How well does iWeb work with El Capitan?

I've already given up on iWeb and moved over to RapidWeaver6 which is a decent web app. Fortunately the website I work on has only 8 pages so it wasn't difficult to duplicate everything.

Erik:

Yes, I think we're of a similar mind. I, too, have about a 1,000 web pages. I, too, had discovered the idea of importing shapes from an outside program resolves the problem of shapes becoming invisible, if I link those shapes. We may have different programs that we prefer for creating those shapes, but I found that any source works, even MS Word. All the same, I tend to use Pages, since it has other similarities to iWeb in terms of how it functions. Like you, I'm hanging on to iWeb; even though I purchased a license for EverWeb, I haven't created any websites with it yet. But it gives me a meaningful opportunity to provide feedback to its developer. EverWeb is still in its early stages of development and even though it already has fantastic features, for fussy graphic designers [like myself] it also has limitations, but ones that I have shared with the developer [rather than just grouse about them].

Thanks for taking the time to respond and share your observations. I'm still hoping that if we can keep the iWeb communication alive, somebody smarter than me will figure out a solution. Perhaps next time Tim Cook appears on 60 Minutes, we should send in a question about abandoning iWeb. Ha, ha...

Richard

I use a lot of blog pages in iWeb to have automatic surveys. The pages are not containing news, so I make the date invisible by making the font 1pt and white. When adding extra pages (at least a few pages per week), I don't have think of linking these new pages manually. This option is still working in iWeb 3.04 and Capitan 10.11.2.

Indeed, Pages is a fine app to get things prepared for further use in iWeb. iBooks Author too has a lot of the look and feel of iWeb.

If I would find another bug in iWeb and solution, I certainly come back to this forum to share it with the other iWeb users.

By the way, if in the near future it would be impossible to use iWeb on the newest OSX, I would consider to use my old Powermac G4 again. It contains Leopard, has two G4-processors and is maxed out in memory. I was maintaining my website for several years on it, I'm sure it could do many more years :-) The old webkit-version on it is of course vulnerable, but I could prepare everything offline and then publish in a few minutes.

Erik:

I think we have this one covered.

But, as a final comment, I have a similar situation to what you describe. Luckily, I have two identical iMac's. I had left one running Mavericks [just to play it safe], on which iWeb works perfectly for me. When all this started I simply switched and made that my default web publishing computer and transferred all the iWeb content. That one is not going to get upgraded until there is a solution.

Take care...

Richard

Hi dkzv & All,

Same problem as everybody else..., invisible links (both text & shapes). I've just spent the last 6h trying to fix this issue, but with no joy.I've tried all the fixes in this discussion, unfortunatley w/o any luck at all. So annoying!

Just updated to 10.11.2 hoping for a fix, but still not working.

Please can I suggest to everybody that you report this issue to Apple directly using the feedback system.

I have come across one potential workaround (as reported on Banganet) which is to publish locally (to the desktop) and then to upload the published site using an FTP client, such as Cyberduck. Not tried this yet, just about to....

Hey, Bryn:

There seem to be a lot of discussion threads on this topic and I just happened to visit this one. In another thread, we've been sharing a useful and recent discovery about the disappearing linked shapes. If the shape is generated from any other source, such as Pages, and copied into your iWeb page you can achieve the look you want. In other words, you can link both the shape and the text in the text box. The only compromise is that the Fill you want has to be applied in the other program [which makes using Pages a natural, because it has similar design attributes]. Once imported into iWeb you can still customize the frame and add any shadows, etc. It's an easy switch. Try it...

Richard

All the info in this thread is good, but everyone seems to be thinking that we are discussing iWeb & any other OS other than El Capitan. The initial question was whether it would work in El Capitan. My iWeb, which is the latest update since Apple abandoned it, does not. All this help is fine, but it's useless if the app crashes as soon as it opens. The question is: how can I get it to work again? Actually, at this time, the point is moot. I've already moved on and bought a copy of RapidWeaver 6.

Hey, NowhereMan. That is a good reminder - the original topic was "How well does iWeb work with El Capitan?" and that we seemed to have strayed onto specific solutions having to do with invisible linked shapes. The bad news for your situation, from all the comments I have read, the answer is: "iWeb works perfectly with El Capitan, except for one flaw - linked shapes disappear." As I observed previously, I haven't read one other comment about iWeb crashing once El Capitan was installed. [Mine works perfectly, too, except for the linked image flaw.] It's kind of unfortunate because finding a solution for your problem might have provided a clue for the more prevalent problem. So all the discussions were about El Capitan and iWeb.

Don't forget when RapidWeaver finally drives you up the wall, there is always EverWeb to save the day.

Happy New Year! Richard

Thanks, Richard. Unfortunately, RapidWeaver was financed by the person whose website I'm administering. I don't think she will want to shell out more cash for another web design app. 🙂

Hey, NM:

Yes, you mentioned that before. But, I'm envisioning a bright future for you as a graphic designer and website publisher, way beyond your current client. Eventually you will have lots of clients and then you may wish to go back to a more user-friendly program. In the meantime, good luck. I feel bad that it worked out so badly for you. If you ever discover what may have gone wrong, post another post. I would be really curious.

RB

Thanks for the vote of confidence, Richard. I'm just doing this for a friend. I never even gave a thought to turning it into a business. If there comes a day that I do figure out what went wrong, i will follow up with a report.

So I just got back from the Apple store and this was sort of my Q to them. The first two sales people were not familiar with iWeb at all. Ugh. Not a good start. When they got back from chatting with another colleague, they said it would work but not so well. To those who have abandoned iWeb and gone elsewehere, what's the best way to start? Go Daddy hosts my website. Should I just use their templates and start over. Or I suppose I can keep my old Macbook for my website only? Thoughts?

Sofromlex:

I would guess from the many comments I've read, the consensus is, the best alternative to iWeb is EverWeb. I agree, but before I came to that conclusion I personally tried Goldfish, RapidWeaver, Sandvox, and an offering from my hosting company [MacHighway] called Weebly. I finally ended up purchasing the inexpensive EverWeb. If you haven't built up a huge inventory of iWeb pages [as I have, over the years] go directly to EverWeb. I'll explain why further below.

The advice given in the Apple Store is at best uninformed. Somehow iWeb has survived every OS X update and functions just as well as ever, except that during the last update [El Capitan] it developed an easily-overcome little bug, that most of this discussion thread has been following. But it's a reminder that if having the latest OS is really important the next update may no longer accommodate iWeb. It's a calculated risk. I for one keep one of my iMac's on Mavericks just to play it safe.

EverWeb was designed specifically to look and feel like iWeb. It is still being improved yet already has so many features that one wishes iWeb always had, such as Master Pages, ALT Text, Header/Footer Code, settings for Mobile devices, on and on and on. To me the best thing about the program, as with iWeb, it allows one to start as a blank page without using those dippy-looking templates, and completely customize every aspect of the website design. [They also provide dippy-looking templates, if you secretly prefer.] There are still some shortcomings that a fussy designer like myself has shared with the developer. But there again is the good news, the developer is very responsive and it appears that this product will be supported and maintained for a long time. [No, I don't have an interest in the company; my only interest is to be able to continue making websites that meet my expectations.]

I hope that helps...

Richard

Seriously, you can get rid of the dates by making the font small? I have to try that.