Articles - Page 48

What I Mean to Say: A Practitioner Perspective on AI, Semantics, and Content Evolution

msalvatierra

<p>Penzu is a private, 100% customizable online journal that is used by millions of people across the world. In this <strong>Penzu Review</strong> we're going to take you through the various features and functionality of the product to provide you with an overall idea of the strengths and weakness of the offering.</p><h2><strong>Penzu Pricing</strong></h2><p>There are three tiers of pricing for Penzu – each offering a different set of features but for the majority of people, the free offering is going to be more than enough. Here's a breakdown of the current pricing from their website.</p><p><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/penzu-pricing-table_kpyp6y.png" /></p><p>Penzu Pricing Table</p><p>In the grand scheme of things, if you do decide you want the full selection of features, $50 / year is pretty darn cheap so it's definitely NOT out of reach for the average person which is nice.</p><h2><strong>Penzu Features</strong></h2><p>Each pricing tier offers a different selection of features and while I feel that for the average user, the free option is quite extensive in it's feature set.. the Pro and Pro+ both have quite an impressive set of features as well.</p><p>Here's a screenshot of the feature breakdown in each tier:</p><p><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/penzu-feature-chart_rrnfsn.png" /></p><p>Penzu Feature Chart</p><h2><strong>Getting Started with Penzu</strong></h2><p>Getting started is easy, just click the <i>Get Started</i> button and fill in the information required and an account will be instantly created for you.</p><p><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/penzu-getting-started_zaysi3.png" /></p><p>Penzu – Getting Started</p><p>Once you've filled in the info above, you'll be taken to a wizard that has been designed to help you begin your writing experience with Penzu.</p><p>The first item the wizard prompts you for is your first entry, which suggests that you write about why you are starting a journal in the first place. You can skip this if you choose using the <i>Skip this Step</i> link underneath the entry box.</p><p><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/penzu-getting-started-wizard_zwz4mr.png" /></p><p>Penzu Getting Started Wizard</p><p>Once you've filled in your first entry (or clicked Skip) you'll be taken to the next screen where you can customize the font (or other options if you've purchased Pro or Pro+).</p><p><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/penzu-customizing-your-entries_q6foix.png" /></p><p>Penzu Customizing your Entries</p><p>Next up, you are asked if you want to change the Journal cover color and if you wish to password protect your journal.</p><p><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/customizing-your-journal_tibpe7.png" /></p><p>Customizing your Journal</p><p>Finally, once you've finished all of your customizations (which are pretty basic in the free version) the wizard will complete and you'll be taken to the main screen of your journal.</p><h2><strong>Your Penzu Journal</strong></h2><p>This will be the main screen where you write all of your entries and manage your journal.</p><p>There are limited options here but that's OK because Penzu was not designed to waste your time with themes, plugins and such that other tools like WordPress offer. It was designed first and foremost as a writing tool to help you gather and share your thoughts.</p><h2><strong>Settings</strong></h2><p>You can access basic settings (such as the few that you saw in the wizard) by clicking on the gear icon on the left.</p><p><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/penzu-settings_kzu2yx.png" /></p><p>Penzu Settings</p><h2><strong>Using the Penzu Editor</strong></h2><p>The editor is very nice and easy to use with a few interesting options. You can click on the paintbrush icon to open up a background selection tool which allows you to choose a background (if so desired).</p><p><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/penzu-background-selection_cwe8i5.png" /></p><p>Penzu Background Selection</p><p>You can also choose pad styles which will change how your journal entries themselves look. For example:</p><p><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/penzu-pad-styles_z98c7l.png" /></p><p>Penzu Pad Styles</p><h2><strong>Journal Prompts</strong></h2><p>You may notice within the editor there are a number of icons you can choose from. The <i>light bulb</i> icon within the editor inserts a <a target="_blank" href="https://penzu.com/journal-prompts">Journal Prompt</a> which is described in the help section as:</p><blockquote><p>a simple statement designed to inspire you or offer you an idea of what to write about.</p></blockquote><p>This is an example of what a prompt looks like:</p><p><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/penzu-journal-prompts_bczpw6.png" /></p><p>Penzu Journal Prompts</p><p>You can switch prompts by clicking on the refresh icon (two arrows in a circle) or, if you are a Pro user, you can click <i>Select</i> and browse the prompts to find some inspiration. For Pro users, there are over 1,000 hand picked prompts to choose from – which is a pretty impressive amount!</p><h2><strong>Penzu Time Capsule</strong></h2><p>The next icon you'll see is an hour glass and activates a feature called Time Capsule. This cool feature allows you to email an entry to your future self and is a pretty neat option to have if, for instance, you set goals for yourself in your journal and want to send yourself a note 3 months down the road to see if you achieved them (for example).</p><p><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/penzu-time-capsule_xvdwto.png" /></p><p>Penzu Time Capsule</p><p>There are lots of things this can be used for. You can use Penzu as a way to set reminders and notify yourself on a certain day to do something or perhaps you want to send yourself motivational content down the road. Either way, it's an interesting and handy feature.</p><h2><strong>Other Editor Icons</strong></h2><p>The remaining icons allow you to tag your content (pro users only), upload images, format text, view entry versions or activate <i>Zen Mode </i>(distraction free writing – for pro users only).</p><p><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/penzu-editor-icons_dwgqnq.png" /></p><p>Penzu Editor Icons</p><h2><strong>Support / Help Options</strong></h2><p>There are plenty of support options available which can be located by clicking on your name in the top right of the screen. Their FAQs are quite extension as is their help section and given the simplicity of the tool, there shouldn't be much support needed to use it. It is, however, nice to know it's there.</p><p><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/penzu-support-help-options_u7zpvh.png" /></p><p>Penzu Support &amp; Help Options</p><h2><strong>Conclusion</strong></h2><p>Penzu is an impressive and interesting journaling platform. I found myself drawn to the simplicity of the tool and how it removes the user from the sometimes overwhelming feature overload found in some modern tools. I like the pricing of the tool and think it's more than reasonable for the features offered and the integrated features such as Time Shift, Journal Prompts and more really add to the uniqueness of the platform.</p><p>I'm giving it a <strong>5/5</strong> on the basis that it not only serves it's purpose as an excellent journaling platform but also because it goes one step further with thoughtful features and options that you might not even realize you need.</p><p>You can learn more about Penzu or sign up for an account here: <a target="_blank" href="https://penzu.com/">Penzu Website</a></p><p>If you found this review helpful, check out our other reviews such as this: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cmscritic.com/ghost-pro-review/">Ghost Pro review.</a></p>

Penzu Review

mike-johnston

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Namecheap Celebrates WordPress’ 16th Birthday With Big Three-Day Sale On EasyWP

