I've been a WordPress CMS user for a very long time. Ever since I discovered PHP & MySQL, I've been a big fan of the open-source community. My first CMS was PHPNuke, then Joomla. I also set up an online shop with OSCommerce while I was expecting my first baby.
And since I discovered WordPress, I've been a faithful evangelist. Not only because of the software but because of the community. I've been to several WordCamps where I have met developers, community managers, designers, etc. I've even volunteered in a couple of those camps!
WordPress is more than a CMS, it's a community!
But now that I am in the website business again, (and not just as a hobby!), I've seen the rise of another Content Management System (CMS) that requires no technical skills: Squarespace. It used to be that people in the market, looking for a website would choose WordPress because it is free, and because it is flexible, meaning you can install different templates and plugins.
Now with Squarespace, there is no need to maintain anything, and the designs are beautiful. Another user-friendly CMS is Google Sites - very simplistic, but very easy to use. Have you tried their new Google Sites version? There is a lot you can do with it! I have set up a couple of them for charities and low-budget, low-tech organisations. You can even have a custom URL, and it also requires no maintenance at all.
The downside of WordPress
The downside of WordPress is that it requires regular maintenance. If you left it to run its course, you might find some trouble along the way. So, if you want to keep your WordPress website healthy, you need to invest in it. You can either invest time updating the core site and plugins and optimising it, or you can invest money in outsourcing those services.
But even with the rise of new (and sometimes free) CMS, I am still a faithful WordPress user. I am so used to working with these websites and love the community. Every time I visit one of the WordCamps, I meet plenty of very knowledgable and open people. They are always happy to share their knowledge, which is something I really love about the open-source community.
I am still happily using WordPress for my websites. I also maintain my client's websites. And even though there are new kids on the block, WordPress will always be more than a CMS for many of us.
