Ever since the initial release of Movable Type, Six Apart has been invested in the idea of writing content management systems that consist of an authoring tool that publishes static files. In the more recent Movable Type releases, support for dynamic publishing templates has been added, but Six Apart has still been wed to the author and publish model rather than a model that merges authoring and publishing into one big piece of software. That is, until Vox. (I’m assuming TypePad works like a Movable Type installation internally. It seems that way from the user’s perspective.)

Vox only has one interface, and the controls that are available to you depend on your privileges. When you read my blog there, you see only the items that I have granted you the rights to see. When I read it, I see everything and can click on the elements to change them if I like. The editing and publishing environments are combined.

Is Vox the result of Livejournal’s influence on Six Apart? Or are they seeing some things they like about WordPress? Are we going to see these kinds of features make their way into Movable Type? I’d love to read an article about how Six Apart decided to go this direction. In any case, it was the right decision. Vox works really well.