#WordPress is a free and open source platform

[jonahyawi]

How to Get the Most Out of the Free WordPress App on the App Store

Want to know the coolest reasons why you might want to download WordPress App and why it is the best choice? Well, WordPress is a free and open source platform where you hear business folks flooding in nowadays to build their websites. Right? For the record WordPress Dominates the entire Website Building Industry and as of January 2023 it is led by far waiving 43% leaving the rest behind (below…

[the-bar-sinister]

So out of curiosity what are you using to make your webbed site???

Maybe it's because we're used to microlabel communities but we usually see carrds or rentrys, yours looks more like a neocities or uhhh we forgot the name of it but the blog platform also owned by tumblrs — OH WE MEAN WORDPRESS. Yours looks like a WordPress or a NeoCities.

We definitely do not have the coding skills necessary to make something so smooth looking but like, your site looks cool. ^.^;;;;

Thank you so much for the kind words <3

It's a wordpress! And actually it takes absolutely zero coding, it's as easy as setting up a tumblr.

This is what my back end looks like.

I use wordpress because it's what I've been using for over a decade, its open source and highly customizable, I can take it anywhere, I can put as much content on it as I want, and I can arrange that content however best pleases me. *puts fingers together ominously*.

In my online world, it's always 2010 ;)

OH OH.

Important clarification though!!

"wordpress.com" is owned by the same guy as tumblr.

"wordpress" the content management system (which I use) is free and open sources, and is NOT owned or affiliated with wordpress.com or the guy that owns tumblr.

[leslekieuart]

Hello! I couldn't find where to message you and felt silly to email the question on your business email, so you're absolutely free to ignore this!

Love your comic so so much, your characters are wonderful! As someone who also wants to make a webcomic (traditionally, not like webtoon or tapas or any scrolly place), how did you get your website made up and hosted? I'm always stuck on the details of that stuff. Making the art isn't hard, it's the technical details that I'm too boomer to understand!

Apologies if it's such a weird or awkward question, but thank you for reading nonetheless!

Not a weird question at all, I feel like with large social media platforms being the main places where people post their work, the art of making your own website is truly lost in this day and age (I know I had to fumble a bit to make mine)

I use Bluehost to host my site, and used Wordpress's open source website builder for it. I highly recommend checking out Toocheke, which is pretty much what I used for the framework for my site. I am not a tech savy person (most of my css knowledge was editing my own tumblr back in the day), but toocheke was fairly easy to install and I was able to get most of my problems fixed by light researching.

I would highly advise against trying to make your website on wordpress itself, for some reason toocheke costed more to use since they put custom themes like that behind a paywall on their own built in builder if you decide to host with them.

[kradeelav]

the tl;dr

IRON CROWN as a free comic is now off of wordpress and can be viewed by a neat, robust HTML/CSS/JS comic template called rarebit! effectively nothing has changed for the reader, beyond expecting a little more reliability of uptime over the years.

all comic pages and previously paywalled patreon posts can also be downloaded in this art dump for free, as mentioned in the new author's notes.

the long story:

When talking shop about site/platform moves under this handle, I think it's useful to realize that us (taboo) kink artists live in an actively adversarial internet now, compared to five years ago.

meaning that we have to live with an expectation that 99% of platforms (including registrars and hosting, let alone sns sites) will ban/kick us without warning. this might explain the overly cautious/defensive way we discuss technologies - weighing how likely (and easily) the tool can be used against us vs the perks.

for example: has a harassment mob bullied the platform owners into quietly dropping lolisho artists? trans artists? does the platform/technology have a clear, no-bullshit policy on drawn kink art (specifically third rail kinks like noncon)? does the platform have a long history of hosting r18 doujin artists/hentai publishers with no issue? does the company operate in a nation unfriendly to specific kinks (eg fashkink artists fundamentally incompatible with companies based in germany, when other kinks might be OK?). i talk with a few different groups of artists daily about the above.

but that gets tiring after a while! frankly, the only path that's becoming optimal long-term is (a) putting kink art on your personal site, and if possible, (b) self hosting the whole thing entirely, while (c) complementing your site with physical merch since it's much harder to destroy in one go.

with that said - I've been slowly re-designing all of my pages/sub-domains as compact 'bug out bags'. lean, efficiently packed with the essentials, and very easy to save and re-upload to a new host/registrar near instantly (and eventually, be friendly to self-hosting bandwidth costs since that's now a distant goal).

how does this look in theory, you ask?

zero dependencies. the whole IRON CROWN comic subdomain is three JS files, a few HTML files, one CSS file, and images. that's it.

no updates that can be trojan horse'd. I'm not even talking about malware though that's included; I'm talking about wordpress (owned by the same owners as tumblr cough) slipping in AI opt-outs in a plug-in that's turned on by default. I used to think wordpress was safe from these shenanigans because wordpress-as-a-CMS could be separate from wordpress-as-a-domain; I was wrong. they'll get you through updates.

robust reliability through the KISS principle. keep it simple stupid. malware/DDOS'ing has an infinitively harder time affecting something that doesn't have a login page/interactive forms. You can't be affected by an open source platform suddenly folding, because your "starter" template is contained files saved on your desktop (and hopefully multiple backups...). etc.

so how does this look in practice?

