As you might be able to tell from looking, something is different around here. So what’s changed?

I’ve switched from WordPress to Octopress, a Jekyll-based blogging platform that generates a completely static site. So there’s no database, no dynamic code (i.e. PHP), minimal memory footprint (which is great, given my recent hosting change) and best of all – it’s fast and secure. Using Octopress, it greatly reduces the security surface of the server, which means I spend less time worrying about updates and more time writing.

Thanks to the completely static nature of the platform, it’s extremely fast – it allows the server software to do what it does best: shove bits down the wire, instead of waiting on a database and parsing and executing dynamic code. In the coming days I’ll be tweaking the server software to optimize for performance, so it should get even faster.

I’m still trying to figure out the ideal workflow, but so far I think it’s the right platform for me. Hopefully, I’ll be able to keep the friction low and spend more time writing.

So what about WordPress? I still love the product – in general. It’s not perfect, and while it’s easy to get running, it takes some effort to make it fast and secure – something most people don’t do. If you want a full CMS and you’re willing to do it right, WordPress is a great option.

Personally, there are some frustrations with WordPress that I’m happy to be rid of – not the least of which is fighting the WordPress editor to maintain code formatting. It’s little things like this, that has had me looking for better options.

For your average non-developer, something like Octopress has too much friction – as the tag line says, it’s for hackers. If you aren’t comfortable with Ruby development, this probably isn’t the solution for you. If you are, and you want a lightning fast, flexible, and powerful platform – it’s a great option.

You may have noticed that there isn’t a comment form – I’ve went back to not having comments.

While I do greatly appreciate those that have taken the time to leave a comment, comments make up the vast minority of feedback I receive. Twitter, and Facebook are more common – so instead of slowing the site down and wasting my time fighting spam, I’ll just turn off the comments.

If you have feedback – question, suggestions, anything else – find me on twitter for the quickest response.