Editing Movable Type

{{Short description|Blogging software}}
{{About|the weblog software|movable type printing technology|Movable type}}
{{Infobox software
| name = Movable Type
| logo = Movable Type logo.svg
| logo size = 200px
| screenshot = Edit Entry - Movable Type 401.png
| screenshot size = 230px
| caption =
| author = [[Benjamin Trott|Ben Trott]]
| developer = [[Six Apart]]
| released = {{Start date and age|2001|10|08}}
| ver layout = stacked
| latest release version = 8.4.0<!-- If you update this, remember to also update [[List of content management systems]]--> <ref name="releases">{{cite web
    | url = https://www.github.com/movabletype/movabletype/releases
    | title = Releases · movabletype/movabletype
    | website = github.com
    | access-date = 2024-12-03
  }}</ref>  
| latest release date = {{Start date and age|2024|11|05}}
| latest preview version =
| latest preview date =
| operating system =
| platform = [[Perl]], [[PHP]] (for dynamic publishing)
| language = [[Dutch language|Dutch]], [[English language|English]], [[French language|French]], [[German language|German]], [[Japanese language|Japanese]], [[Russian language|Russian]], [[Spanish language|Spanish]]
| language count = 7
| genre = [[Blog publishing system]]
| license = [[Proprietary software]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.movabletype.com/license.html|title=Movable Type: Licensing Info|access-date=December 7, 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131217154641/http://www.movabletype.com/license.html|archive-date=December 17, 2013}}</ref>
| website =
}}
'''Movable Type''' is a [[blog software|weblog publishing system]] developed by the company [[Six Apart]]. It was publicly announced on September 3, 2001;<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.movabletype.com/blog/2001/09/welcome.html|title=Welcome|publisher=Six Apart|date=September 3, 2001|first1=Ben|last1=Trott|first2=Mena|last2=Trott|access-date=August 27, 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071026024457/http://www.movabletype.com/blog/2001/09/welcome.html|archive-date=October 26, 2007}}</ref> version 1.0 was publicly released on October 8, 2001.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.movabletype.com/blog/2001/10/please-read-before-downloading.html|title=Please Read Before Downloading|publisher=Six Apart|date=October 8, 2001|last=Trott|first=Mena|access-date=August 27, 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101206044705/http://www.movabletype.com/blog/2001/10/please-read-before-downloading.html|archive-date=December 6, 2010}}</ref>
The current version is 8.0.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://movabletype.org/news/2023/11/mt-802-released.html|title=Movable Type 8 released|last=Hirata|first=Daiji|date=Nov 1, 2023|publisher=Six Apart}}</ref>

Movable Type is [[proprietary software]]. From June 2007 to July 2013, Six Apart ran the ''Movable Type Open Source Project'', which offered a version of Movable Type under the [[GPL]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://movabletype.org/news/2013/07/clarifying_changes_to_movable_type_starting_with_mt6.html|title=Clarifying Changes to Movable Type Starting With MT6|date=July 11, 2013|access-date=November 11, 2013|last=Minton|first=Robert}}</ref>

==Features==
Movable Type's features include the ability to host multiple weblogs and standalone content pages, manage files, user roles, templates, tags, categories, and [[trackback]] links.<ref name="macworld_weblogs">{{cite journal | last = Hacker | first = Scot | title = Put Weblogs to Work: low-cost tools let you publish professional and personal sites instantly | journal = Macworld | volume = 9 | year = 2003 | url = http://www.macworld.com/article/24901/2003/07/putweblogstowork.html | access-date = August 27, 2010 | archive-date = August 20, 2010 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100820053142/http://www.macworld.com/article/24901/2003/07/putweblogstowork.html | url-status = dead }}</ref> The application supports static page generation (in which files for each page are updated whenever the content of the site is changed), dynamic page generation (in which pages are composited from the underlying data as the browser requests them), or a combination of the two techniques. Movable Type optionally supports [[Lightweight Directory Access Protocol]] (LDAP) for user and group management and automatic blog provisioning.

