Tech Knowledge

CMS for free: WordPress definitely wins!

Which CMS? Which platform? It didn’t take me long to decide that I’m all for WordPress.org. And this is mainly for two reasons.

Choose your tools.

From the first go, there is a very obvious difference in functionality and target audience between WP.com and WP.org. The .com only requires users to set up an account immediately without requiring any download or installation.  There a numerous themes available and these made setting a webpage extremely easy for a beginner.

Wordpress: two versions for one CMS solution.
WordPress is Open-source.

However, the interface resembles a lot that of a very famous social network, with a focus on building from static templates and sharing within a click. The content is expected to be categorised and linked to communities, where each user can follow and re-post their favourite pages. Compared to WP.org, this platform seems more of a website builder with integrated social media.

Two strikes for the CMS.

So, what is the big deal about WordPress.org? Well, Firstly, it’s a software…an open source software. Generally speaking, open source software tend to evolve rapidly and adapt to the needs of the users with much greater consistency. Also, these software create a thriving community of web enthusiasts and innovative researchers. These computer-minded individuals often genuinely want to improve the quality and the efficiency of the CMS…for free!

WordPress popularity chart
An overview of WordPress popularity around the world

Secondly, most hosting providers make WordPress CMS and all its attached plugins accessible within a one-click installation. So, this gives users the opportunity to increase their tech knowledge of IT systems without struggling with time-consuming procedures. This means that anyone can grow from using the platform, while using the platform and updating the platform.

In the end, I look at it and think WP.org is indeed a sound development environment. It is streamlining our processes and empowering us with new knowledge. Isn’t that the ultimate definition of “Technology”?