WordPress facts for kids
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WordPress 6.4 Dashboard
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| Original author(s) |
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| Initial release | May 27, 2003 |
| Stable release |
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| Written in | PHP |
| Operating system | Unix-like, Windows, Linux |
| Size | 23.2 MB (compressed) |
| Type | Blog software, content management system, content management framework |
| License | GPLv2 or later |
WordPress (also known as WP or WordPress.org) is a special computer program that helps you create and manage websites. It started as a tool for making blogs, which are like online journals. But now, it can do much more! You can use it to build all kinds of websites, like online stores, learning sites, and even places for discussions.
WordPress is free to use and change, and it's super popular. In fact, over 43% of the top 10 million websites use WordPress! It's built using a computer language called PHP and stores information in a MySQL or MariaDB database. WordPress also has cool features like "plugins" to add new abilities and "themes" to change how your website looks.
To make a WordPress website work, you need to install it on a web server. This is usually done through a company that hosts websites for you. WordPress was first released on May 27, 2003, by its creators, Matt Mullenweg and Mike Little. The WordPress Foundation now owns WordPress and its related trademarks.
Contents
What is WordPress?
Think of WordPress as a "website factory." It stores all your content, like text and pictures. Then, it helps you build and publish webpages easily. All you need is a website name (a domain) and a place for your website to live (a hosting service).
WordPress uses a special system called a template system. This helps your website look good and work smoothly. It also makes your website links easy to read and understand.
Themes: Changing Your Website's Look
WordPress lets you pick and switch between many different "themes." A theme changes the entire look and feel of your website. It's like changing the clothes of your website without changing its content.
You can install themes directly from your WordPress dashboard. There are many free themes available in the WordPress theme directory. You can also buy special "premium" themes or even create your own! Every WordPress website needs at least one theme to work.
Plugins: Adding New Features
Plugins are like apps for your WordPress website. They let you add new features or change how your website works. For example, you can add a plugin for SEO to help people find your site. Or you can add one to show private information to people who log in.
As of late 2021, there were almost 60,000 free plugins available! Many more premium plugins can be bought. It's important to keep your plugins updated. If a plugin is old, it might not work well with the newest WordPress version. Also, old plugins can sometimes have security weaknesses.
Developers can even create their own plugins. This allows them to turn WordPress into all sorts of different software.
Mobile Apps for WordPress
There are special phone apps for WordPress. You can use them on Android, iOS, and other phones. These apps let you do many things on the go. You can write new blog posts, add pages, and manage comments. You can also see how many people are visiting your site.
Making WordPress Accessible for Everyone
WordPress aims to be easy for everyone to use. This includes people with disabilities. The WordPress team follows special rules to make sure all new code helps make the website accessible. This means people using screen readers or other tools can still use WordPress websites.
Other Cool Features
WordPress has many other helpful features. It helps you manage links on your site. It also creates easy-to-read links that search engines like. You can put your posts into different categories and add tags to them.
WordPress also helps format your text nicely. It can even show links to other websites that have mentioned your posts. You can edit your posts using a simple visual editor or by writing HTML.
Multi-User and Many Blogs
Before WordPress version 3, you could only have one blog per WordPress installation. But now, WordPress can handle many blogs at once! This feature is called "WordPress Multisite."
WordPress Multisite lets you host your own blogging communities. You can control and manage all the blogs from one central dashboard. This is great for schools or organizations that want many different blogs under one main website.
History of WordPress
WordPress grew out of an older blogging program called b2/cafelog. In 2003, Matt Mullenweg thought about making a new version of b2/cafelog with more features. Mike Little joined him, and together they created the first version of WordPress. It was released on May 27, 2003. A friend of Mullenweg, Christine Selleck Tremoulet, suggested the name WordPress.
In 2004, a competing program called Movable Type changed its rules. This made many users switch to WordPress. By 2009, WordPress was known as the strongest open-source content management system. By May 2021, WordPress was used by over 64% of all websites whose content system was known.
Awards for WordPress
WordPress has won several awards over the years:
- Winner of InfoWorld's "Best of open source software awards: Collaboration" in 2008.
- Winner of Open Source CMS Awards's "Overall Best Open Source CMS" in 2009.
- Winner of digital synergy's "Hall of Fame CMS category in the 2010 Open Source" in 2010.
- Winner of InfoWorld's "Bossie award for Best Open Source Software" in 2011.
- WordPress has a five-star privacy rating from the Electronic Frontier Foundation.
