Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
I
WordPress Hosting Options
Now it's time to definitively answer the question as to whether
you should start out on WordPress.com or with your own copy of
the software from WordPress.org. You need to know not only
which option to choose, but also when someone might consider
moving between them, and how difficult that might be.
In our experience, what most people want is to be able to start
with WordPress.com because it's easier and less expensive to get
started with it. They also want to know, however, that they have
the option to easily move to WordPress software if they want.
One of our main concerns in this topic is to create what we call a “salmon ladder” for you as a
WordPress user: an easy transition from the sea of WordPress.com users, where you can start your
blog and learn blogging skills, to the more rarefied, challenging, but ultimately rewarding environ-
ment of WordPress software users.
In the first three parts of this topic, Chapters 1 through 10, we provide you with a power user's
guide to WordPress.com. This will seem strange to some because they believe that any power user
will quickly go directly to using the WordPress software. This isn't so; many people create quite
extensive, and very popular, blogs on WordPress.com. They don't want the hassle and expense of
moving to WordPress software. They might move eventually, but they want to get the most out of
WordPress.com before they do.
In the fourth part of this topic, Chapters 11 through 15, we provide you with a complete guide to
the additional features you have access to with the WordPress software from WordPress.org, includ-
ing how to create your own themes and plug-ins. This supports those who move from one to the
other, as well as those who start out with the WordPress software from the beginning.
Throughout the topic, we provide information about how to make the most of each environment.
So if you're wondering if it's OK to start out in WordPress.com, even if you suspect (or even know)
you'll need full WordPress software in the future, the answer—from our own efforts and those of a
wide range of people who have done it—is “Yes.” Yes, WordPress.com is the best choice to start
out in if you think you might need the full power of WordPress software later. And yes, it is easy to
move your blog—including all the content, categories, and links—to WordPress software.
It's also OK to start out directly on WordPress.org. You need to be ready to either pay a host extra
to handle most of the hassles for you or take the time to learn how to do it yourself. In either event,
you'll be in a very powerful environment in which you can make your WordPress blog fully your
own.
If you already decided to work with WordPress.org, you can still use this topic from beginning to
end. Start in Chapter 11, “Installing and Upgrading WordPress Software,” to learn how to find a
host and set up your blog. Then you can go straight through the topic, from Chapter 2, “Starting
Your Blog Right,” forward. You'll just have more choices at each point.
tip
A true salmon ladder is a series
of pools placed in a rising ladder
alongside dams, so salmon can
work their way up from their
journey's start in the sea to their
spawning grounds upstream.
