I have used WordPress for years. Not long after I started using it I went to the Web 2.0 Summit in San Fransisco. While there I engaged in the requisite schmoozing even though I am a developer and not especially great in social situations. At one of the CEO of a small startup that developed blogging software. The first thought in my head was, “great another stupid startup that thinks they can compete in a crowded space.” I almost said, “have you heard of WordPress? Why not just use them?” Then he handed me his card. Toni Schneider is the CEO of automattic, the guys that make WordPress. I still have that card and will now keep it next to Matt Mullenweg’s.
I learned a couple of things by meeting these guys.
- The WordPress guys are really nice guys who deserve the 29 million they just got.
- WordPress is a great platform for building more than just blogs
- A really great platform can persuade me to learn PHP even though I am a ruby/python zealot.