To be fair, you're often trading convenient new shiny UI/tools for a clunkier back-end experience. but i think it's a mistake to think your art site has to look like a MIT professor's page from 1999.

with IRON CROWN, I've effectively replicated it from a (quite good) comic template in wordpress to 98% of the same layout in pure HTML/CSS/JS via rarebit. Should rarebit's website go "poof", I've got the initial zip download of the template to re-use for other sites.

I frankly have a hard time recommending rarebit for an actively updating webcomic since you personally might be trading too many advantages like SEO tools, RSS feeds, etc away - but for a finished webcomic that you want to put in "cold storage" - it's amazing. and exactly what I needed here.

[technofeudalism]

Automattic, the company that owns WordPress.com, is required to remove a controversial login checkbox from WordPress.org and let WP Engine back into its ecosystem after a judge granted WP Engine a preliminary injunction in its ongoing lawsuit.  In addition to removing the checkbox—which requires users to denounce WP Engine before proceeding—the preliminary injunction orders that Automattic is enjoined from “blocking, disabling, or interfering with WP Engine’s and/or its employees’, users’, customers’, or partners’ access to wordpress.org” or “interfering with WP Engine’s control over, or access to, plugins or extensions (and their respective directory listings) hosted on wordpress.org that were developed, published, or maintained by WP Engine,” the order states. In the immediate aftermath of the decision, Automattic founder and CEO Matt Mullenweg asked for his account to be deleted from the Post Status Slack, which is a popular community for businesses and people who work on WordPress’s open-source tools. 

“It's hard to imagine wanting to continue to working on WordPress after this,” he wrote in that Slack, according to a screenshot viewed by 404 Media. “I'm sick and disgusted to be legally compelled to provide free labor to an organization as parasitic and exploitive as WP Engine. I hope you all get what you and WP Engine wanted.” His username on that Slack has been changed to “gone 💀” Mullenweg began to publicly denounce WP Engine in September, calling the web hosting platform a “cancer” to the larger Wordpress open-source project and accusing it of improperly using the WordPress brand. He’s “at war” with WP Engine, in his own words.  In October, Mullenweg added a required checkbox at login for WordPres.org, forcing users to agree that they are not affiliated with WP Engine. The checkbox asked users to confirm, “I am not affiliated with WP Engine in any way, financially or otherwise.” The checkbox was still present and required on the WordPress.org login page as of Wednesday morning. Automattic and Mullenweg have 72 hours from the order to take it down, according to the judge’s order.  WP Engine sent a cease and desist demanding that he “stop making and retract false, harmful and disparaging statements against WP Engine,” the platform posted on X.  Automattic sent back its own cease and desist, saying, “Your unauthorized use of our Client’s intellectual property has enabled WP Engine to compete with our Client unfairly, and has led to unjust enrichment and undue profits.” WP Engine filed a lawsuit against Automattic and Mullenweg, accusing them of extortion and abuse of power. In October, Mullenweg announced that he’d given Automattic employees a buyout package, and 159 employees, or roughly 8.4 percent of staff, took the offer. “I feel much lighter,” he wrote. But shortly after, he reportedly complained that the company was now “very short staffed.”   All of this has created an environment of chaos and fear within Automattic and in the wider WordPress open-source community.  Within 72 hours of the order, Automattic and Mullenweg are also required to remove the “purported” list of WP Engine customers contained in the ‘domains.csv’ file linked to Automattic’s website wordpressenginetracker.com, which Automattic launched in November and tracks sites that have left WP Engine. It’s also required to restore WP Engine’s access to WordPress.org, including reactivating and restoring all WP Engine employee login credentials to wordpress.org resources and “disable any technological blocking of WPEngine’s and Related Entities’ access to wordpress.org that occurred on or around September 25, 2024, including IP address blocking or other blocking mechanisms.” The judge also ordered Mullenweg to restore WP Engine’s access to its Advanced Custom Fields (“ACF”) plugin directory, which its team said was “unilaterally and forcibly taken away from its creator without consent” and called it a “new precedent” in betrayal of community access. “We are grateful that the court has granted our motion for a preliminary injunction,” a spokesperson for WP Engine told 404 Media. “The order will bring back much-needed stability to the WordPress ecosystem. WP Engine is focused on serving our partners and customers and working with the community to find ways to ensure a vigorous, and thriving WordPress community.” A spokesperson for Automattic told 404 Media: “Today’s ruling is a preliminary order designed to maintain the status quo. It was made without the benefit of discovery, our motion to dismiss, or the counterclaims we will be filing against WP Engine shortly. We look forward to prevailing at trial as we continue to protect the open source ecosystem during full-fact discovery and a full review of the merits.” 

[archiveyourblog]

How to back up your Tumblr blog

Not sure if all of you heard the news, but Wordpress laid off 16% of its staff, which happened to include senior tumblr staff like cyle. According to 3liza, the amount of staff running tumblr is about 25.