<p>Manjaro Linux is one of the most popular Linux distributions on the planet and impressively, one of the top three over at the ever popular website <a target="_blank" href="http://distrowatch.com/">Distrowatch</a> but does it hold up as something you should run as a daily driver? Find out in this Manjaro Review.</p><p><i><strong>This review has been updated and is now based on the most recent Manjaro 18 release.</strong></i></p><p>Installation is exactly the same as it has been for as long as I can remember so I'm not going to get into how it works. It's pretty much identical to every Linux distribution from that standpoint.</p><p><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/manjaro-review-the-install-process_ywu7fe.png" /></p><p>The Install Process – Manjaro Review</p><p>The particular edition I'm testing is the XFCE release since it's the default desktop of choice for Manjaro. They do, however, offer KDE, Gnome and an Architect edition (which is used to build and customize your own iso).</p><h2><strong>The Desktop</strong></h2><p>Boot-up was, as expected, quite fast. Manjaro has always impressed me from a speed perspective.</p><p>One of the nice features that Manjaro (and a handful of other distributions) include is a handy welcome window (Manjaro Hello). From a user experience perspective, this is a good way to introduce users to their new environment and offer them some resources to help them familiarize themselves. I've always been a big fan of these little touches.</p><p><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/manjaro-review-welcome-screen_ottc8y.jpg" /></p><p>Manjaro Review – Welcome Screen</p><p>For those who speak different languages and prefer to switch to something more native, the top left drop down allows you to switch quickly and easily.</p><h2><strong>The XFCE Desktop</strong></h2><p>The Manjaro desktop is a customized XFCE experience using a customized version of the <a target="_blank" href="https://github.com/adapta-project/adapta-gtk-theme">Adapta</a> theme. There is a menu on the left hand side of the screen, your system tray on the right and a few icons on the desktop.</p><p><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/manjaro-review-the-desktop_igj7lb.png" /></p><p>Manjaro Review – The Desktop</p><p>By default, Manjaro comes packed with a solid selection of software such as Firefox, LibreOffice, Audacious for your music library and more.</p><p><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/manjaro-review-the-menu_qi7n48.png" /></p><p>Manjaro Review – The Menu</p><h2><strong>Customization</strong></h2><p>XFCE is fairly easy to customize. For the panel, you can quickly add items to the panel by right clicking on it and choosing <i>Panel </i>followed by <i>Add New Items.</i></p><p><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/manjaro-review-adding-to-the-panel_hlfp59.jpg" /></p><p>Manjaro Review – Adding to the Panel</p><p>To modify the various theme settings, you can open <i>Appearance</i> from the menu in the bottom left.</p><p><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/manjaro-review-appearance-settings_y6xt60.jpg" /></p><p>Manjaro Review – Appearance Settings</p><p>The Manjaro folks are kind enough to include quite a few nice theme options to select from if you don't like the default look and feel so feel free to explore.</p><h2><strong>Manjaro Apps</strong></h2><p>Aside from the obvious beauty of the Plasma desktop, Manjaro provides some of their own integrated software as well such as the Manjaro Settings Manager which allows you to select from a number of available kernels, download additional language packs and install third party drivers for your hardware. You can access it either from the small M icon in the system tray by the clock or under Settings in the menu.</p><p><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/manjaro-review-manjaro-settings-manager_gynmco.jpg" /></p><p>Manjaro Review – Manjaro Settings Manager</p><p>Switching kernels is incredibly easy. Just be careful in doing so. I wouldn't recommend just swapping it out unless you know what you are doing or have a distinct purpose for doing so.</p><p><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/manjaro-review-choose-a-kernel_oksbww.jpg" /></p><p>Manjaro Review – Choose a Kernel</p><h2><strong>Included Applications</strong></h2><p>Audacious is included as the default music player and does a good job of providing enough features to suit most people. It also has a nice selection of plugins to help extend your player.</p><p><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/manjaro-review-audacious_sk4sva.png" /></p><p>Manjaro Review – Audacious</p><p>Steam, for gaming, appears to be included with this release as well.</p><p><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/manjaro-review-steam_gut2bo.jpg" /></p><p>Manjaro Review – Steam</p><p>Software is managed with the easy to use Pamac package manager and it worked for me as intended without issue. There's a nice hefty selection of software to choose from here as well – which is nice to see.</p><p><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/manjaro-review-pamac_iyn2yv.jpg" /></p><p>Manjaro Review – Pamac</p><p>Overall, there's a good selection of pre-installed and available applications to choose from.</p><h2><strong>Conclusion</strong></h2><p>In summary, Manjaro 18 feels like a pretty solid release. I came across no deal breakers and was able to work within the environment without issue. Everything felt fast and lean; something I've come to expect from Archlinux based releases; and worked well. If you suffer from <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cmscritic.com/the-trials-and-tribulations-of-a-distro-hopper/">distro hopping</a> syndrome like myself, give it a shot and let me know your thoughts. Also, if you are aware of any issues with this release, please let me know in the comments. I'm giving it a 5/5 due to the inclusion of such a wide variety of solid software and the stability and speed of the release.</p><p>Don't forget to check out some of our other reviews as well:</p><p><a target="_blank" href="https://www.cmscritic.com/elementary-os-review/">Elementary OS Review</a></p><p><a target="_blank" href="https://www.cmscritic.com/ubuntu-mate-review/">Ubuntu MATE Review</a></p><p><a target="_blank" href="https://www.cmscritic.com/reviews/solus-review/">Solus Review</a></p><p>You can grab your copy of Manjaro from their website here: <a target="_blank" href="https://manjaro.org/">Manjaro Linux</a></p>

Manjaro Review - Fast, Sleek and Packed with Software

<p>MX Linux is a popular and fast Linux distribution based on Debian stable that is currently in version 18.2. Today, I'm going to take you through my MX Linux Review to see why this distribution is so popular.</p><p>One of the best things about MX Linux is the variety of custom tools that have been built to make the life of the user easier. The team of developers at MX Linux have really outdone themselves making every single possible need as easy as possible with their MX apps.</p><p><i><strong>This review has been updated and is now based on the most recent MX Linux 18.2 release.</strong></i></p><h2><strong>What is MX Linux?</strong></h2><p>According to the MX Linux website:</p><p><i>MX Linux is a cooperative venture between the antiX and former MEPIS communities, using the best tools and talents from each distro. It is a midweight OS designed to combine an elegant and efficient desktop with simple configuration, high stability, solid performance and medium-sized footprint.</i></p><p>Installation is super smooth using their custom installer and I experienced no issues whatsoever with the process. From my experience, there were also no hardware issues but I'd be curious to know the experiences of others as well so please let me know in the comments.</p><h2><strong>The MX Linux Desktop</strong></h2><p>Upon first boot-up, you are presented with their customized XFCE desktop.</p><p><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/mx-linux-the-desktop_tkvgyo.png" /></p><p>MX Linux – The Desktop</p><p>One of the first things you'll notice about MX Linux is that the panel is assigned to the left side of the screen. This may initially seem a bit weird but I found that once you got used to it, it actually works quite well. Having said that, moving the panel to another location is quick and easy.</p><h2><strong>MX Apps</strong></h2><p>The developers at MX Linux have built a number of apps to allow you to do everything from tweaking your desktop, managing repositories and users and more. I won't go through them all here but I will focus on some of the key ones.</p><h3><strong>MX Welcome</strong></h3><p>The welcome screen that pops open offers links to the various resources on the web for support, discussions and video tutorials as well as their tools, tweak panel and more.</p><p><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/mx-linux-welcome-screen_eoycpt.jpg" /></p><p>MX Linux Welcome Screen</p><h3><strong>MX Tweak</strong></h3><p>MX Tweak is a simple tweak tool built by the developers to make modifying the desktop quick and easy.</p><p><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/mx-tweak_qs8vow.jpg" /></p><p>MX Tweak</p><p>The tweak tool allows you to make adjustments to the panel positioning, changing the desktop theme and adjusting the compositor and more.</p><p><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/mx-tweak-theme-selection_twifv6.jpg" /></p><p>MX Tweak – Theme Selection</p><h3><strong>MX Tools</strong></h3><p>Next up is the MX Tools menu. This is where the magic happens people! There's an app for almost everything you could want / need and they all work wonderfully to get the job done. Check it out:</p><p><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/mx-tools_w6ovip.jpg" /></p><p>MX Tools</p><h3><strong>MX Conky</strong></h3><p>One such tool that does a great job of making things easy is MX conky. With it, you can quickly load a Conky and position it, change the colors and format without ever having to touch a conky.rc file.</p><p><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/mx-conky_bstoke.jpg" /></p><p>MX Conky</p><h3><strong>MX Package Installer</strong></h3><p>One particularly good (and super fast) app that I'm a huge fan of is the MX Package Installer. Here you can easily manage installed apps and search for new ones with ease. Results are returned very quickly.</p><p><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/mx-package-installer_xadpgd.jpg" /></p><p>MX Package Installer</p><p>You can explore even further into the application catalog by switching repositories between Debian Stable, MX Testing and the Debian Backports.</p><p>What's even cooler is the recent addition of FlatPaks to the package installer. Now, if you click on the tab, you'll see an imported list of available FlatPak applications!</p><p><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/mx-package-installer-flatpaks_pdiz2g.jpg" /></p><h2><strong>MX Linux Review – Performance</strong></h2><p>From a performance perspective, when running the full desktop environment as well as a file manager, GIMP image editor, Firefox and a game, MX was showing less than half of the ram on a 2G system and minimal CPU usage. From my point of view, that's an impressive result.</p><p><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/mx-linux-review-performance_crizd2.webp" /></p><p>MX Linux Review – Performance</p><p> </p><h2><strong>MX Linux Review – Final Thoughts</strong></h2><p>Overall, <a target="_blank" href="https://mxlinux.org/">MX Linux</a> 18.2 is a fast, responsive, and well put together distribution. It includes tons of tools to help users and administrators get things done and it's built on a rock solid base with <a target="_blank" href="https://www.debian.org/">Debian</a>. While it's may not be as beautiful as a desktop-like <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cmscritic.com/reviews/solus-review/">Budgie</a> (in my humble opinion) it's definitely benefiting from a much larger selection of software than even the large Ubuntu repositories and is certainly chock full of useful applications and functionality.</p><p>Don't forget to also check out our <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cmscritic.com/reviews/solus-review/">Solus Review – Budgie Edition</a> and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cmscritic.com/ubuntu-mate-review/">Ubuntu MATE Review</a> as well.</p><p>Have you tried it? What are your thoughts?</p>

