares to point the finger of condemnation at Norm too! I don’t know about you, but I am not going to do that to Norm or anyone else.
There are pretty much two ways you can look at things in life. You can view them positively without criticism, or you can view them negatively and chastise others. To those of you who have viewed me and my words in a positive light, I thank you. I have purchased Blocs FOR GOOD REASON despite having been a Freeway user for 20 years. That act alone should tell anyone and everyone just how much merit there is in Blocs! My words in this forum do not preach reasons to switch to another web design app, even if I mention features inherent to other apps. We would be silly to close our eyes to all other apps, never test them, and never propose new features in Blocs that we see in those other apps. Even Steve Jobs needed inspiration from Xerox Parc. Let’s not forget that.
Now let’s get back to brainstorming Blocs!