Welp. Will Tumblr finally die? I don't know. It's pretty likely, since this site costs millions to run and to host all this content, but I'll stay till the end. But I backed up my blog, with the help of a post that can't be reblogged rn.

you can reblog this one though.

Quoth butchlinkle: "In your blog settings you have the ability to initiate a blog export, and this will generate a backup for your blog.

Fair warning though, if you’ve been on the platform for a long time this archive is likely to be quite hefty in file size. This blog I have had for 5 years with 22k posts, and the export from tumblr came to be 48GB. My previous blog I made in 2011 and has 95k posts, so needless to say I did not use tumblr’s built in export to back that one up.

If you want more control over exactly what you back up from your blog, I recommend that you use tumblr-utils instead. It allows you to backup specific tags, post types, and to ignore posts that you did not create (reblogs where you’ve added a comment count unfortunately do not count unless you use the older version of the script made with python 2.7).

To use it:

download and install python

create an application on tumblr to get an api key

create a folder where you would like to save your backups and right click to open it in the terminal/command prompt, or type cmd.exe in the address bar from inside that folder

Backing up just my original posts from this blog with this command came to 632MB rather than 48GB, and also gave me the option to save my posts in JSON format which will be useful for converting my posts to a new format for self hosting.

On that note I’m currently looking into figuring out a simple (and ideally free) way of self hosting a static site blog that utilises activitypub, and also converting my old posts to re-host on said blog.

This post series by maho.dev on implementing activitypub with any static site is my primary source of guidance atm if you also want to try figure that out yourself, as well as having an explanation for why you’d even want to do this if you don’t already know

but if tumblr goes down before I get things sorted and write up a post about it then i’ll be reporting back on it via my bsky, mastodon, and toyhouse accounts

if you dont have an account on any of these I’ll also be sharing an update via my personal site’s RSS feed, link of which includes an explanation of what RSS is and some feed readers you can use, I highly recommend checking it out as getting a feed reader is going to be the best way you can stay connected with people if they scatter across the internet!

tldr: download tumblr-utils to backup your blog more efficiently, introduce yourself to RSS and get a feed reader to stay connected with people, consider saving mine so you can find out how to self host your blog later if tumblr goes down."

here's a guide from the notes: https://docs.google.com/document/u/0/d/1yBWlk-yEgpSoEh3c9oLhz_kbLtUGqbqzOpCtJsvQgjI/mobilebasic?pli=1#h.u9vj7pezwpcy

Back up those blogs. This was way faster than trying to use Webarchive, and webarchive seems to be only good for saving text, audio, and video, because it saved none of the images. And remember: I did not write this guide, and I do not know a thing about coding or fixing bugs.

[mariacallous]

Today, our information feeds and social media are largely governed by algorithms optimized to maximize engagement, often amplifying the most inflammatory content. With every view, like, and share analyzed to predict and steer our behaviors, we risk becoming subjects of surveillance and manipulation rather than active participants in civic discourse.

In 2025, we will start laying the groundwork for more empathetic and inclusive social networks, with the adoption of what I call “prosocial media.” This is media that doesn't just capture the attention of users but catalyzes mutual understanding between them. Media that empowers every voice, while fostering the capacity to listen across differences. Media that enables citizens to positively shape the digital public sphere.

One crucial aspect of prosocial media is the ability to allow people to collaboratively add context to potentially misleading information, thereby fostering a more informed discourse. Initiatives like Community Notes on X.com (formerly Twitter) and YouTube, for example, have successfully implemented this for public posts. A recent study, for instance, showed that Twitter Community Notes is an effective tool, reducing the number of retweets of potentially misleading posts by almost half and increasing the probability that a tweet is deleted by the user by 80 percent.

In Taiwan, Cofacts, a community-sourced fact-checking platform, is taking this concept further by empowering citizens to contextualize messages within private groups as well. Launched in 2017 by the civic technology community g0v, the platform was successfully adopted in Thailand in 2019. Research by Cornell University found that Cofacts managed to be quicker and as accurate in dealing with misinformation queries as professional fact-checking sites.

Prosocial media also addresses the centralization of social media platforms and the resulting unhealthy concentration of curation power in the hands of a few tech giants. It does this by using decentralized social networking protocols which enable content to flow seamlessly between different social media platforms. Last year, for instance, Meta’s Threads joined the Fediverse, a group of social media platforms that can communicate with one another, including Mastodon and Wordpress. This will eventually allow users on Threads to follow accounts and publish posts on other social networks. In February 2024, another decentralized platform, Bluesky (funded by Twitter founder Jack Dorsey) was also launched to the public.

Decentralization holds the promise of a more democratic internet, where people have greater control over their data and online experiences, leading to a proliferation of local communities, all interconnected through open protocols. This is increasingly valued by users. For instance, research at the University of Cincinnati found that users on decentralized social networks like Mastodon have joined primarily because they could control their information from data mining.

