I don’t believe WordPress is the perfect platform, but its market dominance makes it impossible to ignore. Certainly, its flexibility in terms of themes will satisfy the majority of people looking to present their content in a relatively aesthetically-pleasing way. But the limitations on URLs, cross-device compatibility and presentation uniformity are not exactly state-of-the-art. I believe that anyone looking to present content on the web should consider investing in the time to code it themselves, but clearly for those without the time in their schedules or the wherewithal to learn all of the associated technologies and protocols, WordPress and its ilk (Drupal, Magento, Joomla) are satisfactory solutions that enable a quick-fix for those looking to establish a “7-out-of-10” web presence for themselves or their organizations.
On the plus side, WordPress ranks high on the ease-of-use scale for a content management system (CMS), and a first-time user can jump right into it without too much technical knowledge, although the number of options and settings can quickly overwhelm a novice if they dive too deeply. This is a common pitfall of systems designed by engineers for laypeople.
On the negative side, WordPress creates an artificial barrier between the user and HTML, CSS and Javascript that are the core building blocks of the web. Without knowing these technologies, a user is bound by the limitations and capabilities of WordPress plug-ins, themes and functionality. Very often, too much capability is assumed possible by users who don’t understand the technical limits of their platforms, OS, or browsers. Just because other users haven’t run into errors or artifacts doesn’t mean technical solutions of CMSs are perfect or that they’re advisable to employ. This is where “taking the long road” can have true benefits for those looking to master the mechanics of the systems they are charged with using; the old saying of “if you want something done right…” very much applies here.
WordPress and its brethren have effectively become “middleware” in the race to create workable platforms for corporate content. This leaves organizations dependent on a third party that doesn’t have anything to do with setting standards for the technology it is adapting and vulnerable to any hacking or unwanted engineering of the behind-the-scenes moving parts. WordPress is a for-profit company (albeit one with an altruistic heritage), and their market-dominant position doesn’t guarantee (or impede) a future performance of any kind. Caveat emptor.
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