WordPress® for Dummies®, 2nd Edition

Introduction

Let's see ... it was 2003 when I discovered the wonders of WordPress. Way back then (and in Internet years, that's actually a lot of time), I was using Movable Type as my blogging platform. My friend Chelle introduced me to the WordPress software. "Try it," she said. "You'll really like it."

As somewhat a creature of habit, I felt reluctant to make the change. The growing buzz around the WordPress software made me curious, however. Shortly thereafter, Six Apart, the maker of Movable Type, made a drastic change in the licensing requirements. All of a sudden, software that used to be free cost money. As soon as Six Apart made that move, a mass exodus from Movable Type to WordPress seemed to occur. All the cool kids were doing it, so I decided to give it a shot.

I haven't looked back. I've been with WordPress ever since.

The next year, 2004, blogging was being touted as the latest Internet trend. Representatives of the mainstream media looked on — openmouthed — as bloggers attained press credentials to major events; bloggers got book deals and press attention; bloggers earned five-figure monthly incomes from in-blog advertising; blogs were recognized and read by the general public; and blogs became accessories as ubiquitous for the young as the latest cell phone.

In 2005, businesses caught on to the phenomenon and began to embrace it. Major public-relations companies launched campaigns that included, or focused on, blogs. Chief executive officers and Fortune 500 companies ...