As some of you may or may not know, we recently switched from the acclaimed WordPress to a lesser known blog software called Serendipity to run this site. There are many options when it comes to blog software and it bears the questions, which reigns supreme?
Sure, WordPress seems to hold the crown but for all intents and purposes we found it became bloated quickly with the number of plugins we had to install for the functionality we needed. We also found that the plugins were updating so frequently that we spent half our time running updates and less time writing posts. What are your thoughts?
What blog software do you prefer and why?
There are tons of them available. Everything from MovableType to ExpressionEngine (not technically blog software we know, but used frequently for one) is used for blogging. Not to mention the myriad of online services such as Blogger and TypePad.
We found Serendipity to be a nice blend between functionality and usability for our purposes and intend to use it on all of our sites, but as the saying goes, to each his own.
Please share with us your thoughts and choices on which is your preferred package, and why.
October 5, 2009 at 2:26 pm
We’ve worked with a number of different CMS systems, from Joomla, to Expression Engine, to Drupal to power sites and blogs for clients.
I found all of them substantially more difficult to use than WordPress.
In terms of blogs, WordPress still seems to be offering more flexibility than anything out there. In fact purely on a CMS basis, I’d argue that with the use of Page Templates, it offers more flexibility than those I mentioned above. Though, this could be a bias on my part as I’m more familiar with WordPress than the others.
I can’t say that I’ve experienced any issues with having to update plugins too often. But, I can see that it would be a weakness if you’re using a large number of them
October 5, 2009 at 2:38 pm
There’s no question that WordPress is a powerful platform. It definitely is solid or it wouldn’t have the user base it has today.
It just didn’t suit our needs for what we wanted to do, but that’s not the fault of the product.
It can certainly be very flexible but in comparison to EE and Drupal I wouldn’t place it in the same category as those two offer far more flexibility.
Thanks for contributing!
October 6, 2009 at 11:10 pm
I’m interested now in trying Serendipity. But I can’t let go of WordPress. Its almost like its a industry standard now. easy, nice, elegant… who could ask for more.
I understand the frustration with the updates. But, as a developer I appreciate the updates because without those the system would get hacked.
my two cents.
October 7, 2009 at 4:40 pm
WordPress is certainly the most mature and the most user friendly system out there but it does, whether by intent or not, tend to focus on the novice a little more than some other systems. That can mean it starts getting in the way of some people’s needs.
For developers I would rate Habari above WordPress because of its architecture. It is really easy to develop for, but it isn’t as friendly as WordPress.
My next blog, which will appear shortly, will be running on a home rolled system which has hints of both WordPress and Habari, but which is designed to do things in the way I want them. For me, right now, it is the right solution.
October 7, 2009 at 6:06 pm
Speaking as a Developer specializing in WordPress, I can see how things may seem bloated, but there are a number of ways to fix any signs of bloat.
Regarding the updates.. you don’t have to update your plugins all the time. You can leave them as is, and then once every few months choose a good time to update them all at once. It’s not like Inbox Zero, there’s no huge rush to upgrade and it shouldn’t be a daily priority. It can even be automated, as well as hidden. Using that as a primary reason doesn’t really seem all that valid.
The big question is, did you reach out to any prominent WordPress developers with your concerns?
October 7, 2009 at 6:24 pm
No, I chose to go with what I feel is a better platform for what I need to do. Serendipity is an excellent system and I would highly recommend it to anyone. I’m not saying WordPress is a bad choice but that it didn’t suit my needs.
I am far more satisfied with this system then I was with WordPress and it does what I want it to do perfectly.
I’m very pleased with it. I will point out that WP is definitely powerful software and developing with it is quite easy, there’s no doubt about that. I just found myself needing/using too many plugins to accomplish my tasks. I know they dont need to be updated constantly, but I always felt I had to anyway.
Regardless, To each his/her own right?