I just got notification today that I've been accepted as a beta-tester for TypePad. I can't be specific about the testing, the features or anything associated. However, I thought I would say a little about the company and where I see things heading.
Generally, webloggers do not have to use html or any programming to post to their their weblog site- they depend on a number of tools that make it easy to post entries. (internal link for more: What is a Weblog?)
One of the most popular free tools is MoveableType, from the company Six Apart. Moveable Type is a sophisticated platform that can be customized and configured to do almost anything. However, to install it, you need to be comfortable installing something on a web server. The technical requirements are a barrier.
To lower this barrier, Moveable Type is creating "TypePad", and I'm beta testing it now. I'm pretty excited about the opportunity because I believe in the power of weblogs and want to be a part of their future. With TypePad, Six Apart is giving the average Internet user the ability to easily create and manage a weblog- no technical expertise required.
I think we'll be seeing a lot more web sites being managed by platforms like Typepad soon and it's great to see Six Apart making it easier on the novices.