MX Linux Review

<p>As most of you know, I'm a huge Linux fan and I tend to try every distribution as it is released. Recently, I decided to give the Solus 4 distribution a try. Solus has been rapidly gaining ground in the rankings on the popular <a target="_blank" href="http://distrowatch.com/">Distrowatch</a> website and as such, I felt like now was a good time to share my thoughts with an updated Solus Review.</p><p><i><strong>This review has been updated and is now based on the most recent Solus 4 release.</strong></i></p><p>Solus is a unique distribution in that it is written from scratch, something we don't see that often anymore. Most new distributions tend to choose from either Debian, Ubuntu (technically they are the same thing to some extend), Arch or something else. Very rarely do we see a new “from scratch” distribution. Not only that, very rarely do we see a GOOD from scratch distribution.</p><p>Solus has been out for a couple of years now and version 4 is the currently available version. It uses the custom built Budgie desktop as the main desktop environment.</p><h2><strong>Solus Review</strong></h2><p>The install tool for Solus is super easy to use and quick, I had the system installed in no time with zero issues. Boot times are very fast as well and in only a couple of seconds, I went from starting my computer to the desktop with everything loaded and ready to go.</p><h3><strong>The Budgie Desktop</strong></h3><p>Here's how the desktop looks running Solus Budgie 4 at the moment. I should mention that they do offer MATE &amp; Gnome desktop editions of Solus as well if you, god forbid, don't like Budgie for some insane reason.</p><p><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/solus-review-the-desktop_t3eqth.png" /></p><p>Solus Review – The Desktop</p><p>By default, the desktop is very straight forward with a slick interface. The menu is in the bottom left (similar to Windows) while a selection of default applications (Firefox, File Manager, Gnome MPV and more) pinned to the right of it. On the far right hand side is the system tray with various icons.</p><p>Budgie has support for the addition of extra <i>applets</i> as well. Applets are small applications that run within the panel and can be added via the <i>Budgie Desktop Settings</i> app which I'll get into more in a moment.</p><p>The far left icon, as mentioned, is the one that expands the application menu, shown below.</p><p><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/solus-review-the-menu_xwo9t8.png" /></p><p>Solus Review – The Menu</p><p>On the right side of the screen is Raven, the slide-in panel for notifications and applets, shown below. Here it is with the <i>Applets</i> tab active.</p><p><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/solus-review-raven_hdvcy0.png" /></p><p>Solus Review – Raven</p><p>There is also a tab within Raven to view all of your notifications quickly and easily.</p><h3><strong>Modifying and Customizing Solus</strong></h3><p>Everything about the environment (Budgie itself, not the OS) can be configured within the Budgie Settings application, which is accessible in the App Menu. Here's how it looks.</p><p><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/solus-budgie-desktop-settings_bfd18p.jpg" /></p><p>Solus – Budgie Desktop Settings</p><p>You can easily add new panels and change settings here, including icon themes and more. When you click on one of your panels, such as the “Bottom Panel” shown above, you are given further customization options.</p><p><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/solus-budgie-desktop-settings-panel-modifications_ukel4s.jpg" /></p><p>Solus – Budgie Desktop Settings – Panel Modifications</p><p>Clicking on each applet within the list will load their settings on the right, if there are any, so you can customize them individually. You can also add new applets that you install or move them from here with ease.</p><h3><strong>Installing Software</strong></h3><p>New applications are installed via the Software Center.</p><p><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/solus-installing-software_jymgrn.jpg" /></p><p>Solus – Installing Software</p><p>Due to the fact that Solus was developed from scratch, the repositories are nowhere near as large as they are on other systems such as Ubuntu and Arch but to be honest, I found everything I needed and was quite impressed to see that there was nothing I felt I was lacking.</p><p>There are also some Third Party apps that are available which you can find in the Third Party section of the Software Center.</p><p><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/solus-third-party-apps_qhpd4b.jpg" /></p><p>Solus – Third Party Apps</p><p>Package installation is crazy fast and I was super impressed with how slick and elegant the package management tool is. If you are a command line user, you can always use the terminal and “sudo eopkg install ” your way to happiness just as quickly. I find myself rotating between the two, mostly using the terminal as my installation method and the app itself to find out what is available to install.</p><p><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/solus-eopkg-installation_j1gwev.png" /></p><p>Solus – Eopkg Installation</p><p>All other settings can be accessed from the Settings app which is the same as the one found in the latest Gnome desktop releases.</p><p><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/solus-settings_qlgzf2.jpg" /></p><p>Solus – Settings</p><h2><strong>My Solus Review Conclusions</strong></h2><p>I installed Solus in a hotel room prior to meeting with a client and after using it for only a few days, I have decided to keep it on my main laptop as my daily driver. I have had zero issues and no speed complaints whatsoever. Everything has been smooth and has worked exactly as I'd want it to. I'm actually kind of thrown off because I almost always find something that could use fixing but I have to be honest, Solus 4 is a slick and stable release. The most impressive thing about this release is the speed. It might just be me but I feel as though the system is much faster than most I've used.</p><p>And luckily, if I ever need support, there is also an excellent Help Center available here for those with questions: https://getsol.us/help-center/home/</p><p>To be fair to other distributions, I'm giving Solus a 4/5 but this is mostly due to the size of the software repositories which are still quite small compared with other distros. While I don't consider this an issue for most people, including myself, I do think we need to see an increase before it's the <i>Perfect</i> distro. I will say, however, that it's pretty damn close.</p><p>I highly recommend giving Solus a try and letting me know your thoughts. I'm curious how many of you will end up using it as your main OS, like I have. To try Solus, visit them on the web at <a target="_blank" href="https://getsol.us/">https://getsol.us/</a>.</p><p>For me, I'll keep running Solus and update this article if anything changes. Thanks for reading my Solus review!</p>