Movable Type is written in [[Perl]], and supports storage of the weblog's content and associated data within [[MySQL]] natively. [[PostgreSQL]] and [[SQLite]] support was available prior to version 5, and can still be used via plug-ins.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.movabletype.org/documentation/database/migrate-sqlite-postgresql.html|title=Migrating to MySQL from SQLite or PostgreSQL|date=November 19, 2009|access-date=June 23, 2012|publisher=Six Apart}}</ref> Movable Type Enterprise also supports the [[Oracle database]] and [[Microsoft SQL Server]].

==History==
Version 1.0 was released in October 2001.  Movable Type 2.6 was released February 13, 2003.<ref>{{cite web|title=How old is your "old version" of Movable Type?|url=http://after6services.com/services/upgrade-service/version-history.php|website=After6 Services|access-date=5 October 2014|archive-date=6 October 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006121940/http://after6services.com/services/upgrade-service/version-history.php|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The [[TrackBack]] feature was introduced in version 2.2, and has since been adopted by a number of other blog systems.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.movabletype.org/documentation/trackback/beginners/ |title=A Beginner's Guide to TrackBack |publisher=Six Apart Ltd |first1=Ben |last1=Trott |first2=Mena |last2=Trott |access-date=3 April 2012}}</ref>

With the release of version 3.0 in 2004, there were marked changes in Movable Type's licensing, most notably placing greater restrictions on its use without paying a licensing fee.<ref>{{cite news |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040514045704/http://www.sixapart.com/corner/archives/2004/05/its_about_time.shtml |url=http://www.sixapart.com/corner/archives/2004/05/its_about_time.shtml |title=It's About Time |author=Trott, Mena |publisher=Six Apart |archive-date=14 May 2004 |date=13 May 2004| access-date=3 April 2012}}</ref><ref name="NC1">{{cite web |url=http://news.netcraft.com/archives/2004/05/17/changes_at_mt_blogger_highlight_blog_hosting_strategies.html |title=Changes at MT, Blogger Highlight Blog Hosting Strategies |author=Miller, Rick |publisher=NetCraft |date=17 May 2004 |access-date=3 April 2012}}</ref><ref name="NW1">{{cite web|url=http://www.networkworld.com/community/node/501 |title=The cost of blogging |publisher=NetworkWorld |date=13 May 2004 |access-date=3 April 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130630033709/http://www.networkworld.com/community/node/501 |archive-date=June 30, 2013 }}</ref> This sparked criticism from some users of the software, with some moving to the then-new open-source blogging tool [[WordPress]].<ref name="NC1" /><ref name="NW1" /> With the release of Movable Type 3.2, the ability to create an unlimited number of weblogs at all licensing levels was restored. In Movable Type 3.3, the product once again became completely free for personal users.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sixapart.com/about/press/2006/07/six-apart-relea.html|title=Six Apart Releases Movable Type Enterprise and Movable Type 3.3|date=July 12, 2006|publisher=Six Apart|work=Press Center|access-date=August 27, 2010}}</ref>

Six Apart released a beta version of Movable Type 4 on June 5, 2007, and re-launched movabletype.org as a community site, for purposes of developing an [[open-source software|open-source]] version that was released under the GNU General Public License on December 12, 2007.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.movabletype.org/opensource/|title=Welcome to the Movable Type Open Source Project|date=December 10, 2008|access-date=August 27, 2010|publisher=Six Apart}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,134807-c,webauthoringsoftware/article.html|title=Six Apart Movable Type 4.0 Beta|first=Don|last=Reisinger|work=PC World|date=July 19, 2007|access-date=August 27, 2010|quote=Six Apart's Movable Type is widely recognized as the powerhouse of blogging tools because of its extensive management features and customizability.|archive-date=May 23, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080523112130/http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,134807-c,webauthoringsoftware/article.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>  Movable Type 4's Enterprise version provides advanced features such as [[Lightweight Directory Access Protocol|LDAP]] management, and enterprise database integration such as Oracle, MySQL, user roles, blog cloning, and automated blog provisioning. It is also available as part of Intel's SuiteTwo professional software offering of Web 2.0 tools.

