Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
A
Automattic does acknowledge that the difference “can cause some confusion for people” by provid-
ing a long description of the difference online, as shown in Figure A.1. The Automattic explanation
doesn't even mention the ability for you to make money with a WordPress.org blog, but not a
WordPress.com one—perhaps the single most important motivation for WordPress.org users.
We like our explanation, in the following two sections, better, and it's shorter to boot. Feel free to
use both as needed to clear up any lingering doubts.
Figure A.1
Automattic
provides a
supportive
explanation
in Support.
Differences like the difference between WordPress.com and WordPress.org arise in software all the
time. AutoCAD, the computer-aided design software, has a “light” version called AutoCAD LT.
(AutoDesk, the company behind AutoCAD, is extremely user-oriented, and supports a vibrant com-
munity, but still manages to do a bit of branding where needed.)
The lower-cost, easier-to-use version of Microsoft Office is
called Microsoft Works. Photoshop Elements does most of what
the “full” Photoshop does for about 10% of the price.
In all these cases, good naming, and some hard work on the
marketing front to introduce and support both versions, makes
it much easier for users to choose the right offering; for the
press to talk about both offerings; and for third parties, such as
software vendors and, yes, book authors, to help people get the
most out of each of the products. Perhaps someday there will be
note
Ironically, the least-used of the
major versions of WordPress (in
terms of numbers of installations),
WordPress MU, does have its own
brand, and even a logo, which you
can see at http://mu.wordpress.
org.
