5 Interesting facts about WordPress and its influence

WordPress is – without a doubt – the most popular and relevant CMS around the world. It’s functionality and flexibility options are greatly appreciated by business-owners around the world interested in a neat and well-performing WordPress website.

In this article, however, I want to look at the system from a different perspective and look at some interesting facts about it, in order to better illustrate its influence.

20 Fancy Facts about WordPress

20 lesser-known but fascinating facts about WordPress:

1. WordPress Origin: It began as a fork of b2/cafelog, a lesser-known blogging software, in 2003.
2. Name Origin: The name “WordPress” was suggested by Christine Selleck Tremoulet, a friend of the lead developer Matt Mullenweg.
3. Logo’s Hidden Meaning: The WordPress logo features the letter “W” in a unique font, representing the user-friendliness and simplicity of the platform.
4. First Version: The first version of WordPress included a new admin interface, new templates, and generated XHTML 1.1 compliant templates.
5. Free to Modify: WordPress is open-source, meaning it’s free to use, modify, and redistribute its code.
6. Plugin Power: There are over 55,000 free plugins in the WordPress plugin repository, offering vast customization options.
7. Theme Diversity: WordPress users have access to over 3,000 free GPL-licensed themes.
8. WordPress.com vs WordPress.org: WordPress.org offers the free WordPress software to install on your own host, while WordPress.com is a paid service that hosts your site.
9. Automatic Update Names: Major WordPress updates are named after jazz musicians, as a tribute to the developers’ love for music.
10. WordPress in Space: In 2016, NASA’s data center reported using WordPress for their websites.
11. Multilingual Availability: WordPress is available in more than 70 languages.
12. The WordPress Foundation: Established in 2010, this non-profit aims to ensure free access to WordPress software indefinitely.
13. WordCamps: These are community-organized events for WordPress users and developers, held in various cities around the world.
14. Famous Users: Notable WordPress users include CNN, The New York Times, and Forbes.
15. Accessibility Commitment: WordPress emphasizes web accessibility, aiming to make web content accessible to people with disabilities.
16. WordPress Mascot: Named “Wapuu,” this official mascot was first created in Japan and has various regional adaptations.
17. WordPress.tv: This site offers WordPress tutorials, WordCamp talks, and resources for users of all levels.
18. Economic Impact: WordPress indirectly fuels a significant part of the web economy with its ecosystem of plugins, themes, and hosting services.
19. Contributor Diversity: WordPress boasts a diverse contributor base from around the world, with various skill sets beyond just programming.
20. Market Share Dominance: WordPress powers a significant portion of the internet’s websites, showcasing its dominance in the content management system market.

Additional Facts

Here’s my take on 5 noteworthy facts.

WordPress is older than you think. In fact, it’s been around way before the age of social media.

An interface example of WordPress 1.0.1 – Miles.

The first WordPress version was launched in 2003 making it older than giants like Facebook and Twitter. This a very interesting fact since it means WP has powered up sites even before the emergence of social networks.

This makes the system more than 16 years old and further proves its reliability for site owners over the years.

WordPress is responsible for the functionality of 27% of all websites.

WP is more influential than you think.

Another fact that’s pretty crazy if you put it in perspective. Around ¼ of everything on the internet is WP-based. This includes shops, blogs, news and so on. Nothing less than wild.

The thing is, other system don’t even come close in popularity as WordPress maintains its relevance. This is further illustrated by the next fact.

According to data, 76,4% of the CMS market is dominated by WordPress. That’s ¾ of the industry.

The CMS market has little competition for WP.

Even though CMS Made Simple, Joomla, Prestashop and similar CMSes are respectful in their own right, WP pretty much dominates the industry without competition. The reasons for this, vary, and could be defined from different perspectives.

One of the reasons might be its reliability, others praise it’s simple an user-ready use and helpful communities. In other words, it’s just good.

WordPress is related to… Jazz?

WP loves Jazz and you should too.

Why, yes it is! Even though the connection is minor and more symbolic, it still exists. So far, all of WordPress releases were named after a certain famous Jazz musician. For example the first WP version 1.0 was named after Miles Davis, the legendary master trumpeter, while version 4.6 was a tribute to Pepper Adams.

The next time you listen to some Jazz remember, the artist probably has a WP version named after him! Pretty neat.

WordPress is not owned by anyone

WordPress is a community that everyone should be a part of.

Simple as that. The WordPress brand is owned by the WordPress Foundation, a collective found by the WP’s co-founder Matt Mullenweg. The foundation itself is run by the community – that means me and you! That’s right, anyone can contribute to making the system a better place.

Part of why WP does not have a CEO or a parent company is because it was created with a purpose of leaving it open-source, that means free of use for anyone willing to give website development a shot.

Summing it up

WordPress is not only a great platform for developers, it also has some background trivia for those interested. In order to keep WordPress growing, its best that all of contribute in some way and boost the world of digital business even further!