WordPress Release Names
Most major WordPress releases are named after famous jazz musicians. For example, version 1.0 was called Davis, after Miles Davis. Even though only the newest version is fully supported, older versions still get security updates.
| Version | Codename | Release date | Notes | ||||
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| 0.7 | N/A | May 27, 2003 | The very first version, building on its predecessor, b2/cafelog. | ||||
| 1.0 | Davis | January 3, 2004 | Added features like easy-to-read links and support for multiple categories. | ||||
| 1.2 | Mingus | May 22, 2004 | Added support for Plugins, which let you add new features. | ||||
| 1.5 | Strayhorn | February 17, 2005 | Introduced static pages and a new Theme system to change website looks. | ||||
| 2.0 | Duke | December 31, 2005 | Major updates like better editing tools, image uploading, and a faster system. | ||||
| 3.0 | Thelonious | June 17, 2010 | Combined WordPress with WordPress MU, allowing multiple websites from one installation. | ||||
| 3.7 | Basie | October 24, 2013 | Introduced automatic background updates for security. | ||||
| 4.0 | Benny | September 4, 2014 | Improved media management and made it easier to find plugins. | ||||
| 5.0 | Bebo | December 6, 2018 | Introduced the new "Gutenberg" block editor for easier content creation. | ||||
| 6.0 | Arturo | May 24, 2022 | Improved writing, more design tools, and better performance. | ||||
| 6.4 | Shirley | November 7, 2023 | New default theme "Twenty Twenty-Four," writing improvements, and better design tools. | ||||
| 6.5 | Regina | April 2, 2024 | New font management, better design tools for blocks, and improved performance. | ||||
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WordPress 5.0 "Bebo" and the Gutenberg Editor
The WordPress 5.0 release, named "Bebo," came out in December 2018. It was a big change because it introduced a new editor called "Gutenberg."
Gutenberg is a "block-based" editor. This means you build your web pages using different "blocks." Each block is a small piece of content or layout, like a paragraph, an image, or a heading. You can easily drag and drop these blocks to create your page. This makes editing much more user-friendly.
The Classic Editor Plugin
Some people preferred the old way of editing. So, a special "Classic Editor" plugin was created. If you install this plugin, your WordPress editing experience goes back to how it was before version 5.0. This gave website developers time to update their old plugins to work with the new Gutenberg editor. The Classic Editor plugin will be supported at least until 2024. Many websites still use it today.
Website Security and WordPress
Like any software, WordPress has had security issues over time. But the developers work hard to fix them quickly. For example, in 2007, some blogs were attacked using a WordPress weakness. The problem was fixed, and users were told to update their software right away.
It's very important to keep your WordPress software, themes, and plugins updated. Old versions can have weaknesses that hackers might try to use. Hackers can sometimes find out what plugins a site uses. Then, they might look for known weaknesses in those plugins to try and get into the website.
WordPress has added features to make updates easier. For example, automatic background updates were added in version 3.7. You can also use special security plugins to help protect your site. Always use themes and plugins from trusted sources.
How WordPress is Developed and Supported
Key Developers
Matt Mullenweg and Mike Little started the WordPress project. Many other people also help develop WordPress. There's a group of volunteers called WP tester who test each new version. They help find and fix any problems before a new version is released.
WordPress is a community project, but it's also connected to Automattic. This is a company founded by Matt Mullenweg.
The WordPress Foundation
The WordPress Foundation is a special non-profit group. Its main goal is to make sure that WordPress software stays free and open for everyone, forever. This foundation owns and manages the trademarks for WordPress and related projects. This helps protect the project for the future.
WordPress Photo Directory
In 2021, the WordPress Photo Directory was announced. This is a new place where you can find free, open-source images. It's like a library of pictures that anyone can use. The goal is to provide a free option for images, different from other image sites that might have strict rules.
WordCamp Conferences
WordCamps are fun, local conferences about everything WordPress. People who use or develop WordPress meet up to share ideas and learn from each other. The first WordCamp was in San Francisco in 2006. Since then, there have been over 1,000 WordCamps in many cities around the world! These events help connect people and inspire new WordPress communities.
Getting Help with WordPress
If you need help with WordPress, the main place to go is WordPress.org. This website has the WordPress Codex, which is like an online manual. It also has the WordPress Forums, where you can ask questions and get help from other WordPress users.
WordPress Hosting
To have a WordPress website, you need "hosting." This is like renting space on a computer server where your website files live. Many hosting companies offer special WordPress hosting. They often make it easy to install WordPress with just one click. They also help with updates, backups, and security.
There are two main types of WordPress hosting:
- Shared WordPress hosting: This is usually cheaper. Your website shares a server with many other websites.
- Managed WordPress hosting: This costs more, but the hosting company takes care of many technical things for you. They help with security, performance, and give you more support.
See also
In Spanish: WordPress para niños
- Weblog software
- NextGEN Gallery
- List of content management systems
- WordPress.com
