📖 WordPress Overview
WordPress
WordPress (WP) is an open source Content Management System (CMS) application designed to support the development of websites. Initially, WP was built to host blog sites but has undergone a rigorous transformation into a website management system to support many types of sites. WP has a number of options that can expand and enhance its core capabilities making it one of the most popular content management systems in the world. Information on the Wikipedia page for WordPress covers much of the history and development of this system.
- Open source blogging tool and content management system (CMS)
- based on PHP and MySQL (but you don't have to know PHP or MySQL to use it)
- currently the most popular CMS in use for new websites
- based on the use of themes which can be easily customized
- does not require knowledge of HTML or CSS (but it helps!)
- blogging features allow you to update your website/blog frequently, receive and respond to comments from your readers, and allow others to subscribe to your site content using RSS
- built in search engine optimization (SEO)
- frequent security updates
WordPress.org vs WordPress.com
WordPress.org is the support site for WordPress.
- download WordPress to create your own custom WordPress site
- view the documentation for WordPress
- find and download themes and plugins
- connect to the WordPress community through forums, blogs, mailing lists, etc.
WordPress.com is a hosting service for WordPress blogs.
- free hosting service for WordPress blogs
- limited number of themes
- cannot install your own plugins
- doesn't allow all widgets and Flash players
- premium service available for a fee with more space, fewer restrictions and no advertising