# Blog engine without all the template and front-end stuff?

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/blog-engine-without-all-the-template-and-front-end-stuff/107491>\
**Category:** Rails\
**Created:** [June 22, 2007, 7:37am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/blog-engine-without-all-the-template-and-front-end-stuff/107491 "2007-06-22T07:37:31Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![scott](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/3e96dc/32.png) [@scott](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/scott)\
**Post date:** [June 22, 2007, 7:37am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/blog-engine-without-all-the-template-and-front-end-stuff/107491/1 "2007-06-22T07:37:31Z")

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I want to incorporate a blog into my site, however, I don’t want all  
the front-end, templating stuff that goes along with it. Simply, I  
want the admin management of the blog and then I will work the  
postings into the front-end.

I have looked at Mephisto, Comatose, Typo, etc. and they all seem too  
heavyweight with themes and such. Nice applications but more than what  
I need.

Short of writing this myself, is there a simple, lightweight blogging  
engine out there for RoR that doesn’t impose all the front end stuff?

Cheers,

Scott

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**Author:** ![scott](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/3e96dc/32.png) [@scott](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/scott)\
**Post date:** [June 22, 2007, 9:54am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/blog-engine-without-all-the-template-and-front-end-stuff/107491/2 "2007-06-22T09:54:44Z")

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Hi Scott,

Have you looked at SimpleLog? [http://simplelog.net/](http://simplelog.net/)

A Ruby on Rails weblog application that helps you focus on writing  
above all else. SimpleLog has all the features you want in a  
weblogging applicaton wrapped in an efficiently designed interface  
that eliminates clutter. By focusing on simplicity and usability,  
SimpleLog allows you to spend your time writing, rather than managing  
a convoluted CMS.

Cheers,  
Rob

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![scott](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/3e96dc/32.png) [@scott](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/scott)\
**Post date:** [June 22, 2007, 6:18pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/blog-engine-without-all-the-template-and-front-end-stuff/107491/3 "2007-06-22T18:18:59Z")

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Scott wrote:

> 

Hi Scott,

I’m sure you’ve thought of it, but one of the original pitches that came  
packaged with Rails was “Creating a weblog in 15 minutes” and it used 58  
lines of code. Would that be of interest to you?

> **[Ruby on Rails](https://rubyonrails.org)**
>
> A web-app framework that includes everything needed to create database-backed web applications according to the Model-View-Controller (MVC) pattern.

Cheers,  
Mohit.  
6/23/2007 | 12:17 AM.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![scott](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/3e96dc/32.png) [@scott](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/scott)\
**Post date:** [June 22, 2007, 5:35pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/blog-engine-without-all-the-template-and-front-end-stuff/107491/4 "2007-06-22T17:35:50Z")

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Hey Rob,

SimpleLog does have a nice admin interface but I am looking for more  
of a plugin. I have an existing application that I want to add a blog  
to, rather than an entire site devoted to a Blog. Also, I don’t want  
to use themes, I already have all the CSS and site layout done.

Thanks,

Scott

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![scott](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/3e96dc/32.png) [@scott](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/scott)\
**Post date:** [June 22, 2007, 6:25pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/blog-engine-without-all-the-template-and-front-end-stuff/107491/5 "2007-06-22T18:25:00Z")

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Mohit S. wrote:

> > Scott
> 
> Hi Scott,
> 
> I’m sure you’ve thought of it, but one of the original pitches that came  
> packaged with Rails was “Creating a weblog in 15 minutes” and it used 58  
> lines of code. Would that be of interest to you?
> 
> [Ruby on Rails — A web-app framework that includes everything needed to create database-backed web applications according to the Model-View-Controller (MVC) pattern.](http://www.rubyonrails.org/screencast)

…and while searching for what you wanted, I stumbled across this to  
keep you busy in the week after the first 15 minutes:  
[http://abscond.org/entry/show/2347](http://abscond.org/entry/show/2347)

Hope this helps.

Cheers,  
Mohit.  
6/23/2007 | 12:22 AM.