#46 / JAN 15: THE UNSETTLING CASE OF THE VANISHING BLOGS

I use Microsoft's Windows Live Writer to write my blogs in—and like it greatly.

It does everything I need, I can insert graphics as required, and it posts easily. However, it has one disconcerting limitation: It limits the number of Draft Titles you can read—at any one time—to 10.

That is normally more than enough. Recently, I was hit with a stronger than usual burst of writing energy and discovered it wasn't. I wrote 12 blogs ahead—and could only find 10. Two were missing!

AAAAAGH! Or some such.

Losing work upsets me more than most things. As I have written elsewhere, ideas are fragile things—and elusive into the bargain. To have them wander off is unsettling. They might be perfectly safe, but if you can't keep tabs on them, you have every reason to be concerned. They might be holed up in a hotel room somewhere. They are not strong on fidelity.

I'm not quite sure why Microsoft impose such limitations on Live Writer, but then I'm far from sure why they do many things. Could it be that they are big and arrogant, and think they know better?

In truth, Windows apart, they are no longer the worst. Mind you, the Windows evolution was so awful, it almost certainly constitutes a Crime Against Humanity.

Be that as it may, I vaguely remembered that even if you couldn't read the title of a draft, that didn't mean it wasn't there. It almost certainly was if you had saved it—and, of course I had saved it! Hadn’t I? 

But how could I make it appear? I knew it could be done, but I had forgotten. I tend to forget things to do with systems and procedures.

Eventually, it occurred to me that if I posted one of the 10 drafts, one of the missing drafts might reveal itself—and so it proved. Break out the champagne and fireworks. Haul in the dancing girls (and boys if you are so inclined).

Drama over until the next time.

I'm now doing my initial drafts in Evernote and pasting them across to Windows Live Writer for a final polish. Will that work? Well, it should certainly allow me to stockpile any quantity of blogs I want—and find them—but will there be formatting issues?

I'll let you know.

I live in hopes Evernote will expand the word and graphic handling side of their software. Given a few changes, I could near live in it— it’s a truly invaluable piece of work.

Microsoft might buy the company. If it does, I shall run screaming into the darkness.