Lesson 4: The Story Behind WordPress
1. The Beginning of WordPress
WordPress was launched in 2003 by Matt Mullenweg and Mike Little. It began as a fork of an existing blogging platform called b2/cafelog, which had been abandoned. The goal was simple yet powerful: to create a free, user-friendly platform that made online publishing accessible to everyone.
At a time when most website creation required technical knowledge, WordPress offered an open, customizable, and scalable alternative — a platform for the people, by the people.
2. WordPress Milestones (2003–Present)
| Year | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 2003 | WordPress launched as a fork of b2/cafelog |
| 2004 | Plugin system introduced — developers could now extend functionality |
| 2005 | Theme system launched; Pages and Akismet plugin added |
| 2008 | Major admin UI redesign to enhance usability |
| 2010 | WordPress Foundation established to protect the open-source future |
| 2011 | Features like internal linking and Admin Bar introduced |
| 2014 | REST API announced for developers |
| 2015 | Live Customizer for real-time theme edits |
| 2018 | Introduction of the Gutenberg Block Editor |
| 2020 | Auto-updates, Site Health, native lazy loading |
| 2021–2024 | Full Site Editing (FSE), block themes, global styles rolled out |
Each of these milestones represents WordPress growing with its users — making the platform not only more powerful, but also more intuitive.
3. Why WordPress Became So Popular
- Free and open-source — anyone can use or modify it
- Large global community of developers, designers, and content creators
- Thousands of themes and plugins to extend functionality
- Beginner-friendly yet scalable for advanced users and developers
- Flexible for all use cases: blogs, portfolios, e-commerce, forums, and more
WordPress meets creators where they are and grows with them.
(Take an example of Astra theme – millions of free theme users, and if only 5% of them convert to pro, the contributor makes millions of dollars yearly)
4. WordPress Today
- Powers over 40% of all websites globally
- Trusted by major brands like BBC America, TechCrunch, and The New Yorker
- Used by individuals, educators, nonprofits, startups, and corporations alike
- Supports multilingual, multimedia, and mobile-friendly sites
It’s no longer “just for bloggers” — WordPress is the web’s operating system.
5. The WordPress Community
One of WordPress’s greatest strengths is its community:
- Thousands of developers contribute code, plugins, and themes
- Designers and writers contribute to documentation, translations, and outreach
- Events like WordCamps and local Meetups keep the spirit alive globally
The platform is guided by values like freedom, collaboration, and democratization of publishing — making it more than just software, but a movement.
Conclusion
The story of WordPress is a story of vision, community, and continuous improvement. From a humble blogging platform to the backbone of the modern internet, WordPress continues to evolve — and so can you, by learning how to use it effectively.
Next Lesson: Understanding Domain Names and How They Work
In the next lesson, you’ll explore how websites are named, what a domain name really is, and how it connects your blog to the world. This will help you understand the first step in going live.