NOTE: Some of the features mentioned in this post are not fully implemented in Beta-1. Please see the known issues list for more details.

Log item metadata and actions

The first thing we wanted to do was to use the activity log as it was intended. So, we are now reporting to the log just about anything that happens in the application. All object deletions, entry creations, comments/TrackBack submissions, logins, failed logins, etc. It all goes in now giving you a more complete sense of the activity that's happening.

Secondly, knowing that "jallen (user #22) added entry #6840" isn't exactly helpful. So, not only have we reworded the log messages, but in Movable Type 3.2, we're including the entire content right inline (hidden in an expandable section) as well as the following:

• All of the item's metadata (date, status, author, etc)
• A "Edit" link leading to the item's editing page in the app
• A "View" link for published items that go to the item's location on the published blog
• Links to all actions available for the item including any plugin actions

In this way, each activity log item becomes actually useful and a portal to many other places within the application and the published blog.

Activity Feeds

Now having all of that useful information in one place is great, but do you really want to reload that page all day just to see what's going on? Neither did we! So, we've introduced Activity feeds in Movable Type 3.3, which are feed representations of the Activity log data. Now, from the comfort of your feed reader, you can know when new comments are left, when your authors save draft entries or publish new ones, or just about else that's going on in your installation. It's like keeping your finger on the pulse of Movable Type.

What's more, since these feeds are authenticated (via your web services password), the actions in the feed are immediate and require no further confirmation, saving you multiple clicks for every comment or TrackBack received. For those of you who can't stand email notifications for comments and TrackBacks, it's time to say goodbye...

Activity log filters

Of course, not everyone is going to want to have their fingers on the pulse of the installation or even have permissions to do so. For them, the filtered views of the activity log are perfect. Not only can the log be filtered by weblog (introduced in Movable Type 3.2), but now you can filter by classification (entries, comments, TrackBacks, system) or by message level (security, error, warning, informational, debug) or by some combination of these. Hence it's possible to just get an internal comment feed for a particular blog or just a feed for the whole installation containing only critical security/error messages

Just one more thing...

With every feature we add to Movable Type, we strive to make sure that developers can leverage our work in their own, because, in doing so, a 1000 plugin-based features can bloom. This case is no different.

Since the plugin API was created, the activity log has been available for writing by plugins. Given this new featureset (and with the help of other new features like the scheduled tasks framework), a whole new class of notification-based plugins can be created which hook into web services and aggregate together all of the information about your blog.

For example, I'm sure that in no time, you'll see something like the following in an activity feed near you:

• Daily stat reports from StatWatch or Google Analytics
• Your blog feed's FeedBurner report
• Mentions of your blog from PubSub or Technorati
• Recent comments on your Flickr Photos
• Daily ad revenue from Adsense or Yahoo Publisher Network.

Yes, all of these things are available elsewhere, but the extensibility of the Activity log, combined with the delivery in feed format and the scheduled tasks framework brings all of the information you want and care about home into you Movable Type installation.