WordPress: Creativity Killer or Terrific Tool?
By: Jaiden Molyneux
Whether this is your first blog post or you’re the Walt Disney company, WordPress can be a vital tool in building a brand. Jordi Cabot’s WordPress: A Content Management System to Democratize Publishing and Elisabetta Adami’s Styling the Self Online: Semiotic Technologization in Weblog Publishing, are articles that provide multiple POV’s on the infamous tool.
Article #1: WordPress as a Digital Equalizer (Cabot,2018)
Cabot (2018) describes WordPress as an innovative content management system (CMS) that’s made web publishing accessible for everyone, from bloggers to big businesses. He outlines its evolution from a basic blogging tool into one that powers 29% of the web at the time of writing. Key themes include:
- Democratization of content creation.
- An open-source ecosystem sustained by a global community.
- Rapid technical growth, especially with the REST API and Gutenberg editor.
- A multibillion-dollar economy built around themes, plugins, and hosting.
Cabot ultimately frames WordPress as a success story in software development, powered by a meritocratic and passionate contributor base.
(Cabot, 2018)
My Reaction
As someone navigating the WordPress for this class and others in the past, this resonates with me. I didn’t need to know code to get a website online and that’s a big deal when it comes to saving time or money. But what kind of website I built leads me to the second reading…
Article #2: WordPress and the Homogenization of Identity (Adami, 2018)
Adami (2018) takes a more sociological deep dive into how WordPress shapes not just what we say, but how we say it and what we believe looks “good.” She argues that:
- WordPress subtly applies hegemonic aesthetics like minimalism, cleanliness, and professionalism.
- Its themes and design culture create semiotic norms, nudging users toward certain styles.
- The platform’s “freedom” comes with invisible regulations. Even when customized, blogs still often reflect the tastes baked into WordPress’s design culture.
Using an example of a personal blog redesign, she shows how the blog shifts from colorful and chaotic to sleek and sanitized. Trading authenticity for perceived professionalism.
Adami (2018)
My Reaction
I’ve definitely felt this. While WordPress lets me choose themes, most feel like variations on the same clean, modern aesthetic. When I try to personalize, I often second-guess myself: “Is this too messy? Too boring?” That pressure? It’s real. The pre-loading themes can help take the stress off, but I can’t fight the feeling I lose a little bit of “me” with it.
So, Which Is It? Creative Freedom or Perceived Professionalism?
Honestly, both articles are right and that tension is exactly the point.
Cabot’s (2018) optimism is grounded in what WordPress technically offers: accessible tools, strong community support, and endless growth. Without it, many of us wouldn’t have a site at all.
But Adami (2018) is right to caution us about the limitations of WordPress’ freedoms. The platform democratizes access, but it also standardizes personal expression.
References
- Adami, E. (2018). Styling the self online: Semiotic technologization in weblog publishing. Social Semiotics, 28(5), 601–622.
- Cabot, J. (2018). WordPress: A content management system to democratize publishing. IEEE Software, 35(3), 89–92.