Solus Review - Budgie Edition

<p><strong>Ubuntu MATE</strong> is a powerful desktop operating system that is based on the popular <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ubuntu.com/">Ubuntu</a> Linux distribution. What makes Ubuntu MATE unique is that it comes with the advanced <a target="_blank" href="https://mate-desktop.org/">MATE</a> desktop environment which was originally created as a continuation of GNOME 2.  Given it's popularity in the Linux world, I've written this Ubuntu MATE Review to help show you what it's all about and decide if it's the right OS for you.</p><p><i><strong>This review has been updated and is now based on the most recent Ubuntu MATE 19.04 (Disco) release.</strong></i></p><h2><strong>What are the goals of the Ubuntu MATE project?</strong></h2><p>According to the website, the following are the objectives / goals for the project:</p><ul><li>Accessible to all, regardless of language and physical ability.</li><li>Increase both Ubuntu and MATE Desktop user adoption.</li><li>Ubuntu alternative for computers that aren’t powerful enough to run a composited desktop.</li><li>First choice Ubuntu platform for remote workstation solutions such as <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ltsp.org/">LTSP</a> and <a target="_blank" href="http://x2go.org/">X2Go</a>.</li><li>Recreate the halcyon days of Ubuntu for users who prefer a traditional desktop metaphor.</li><li>Use themes and artwork similar to Ubuntu so that Ubuntu MATE is immediately familiar.</li><li>When possible contribute to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.debian.org/">Debian</a> so both the Debian and Ubuntu communities benefit.</li><li>Software selection will favor functionality and stability over lightness and whimsy.</li></ul><h2><strong>Ubuntu Mate Hardware Requirements</strong></h2><p>Most users will meet these requirement without issue as most modern computers are far past the minimum hardware requirements but when it comes to Linux, lots of people enjoy revitalizing old hardware with Linux distributions. I recommend reviewing this briefly to make sure that your hardware meets the minimums.</p><p><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/ubuntu-mate-review-hardware-requirements_riwfap.jpg" /></p><p>Hardware Requirements for Ubuntu Mate</p><h2><strong>What has changed in the most recent Ubuntu MATE release?</strong></h2><p>Numerous things have changed with 19.04. One thing that I found quite intriguing is that with this release, if you have an NVIDIA GPU connected to your computer and select <i>Install third-party software for graphics and Wi-Fi hardware</i> during installation, the NVIDIA proprietary drivers will be installed automatically. That's pretty slick and makes the experience more desirable for new users to Linux as installing these drivers could (at times) be overlooked by new users if they are unaware of the need.</p><p>There are some other changes, of course, but it's always best to read about them from the source so if desired, you can read about everything new with this release here: <a target="_blank" href="https://ubuntu-mate.org/blog/ubuntu-mate-disco-final-release/">https://ubuntu-mate.org/blog/ubuntu-mate-disco-final-release/</a></p><h2><strong>Installation</strong></h2><p>Installation of Ubuntu MATE is no different than any other Ubuntu distribution. Since it has pretty much unchanged in the past several releases, I'm not going to go through the process here but what I do want to point out, that's a relatively new(ish) addition is that you can now choose either a normal installation which includes the default selections of software chosen by the Ubuntu MATE developers or a minimal install for those who want more control over what is installed with their OS.</p><p><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/ubuntu-mate-review-1_db3bhh.png" /></p><p>Ubuntu Mate review – Choosing the installation type</p><h2><strong>The MATE Desktop – Your First Look</strong></h2><p>Upon booting into the desktop for the first time, you'll be greeted with a themed wallpaper as well as a few simple icons.</p><p><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/ubuntu-mate-review-2-the-desktop_nx1fjo.png" /></p><p>The MATE Desktop</p><p>I also was prompted by a <i>Software Updater</i> pop-up to install the latest updates. Now, one thing that's a bit odd here is that I chose to have these installed <i>during the installation</i> so why I am having to update even further now is beyond me. I assume the “<i>Download updates while installing</i>” feature either doesn't work period or doesn't work properly in a virtual machine environment (which I'm using for this review). Either way, just something to keep in mind.</p><p><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/ubuntu-mate-review-2-software-updater_vdcdeh.png" /></p><p>Software Updater doing it's job.</p><p>Another trend that you'll see more and more with large distributions nowadays is the introduction of a Welcome Screen of some kind to give new users a quick overview of how to use their new environment / distribution. This is something the developers of Ubuntu MATE have had for quite some time and they've done an excellent job of making it super useful.</p><p><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/ubuntu-mate-the-welcome-screen_bigxxt.png" /></p><p>The Welcome Screen</p><p>With this (and more previous) releases, the <i>Getting Started </i>button followed <i>Updates and Extras</i> is super handy as it includes quick install buttons for codecs, screensavers, themes and more. Under <i>Getting Started </i>and <i>Optional Tasks</i> you can configure various things such as Backups, Network Shares, Users and Firewall Settings as well.</p><p><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/ubuntu-mate-additional-options_mcu8jh.png" /></p><p>Another Configuration Screen in the Welcome Dialog</p><h2><strong>Tweaking your Ubuntu MATE Desktop</strong></h2><p>Under the MATE menu in the top left (by default) you can access the menu which contains all of the software, preferences and system tools installed with the distribution. You can easily access a handy app called MATE Tweak which, if you click on the <i>Panel</i> tab once launched, lets you choose between numerous included panel layouts.</p><p>What these do is basically change the structure of the desktop, sometimes moving the menu to the bottom left (similar to Windows) or adding a Mac style layout to the desktop. There are several options to try, I recommend checking them all out before coming to a conclusion as to which is best.</p><p>The default panel layout is called <i>Familiar </i>so if you make changes here and decide you don't like them, you can revert back to that layout to get the default look and feel. To get a breakdown of what each of these panel layouts looks like (and the differences between them) read this article on the official website: <a target="_blank" href="https://ubuntu-mate.community/t/choosing-and-changing-panel-layouts-ubuntu-mate-18-04/16502">Choosing and Changing panel layouts.</a></p><p>You can also tweak your Window Options from within MATE Tweak. This allows you to change things such as the compositor, window decorations, animations and even where the window controls (minimize, maximize and close) are located in the window (left or right side basically).</p><p><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/ubuntu-mate-window-options_ornof7.png" /></p><p>Ubuntu MATE – Window Options</p><p>In most layouts, you can also choose to add extra <i>applets</i> which are basically small apps that run inside your panel and expand the functionality. To manage them, and add more, simply right click on a panel and click <i>Add to Panel </i>and the following dialog will be presented:</p><p><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/adding-applets-to-the-panel_zkmpgj.jpg" /></p><p>Adding applets to the panel</p><p>From here, you can choose from a growing list of applets that you can add to your panels to give you even more capabilities. Try some and find your favorites!</p><h2><strong>Adding Software to your Linux Distribution</strong></h2><p>By default, Ubuntu MATE comes with the usual software such as Firefox, Thunderbird, Transmission, LibreOffice and more but installing others is very simple.</p><p>As I'm sure most of you know, there is always more than one way to add software to Linux but assuming you aren't a console person and you prefer to avoid the traditional apt commands, you can also use the <i>Software Boutique</i> app which can be found in your menu under <i>Administration.</i></p><p>Software Boutique allows you to browse available software that you can install quickly and easily.</p><p><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/ubuntu-mate-software-boutique_adfocp.png" /></p><p>Ubuntu MATE software boutique</p><p>Clicking on the icons along the top (scissors, gamepad, etc) will take you to the applicable categories and present  you with a list of available software to install. Keep in mind, however, that one of the strengths of Linux; and specifically Ubuntu; is the breadth of repositories out there so if you don't find what you are looking for here, you can learn more about repositories and how to add more here: <a target="_blank" href="https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Repositories/Ubuntu">https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Repositories/Ubuntu</a></p><h2><strong>Ubuntu MATE Performance</strong></h2><p>Let's take a quick look at how well Ubuntu MATE performs in general when it comes to CPU and RAM usage. To be fair, this is going to vary widely and can be different given the fact that I am performing this review within a Virtual machine environment, however, it's still relevant.</p><p>With nothing but the <i>Software Boutique</i> running and the default desktop itself, performance is quite good as you can see from the System Monitor:</p><p><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/system-monitor_fmlqls.png" /></p><p>System Monitor</p><p>For more advanced testing, I recommend installing the distro and running tests with the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.phoronix-test-suite.com/">Phoronix Test Suite</a> or check out some existing benchmarks on <a target="_blank" href="https://openbenchmarking.org/s/ubuntu%2019.04">OpenBenchmark.org</a> as results can vary widely depending on software installed, hardware capabilities and other variables.</p><p>In my usage and from experience running Ubuntu MATE for several months, it's still one of the fastest and leanest distros out there.</p><h2><strong>The Control Center</strong></h2><p>The control center is where you'll find most of the system settings for Ubuntu MATE. You'll find this in the menu labeled the same.</p><p><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/ubuntu-mate-control-center_vpqrmn.jpg" /></p><p>Ubuntu MATE control center</p><p>You'll find everything from power management to printer installation in the control center and I advise you to explore it thoroughly so you are aware of how to modify your system as needed.</p><h2><strong>Conclusions</strong></h2><p>I've always found Ubuntu MATE to be a reliable distribution. The layout and functionality of the system is easy to use and zippy and everything feels well put together. I highly recommend giving it a try if you aren't a fan of the current Gnome desktop and are looking for an alternative. It's also a great choice for older hardware as it's less resource hungry than the default Ubuntu desktop. I personally feel as though MATE is a more functional desktop than Gnome itself so perhaps I'm a bit jaded there.</p><p>What do you think? Are you an Ubuntu MATE fan? If not, what do you prefer?</p>

