Last updated on March 19, 2016
Why WordPress?
Because I am lazy.
Not really, but it sounded funny. Let me explain.
WordPress is an interesting phenomenon. It started as purely a tool for making web logs, or blogs. This was during a time that Movable Type, and LiveJournal. Blogging , a mostly long form text format. People would make long ruminations on politics, history, and lots about technology. After all, early blogging was dominated by people who knew things like HTML, and other wacky semi-technical things.
Simply put, knowing how to do it was the challenge. Tools like Movable Type and LiveJournal made it easier, but they had their own issues. LiveJournal was a bit restrictive, being a unified social network. Movable Type was pretty popular with bloggers, but they made their licencing a bit less appealing for people trying to make a living on their blogs. WordPress came at the right time. It was relatively easy to set up, use, and make living from what you build.
That would normally be enough. A nice platform to publish text is useful. What made it thrive was the fact it was open. That meant you could alter it to suit various problems. It took know how, but once you came up with a solution, you could share it with the community at large. This not only improved WordPress, but also gave rise to custom themes and plugins. You can add functionality to your site. Message boards and eCommerce are now easy additions.
For me to make some of those additions, without WordPress, I would spend long hours. I would have to figure out back end and front end functionalities. My days would be spent being a programmer, as much as a designer. A tool like WordPress allows for the base site to be laid down, and functionality to be added fairly simply. Just add a plugin, or buy a theme.
What is more, when your not messing with the look and feel of the site, it is super easy to update. I can put someone in front of a posts editing screen and even most non tech savvy users can be a blogger. I can hand it to the end user knowing they will be able to use the basic items, without needing a professional to be on hand every time.
So… I can be lazy?
Not really.
WordPress is also constantly evolving. To keep up with what is possible in WordPress, you need to keep playing with it. Responsive design got added to a lot of themes. Google analytics is available through dozens of plugins. Security, a constantly evolving issue has constantly evolving solutions. I can’t actually rest on my laurels. What WordPress does allow me to do is focus. I know the base things don’t need for me to reinvent them every time. I know what solutions to start with, and build out from there.
Is it limiting?
Sort of. I mean you are not doing somethings over and over, so, there are some skills you don’t stretch as often. I do place some limits on what I am doing by choosing a defined CMS like WordPress. That said, there is a caveat.
WordPress is everywhere. Some reports place it as nearly a quarter of the sites on the web. That is millions of sites. I can stand to be limited to a market of millions of users. I can stand to point to a solution used by millions as a good choice for customers.
I am not saying I am not lazy. I do love me some cartoons and breakfast cereal on the weekends.
What I am saying is the reason I use WordPress is because it works. It is a solution to many problems. It is a solution I can still dive deep into, and find new things. I use, recommend, and sort of specialize in WordPress because it does the job well.