Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
I
WordPress Versions in Brief
You might have noticed that there are actually multiple versions of WordPress. The question as to
the difference between WordPress.com and WordPress software, supported by the WordPress.org
website, is initially confusing to a lot of people. The difference, though, is easily explained, and a
big part of WordPress's power.
WordPress comes in three versions, each covered in this topic. The versions are as follows:
WordPress.com, a website that hosts a wild profusion of customers' blogs. Automattic, the com-
pany that owns the WordPress software and brand, hosts this site. WordPress.com bloggers and
their visitors only “pay” by having occasional text ads displayed on the blogs, or pay a small
annual fee to have their site be ad free. You can put a wide variety of content in your WordPress
blog, but customization is limited to setup options, scores of canned themes, and existing
widgets—sidebar tools that give additional options to site visitors.
WordPress software, supported by the WordPress.org website. You can download the WordPress
software yourself and install it on your own website, find a web host who allows you to install
WordPress on their site, or use a specialized WordPress hosting service in which the host sets
up and maintains the software for you. As a WordPress software user, you can borrow or buy
additional themes and plug-ins and use them on your blog, as well as create your own.
WordPress MU, for multiuser. WordPress MU is the version of the software that runs
WordPress.com. You can use it to create your own hosting network, within an organization
(for an intranet or extranet), or when hosting public-facing blogs.
We explore just how to get the most out of WordPress in all its versions throughout this topic,
though WordPress is so deep that further topics could easily be written.
One interesting aspect of the structure of WordPress offerings is that the company, in classic tech-
nology style, chooses to “eat its own dog food.” Automattic, the company behind WordPress, uses
WordPress MU to run the WordPress.com website. Any improvements they make for their own use
are made available to users as well—and improvements requested by users immediately impact
Automattic in its daily use of its own software.
WordPress was originally developed by bloggers wanting a tool to blog with. Today, Automattic
continues this tradition—all its activities feed back into the development of better tools and serv-
ices for blogging.
The WordPress Community
Many technology products claim to be at the center of a vibrant community of users, developers,
and others. In WordPress's case, it's actually true.
Blogging naturally creates a sense of community among participants, bloggers, and blog readers
alike. In the case of WordPress, the community extends to the developers. Bloggers themselves, cre-
ators of tools for bloggers, users of blogging for company communications—the WordPress commu-
nity is rich and varied.
Search WWH ::




Custom Search