What is WordPress?

WordPress is web software which you can install on your server and use to publish a website or blog. It’s easy to set up, to use and maintain. WordPress is open sourceOpen Source Open Source denotes software for which the original source code is made freely available and may be redistributed and modified. Open Source **must be** delivered via a licensing model, see GPL., released for free under the GPLGPL GPL is an acronym for GNU Public License. It is the standard license WordPress uses for Open Source licensing https://wordpress.org/about/license/. The GPL is a ‘copyleft’ license https://www.gnu.org/licenses/copyleft.en.html. This means that derivative work can only be distributed under the same license terms. This is in distinction to permissive free software licenses, of which the BSD license and the MIT License are widely used examples.. This means you are free to use it, distribute it, fork it, build your website or blog, and create a beautiful website without spending a penny.

WordPress can be used to build a website or blog. You can create posts and pages, upload media, manage comments and discussions and let multiple users access your site. But that’s just for starters. Here are just some of the things that you can do with WordPress:

• create your web portfolio
• build a website for your business
• publish a personal blog
• publish a multi-authored blog with millions of visitors
• sell your products
• create a network of blogs
• run a social network
• publish a photoblog or videoblog
• publish a tumblog
• run web forums
• micro-blog
• build a web directory or classifieds site
• create an online magazine
• run a members-only website

Those are just a few things you can build once you’ve installed WordPress.

WordPress is built by a worldwide community of volunteers, some of whom make their living from using it, others who do it just for love. The people who dedicate their time to WordPress include developers, designers, support forumSupport Forum WordPress Support Forums is a place to go for help and conversations around using WordPress. Also the place to go to report issues that are caused by errors with the WordPress code and implementations. volunteers, translators, writers, bloggers, user experience designers, accessibilityAccessibility Accessibility (commonly shortened to a11y) refers to the design of products, devices, services, or environments for people with disabilities. The concept of accessible design ensures both “direct access” (i.e. unassisted) and “indirect access” meaning compatibility with a person’s assistive technology (for example, computer screen readers). (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accessibility) experts, system admins, and enthusiasts. It is thanks to the commitment and enthusiasm of these people that WordPress is the easy-to-use, solid platform it is today. And it’s also thanks to them that you get to use it for free.

WordPress is licensed under the GPL v2. You can read more about WordPress’s license on WordPress.org.