For those not familiar with the Internet, WordPress is a content management system used mostly to publish blogs. It’s made available at both WordPress.com and WordPress.org, although its functionality is different at each site.
At WordPress.com, anyone can sign up for a free blog and receive a personalized domain (example.wordpress.com). This blog is then somewhat customizable, allowing the user to create the kind of blog they want. This option is great for someone who is just starting out with blogging. WordPress.com takes care of setup, security, spam, upgrades, and more. All the user has to do is blog.
However, for people who want a completely customizable experience – including the ability to have specific advertisements on their blog – WordPress.com falls short. While the user has options, they are unable to edit any of the code on their blog, import or use custom themes, install specific plugins, or run ads on their site. Some of these features become accessible with a paid upgrade.
At WordPress.org, anyone can download the WordPress software for free and then pay to have it hosted. Doing so allows them to use their own domain name, fully customize anything, and generally have more control. However, this also means the user is responsible for blocking spam and backing up their website, and the whole experience may require a bit more knowledge and expertise.
While WordPress.org will host your site for a fee, most web hosting sites will include the option to install WordPress on your website as well, often in just a few easy steps. This will allow your site to run off the WordPress software, with which you can create pages, design sidebars, add widgets, and do anything else you need.
For both WordPress.com and WordPress.org, there is WordPress MU. Previously a project in development and now a standard feature, WordPress MU (now called multi-site or MS) allows more than one blog to be supported with each installation. This means that one individual can moderate and control all of their blogs from one dashboard.
So study the different options and decide which, if either, is best for you.
Tags: website, wordpress. blog