Breaking free of this attention economy will also require bold innovations in the very design of our digital platforms. In 2025, we will start doing that by using AI systems to help us prioritize content that promotes understanding and bridges divides, creating digital spaces that foster genuine dialogue rather than conflict. For instance, Stanford University and Jigsaw, the team created by Google to address global security problems and threats to open societies, have created AI tools that score social media posts and comments based on values like compassion, respect, and curiosity. In April 2024, they published research that demonstrated that ranking posts and comments based on such values significantly reduces reported animosity among users.

In 2025, a new wave of prosocial media platforms will finally start bridging the online divides, highlighting instead the common ground that unites us.

[freshyblog07]

🧩 What is WordPress? A Beginner's Guide 🧠

Curious about what WordPress is and how it works? Learn everything about WordPress, its features, benefits, and how to get started in this simple guide for beginners.

📝 Introduction

If you're new to creating websites or blogging, you’ve probably asked yourself: What is WordPress? In simple terms, it’s one of the most powerful tools for building websites without needing any coding knowledge. Whether you want to start a blog, portfolio, or business site — WordPress has you covered.

🌐 What is WordPress?

WordPress is a free, open-source content management system (CMS) that lets you create, manage, and publish content on the internet. It started as a blogging tool in 2003 but has grown into a full-featured website builder.

Over 40% of websites globally are built using WordPress — making it the most popular website platform in the world.

🚀 Key Features of WordPress

✅ User-Friendly: Easy setup, even for beginners.

🎨 Customizable Themes: Choose from thousands of free or premium themes.

🔌 Plugins Support: Add features like SEO tools, forms, galleries, etc.

💻 SEO Optimized: WordPress is built with search engines in mind.

🌍 Multilingual: Supports multiple languages.

🔐 Secure: Regular updates and security plugins make WordPress safe.

💡 Why Use WordPress?

Start a blog, portfolio, online store, or business site easily.

Responsive design – your site looks great on any device.

Strong community support and extensive documentation.

It's ideal for content marketing, SEO, and eCommerce.

🔗 Learn More: Full WordPress Guide

Want to dive deeper into how WordPress works and how you can set up your own website step-by-step?

👉 Read the full article on Freshy Blog 👈

📌 Final Thoughts

If you're asking, "What is WordPress and why should I use it?" — the answer is simple: it's the most beginner-friendly, scalable, and feature-rich platform for building any kind of website in 2025.

Start with WordPress today and take full control of your online presence.

[crossatlanticsoftware-blog]

Top WordPress Website Development Services: Expert Web Designers & Developers Near You

These days, your website is often the first impression people get of your business—so it needs to look good and work flawlessly. In a world where everything happens online, having a strong digital presence isn’t just nice to have—it’s essential. That’s why so many businesses turn to WordPress. It’s reliable, flexible, and built to grow with you. Whether you’re starting from scratch or giving your current site a much-needed refresh, having the right team by your side makes all the difference. At Cross Atlantic Software, we’re here to help with WordPress website development services that are designed around your goals, your brand, and your future.Why Choose WordPress?

WordPress powers over 40% of all websites on the internet—and for good reason. It’s a powerful, flexible, and scalable platform that supports everything from simple blogs to complex eCommerce sites. Its open-source nature, combined with a vast library of themes and plugins, makes it a favorite among developers and business owners alike.

However, maximizing WordPress’s potential requires more than a basic understanding. It calls for professional WordPress web design, skilled development, and ongoing optimization. That’s where Cross Atlantic Software comes in.

Our WordPress Website Development Services

At Cross Atlantic Software, our comprehensive WordPress website development services include everything from initial consultation to post-launch support. Here’s what you can expect:

1. Custom WordPress Web Design

We understand that every business is unique. Our team of experienced WordPress designers near me works closely with clients to create custom websites that reflect their brand identity, engage visitors, and convert leads. Whether you need a sleek corporate site or a visually rich portfolio, our designs are tailored to impress and perform.

2. Expert WordPress Development

Our skilled WordPress web developers specialize in creating responsive, SEO-friendly, and lightning-fast websites. From theme customization to plugin development and API integrations, we ensure your website functions seamlessly across all devices and platforms.

3. E-commerce Solutions

Want to start selling online? We integrate robust WooCommerce solutions into your WordPress site to create intuitive and secure eCommerce stores. Our WordPress website development services include product page optimization, shopping cart setup, payment gateway integration, and more.

4. Maintenance & Support

A website is not a one-time project; it requires constant updates and monitoring. We offer ongoing maintenance packages that include backups, security scans, plugin updates, and performance monitoring to keep your website running at its best.

Why Work with WordPress Experts Near You?

Searching for WordPress experts near me brings you to professionals who understand your market and can provide more personalized support. At Cross Atlantic Software, we pride ourselves on our collaborative approach and transparent communication. Being locally accessible means we’re always within reach for meetings, consultations, or urgent updates.

What Sets Cross Atlantic Software Apart?

We’re more than just WordPress web developers—we’re your digital partners. Our team combines creativity, strategy, and technical skill to deliver impactful websites that drive business results.

Client-Centric Approach: We tailor our services to your goals, not the other way around.

Proven Expertise: Our portfolio spans diverse industries and project scales.

Responsive Design: Mobile-first design ensures your site looks great on all devices.

