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Comment by PinkPigeon | Hacker News Reader

I think WordPress is a fantastic piece of technology / achievement. Just like Windows is as well. And just like with Windows, as you say, the experience of the person setting up the system is what matters. So, of course there are some super easy to use, yet flexible, excellent and satisfying WordPress setups out there. And, for complicated, large sites, there is probably hardly anything that beats a good WordPress setup.

But, then I look at my neighborhood and the 1,000 small-business WordPress sites, with blogs that have been abandoned in 2015, should be one-pagers and not seen an update since because their owners don't understand WordPress and also can't afford to pay someone for every small change and now they think the whole Internet is like that (40% as you say), and changing that is going to be one hell of an uphill battle.

I don't have to hate WordPress or knock their efforts to see ways to improve things with more modern approaches.

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> But, then I look at my neighborhood and the 1,000 small-business WordPress sites, with blogs that have been abandoned in 2015,...etc

That's not a failing of WordPress. That's:

1. A failure of how the business owner just couldn't be bothered. Wordpress, Wix, Squarespace, there's a fairly good chance they'd fail at all of these. They won't pay for the design, marketing etc etc, and the reason why?

2. their business doesn't need a website e.g. local plumber or the only game in town for a specific vertical.

3. They're on their local Facebook groups and don't need anything more.

These folks also abandoned Yellow pages, Thomsons etc years ago but yet they survive through word of mouth. The internet and these other marketing services can't compete with that (especially outside certain confined bubbles). The local plumbing and heating guy in my area gets on fine without all the paraphernalia of "being on the web", as do all other trades.

Not everyone needs a "website", especially if they've a well developed funnel of incoming business that, by now in 2021, they still get on ok without needing to be internetized.

What does get these folks business without websites is other folks recommending them "on the internet", via local Facebook groups or whatever. Why would you waste time having a website when FB funnels the business to you, it's already job done.

I like your PinkPigeon website builder! Very nice with the visual themes and modularity. And the 'Special Thanks' document is a great idea, appreciative and humble. I'm missing a vertical scrollbar though (on Ubuntu Firefox). Edit: somewhere I can follow you, like Twitter or something?

Yup, Twitter: https://twitter.com/PinkPigeonDigi

Or, if you send me a message via the contact form and tick 'submit', you can sign up to our newsletter at the same time.

I'll split that out into a separate newsletter signup in the next few days.

Thanks so much for the kind words, much appreciated!

i'm not hating wp because good use of hate is scarce, but wp frailty is something even win95a is jealous of

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