After using WordPress for almost ten years, I have finally decided to let go of it and move on. Here is the reason why.
My WordPress Blogging Journey
NB: I will explain about WordPress in the second section.
I remember it like yesterday, in 2016 when my friend Nathaniel got introduced to blogging. He shared with me some of his articles on WordPress and showed me the opportunities in it. At the time I had already written my first article, talking about how our phones spy on us even when they are turned off (Trust me, it wasn't as cool as it sounds). You can read it by clicking the link below
Your Smartphone is spying on you
Fast forward to today, almost ten years later, I have been using WordPress for more than seven years. Not only has it been a great place for me to blog, but a good source of income as well, since I developed websites for people and got paid for it. It is easy to manage, less code is required, and more important than all IT'S FREE.
What on Earth is WordPress (WP)?
For non-technical people, WordPress can sound like a newspaper, but I can assure you it's more than that. WordPress is in simple terms, a Content Management System. A content management system enables you to create a website without coding but by managing content. Think of it as Lego toys. Before Legos, you would have to be technical to build a bridge from scratch. But legos allow you to follow instructions, and attach "Pre Created" items to build something useful or fun.
The same is done by WordPress. Its engineers and developers have designed it in a way that even a person with no technical knowledge, can use it to create a website for themselves by managing ready-made items. WP is divided into two sections, its self-hosted, and cloud-hosted services. With self-hosted, you need to be technical, but with cloud-hosted, you just need to create an account and start blogging.
The Dark Side Of WordPress
I was using the self-hosted service of WordPress which means I managed all the nitty gritty stuff related to that. Although it was tricky at first, because WordPress is a content management system and easy to learn, I quickly got a hang of it and started creating websites for myself and clients and earning from it. Sounds cool right? Well here is the dark side of all this.
- Free is Expensive - To self-host a WordPress website that you want people to access globally, you either need a hosting account or use your personal computer as a server. (A server needs 24/7 internet and electricity, and needs to always be on)
- Cool but limiting - WordPress is cool, but for someone who is not a tech wizz, you cant bring the idea in your head to life through WordPress. Everything is predefined, and you can only use predefined themes.
- Built for the untechnical - The ease of use of WordPress makes it very convenient for people who don't wish to learn programming or web development, and for people who want to create quick, and simple websites. When you want to be technical, it starts to be a pain and barrier and will cause you to feel stuck.
My After Effects Experience
After using WordPress for more than seven years and creating more than twenty websites that have gone live, I still don't know how to develop a website from scratch!! I have a software engineering background, but never invested in coding after school since I focused on creating WordPress websites for money. A software engineer with no coding skills is like a dog who barks but lacks teeth.
My decision to drop WordPress doesn't come as a result of hating it, but from the realization that I need to learn and do more. and as a software engineer, you can only learn through practice. My website will go from HERO to ZERO as I start over, but the new Zero will be something I have designed and developed myself. What is a Software Engineer's work after all?
Conclusion
I am super excited! Since cutting WordPress, there have been a lot of costs I have saved (eg Premium Themes and Plugins). Also, I feel super connected to my computer, as I type in each line of code. It has now grown into re-learning c, changing my operating system to Linux Ubuntu (Read my article here on, Why I decided to start using Linux and ditch Windows)
I feel happier and way more fulfilled, and I feel like a real engineer. I am excited for what's ahead.