SEO Optimization: Every project is built with SEO best practices to help you rank higher.

Local Talent: Looking for WordPress designers near me? You’ll find them here.

The Benefits of Professional WordPress Web Design

Many small businesses start with DIY templates or free website builders, but these often come with limitations. Professional WordPress web design ensures that your site is not only visually appealing but also optimized for performance, SEO, and user experience.

Benefits include:

Brand Consistency: Custom themes aligned with your branding.

Improved SEO: Faster load times and proper on-page SEO structures.

Scalability: Easily add new features or pages as your business grows.

Security: Reduced risk of hacking with the right development practices.

Case Study: A Success Story with Cross Atlantic Software

A local fitness studio approached us in search of WordPress experts near me. They needed a visually dynamic and user-friendly website to showcase their services and handle class bookings. Our team delivered a stunning custom design, integrated WooCommerce for payments, and created a seamless user experience across desktop and mobile.

The result? A 60% increase in website traffic and a 35% increase in customer sign-ups within three months.

How to Get Started

If you’re ready to elevate your online presence, don’t settle for generic solutions. Partner with Cross Atlantic Software to leverage our end-to-end WordPress website development services and achieve your business goals. Whether you're looking for WordPress web design, development, or local support from WordPress designers near me, we’ve got you covered.

Schedule a free consultation today and see how our team of dedicated WordPress web developers can transform your digital presence.

Conclusion

Your website is your most powerful digital asset. With the right design and development partner, you can create a site that not only looks good but delivers results. Cross Atlantic Software, we combine technical know-how with creative flair to offer world-class WordPress website development services that drive success.

Don’t waste time searching endlessly for WordPress experts near me or wondering if your site is up to par. Let our experienced team guide you from concept to launch—and beyond.

Contact Cross Atlantic Software today and start building your digital future.

[aucioinfotech]

WordPress Mastery: A Complete Guide for Novices and Experts

Welcome back to our blog! We're delving further into WordPress today, the industry-leading content management system that has revolutionized website development and administration. This tutorial will give you the fundamental knowledge, skills, and insights you need to become an expert WordPress user, regardless of whether you're just getting started or want to improve your current website.

What Is Unique About WordPress? WordPress is a complete content management system (CMS) that supports a wide variety of websites, from huge business sites to personal blogs. The following are some salient characteristics that distinguish WordPress:

1. Open Source & Free WordPress is open-source software, meaning it is free to use and modify. This accessibility has resulted in a thriving community of developers and users who contribute to its ongoing enhancement. 2. Flexibility and Scalability. Whether you run a small blog or a huge e-commerce site, WordPress can scale to meet your demands. You can begin simple and extend your site as your business expands, adding new features and functionalities along the way. 3. Extensive plugin ecosystem. With over 58,000 plugins accessible, you can simply add new features to your website without requiring any technical skills. From SEO tools to social network integrations, there's a plugin for practically every requirement.

4. Mobile responsiveness. Most WordPress themes are built to be mobile-responsive, so your site will look amazing on any device. This is especially important in today's mobile-first environment, when smartphones and tablets account for a considerable amount of web traffic. To set up your WordPress site, start by selecting a hosting provider.

Choosing a reputable hosting company is critical for your website's performance. Look for WordPress-specific providers like Bluehost, SiteGround, or Kinsta, which provide optimized conditions for WordPress blogs.

Step 2: Installing WordPressYou can install WordPress after you've acquired your domain name and hosting. Most hosting companies include a one-click installation option, making it simple to get started. Step 3: Choose a theme Your site's design and feel are determined by its theme. To choose a design that fits your brand, look through the WordPress theme repository or premium theme marketplaces like as ThemeForest. Step 4: Customise Your Website After you've decided on a theme, tweak it to meet your requirements. To change the colors, fonts, and layouts, use the WordPress Customizer. You may also add widgets to your sidebar or footer to extend its usefulness.

Step 5: Add the necessary plugins. Install the following important plugins to improve the essential plugins:

Elementor: A powerful page builder for creating custom layouts.

Akismet: A spam protection plugin to keep your comments section clean.

WP Super Cache: A caching plugin to improve your site’s loading speed.

UpdraftPlus: For easy backups of your site. Plan Your Content Create a content calendar to help you arrange your themes and posting schedule. Headings and Subheadings: To increase readability and SEO, divide your text into sections with headings (H1, H2, H3). Conclusion WordPress is a powerful platform that can help you construct a beautiful and functioning website, regardless of your technical knowledge. Understanding its features and capabilities will allow you to maximize the platform's potential for achieving your online objectives. Whether you're a blogger, a business owner, or a creative professional, WordPress provides the freedom and resources you need to thrive. Stay tuned for more tips, tutorials, and insights in future postings, and happy WordPressing!

[llbbl]

How to Pick the Best Blog or Newsletter Platform in 2025

In 2025, blogging and newsletters remain essential tools for creators, businesses, and professionals. However, choosing the right one can be challenging with many available platforms. Whether you’re a beginner, a tech-savvy developer, or an established creator looking to monetize your content, this guide will help you navigate the options.

