WordPress ten years on

WordPressTen years ago, on May 27, 2003, WordPress was released.

It wasn’t the first software that enabled anyone to write their thoughts down and publish them online for the world to see. But its free and open source credentials along with its extensible plug-in architecture made it an easy choice for anyone to start blogging at a time when the landscape was dominated by blogging software and platforms that were somewhat complex to learn and most cost money.

Ten years ago, I was using Blogspot, the paid blogging service from Blogger that was acquired by Google in February 2003. I moved to TypePad in mid 2004 – that site is still live, kept as an archive -  experimented with Movable Type along the way until settling on WordPress in early 2006.

So much has happened in these ten years in a constantly- and rapidly-evolving landscape, one that has expanded massively and globally and that offers would-be content publishers, individuals and organizations, myriad choices of methods to get your thoughts out there, connect with others and join that phenomenal conversation that’s going on.

Pioneers like Matt Mullenweg, the co-founder of WordPress, deserve recognition and thanks for the architecture they have created, upon which you see the many platforms of today.

Among it all, though, WordPress stands out as a worthy example of a real ecosystem – embracing platform, developers, users, fans and critics – that still is true to its original free and open source ideals. That’s crystal clear to see in Matt’s words yesterday extolling WordPress.

And in the practical sense, WordPress is just easy to use: easy to set up, manage, change your blog, add to it, use it on any device… In sum, I love WordPress.

Here’s to noble ideals, great content, conversations and longevity!

Additional reading:

[Later:] Some great metrics on WordPress over the years in this concise infographic from Statista via VentureBeat:

WordPress Turns 10

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Neville Hobson

Social Strategist, Communicator, Writer, and Podcaster with a curiosity for tech and how people use it. Believer in an Internet for everyone. Early adopter (and leaver) and experimenter with social media. Occasional test pilot of shiny new objects. Avid tea drinker.

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