Ubuntu MATE Review

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<p>When it comes to tracking down the best ad network, it can be tough to weed through the garbage. There are quite a few out there that pay very little and aren't worth your time. For that reason, I've put together this guide to the absolute Best Ad Networks for Bloggers.</p>
<p>CPM, for those who are unaware, stands for Cost per mille (latin / italian for thousand). Don't ask me why CPM became the term of choice as opposed to CPT (cost per thousand) but it is what it is. ?</p>
<p>This means that for every thousand visitors you get to your website, you earn a certain dollar amount. A good ad network will pay over $10 CPM. A poor one will pay under $1 CPM. So for instance, if you had 100k visitors to your website and were with a good network that paid $10 CPM, you would earn $1000. $10 multiplied by 100 (because each thousand earns you $10).</p>
<p>Here's a quick video explaining it for those having a hard time:</p>
<p><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/V4kMIUuSOqs?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p>Make sense? Cool.</p>
<h2>Why Should You Trust My Opinion on the Best Ad Networks?</h2>
<p>Before I get into who the best ad networks are, let me explain why you should trust my advice on which one to choose.</p>
<p>My wife runs a popular food blog called <a href="https://www.thekitchenmagpie.com" target="_blank">The Kitchen Magpie</a> which receives in excess of 1.5 million monthly visitors. As such, we needed the best ad network to help monetize this quantity of page-views. We had to weed through quite a few in order to find the best of the best. We have tried most of the networks out there before ending up with AdThrive (which we were actually invited to).</p>
<p>Between my wife and I, we've both been blogging since 2009 and do so for a living. That means we're <strong><em>100% full time employed by our websites</em></strong>, no other jobs. We make all of our revenue from advertising and working with customers on sponsored content, videos, etc. Therefore, we are very much driven to make sure we earn as much as we can from our websites. I hope that helps set the tone for this article a bit and gives you some confidence in my recommendations. Now lets get on with it shall we?</p>
<p><small><strong>Note:</strong> If you are looking for the best ad network that allows you to become part of Google's AdXchange (meaning you earn more as Google advertisers will have an opportunity to bid on your inventory) then check out the first 3 choices in this list. AdThrive is the strongest and largest player on the block here but is solely focused on blogger websites. The same goes for Mediavine. Ezoic, however, has lower entry requirements (10k visitors per month minimum) and also allows you to join Google's network making it the easiest path of entry for most websites (they are also not blogger specific).</small></p>
<h2>#1 – AdThrive</h2>
<p><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/adthrive.png" alt="Best Ad Networks - Adthrive" /></p>
<p>AdThrive is, without a doubt, the absolute best ad network for CPM based advertising for bloggers. We've been working with them on The Kitchen Magpie for a while now and no network has even come remotely close to earning as much as we do with AdThrive. I know at one point they had a waiting list of bloggers wanting to join their network and I do know they are picky about who they choose, primarily because they want the best of the best in order to keep their advertisers happy. You can sign up on their website if interested and see if you are accepted.</p>
<p>According to Comscore, AdThrive is now ranked #20 out of all internet entities in the world. AdThrive publishers reach upwards of 92.5 million unique viewers monthly, which is more reach than massive companies like Snapchat and Pinterest! In addition, AdThrive publishers rank #1 in Food, #1 in Family and Parenting, #1 in Lifestyle, and #2 in Home. These are some impressive stats! (<a href="https://www.facebook.com/adthrive/photos/a.760734290738765.1073741828.307243179421214/1165759476902909/?type=3" target="_blank">source</a>)</p>
<h3>Benefits:</h3>
<ul>
<li><strong>Hands down, AdThrive has THE best staff. Ever.</strong><br />
These guys are not only incredibly smart and helpful but they are also the most well versed staff in the advertising arena. I've thrown question after question at them and they don't just answer them, they go above and beyond to help improve your site earnings. I've even had them go so far as to help with site problems that had nothing to do with advertising. They are THAT good. No word of a lie. They offer courses to help boost your RPM and they work night and day to get better and better at what they do.</li>
<li><strong>Huge earnings.</strong><br />
We've tried all of the other ad networks and nobody has come close to paying as well as AdThrive. Our earnings are far and above what we were making elsewhere so if you are lucky enough to get on board, I wouldn't suggest leaving. Yes, we've tried Mediavine (#2 on our list) as well but they didn't come close to earning as much for us.</li>
<li><strong>Google Certified Ad Partner.</strong><br />
This one is big. There are only a couple of ad optimization companies in the entire world chosen for Google's prestigious Certified Partner Program. Being certified means that AdThrive's practices, policies and results are Google-approved. This means you won't be running ads that are going to cause you to be penalized or that aren't Google compliant.</li>
<li><strong>Community Engagement.</strong><br />
AdThrive offers a Facebook group where they offer tips and tricks and their publishers can get together to discuss strategies, troubleshoot problems and more.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Website: </strong><a href="http://www.adthrive.com/" target="_blank">AdThrive</a></p>
<h2>#2 – Ezoic</h2>
<p><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/images_ldzift.png" alt="Best Ad Networks - Ezoic" /></p>
<p><em><strong>CMS Critic uses Ezoic. Read on to find out why.</strong></em></p>
<p>We use Ezoic and there's a reason why we use them as opposed to AdThrive. Where AdThrive is strong is within the US market. When it comes to monetizing US traffic, nobody beats them in my opinion but when you run a tech blog like this one with a variety of topics that appeal broadly and not just do a specific demographic, AdThrive isn't the best choice.</p>
<p>Basically, if you have less than around 60% of your traffic coming from the US, you'll want to go with Ezoic. They've got an easy interface, excellent staff and they are also part of the Google Ad Network. Furthermore, they have a lower entry requirement and aren't as picky on geography).</p>
<p>Ezoic is a Google Certified Publishing Partner just like AdThrive, the main difference here is that they accept blogs with traffic that is around 10k visitors per month. As I mentioned, they also don't limit you based on US traffic so if you have a blog like this one, where we have a wide variety of traffic from many geographies and the US only accounts for around 30% or so of the traffic, then Ezoic is the choice for you.  What I like about Ezoic is that they have a solid interface that incorporate Adsense as well as a backup plan for the instances where they can't fill your ads.</p>
<p>They are definitely the best ad network for sites like ours and those of you with slightly less traffic.</p>
<p><strong>Website: <a href="https://www.ezoic.com/" target="_blank">Ezoic</a></strong></p>
<h2>#3 – Mediavine</h2>
<p><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/mediavine.jpg" alt="Mediavine" /></p>
<p>Mediavine is also one of the best ad networks for bloggers because they offer solid earnings and support. If you aren't able to get on with AdThrive, I recommend checking out Mediavine, especially if you are in the food, travel, fashion, lifestyle or entertainment niches as they tend to do well. From my experience, Mediavine didn't offer as high an earning potential as AdThrive but your experiences may vary. They definitely have a large network of publishers and advertisers so you can't go wrong giving them a try and seeing if they are the right fit for your needs.</p>
<h3>Benefits:</h3>
<ul>
<li><strong>They are publishers too.</strong><br />
The folks behind Mediavine are also publishers that own The Hollywood Gossip, TV Fanatic and Food Fanatic websites. They test their solutions on their own websites first before offering them to their network of publishers, meaning you get tried and tested solutions.</li>
<li><strong>Solid earning potential &amp; sponsored opportunities.</strong><br />
Mediavine publishers make good money. I am aware of a large number of big bloggers that are with Mediavine that earn a living from their advertising revenue so they certainly don't pay poorly. They are a great alternative to consider if you are in the market for a CPM ad network. They also offer sponsored opportunities that come their way. They also offer sponsored opportunities for influencers.</li>
<li><strong>Community Engagement.</strong><br />
Mediavine has an exclusive Facebook group where publishers and Mediavine employees work together to network, troubleshoot, discuss strategies and more.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Website: </strong><a href="https://www.mediavine.com/" target="_blank">Mediavine</a></p>
<h2>#4 – Monumentum / Blogher (Geared towards Women)</h2>
<p><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/momentum-logo.png" alt="Monumentum" /><br />
Monumentum, otherwise known as the Blogher publishing network, is another very large and popular advertising network for bloggers. It is, however, primarily geared towards women so if you are a male blogger, you are most likely out of luck. We were with Blogher for a while with The Kitchen Magpie but left to be exclusive with AdThrive. During that time, it was a pretty solid network so definitely worth checking out.</p>
<h3>Benefits:</h3>
<ul>
<li><strong>Advertising and Sponsored Content opportunities</strong><br />
Momentum by SheKnows Media is a very large network of primarily female bloggers that has been around for many years. Momentum also offers their bloggers sponsored content opportunities, however I'm not sure how often or how many they have.</li>
<li><strong>Great exposure through the Blogher Conference</strong><br />
They are the force behind the Blogher conference which is one of the largest blogging conferences in North America and a very popular destination for bloggers from around the world. There are some great keynote speakers and tons of opportunities to network with potential clients so it's a great opportunity to connect. If you are with the network of couse, even better.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Website: </strong><a href="http://www.blogher.com/momentum" target="_blank">Momentum</a></p>
<h2>#5 – Adbuff</h2>
<p><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/adbuff_blog_large.png" alt="Adbuff" /></p>
<p>Adbuff is a good option to consider if you are not a blogger or prefer not to go with one of the other networks above. They are slowly gaining momentum and becoming more and more popular (and recommended) due to their claim of high CPM rates and 100% fill rate so it's definitely one to try out and see how it performs.</p>
<h3>Benefits:</h3>
<ul>
<li><strong>Realtime reporting dashboard</strong><br />
Adbuff has a realtime reporting dashboard with stats that are updated every second, so you can make informed decisions in real time. For those of you that are stuck on numbers, this is a big benefit over some of the other networks that offer next day stats.</li>
<li><strong>100% fill rate (as advertised)</strong><br />
A few things about fill rate. It's great that networks like Adbuff offer 100% fill rate but I just want to point out that it doesn't mean much if your CPM is super low. You can have 100% fill rate at 0.05 CPM and you are basically making 5 cents for every thousand visitors, which is next to nothing, so keep that in mind. If your CPM is reasonably good, however, then you want the highest fill rate possible. Adbuff offers both 100% fill rate and make the following claim “<em>Our CPM rates for banner ads are among the highest of any CPM ad network today. We pay the highest CPM rates to publishers with traffic from US, Canada, UK and Australia.</em>” – While I can't speak to how accurate this statement is, if they pay as well as they claim, you should be making good money in no time with them.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Website: </strong>Adbuff</p>
<h2>#6 – Media.net</h2>
<p><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/352a103d80664e0a922fe61c806b47d0600x0-is.png" alt="Media.net" /></p>
<p>Media.net is one of the largest advertising networks in the world but it's not exclusively geared towards bloggers. If you are looking for a solid network with good earnings but are not happy with AdThrive or Mediavine, this one is a good alternative. Media.net was recently purchased by a large conglomerate as well for a whopping $900 million making it the third largest ad tech deal ever. That's a hefty amount! Media.net is part of the Yahoo! Bing network and has a very large pool of advertisers in it's arsenal.</p>
<h3>Benefits:</h3>
<ul>
<li><strong>Huge network of popular publishers.</strong><br />
Some of the world's largest publishers work with Media.net. Names like Elle, Good Housekeeping, Cosmopolitan, Forbes, Reuters, Better Homes and Gardens, Esquire and a whole lot more. With brands like that using their network, you can bet they are with them for a reason. This also means, however, that you are fighting some tough competition for the top dollar, so be aware of that.</li>
<li><strong>Large array of ad options.</strong><br />
Media.net offers a huge array of ad placement options including in-content ads, mobile docked ads, contextual ads, desktop interstitial and more. This means you have a large number of possibilities for ad placement when it comes to your website.</li>
<li><strong>Excellent reporting mechanisms.</strong><br />
Media.net offers a solid reporting dashboard that lets you monitor your ad impressions on a near real-time basis. The reporting interface allows you to view earnings with drill-downs by sites, ad tags, and date range. This means you can monitor the revenue impact of your ad customizations and spot trends quickly.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Website:</strong><a href="http://www.media.net/" target="_blank">Media.net</a></p>
<h2>Conclusion</h2>
<p>There are a ton of “best ad networks for bloggers” articles out there. The sad reality is, most of them are full of it. A large number of these articles are there to drive sponsored content for advertising networks. If you look around, you'll see that next to none of them mention the first three networks above yet the bulk of bloggers who are earning big money use them. Suspicious isn't it? I didn't write this article to make money referring people. I wrote this article to give you <em>actual advice. </em></p>
<p>I'm not a huge fan of many other networks. I've tried the ones listed by the other bloggers out there and honestly, most of them are pretty poor and don't offer much at all for bloggers. They are mostly generic ad networks that offer low paying CPM so they aren't ones I'd typically consider. However, that doesn't mean they won't work for you so if you can't find any within my list that will work for you, perhaps give them a try.</p>
<p>If you truly want to start earning top dollar for your blog, take my advice and try to get on with one of these networks. I welcome your comments below; whether you agree or disagree. Also, I'm happy to help answer any questions you have, simply leave me a comment and I'll keep an eye out for them. Best of luck and I hope you find the best ad network for your needs.</p>