Key Factors to Consider

When evaluating platforms, consider the following:

• Ease of Use: Does the platform fit your technical skills?

• Customization: How much control do you want over design and functionality?

• Community and Discoverability: Does the platform help you grow your audience?

• Monetization Options: Can you earn money directly through the platform?

• Content Ownership: Do you retain control over your content?

• Cost: Does the platform align with your budget?

Use Cases and Recommendations

1. Beginners or General Use

For those new to blogging or looking for simple, user-friendly platforms, these options stand out:

• Medium: Ideal for casual bloggers who want to focus on writing and gain access to a built-in community.

• Micro.blog: Supports short-form and long-form blogging with cross-posting to Mastodon, Threads, and BlueSky. Great for personal sites with minimal monetization needs.

• Squarespace: Excellent for visually appealing blogs with drag-and-drop design and robust hosting.

• WordPress.com: Offers beginner-friendly features, extensive plugins, and SEO tools. It’s a solid choice if you want a customizable blog and don’t mind some maintenance.

2. Creators Focused on Newsletters or Monetization

For creators prioritizing audience growth and revenue, these platforms excel:

• Ghost: Combines blogging and newsletters with built-in subscription and membership tools. Ideal for creators seeking an all-in-one platform.

• Beehiiv: Designed for scaling newsletters with robust analytics and monetization options.

• Buttondown: Simple and lightweight, perfect for indie creators starting out with email subscriptions.

• Mailcoach: Self-hosted, providing full control over your newsletters without ongoing fees.

3. Tech-Savvy Developers

For developers who want complete control over their blogging setup:

• Hugo, Astro, or NextJS: Static site generators for blazing-fast performance and maximum customization. Requires technical expertise.

• WriteFreely: Open-source blogging software with minimalist, distraction-free writing.

• Hashnode: A tech-focused platform with GitHub integration and a developer-friendly audience.

4. Professionals and Thought Leaders

For business professionals aiming to grow their brand or network:

• LinkedIn Articles: A natural choice for thought leadership with built-in networking opportunities.

• Medium: Provides discoverability and a broad audience for professional writing.

Why You Might Want to Switch Off WordPress in 2025

WordPress has been a dominant blogging platform for years, but it’s no longer the best fit for every use case. Many users find its maintenance and performance issues burdensome. Here’s why you might consider switching:

• High Maintenance: Regular updates and plugin management can be time-consuming. • Performance Issues: Without careful optimization, WordPress sites can become slow.

Better Alternatives for Specific Use Cases:

• Micro.blog: Great for personal blogs or creators who value simplicity.

• Ghost: Modern, fast, and equipped with monetization tools.

• Medium: Excellent for writing-focused creators seeking discoverability.

• Squarespace: A better fit for e-commerce or visually polished websites.

The Importance of Choosing Platforms with Good Content Policies

The content policies of a platform shape the kind of community it fosters and, by extension, the broader digital landscape. When choosing a blog framework or newsletter platform, it’s essential to consider how they address hate speech, harassment, and harmful behavior.

Platforms with clear and well-enforced content policies create spaces where diverse voices can thrive, and users feel safe. By supporting these platforms, we help build an internet that promotes constructive dialogue and meaningful engagement.

As creators, the platforms we choose reflect our values. Prioritizing platforms with strong content policies isn’t censorship; it’s about ensuring safe, inclusive spaces where everyone can participate respectfully. Together, we can contribute to a better, more responsible internet.

To help you choose the best platform for your blog or newsletter, I’ve compiled a comprehensive spreadsheet comparing 20 different services.

This resource covers key details like pricing, ease of use, audience suitability, and—importantly—their policies on hate speech, including links to their content policies.

I created this spreadsheet by thoroughly researching each platform’s features and policies to provide you with the essential information needed to make an informed choice…

👉 Here’s a link to the spreadsheet 👈

I hope that it saves you time and helps you find a platform that aligns with your values and goals.

Substack: A Troubling Example

Substack is popular for newsletters but criticized for its approach to hate speech. The company has stated it won’t remove Nazi content or other white supremacist ideologies unless it incites direct violence. This permissive stance has made it a hub for harmful ideologies.

Ask Yourself:

• Do you want to support a platform that tolerates Nazi content?

• Are you comfortable associating your brand with Substack’s content policy?

Platforms With Stronger Content Policies

• Ghost: Enforces clear guidelines against hate speech and white supremacy.

• Medium: Takes a strong stance against hateful content, fostering a positive community.

• Buttondown: Ethical and straightforward, with a commitment to inclusive content.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This guide has been helpful as you consider the best platform for your blog or newsletter? Well, I hope anyway.

Remember to be thoughtful about your choice; not just for features but for the online environment you want to support.

If you’d like to stay updated with more posts like this, consider subscribing to my newsletter.

[wpwasimakram0]

20 Reasons Why Do you create website using WordPress CMS?

Hire: https://fiverr.com/s/e6LKqzk

Portfolio: http://wasimakram.dev

Reasons to Use WordPress CMS:

User-Friendly Interface

Easy to learn and manage, even for non-technical users.

