X out of 10

My knowledge of MySQL and PHP would fit on the head of a pin with room to spare. That’s why I was amazed that I was able to install and configure WordPress on my server in less time than it takes to watch a TiVo’ed episode of The Daily Show.

There are no praises I can sing for WordPress that haven’t been sung hundreds of times over, so I’ll just list my favorite WP features and let them speak for themselves:

• it’s free and open-source
• it’s unbelievably easy to install
• the user interface is simple, intuitive, and elegant
• the internet tubes are filled with themes that let you customize the look of your blog, as well as plug-ins that give you near infinite flexibility
• there is an enormous user community out there, so getting help is never more than a few clicks away
• it uses standards-compliant XML, HTML, and CSS, so your blog will look good in any modern browser

If you’re ready to start blogging, and you want more flexibility and control than a host blog service like Blogger or TypePad can offer, there really is no better way to go than WordPress.

X = 9.8