Best Ad Networks for Bloggers and Others

<p>When it comes to photo editing, there are plenty of great software options out there from online photo editing software to downloadable options. In this post, we're going to break down all of these choices for you in one ultimate list of the best photo editing software available today (in no particular order).</p>
<h2>CorelDraw</h2>
<p>CorelDraw produces some of the best photo editing software out there. Not only has CorelDraw been around for a very long time but they also produce exceptional software that stands the test of time.</p>
<div class="section-intro col-sm-10 col-sm-offset-1">
<p>Find all the professional vector illustration, layout, photo editing and design tools you need to work faster, smarter, and in more places with this superior graphic design software.</p>
<p><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/best-photo-editing-software-coreldraw_l39dfq.jpg" alt="best photo editing software - coreldraw" /></p>
</div>
<p><strong>Video:</strong></p>
<p><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/zjVWcw_lJw8?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p><a href="/coreldraw" target="_blank">Learn more about CorelDraw</a></p>
<h2>Fotor</h2>
<p>What I call “Photoshop Online”, Fotor is a super powerful online graphics editor that is definitely some of the best photo editing software out there. I love the interface, how easy it is to use and the fact that it's entirely in the cloud. This also makes it super useful for those of us that function solely on Chromebooks (I use a Chromebook Pixel exclusively).</p>
<p><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/fotor_hugi36.jpg" alt="best photo editing software - fotor" /></p>
<p><strong>Video: </strong></p>
<p><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/PyJ4OvTdtLM?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p><a href="https://www.fotor.com/" target="_blank">Learn more about Fotor</a></p>
<h2>Adobe Lightroom</h2>
<p>Believe it or not, Adobe Lightroom is, to me, like an easier version of Photoshop for photo editing. Where Photoshop is excellent for the professional that likes complete control over things.. the interface can be a bit overwhelming. With Adobe Lightroom, things are more simplified and it feels more intuitive.</p>
<p><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/4272-what-is-lightroom_step-3_bjc7a6.jpg" alt="best photo editing software - adobe lightroom" /></p>
<p><a href="https://lightroom.adobe.com/" target="_blank">Learn more about Lightroom</a></p>
<h2>Aurora HDR</h2>
<p>Aurora HDR 2019 contains every imaginable tool needed to produce high-quality “next-generation” dramatic images. It has been developed in conjunction with one of the world's most reknowned HDR phtoographers to offer the best features available. It also includes <em>Aurora HDR Looks</em> and a library of video training developed by professional photographers that will appeal to every photographer.</p>
<p><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/11_fsrl8c.jpg" alt="best photo editing software - aurora hdr" /></p>
<p><strong>Video: </strong></p>
<p><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/P85_xN5ne84?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p><a href="https://skylum.com/aurorahdr" target="_blank">Learn more about Aurora HDR</a></p>
<h2>Picktorial</h2>
<p>Picktorial deserves a place in any list of the best photo editing software. It's a great product for Mac that offers a huge array of capabilities such as seamless raw conversion, integrated digital asset management and more. From quick enhancements to detailed retouching work, you will find the tools you need together with organizing and exporting functions. All in an inspiring, intuitive interface.</p>
<p><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/best-photo-editing-software-picktorial-for-mac_xlgrw8.jpg" alt="best photo editing software - picktorial for mac" /></p>
<p><strong>Video:</strong></p>
<p>https://youtu.be/Jq3QKTCKKj4</p>
<p><a href="https://www.picktorial.com/" target="_blank">Learn more about Picktorial</a></p>
<h2>Xara Photo and Graphic Designer</h2>
<p>Photo &amp; Graphic Designer includes a revolutionary integrated, ultra-fast, non-destructive photo editing tool. It offers both automatic real-time photo enhance and manual controls (brightness, contrast, sharpen, blur, saturation, temperature and a new cross process option) plus real-time scaling and rotation even on very high res images. Other features include flexible cropping, red eye removal, advanced shadow &amp; highlights and brightness levels controls, perspective correction.</p>
<p><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/mustang_ygkaey.jpg" alt="best photo editing software - xara" /></p>
<p>Combine this with features such as vector masking, layer blending, feathering – all in the non-destructive, memory efficient way – and you have something that no other photo tool can provide.</p>
<p><strong>Video:</strong></p>
<p><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/kzNtYHM-mB4?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p><a href="https://www.xara.com/" target="_blank">Learn more about Xara Photo and Graphic Designer</a></p>
<p>There you have it, our list of the best photo editing software. These products were carefully selected from the available options because they provide the best set of features for photographers and photo editors alike. While products like Photoshop still are the most popular tools out there, that doesn't mean it's the best option and that there aren't other good products. We hope you find the product you are looking for in our list.</p>


The Best Photo Editing Software that's not Photoshop

<p><em><strong>Photography websites</strong> are all about the pictures. If you are creating a website for your photography business, you need a CMS or Website Builder that lets you make huge galleries and amp up your graphics potential. Your CMS should make it incredibly easy to upload photos and prominently display them. We've done a roundup of the best photography website builders and listed them for you. If you're a hobby photographer or know a photographer who is wanting to break into the business, a killer website is the way to start so read on.</em></p>
<p><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/website-builders-for-photography-websites_vxog7q.jpg" alt="website builders for photography websites" /></p>
<h2>Website Builders for Photography Websites</h2>
<h2><a href="https://format.grsm.io/mike-17" target="_blank">Format</a></h2>
<p>Every photographer needs a portfolio. Format is focused on delivering high-quality photography portfolios. These are portfolios that go way beyond the average, allowing for endless customization and more options than you could possibly exhaust in a lifetime of photography. Many of the themes are dynamic, and all of them feature vivid photo prominence. The editor side of Format is a blissfully easy drag-and-drop experience. For its pro-level service, the prices aren't too bad, either ($6.99 – 24.99/mo).</p>
<p><strong>Note: </strong>You can get 10% off your annual subscription by using the code CMSCRITIC</p>
<p><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/screenshot_2015-07-08_at_12_11_54_pm620x0-is.png" /></p>
<h2><a href="https://www.pixpa.com/" target="_blank">Pixpa</a></h2>
<p>Our top choice for photographers is Pixpa –  an online platform that lets you easily create and manage your professional portfolio website, client galleries, e-commerce store and blog – all in one place. Pixpa's all-in-one platform requires no coding knowledge and saves time and money for photographers by enabling them to manage their complete online presence through one platform.</p>
<p>Whether it’s a portfolio website, an e-commerce store or a blog, it's easy to build a professional website on Pixpa using its beautiful, customizable themes that help you get off to a fast start. Pixpa includes all the features you need to showcase, share and sell online with ease and style. You can get started for free and then choose from their affordable pricing plans that start at just $5/month.</p>
<h2><a href="https://en.zenfolio.com/" target="_blank">Zenfolio</a></h2>
<p>Your complete portfolio and online client proofing website is ready as soon as you open an account. There is no coding necessary to create a beautiful website with plenty of design options and customizations in just a few clicks. Impress your friends and clients with your gorgeous, professional website. The homepage is the first page your viewers see, so make it unforgettable with professionally designed layouts. Include a navigation menu, welcome message, your logo, photo thumbnails or music to make your website personal. Everything is customizable, so you can create a website just as unique as your photography.</p>
<p><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/preset02-lg620x0-is.jpg" /></p>
<h2><a href="https://www.weebly.com/">Weebly</a></h2>
<p><a href="https://www.weebly.com/">Weebly</a> is a great option if you are looking for a way to showcase your work. Check out our if you want to learn more about it. Not only does it let you design beautiful sites with no code required, it's easy to use and elegant. We think it's a great option and highly recommend you check it out. Here is an example of a beautiful photography website built on <a href="https://www.weebly.com/">Weebly</a>:</p>
<p><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/4926520_orig620x0.png" alt="top 8 cms for photographers - weebly" /></p>
<h2><a href="http://wordpress.org/" target="_blank">WordPress</a></h2>
<p>WordPress, the world's most widely-used CMS, is also a top choice for photographers. It's easy to build an <a href="http://www.ashlynmae.com/">impressive photography site</a> that requires just a bit of web savvy. Right out of the box, it's easy to add galleries into a WordPress site, but it works best when paired with plugins and the right template. As far as photo plugins go, you might have a hard time paring down the list of thousands to one that works for you.</p>
<p>If you choose to go with WordPress or something similar and need a great web host, I recommend GoDaddy whom I've personally used for projects such as this. They offer great support at an affordable price. <a href="/godaddy">Click here to sign up</a></p>
<p>We suggest that you check out the following plugins and/or themes:</p>
<ul>
<li>Envato sells hundreds of beautiful photography themes for WordPress: <a href="https://envato.com/">Check them out.</a></li>
<li><a href="http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/nextgen-gallery/" target="_blank">NextGEN Gallery</a> (plugin)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.photocrati.com/651.html">Photocrati</a> (theme)</li>
<li>Enigma (theme)</li>
</ul>
<p> </p>
<h2><a href="http://mbsy.co/photoshelter/cmscritic" target="_blank">PhotoShelter</a></h2>
<p>Another photo-specific CMS is PhotoShelter, a wildly popular website creator. It has a cult following of photographers, with good reason. There are ten templates with layout options for each template. Each template delivers a stunning photo-centric appearance. Some of the icing on the PhotoShelter cake is unique features like automatic fulfillment from printers (only two printers available) and their powerful ecommerce tools. If you're looking for a site with strong conversion funnel for photo sales, PhotoShelter is the way to go. (Ducati not included.)</p>
<p><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/top_8_cms_for_photographers620x0-is.jpg" /></p>
<h2><a href="http://koken.me/">Koken</a></h2>
<p>Koken is cool. Part of what makes a photo-CMS helpful is online image management. There's no shortage of online storage platforms, but a storage site + CMS designed for photographers is especially handy. Koken's desktop-like interface makes it easy to upload and manage both images and videos. The CMS also allows you to add content from Flickr, Instagram, Vimeo, SoundCloud, and Twitter. Koken also has a publish services plugin for Lightroom. Koken works best for the serious photographer who isn't afraid of technology. You can even customize your own CSS. As it is by itself, Koken is a strong contender for gaining the loyal clientele of the most demanding photographers, designers, and other creatives.</p>
<p><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/koken-620x361.png" alt="CMS for Photographers" /></p>
<p>The ultimate qualification for a top-notch photographer is the photography itself, not the website. Still, in today's world, you've got to have a quality website. These photography CMSs are the way to get you the website you need.</p>
<h2><a href="https://clickbooq.com/" target="_blank">Clickbooq</a></h2>
<p>clickbooq was created by an award-winning interactive design firm, whose founding partners have gained invaluable experience working with some of the largest and best known advertising and interactive agencies in the world. It features an easy to use editor, tons of features, beautiful themes and a reasonable price tag ($8 – 24 / month).</p>
<p><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/designs.jpg" /></p>
<p>Don't forget that when you go to set up your website, you'll need a reliable web hosting company. We recommend GoDaddy. They are currently offering great discounts to our readers, so be sure to take advantage of the offer before it expires. <a href="https://www.godaddy.com/">Click here to get cheap, reliable hosting from GoDaddy</a>.</p>


