Though not a developer, I’m now a power user, who started using WP around the time it became a “real” number. I loved it so much in it’s early incarnations, I was willing to stick it out through the various growing pains. Being a DIY type, the more I tinkered with it, the more it taught me. Because of WordPress, I learned to edit and change things writen in PHP, how to modify layouts using CSS, etc., which has benefited me across several disciplines.

@Ron Hager I’ve been around quite a while, too, since those lovely DOS days. Though I loved to muck around under the hood, most of my clients did not. I maintained a dual training focus: for those who wanted to dive in and get dirty, I taught them as much as they wanted to know, effectively working myself out of a job with them. For those who wanted to remain protected from the “1s and 0s”, from the crypic-ness of DOS-based programs, I did everything for them, and fast introduced them to the graphical windows when it arrived.

Though that seems like so much history, the story is the same for WordPress, and other popular applications. WP has created a cross-section of grateful, knowledgable users who will always lend a helping hand to to fellow WP users, whether they are just learning or digging around under the hood.

@Regina

I’m happy that upgrades and installations can be relatively easy — it gives me a chance to concentrate on the more complex stuff which is what keeps me interested.

Yes! Even being a power user, and someone who sets up WP for others, I have to agree. Tasks that took forever to do — or were just plain mundane and aggravating — have become so easy, I almost feel guilty. And it is so rewarding to see a client’s enthusiasm as he participates in building his own site. As he gains confidence in mastering WP, I’ll get less support calls — and a “newbie” moves up the ranks.

I imagine this partly a response to Matt Mullenweg’s Oct 7th, 2009 Q&A on WordPress and Open Source

Before WordPress, it was b2, and it was also offered on Fantastico Deluxe. Lots of features have come into play along with the knowledge to do something with WordPress other than use it as a blog platform.

I am against excluding people, especially when the product is open source. The problem is people who want to learn versus people who do not. Let them use it their own way as it is not anyone’s else job to tell others what to do or not to do.If you met Matt, he is pretty happy about where WordPress is and there are more things to come, especially by what I remember him talking about at WordCamp Chicago. In fact there was talk about combining WordPress and WordPress mu. I even asked about them during the ending session where he opened the floor to questions, from a webhost’s perspective about the chance that even other products like bbpress and others might become one-click installs.

Of course, there will be some degeneration and possibly sites reminiscent of the Geocities days, but hey… people are interested in at least trying something new.

So while some may see the “lowering of the bar” as creating a nuisance, I just see opportunity.

I feel that there is a part of the WP community that is building an unhealthy resentment against the mainstream adoption of WordPress. For anyone who would prefer to continue working with a complex, difficult CMS with a much higher entry bar I suggest looking towards the products that well and truly cater to that already (Drupal, Joomla etc). Or just get over it and keep using WordPress the way you like to and not worry about someone else getting a new easy to use feature to play with.

Automattic employees maintain control at all levels of WordPress.org and if you don’t think they’ll always make decisions in Automattic’s best interest then I’ve got a bridge I’d like to sell you.