Movable Type gets social with Pro version, built on MT 4.2

Blogging and social networking have been happy partners for some time, so it’s not surprising that at least one blogging platform is making the most of that alliance in their latest “pro” version.

Six Apart has announced Movable Type Pro, a “social publishing platform” which continues to provide the usual blog features but marries them with new membership functionality.

It means readers of a MT Pro-powered blog can become members, be given posting privileges, vote on blog posts, take part in forums, and so on.

Additionally, Movable Type itself has been pushed up to version 4.2. Key improvements include:

• enhanced performance, with some common tasks now up to 100 times faster than previous versions;
• simplified default templates;
• TypePad Antispam built in;
• better search;
• threaded commenting

Anil Dash has written about the new release in Movable Type Pro and 4.2: Where Blogging is Headed.

It sounds like a great “out of the box” solution for those already using, or keen to use, Movable Type, who want to integrate more social tools.

In reality, many of these elements are already a part of other blogging platforms, or could be added with work, but the issue for many will be just how easy it is to set up and maintain these systems. If the implementation is good, Six Apart could be on to a winner.

Movable Type