Top 8 Website Builders for Photography Websites

<p></p>
<p>In our previous post, we listed a selection of <a href="/eight-free-photoshop-alternatives/">free Photoshop alternatives</a> for those looking for something without a price tag. In this article, I'll be sharing with you some paid Photoshop alternatives.</p>
<h2><a href="https://skylum.com/aurorahdr" target="_blank">Aurora HDR</a></h2>
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<p class="looks-info__text sk-subtitle sk-subtitle_type_clean sk-text_of_b">Aurora HDR is an advanced image editing application. Over 80 unique Looks instantly take your photos from raw to awesome, with just one click. Designed in collaboration with Serge Ramelli, Trey Ratcliff, Randy Van Duinen and other acclaimed photographers, Aurora HDR Looks bring you top-notch results in a snap.</p>
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<div class="looks-sec__looks looks-block">
<div class="looks-block__content"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/11_syofb0.jpg" /></div>
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<h2><a href="https://www.picmonkey.com/" target="_blank">PicMonkey</a></h2>
<p>I still use PicMonkey pretty much exclusively for the majority of my photography work / edits. In most instances, it's more than enough to handle the job and I find it preferable to Canva so tend to use it instead.</p>
<p><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/desktop-mobile-features_s9o3zt.png" alt="picmonkey - paid photoshop alternatives" /></p>
<p>Picmonkey has tons of easy templates for all kinds of scenarios and plenty of font / graphic options to keep you going for years to come and is a great paid Photoshop alternative.</p>
<h2><a href="https://www.coreldraw.com/">CorelDraw</a></h2>
<p>You might be shocked to see this name listed but believe it or not, CorelDraw is still around after decades in the industry – and it's also still incredibly good! CorelDraw is the granddaddy of photo editors and has stood the test of time. It's one of the best paid Photoshop alternatives out there.</p>
<p><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/zjVWcw_lJw8?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p>If you're looking for an excellent Photoshop alternative, CorelDraw is an exceptional choice.</p>
<h2><a href="https://www.adobe.com/products/photoshop-lightroom.html" target="_blank">Adobe Lightroom</a></h2>
<p><br />
Believe it or not, Adobe Lightroom is, to me, like an easier version of Photoshop for photo editing. Where Photoshop is excellent for the professional that likes complete control over things.. the interface can be a bit overwhelming.</p>
<p><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/4272-what-is-lightroom_step-3_j2hxnb.jpg" alt="Paid Photoshop Alternatives" /></p>
<p>With Adobe Lightroom, things are more simplified and it feels more intuitive.</p>
<h2><a href="https://www.fotor.com/" target="_blank">Fotor</a></h2>
<p>Powerful, user-friendly and globally accessible, Fotor is an online photo editing suite, utilizing exclusive technology to bring an unprecedented level of editing control to anyone and everyone.</p>
<p><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/fotor_bu53al.jpg" alt="paid photoshop alternatives" /></p>
<p>The combination and integration of specialized image editing technologies, coupled with unique features and community competitions allows for Fotor’s continual growth and development.</p>
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<p>This post will be ever expanding so as I have an opportunity to test out new products, I'll be adding them to this listing. For now, these are the ones I can confidently point you to as <em>worthy</em> alternatives. Is there something I'm missing? Do you know of a product that should be here? Let me know in the comments.</p>
<p></p>


Paid Photoshop Alternatives

<p>As religious organisations and churches have grown and evolved, the processes involved in running them have become even more complex. Managing a church now requires a much more comprehensive approach than simply relying upon a church leader to run everything. And this is where <a target="_blank" href="https://sites.faithlife.com/?utm_source=superbwebsitebuilders&amp;utm_medium=partner&amp;utm_content=partner&amp;utm_campaign=sitesreviews">Faithlife Sites</a> comes in. Faithlife Sites wants to take all of the work involved in running a church and make it easier. Let's see how they do it with a Faithlife Sites Review.</p><p>Using a church CMS, users can create and customize their church websites using a variety of automated tools designed to take the background work out of running a church so that ministers can focus on their community priorities.</p><p>Let’s look at how and if Faithlife Sites CMS has accomplished this goal.</p><h2><strong>Getting Started</strong></h2><p>Many website builders and content management systems make the initial integration part of their service quite difficult to get on board with, but with Faithlife Sites the initial pathway is pretty straightforward. Upon signing up (for free) you’re asked for the usual basic details of<i> name, email and phone number</i> before continuing on to the main dashboard.  </p><p><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/screenshot-2019-05-09-at-15.png" /></p><p>It’s from the dashboard that the real power of Faithlife Sites as a hub for any and all church needs is revealed. It’s seriously impressive. After you claim your church group, you’re taken to <strong>My Faithlife</strong>, which is where you can manage all aspects of a church community in one place. The transition from signup to dashboard, to actually getting started with the site design, is intuitive and well laid out.</p><h2><strong>Design</strong></h2><p>The website design is clean and easy to navigate. Nothing important is hidden away and there is a clear demarcation between <strong>My Faithlife,</strong> which is more of an end user part of the site, and the website/community manager sections.</p><p><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/screenshot-2019-05-09-at-15-1691093724549.png" /></p><p>The themes available for the site CMS are limited and there are only six in total, but they are perfectly suited for the needs of this target audience. There is also a selection of stock images that are free to use in the website builder itself.</p><h2><strong>Usability and Support</strong></h2><p>The support on Faithlife Sites is outstanding. They have an extensive help section which covers almost every part of the site and they are contactable via phone, email, and web chat via their help portal. There are also dozens of informative videos to talk through almost any query you could have.</p><p>The usability of the site is a key part of the appeal of this CMS and you can tell that they’ve invested a lot of time researching their target demographic. Nothing in the site – from the initial sign-up and community management section, to the website builder – seems out of reach to even the most technophobic end user. The design of the site helps enormously, as it is clean, well-labelled and intuitive to the point of basic. This is a good thing, though, and I found myself getting up to speed with their system very quickly.</p><h2><strong>Key Features</strong></h2><p>The excellent website builder is the key selling point here. Some content management systems make website building and structuring seem like a labyrinthian process, but Faithlife Sites makes it incredibly easy. All of the pages are laid out on the side of the window in simple layers. Want to edit the home page? Just click on the home tab. Want to edit sermons or your about page? Just click on that page and then click on the piece you want to edit.</p><p>The process of building a site using this CMS is incredibly simple and could be quickly picked up by almost anyone, in my opinion. The design aspects of the pages are limited but easily customisable in an intuitive way. You can also view your prospective site as it appears on a desktop screen, mobile, and pad. This is a small thing but it adds a lot of value.</p><p>The community management software in Faithlife Sites is also incredibly powerful. With a minimal amount of work, you can start building an online church community that has a forum, combined calendar, group chat, and bulletin boards in easy reach that are easily controlled by a team of admins.</p><p><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/bulletins_gofy9g.png" /></p><p>There is also an excellent structure in place for taking and processing online donations that will be extremely useful to any church group. This is easily navigated and seems reliable.</p><h2><strong>Pricing</strong></h2><p>Faithlife Sites pricing is scaled depending on the size of your congregation. You can set up a basic site free of charge and premium packages start from $16.67 a month (when paid annually).</p><p>All packages allow users to collaborate online with unlimited team accounts, run different presentations in multiple rooms concurrently, build presentations from any computer, anywhere, get over 5,000 free church graphics, and interact with the congregation by sending alerts directly to their phones, among other features.</p><p>Higher value packages include free stock imagery, pro Media library, over 16,000 motions, stills, and mini-movies from Graceway, Church Motion Graphics, Dan Stevers, FreeBridge, Igniter, and Playback.</p><p>This is a competitive pricing structure that incentivizes users to get a custom domain for their church rather than sticking with the basic free package that uses a subdomain structure.</p><h2><strong>Pros</strong></h2><ul><li>Incredibly easy to use</li><li>Vast support system to help almost anyone to complete their website</li><li>Free multimedia for a professional look</li><li>Competitively priced</li><li>Powerful community management dashboard that’s easy to navigate</li></ul><h2><strong>Cons</strong></h2><ul><li>Getting access to the initial page can be a little confusing as you have to find your church group on a map or via search.</li></ul><h2><strong>Final Verdict 4/5</strong></h2><p>Faithlife Sites is an excellent CMS that is incredibly easy to use and I highly recommend it for any church group that wants to go online. It’s such a powerful and simple CMS that there may even be a market for it outside of the church sphere, if they ever choose to go in that direction.</p>

