WordPress is a free, open source blog publishing platform. There are freely hosted accounts available at WordPress.com, or self-hosted software available at WordPress.org (we deal solely with the latter). The platform was developed by Matt Mullenweg and a large online community of software developers, which means there is a lot of support available out there, plus tons of free themes and plugins to increase the functionality and aesthetic of your blog.

The admin panel is web-based, which means you can access and update your site from any wired location in the world. And the biggest benefit of content management systems like WordPress is that they separate the layout & design of your page from the content. In other words, once you have a suitable template designed for your website, anyone can update the content of your site—the CEO, the PR department, the intern, whomever—without any need for technical knowledge of XHTML or CSS. Unlike programs like DreamWeaver or Microsoft FrontPage, even the most non-technical person can create, edit, or update as much content as they want, and never have to worry about corrupting the structure of the webpage!

To expand, I want to share some thoughts from lead developer Matt Mullenweg himself, co-founder of WordPress and its parent company Automattic, Inc. This is the best explanation I’ve ever read about the benefits of WordPress, from Matt’s Foreward to WordPress for Dummies:

“There used to be a program from Microsoft called FrontPage that was the first visual interface for creating Web sites that I saw. It worked like Word or Publisher, so with very little knowledge, I was able to hack together the world’s worst Web site in just a few hours without worrying about what was going on under the hood.

Years later when I look back at that Web site, I cringe, but at the time it was incredibly empowering. The software, though crude, helped me publish something anybody in the entire world could see. It opened up a world I had never imagined before.

Now, using software like WordPress, you can have a blog or Web site lightyears beyond my first one in both functionality and aesthetics. However, just as my first Web experience whetted my appetite for more, I hope that your experience entices you to explore the thousands of free plugins, themes, and customizations possible with WordPress […].

WordPress is more than just software; it is a community, a rapidly evolving ecosystem, and a set of philosophies and opinions about how to create the best Web experience. When you embrace it, you’ll be in good company. WordPress users include media organizations such as CNN, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal, along with millions of personal bloggers like myself for whom a WordPress blog is a means of expression.”

Who better to hear about what WordPress means in the bigger picture than one of the founders! Thanks to Lisa Sabin-Wilson for compiling the WordPress for Dummies guide.