Customizability

Thousands of themes and plugins allow for extensive customization.

SEO-Friendly

Built-in SEO features and plugins like Yoast SEO make optimization easier.

Responsive Design

Most WordPress themes are mobile-friendly and responsive.

Cost-Effective

Offers free and paid themes and plugins, catering to different budgets.

Flexibility

Suitable for any type of website: blogs, portfolios, e-commerce, forums, etc.

E-Commerce Capabilities

Easily integrates with WooCommerce for building online stores.

Community Support

Large, active community of developers and users for troubleshooting.

Regular Updates

Frequent updates ensure security and feature enhancements.

Multilingual Support

Allows for easy creation of multilingual websites through plugins like WPML.

Content Management

Simplifies the process of creating, editing, and organizing content.

Security Features

Numerous plugins and best practices help enhance website security.

Scalability

Can handle both small blogs and large-scale websites with high traffic.

Third-Party Integrations

Compatible with various tools like CRMs, analytics, and marketing platforms.

Open Source

Free and open-source, giving developers full control over the codebase.

Time Efficiency

Ready-to-use themes and plugins reduce development time.

Multimedia Handling

Supports various media types, including images, videos, and audio files.

Custom Post Types

Ability to create and manage custom content types beyond posts and pages.

Easy Maintenance

Intuitive dashboard and automation tools make website maintenance simple.

Integration with Social Media

Easily integrates with social platforms to enhance engagement.

[anja-merret]

WordPress - a web designers best tool

WordPress is a free and open-source tool that allows you to create and manage digital content online. Initially a blogging platform, it has expanded into a versatile tool for building various types of websites, including simple blogs, complex online shops, portfolios, and social networks. The best part? You can download and use the main software for free, making it an excellent choice for both individuals and businesses.

At its heart, WordPress enables you to create, edit, and manage content on your website without needing technical expertise. It features a user-friendly interface that simplifies the creation and publication of text, images, videos, and more. Additionally, there's a vast community of themes, plugins, and widgets available to help you personalise and enhance its capabilities.

[ayolily]

this is a post about money, particularly how tumblr makes it.

ok, here's my two cents to @photomatt if he's reading. I too am an open source dev, I also run wordpress. you're a brilliant dev and tumblr is genuinely wonderful when it works. but you too must me upset that WordPress made you no money so you forked it off into tumblr, right?

the issue users are missing is that porn bots are keeping the lights on at tumblr. they pay MONEY to tumblr to get their posts in front of your face. in fact, I would bet a good amount of money tumblr not only ignores this behavior because it's upwards of 50% of their revenue, but actively encourages it. you haven't seen matt mention it once. theyre not going away because if they did tumblr would go under tomorrow.

on the other hand, these trans women getting banned are free loading. 99% of the userbase makes tumblr none of it's money. you all see the culture without seeing the business, and Matt is unfortunately between the money and the culture at best.

finally, and here's the real conspiracy, there's political incentive to silence trans women in particular. like it or not, trans women are one of the biggest political issues in america, and companies don't want to advertise on a platform that disagrees with them politically. trans women are more likely to be anti biden and anti Democrat. grass roots far left. theyre starting to realize the very real danger that gen z isn't going to vote for them, and so economic inventive tells tumblr to silence trans women. advertisers and large corporations shape social media politics with their dollars: they run more ads when the site does things they like, like silencing political radicals. we didn't get silenced when we were kids because we couldn't vote. now they're scared.

this isn't just a problem on tumblr.

the old guard is shaking in their boots. will you be on the right side of history, Matt? I doubt it. calling yourself an open source advocate while running proprietary tumblr is such a fucking joke. selling user data for profit like the rest of the clowns in the tech industry, not even seeing how your sites politics are being influenced by the elite and the Almighty Dollar.

[gaysheep]

its so crazy that automattic who fucking owns wordpress has botched this so badly

like, tumblr occupies a very similar niche to wordpress, a CMS which can be used for anything but is especially good for blogs and personal webpages. wordpress is open source and can be installed on any web server, but automattic runs a service allowing people to publish their own web pages under automattic's wordpress subdomain with a small amount of hosting space for free, and a premium option for more. this is the same thing tumblr does, with the exception that tumblr being designed as social media means monetizing storage is a bad move

automattic has its hands all over the open source web landscape it should fucking know that tumblr's biggest point of sale is its customizability and versatility while maintaining social features like sharing and the dashboard view. its biggest issue other than mismanagement is its relative isolation; despite being a better platform for artists in a myriad of ways from twitter and instagram it's an unappealing place to migrate because its small userbase limits your visibility.

integrating it with activitypub protocols was a good move because it increases tumblr's interconnectivity with other platforms, boosting its visibility; they should have been going in on promoting it to mastodon and misskey and shit, maybe even gunned for integration tools for proprietary platforms so they could guarantee your tumblr posts wouldn't become completely invisible to the entire twitter world. there is a very dedicated supporter base for the free web you could have been tapping into and the things that distinguish tumblr are the very things that were drawing in the people disgruntled by the mismanagement of twitter and reddit. people migrated to tumblr specifically because of its lack of change in its core design.