Faithlife Sites Review

grainne-logue

<p></p>
<p>You may fail to justify the time and resources invested in developing a good website design or redesigning your business web. However, the benefits you reap from a well-designed website are worthwhile. It ensures a good user experience, improves brand loyalty, and increases traffic as well as revenue.</p>
<p>Most branding and marketing strategies depend on web design to succeed. Your website is the first place where users establish contact with your business. The layout of your site will influence users to either use/buy a product from it or leave for another better one. Poorly designed websites affects the initial perception of your brand and UX of potential customers.</p>
<p>A terrible design will also affect your rankings on search engines making it difficult for visitors to find you. Read on to find out the most common mistakes in web design and their influences on users:</p>
<h2>1. Poor first impression</h2>
<p>If the first page of your website is ineffective and unattractive, you will experience high bounce rates thus affecting your ranking on search engines. A user will take at most 10 seconds to decide whether to stay or leave a site. Yours should create an excellent first impression to ensure it grabs the attention of users so that they remain on site and have time to convert them.</p>
<h2>2. Non-responsive website design</h2>
<p>A poorly designed website does not respond well on small devices such as smartphones. With eCommerce becoming a part of daily life, most online transactions are being completed by the use of mobile devices. Thus if your site is not mobile device-friendly, then you are losing a lot of opportunities to those with responsive sites. Besides, the number of users who would leave a website if it is not responsive is over 40%.</p>
<h2>3. Takes too long to load</h2>
<p>The best user experience is achieved when a website loads quickly. Businesses that do not invest in optimization of their site for speed risk providing poor UX, low search rankings and low conversion rates. 40% of website users will leave a site if it takes more than 3 seconds to load.</p>
<h2>4. Cluttered homepage</h2>
<p>Providing all there is to know about your business on your homepage is an overkill and a red flag to rank your site among those that have a terrible web design. An overcrowded site is not pleasing to the eye and makes the site lose its credibility. Your homepage should only carry the information that is valuable for your business. Even so, such information should be arranged in attractive layout that respects the white space rules. Ensure the page looks orderly and easy to navigate. Having a website with too much information will increase your bounce rates as users leave to look for other clean, professional, and simple websites designs. Here is a great example of non-cluttered homepage.</p>
<h2>5. Fails on content</h2>
<p>Poorly designed websites provide users with content that is irrelevant, provide no frequent content updates and content format is incorrect. If a user lands on your page but lacks the information they expected to find, they will leave to look for more search results that will provide them with the information they were looking for.</p>
<h2>6. Mystery Meat Navigation (MMN)</h2>
<p>MMN appeared mostly on websites in the past but is still prevalent in some modern designs. It refers to links that are invisible unless the user clicks on it or points the cursor at it. What is the point of creating links on your website if they are not visible? It is not a recommended practice for web designs. It leads to users abandoning your site to find an alternative one with clearly labelled links and call-to-actions.</p>
<h2>7. Uses too much animation</h2>
<p>Animations serves a professional purpose and are known to improve UX and UI on a site when used in moderation. But when you place animations everywhere that are mostly out of topic, you make your site look unprofessional and hilarious. This causes users to lose the credibility of your brand and leave for alternative website design.</p>
<h2>8. Uncalled for pop-menus</h2>
<p>Many websites users will not tolerate some pop-up menus that appear on their screens immediately when they enter the site. Pop-ups are confusing, annoying, and results to slow load speed which leads to increased bounce rates since a user cannot access the homepage directly thus lacking the information they wanted.</p>
<p>The impact a web design has on the users should not be taken for granted. Terrible website design is bad for your business. Ensure your users are getting the best experience by cleaning the above messes on your website. Always perform regular testing on your site to confirm users are enjoying the site. Read feedback and comments from your users frequently to determine if they are having problems using the website and address the difficulties if any.</p>
<p>Do everything in your site with moderation to avoid losing the credibility of your business and in the worst case scenario, destroy your reputation. If you build your website right, it can be your greatest asset to your brand's success, so invest in it.</p>
<p></p>


Terrible Graphic Design Fails Not to Follow

dylan-menders

CMS Kickoff 26

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What's the future of CMS in the AI era?

<p><span style="color:rgb(33,37,41)">I've always loved the concept of Ghost. It's the (relatively) new kid on the block compared to WordPress and having competition is healthy. Recently, I ran CMS Critic on Ghost for a brief period using their paid Ghost Pro option, here's my Ghost Pro review and why I moved back to WordPress.</span></p><p>For those unfamiliar with Ghost Pro, it's basically an offering from the makers of the Ghost blogging platform that is fully hosted and managed by their support teams. <a href="https://ghost.org/pricing/">Pricing</a> ranges from around $29 to $199 per month (when billed annually).</p><p>The initial appeal of trying something different led me to run this site on Ghost Pro for a period of about 4 months (January until May 1 this year) as a trial. During that time, I came across a number of positives and a number of negatives. Sadly, the negatives outweighed everything else so I ended up moving back to WordPress (which the site is now running on again as of this article).</p><h2><strong>Positives</strong></h2><ol><li>The editor is simple and easy to use and makes Gutenberg look like it was developed by monkeys (and not smart ones).</li><li>The speed at which you can navigate the dashboard, publish a post and perform tasks is significantly better than WordPress.</li><li>The fact that I didn't have to rely on <i><strong>any </strong></i>plugins for SEO unlike WordPress which pretty much makes Yoast or something similar mandatory (and you can argue with me on that if you like but you'll still be wrong as far as I'm concerned).</li></ol><h2><strong>Negatives</strong></h2><ol><li>Ghost does not have a media library therefore every time you write a post, you need to re-upload any images for it. This means that if you write quite a bit about WordPress and typically use the logo for your featured image, for example, you'll be uploading that logo every time for each post. This is just silly and poor management of images and disk space.</li><li>NO ftp or SSH access. I can somewhat understand the no SSH part but for the hundred dollar a month range, not being able to use FTP and grab files or upload files to my server simply makes me mad. I don't want to have to email (and wait for) their support every time I need to do this.</li><li>Support is slow. If you are on the middle plan ($99 monthly if you don't take an annual plan) you only get support Monday to Friday so if your site goes down (on a HOSTED AND MANAGED PLAN mind you) you will be out of luck until Monday. Someone tell me I'm crazy for thinking this is ridiculous. Furthermore, their support is just slow.Here's a scenario to help you understand:  I emailed Ghost Support on a Saturday asking for an image export so I could move back to WordPress. I received a reply at 6:30 Monday morning asking me to do a security verification (no prob, did that and replied back literally 1 minute later).  I didn't get a reply back from them again until almost noon. That's 5 hours. The export I wanted was 3 gigs and doesn't take 5 hours to prepare. Sorry but for “premium” support, that's too slow for this guy.</li><li>They can't do much of anything. This may sound like I'm just being an ass but seriously, I use push notifications and since there's no plugin for Ghost, I needed to install some javascript and then upload a service-worker.js file to the root of my website. This is the only way to get it to work properly with my push notification provider.Here's the response I received from Ghost Support:<br />“<i>Thanks for reaching out! We're not able to load files into the root directory of your site.</i>“I was then told I could add it to my theme and upload it which would then make it accessible at the root of my website, so I asked if they could do that for me. The answer was no.Hm, so what can they do for me then for $99 month?</li></ol><p> </p><p>Now let's discuss why I feel so entitled as to think that they SHOULD be able to do these things for me. It's simple. I'm with <a href="https://www.bigscoots.com/portal/?affid=1002">BigScoots</a> as my hosting provider of choice when running WordPress and I don't think there's anything I've ever asked them within reason that they've ever said no to. In fact, I'm pretty sure they've done things for me that I totally didn't even expect so why should it be a different experience with Ghost Pro. In short, it shouldn't.</p><h2><strong>Conclusion</strong></h2><p>Ghost itself is a solid blogging platform with some great features and an excellent editor but when combined with the hosted offering, Ghost Pro, there are too many shortcomings to make it something worth investing in.</p>

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