When one leaves their job without another to replace it, the first thing many journalists do is look for tools that can keep their name in the public eye. I fit this mold.
One tool that has served me extremely well in the past few days is WordPress, a comprehensive and free content management system. Its developers refer to it as a blogging tool, but WordPress rivals some of the most expensive content management systems I have used. In short, WordPress is wonderful and I am grateful to its developers.
I was up with a sharp-looking web site and blog so fast (this one) that a few followers asked: “How did you do that?’
I had a bit of an edge. I had used the WordPress editor as a blogging tool in my previous job as an editor-an-chief. And I’d used others content management systems so I knew the posting drill. Anyone can figure out WordPress and should not shy away from trying it. WordPress also has its own traffic reporting system.
WordPress has been around since 2003 and in 2007, there were 3.8 million downloads so I am hardly on the cutting edge with it. I have barely sctatched the surface.
WordPress.org even has a future release schedule and developers polls users on their problems and what features they’d like to see in coming releases. As of this writing, there were 4,010 plugins for it and downloads totaling 20,363,588! I guesstimate I was about the 20,361,419th download. And yes, there’s a Dummie series book on WordPress.
WordPress is a digital life force, operating as an Open Source project under the principal that software should be developed shared at no cost to the user. That’s a noble idea if not a bit impractical. But I sure appreciate it.
8 comments On Salvation in WordPress
John, nice site! I looked at this design as well but ended up going with Blix. Have you checked out Thesis?
Best of luck with whatever comes next. Your portfolio speaks for itself.
John,
I do absolutely everything with WordPress.
Did you know that the WSJ’s http://www.AllthingsD.com is built with WP?
Let me know if I can help with anything.
Newt
Newt,
I’ll check it out and I’m adding your site to my blog roll. Hope you do the same for me….Best..JD
Speaking of WordPress, here’s a timely article on how to back up and restore your carefully crafted WordPress blog:
http://tiplet.com/tip/how-to-back-up-and-restore-a-wordpress-blog/
Thanks….I always think of things like too late.
Good luck, John!
Thanks, Catherine. You too!
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