tumblr is a lot like 4chan. i mean this in a very general sense; it's a living fossil of the 2000s in the landscape of social media with a long-time userbase who are notoriously hostile to change and resistant to typical monetization schemes. the changes you have been making are equivalent to removing the ability to post on anon. unlike 4chan, tumblr has intrinsic merits that make it appealing to the "content creators" you're looking to attract. you had a very clear path to facilitating growth on the platform without pissing off and alienating its existing userbase; it's astonishing that you squandered it so badly

[sohojware]

Comparing Laravel And WordPress: Which Platform Reigns Supreme For Your Projects? - Sohojware

Choosing the right platform for your web project can be a daunting task. Two popular options, Laravel and WordPress, cater to distinct needs and offer unique advantages. This in-depth comparison by Sohojware, a leading web development company, will help you decipher which platform reigns supreme for your specific project requirements.

Understanding Laravel

Laravel is a powerful, open-source PHP web framework designed for the rapid development of complex web applications. It enforces a clean and modular architecture, promoting code reusability and maintainability. Laravel offers a rich ecosystem of pre-built functionalities and tools, enabling developers to streamline the development process.

Here's what makes Laravel stand out:

MVC Architecture: Laravel adheres to the Model-View-Controller (MVC) architectural pattern, fostering a well-organized and scalable project structure.

Object-Oriented Programming: By leveraging object-oriented programming (OOP) principles, Laravel promotes code clarity and maintainability.

Built-in Features: Laravel boasts a plethora of built-in features like authentication, authorization, caching, routing, and more, expediting the development process.

Artisan CLI: Artisan, Laravel's powerful command-line interface (CLI), streamlines repetitive tasks like code generation, database migrations, and unit testing.

Security: Laravel prioritizes security by incorporating features like CSRF protection and secure password hashing, safeguarding your web applications.

However, Laravel's complexity might pose a challenge for beginners due to its steeper learning curve compared to WordPress.

Understanding WordPress

WordPress is a free and open-source content management system (CMS) dominating the web. It empowers users with a user-friendly interface and a vast library of plugins and themes, making it ideal for creating websites and blogs without extensive coding knowledge.

Here's why WordPress is a popular choice:

Ease of Use: WordPress boasts an intuitive interface, allowing users to create and manage content effortlessly, even with minimal technical expertise.

Flexibility: A vast repository of themes and plugins extends WordPress's functionality, enabling customization to suit diverse website needs.

SEO Friendliness: WordPress is inherently SEO-friendly, incorporating features that enhance your website's ranking.

Large Community: WordPress enjoys a massive and active community, providing abundant resources, tutorials, and support.

While user-friendly, WordPress might struggle to handle complex functionalities or highly customized web applications.

Choosing Between Laravel and WordPress

The optimal platform hinges on your project's specific requirements. Here's a breakdown to guide your decision:

Laravel is Ideal For:

Complex web applications require a high degree of customization.

Projects demanding powerful security features.

Applications with a large user base or intricate data structures.

Websites require a high level of performance and scalability.

WordPress is Ideal For:

Simple websites and blogs.

Projects with a primary focus on content management.

E-commerce stores with basic product management needs (using WooCommerce plugin).

Websites requiring frequent content updates by non-technical users.

Sohojware, a well-versed web development company in the USA, can assist you in making an informed decision. Our team of Laravel and WordPress experts will assess your project's needs and recommend the most suitable platform to ensure your web project's success.

In conclusion, both Laravel and WordPress are powerful platforms, each catering to distinct project needs. By understanding their strengths and limitations, you can make an informed decision that empowers your web project's success. Sohojware, a leading web development company in the USA, possesses the expertise to guide you through the selection process and deliver exceptional results, regardless of the platform you choose. Let's leverage our experience to bring your web vision to life.

FAQs about Laravel and WordPress Development by Sohojware

1. Which platform is more cost-effective, Laravel or WordPress?

While WordPress itself is free, ongoing maintenance and customization might require development expertise. Laravel projects typically involve developer costs, but these can be offset by the long-term benefits of a custom-built, scalable application. Sohojware can provide cost-effective solutions for both Laravel and WordPress development.

2. Does Sohojware offer support after project completion?

Sohojware offers comprehensive post-development support for both Laravel and WordPress projects. Our maintenance and support plans ensure your website's continued functionality, security, and performance.

3. Can I migrate my existing website from one platform to another?

Website migration is feasible, but the complexity depends on the website's size and architecture. Sohojware's experienced developers can assess the migration feasibility and execute the process seamlessly.

4. How can Sohojware help me with Laravel or WordPress development?

Sohojware offers a comprehensive range of Laravel and WordPress development services, encompassing custom development, theme and plugin creation, integration with third-party applications, and ongoing maintenance.

5. Where can I find more information about Sohojware's Laravel and WordPress development services?

You can find more information about Sohojware's Laravel and WordPress development services by visiting our website at https://sohojware.com/ or contacting our sales team directly. We'd happily discuss your project requirements and recommend the most suitable platform to achieve your goals.