Movable Type 5 was released in Open Source and Pro versions in January 2010,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.movabletype.com/blog/2010/01/introducing-movable-type-5-1.html|title=Introducing Movable Type 5|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140723041750/http://www.movabletype.com/blog/2010/01/introducing-movable-type-5-1.html|archive-date=2014-07-23}}</ref> with several bug-fix and security updates appearing later in the year. Movable Type Enterprise remains based on Movable Type 4.

Movable Type 6 was released in 2013; this release included the termination (once again) of the Open Source licensing option.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://movabletype.org/news/2013/07/clarifying_changes_to_movable_type_starting_with_mt6.html|title=MovableType.org – News: Clarifying Changes to Movable Type Starting with MT6|website=movabletype.org}}</ref> Movable Type is now available in "Professional" and "Enterprise" closed versions.

Melody was a [[Fork (software development)|fork]] of the open-source Movable Type distribution, announced in June 2009.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://openmelody.org/blog/2009/06/introducing-melody|title=Introducing Melody|date=June 22, 2009|access-date=August 27, 2010|publisher=Open Melody Software Group|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111007205613/http://openmelody.org/blog/2009/06/introducing-melody|archive-date=October 7, 2011}}</ref> Its [https://github.com/openmelody/melody/ development] was being guided by a non-profit group consisting of current and former Six Apart employees, as well as other consultants and volunteers, but development appeared to cease in the middle of 2011.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://forums.movabletype.org/2012/02/what-apocalypse-hit-this-community-in-the-middle-of-2011.html|title=What apocalypse hit this community in the middle of 2011?|publisher=MovableType forum|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130326062806/http://forums.movabletype.org:80/2012/02/what-apocalypse-hit-this-community-in-the-middle-of-2011.html|archive-date=March 26, 2013}}</ref>

At various times, Six Apart also maintained three other weblog publishing systems—[[TypePad]], [[Vox (blogging platform)|Vox]], and [[LiveJournal]]. While Movable Type is a system which needs to be installed on a user's own web server, TypePad, Vox, and LiveJournal were all hosted weblog services.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.typepad.com|title=TypePad|publisher=Six Apart|access-date=August 27, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.vox.com|title=Vox|publisher=Six Apart|access-date=August 27, 2010}}</ref> LiveJournal, purchased in 2005, was sold in 2007. Shortly before being acquired by web advertising firm VideoEgg to form [[SAY Media]] in September 2010, Six Apart announced that it would be shutting down the Vox service at the end of that month, leaving TypePad and Movable Type as the company's only blogging platforms.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://closing.vox.com/|title=Vox is closing on September 30, 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100902214148/http://closing.vox.com/|archive-date=September 2, 2010}}</ref> In January 2011, SAY Media announced that Infocom, a Japanese IT company, had acquired Six Apart Japan and that as part of the transaction, Infocom would assume responsibility for Movable Type.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sixapart.com/blog/2011/01/sixapart-japan-to-be-acquired.html|title=Six Apart Japan to be acquired by Infocom and assume responsibility for Movable Type and Six Apart brand|url-status=dead|access-date=2011-01-21|archive-date=2011-01-24|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110124015252/http://www.sixapart.com/blog/2011/01/sixapart-japan-to-be-acquired.html}}</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|Free and open-source software}}
* [[Weblog software]]
* [[List of content management systems]]
* [[WordPress]]

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}

==External links==
* [http://movabletype.com/ movabletype.com] Movable Type marketing website
* [http://movabletype.org/ movabletype.org] Movable Type developer documentation in English
* [http://movabletype.jp/ movabletype.jp] Movable Type developer documentation in Japanese
{{Perl}}

[[Category:Content management systems]]
[[Category:Perl software]]
[[Category:Blog software]]
[[Category:2001 software]]
[[Category:Blog hosting services]]