CNET Editors' review
Originally intended for blogging, but customizable into just about any configuration, WordPress is the Firefox of content management systems. Extensible and proud of it, the program itself is known for having one of the simplest installations of any content management system.
The ZIP file comes with instructions on how to install WordPress on to your server. You must use an FTP client, and obviously you must have administrator-level rights to your server first. The software bills itself as having a world-famous, 5-minute installation process, and assuming nothing goes wrong that's probably not far from the truth. Documentation at their Web site is extensive, clear, and concise.
There is an installation-free version available at WordPress.com, where bloggers who want the feel but not the responsibility of managing their CMS can register and blog at will. If you're willing to take on a bit more of a challenge, the WordPress support forums haven't failed us yet in answering even our most difficult questions.
Without a doubt, the ease with which users can install updates and incorporate plug-ins is the best feature that WordPress provides. The extension library is impressively deep, and can be used for such large-scale changes as turning your blog into a photo gallery or online store, or something as basic as changing your theme, or configuring regular database backups. WordPress is highly recommended for those who want a hands-on approach to their blogging and content managing software, but it's not for beginners.
Publisher's Description
From WordPress.org:
WordPress is a personal publishing platform with a focus on aesthetics, Web standards, and usability. WordPress was born out of a desire for an elegant, well-structured personal publishing system built on PHP and MySQL and licensed under the GPL. It is the official successor of b2/cafelog. WordPress is fresh software, but its roots and development go back to 2001. It is a mature and stable product. We hope by focusing on user experience and web standards we can create a tool different from anything else out there.
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All versions:
3.8 starsout of 12 votes
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Current version:
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"it has proven satisfactory"
Version: WordPress 3.2.1
Pros
it has proven satisfactory
Cons
it has proven satisfactory
Summary
it has proven satisfactory
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"WordPress post and category list plugin"
Version: WordPress 3.1.1
Pros
<a target="_new" href="http://w4dev.com/w4-plugin/w4-post-list/">W4 post list </a> Create a list of your categories, posts or category posts and show it your sites widget area, post or page content area by shortcode.
Cons
Visit the <a target="_new" href="http://w4dev.com/w4-plugin/w4-post-list/"> W4 post list website </a> for more informatiom
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"Superior blogging and content management platform"
Version: WordPress 3.0.1
Pros
absolutely simple to install, set up a sql data base, unzip the file, get your passwords and you are ready to go. There are plenty of free plug-ins, and even more low priced plug-ins, so you can do virtually anything you want.
Cons
It takes a little practice to use if you are not familiar with sql, so you need to know a smattering of php and have some basic idea of how to set up your sql database.
Summary
I have many blogs on this platform and they run virtually problem free. There are often a flurry of update to install as security issues are uncovered and plug-ins update to work with the releases. I really enjoy using this platform.
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"Wordpress is a developers nightmare"
Version: WordPress 2.9.2
Pros
Certainly there are a lot of good features, but these are shared by virtually every other blog product on the market.
Cons
The obfuscation of code is outrageous, if not unethical and immoral. Simple changes that should take minutes take hours to simply find WHERE to make the change. Official documentation is incomplete, not including many important function calls.
Summary
If you know enough php to edit your scripts, then you're better off writing your own scripts WITHOUT SENSELESS OBFUSCATION and building a fully custom blog from scratch. It may take two to three times as long, but eventually you'll get what you want, and if you have any maintenance to do or subtle changes to make, you'll save big time in the long run. Sorry Wordpress, but I have to give you a D-.
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"Could not install"
Version: WordPress 2.8.6
Pros
The description sounded very good and the download seemed to go okay.
Cons
Could not get program to install. Quit after two hours.
No program removal function.Summary
I downloaded the program because of the good reviews. I hate to have to unzip anything, but I did it for this one. Why is it necessary to still have use zipped functions. The programs claims to have an easy five minute install. I spent two hours and was never able to get it to install or function at all. The error messages were even confusing. I must be a dunce because all the other reviews are great. When I finally gave up, I found out that there was no way to uninstall this program. I wanted it to work and I really tried.
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"Had my first blog up and running in no time"
Version: WordPress 2.8.3
Pros
I could understand the installation language except for on word
Cons
Account for WordPress purposes has a different meaning that what is used in the business wold.
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"Best Hands Down"
Version: WordPress 2.7
Pros
Does what I need it to do, easy to edit php files, thousands of plugins for me to use, hassle free to add posts, pages, tags, media, etc. Can be used easily on a day to day basis.
Cons
You can't edit how you design each page individually.
Summary
It's no longer just a blogging software, it can be used for practically anything.
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"Efficient product..."
Version: WordPress 2.6
Pros
Efficient product...
Cons
Efficient product...
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"A perfect blogging tool"
Version: WordPress 2.1
Pros
Wordpress is an amazing blogging tool. Having read through reviews I settled on Wordpress for a rather uncompelling reason - it was completely free, it looked ok and it installed via Fantastico, which meant less hassle for me.
I was not disappointed. Wordpress installation was a breeze - 30 seconds flat. Even if your host doesn't have Fantastico - there are very detailed, step by step instructions for an install which should take about 5 minutes (I haven't tried though). You can also get Wordpress.org to install it for you in the unlikely event that you get stuck.
Having installed Wordpress on my server it took me less than an hour to chose a theme from thousands of free themes available and customise it to my liking. Bear in mind that I don't know any php, have minimal html skills and have never had a blog before. Therefore the learning curve from zero to up and running was less than an hour.
One of the best things about WordPress is that there are thousands of wonderful and completely free widgets and plugins. They are extremely easy to install (usually upload a folder on your server and click a button in Wordpress Admin interface) and I am yet to encounter an issue for which I couldn't find a plugin. Most come with detailed instructions and help from developers.
Setting up a blog with Wordpress.com is supposedly easier than self-hosting, but the level of knowledge required to get Wordpress.org software up and running is minimal, so if you have a host and are chosing between the two options - I'd strongly recommend going with the self-hosted version - you get lots of flexibility and it is just so easy.
Cons
There is honestly nothing to not like about this product.
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"Simple clean, free and fun to use"
Version: WordPress 1.5 "Strayhorn"
Pros
- Simple to learn
- 3 step install
- fast
- Standards complient
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