Movable Type activation includes a number of optional settings and plug-ins, small applications that can add features and functionality to your blog. If you choose the standard activation path, we will turn on the most popular settings and plug-ins by default, and choose a page style for you. The custom path will allow you to select which items you would like to activate for your blog before you install Movable Type.
No matter which activation path you choose, you will be able to modify available Movable Type settings and plug-ins anytime from your Movable Type control panel. Learn how.
The following options are available to all Movable Type users. To learn more about other Movable Type plug-ins, visit Movable Type's plug-ins directory. Please note that Yahoo! does not provide technical support for Movable Type, and that we cannot help you install any Movable Type plug-ins other than those listed below.
Upgrade Method
We recommend that you upgrade your software whenever Movable Type adds new features and other enhancements to its suite of tools. You can decide how you want to manage these updates: If you choose the standard activation path, we select the auto-upgrade feature for you; in a custom activation, you can decide between auto-upgrading or manually upgrading you software. (You can change your upgrade setting anytime from your Blog Manager.) Learn more.
Style
Your style describes the look and feel of your web site: its colors, text style, and basic layout. You can choose from among six styles during custom activation; if you choose the standard path, we will select a default theme for you.
Plug-Ins
BigPAPI
BigPAPI could be called a plug-in for plug-ins. This software was developed to enhance Movable Type's plug-in architecture by providing the means for plug-ins to access and even modify your Movable Type control panel pages. BigPAPI doesn't do much on its own, but it makes possible the use of other plug-ins that can be handy indeed, such as Yahoo! Blog Statistics. Because certain plug-ins can't work without BigPAPI, this plug-in will be turned on by default when you activate Movable Type.
Hosted by Yahoo! Badge
This plug-in places a small "Hosted by Yahoo!" badge on your blog pages, letting your visitors know that you're as proud to be a part of the Yahoo! Web Hosting community as you are to be part of Movable Type. Your viewers can click on this badge to learn more about Yahoo! Web Hosting.
MT-Notifier
MT-Notifier is an advanced subscription-management tool that allows you to set up a subscription system for your blog (or even specific posts or categories) so your viewers can sign up to be notified via email whenever you add a new post. MT-Notifier also includes a confirmation system to help prevent spam. Learn more on the MT-Notifier site.
Important: Due to Yahoo! spam and fraud controls, you will be able to send emails with MT-Notifier only if your Movable Type administrator email address matches your domain, such as you@widgetdesigns.com. Email addresses that don't match your domain, such as you@yahoo.com, will prompt an error message, and your emails will not be sent.
You'll be prompted to enter an email address when you install Movable Type the first time; to change your administration email address anytime thereafter, visit the "Authors" section of your Movable Type control panel and click your user name. Learn more about managing your blog.
Nofollow
This plug-in, which is enabled by default when you activate Movable Type, helps you fight comment spam by removing the incentive for spammers to try to hijack your blog with irrelevant posts. Nofollow appends a small bit of code to links in your blog comments that tells search engines to ignore those links when ranking a site in their search results. By causing links in user-created content to be ignored (while allowing your own links to be counted), Nofollow can help make your blog an unproductive venue for spammers and help reduce your comment and trackback spam. Learn more about Nofollow and combatting spam on the Movable Type web site.
SpamLookup
SpamLookup, a set of plug-ins turned on by default when you activate Movable Type, helps you identify and combat spam on your blog. The SpamLookup tools allow you to moderate or block (blacklist) spam content outright; manage spam in multiple blogs from one console; and even comb existing comments and trackback pings to reveal spam that may have already been created on your blog.
StatWatch
Learn more about activity on your blog by installing this plug-in, which tracks statistics for your entire blog, including hit and referrer counts, search engine phrase counts, and more. StatWatch complements the basic site statistics reports you'll find in your Web Hosting Control Panel when you turn on Yahoo! Blog Statistics.
StyleCatcher
Make your blog look exactly the way you want. Enabled by default when you activate Movable Type, StyleCatcher allows you to select and switch page styles with just a few clicks. With StyleCatcher enabled, you also expand your choices: You'll be able to choose styles from not only Movable Type's collection but also style repositories created by other developers.
Template Backup and Refresh
When Movable Type releases upgrades for its software, it often includes enhancements to page styles. This plug-in allows you to easily upgrade styles you might already be using to incorporate this new blog functionality. Template Backup and Refresh is enabled by default when you activate Movable Type. Learn more on the Movable Type web site.
TinyMCE
Activated by default when you activate Movable Type, TinyMCE is an open-source plug-in that allows you to edit your blog text using intuitive formatting and other editing tools rather than HTML code. You'll find these features gathered in a toolbar on your Movable Type control panel post pages. Learn more on the TinyMCE site.
Yahoo! Blog Statistics
Enabling Yahoo! blog statistics allows you to collect and view basic statistics, including page views, visitor profiles, and referrers, for your Movable Type blog. With a Yahoo! Web Hosting or Merchant Solutions plan, you can review all of your site statistics reports, including those for your blog, on your Web Hosting Control Panel. Learn more about site statistics.
Note: Web Hosting's Site Statistics will reflect activity only on your blog home page. For more in-depth statistics about each page of your blog, we recommend also installing the StatWatch plug-in.
Yahoo! Search Box
Activating this plug-in adds Yahoo! Search to your blog pages. Your site visitors will be able to use this tool to search the Web directly from your site.