From b2 fork to publication democratization
Introduction: The foundation stone of the modern web
While browsing the Internet today, it is almost impossible to avoid WordPress. Based on W3Techs industry measurements, the software is 43%and is overwhelming in the content management systems (CMS) market, 76,4%It has a share of . As a developer and technology historian, it's fascinating to see this dominance, especially considering that WordPress is older than WordPress. Facebook (2004) or Twitter (2006).
The rise of WordPress, however, was not a matter of chance, but of conscious engineering and philosophical decisions. This story 27 May 2003 It began, but its roots go back to the base of an abandoned code. In this article, we will explore the technological vision that launched the world's most popular publishing platform.
The roots: The legacy of b2/cafelog
The DNS of WordPress is based on PHP and a MySQL – this technology pair has defined the system from the outset. The immediate predecessor of the software is Michel Valdrighi Developed by b2/cafelog It was. Although b2 started as a promising project in 2001, by the end of 2002 its development had stalled, leaving the software unsupported.
Among the users was an 18-year-old university student, Matt Mullenweg, who is currently Washington, D.C.He wanted to share photos of his hike in 2015 on his blog, but was frustrated by the system's obsolescence and lack of development. Mullenweg envisioned an elegant, well-structured publishing system that transcends the limits of b2.
“Development of b2 has been underway for some time, which is worrying. Fortunately, b2 is licensed under the GPL, which means anyone can take the source code and build something new out of it. […] I need a personal publication system that is not only functional, but also elegant and well-designed.” – Matt Mullenweg (Excerpt from his blog post).
The Encounter That Changed the Internet: Matt Mullenweg and Mike Little
Mullenweg the British Mike Little He responded to the blog by offering his contribution. Two have started to "fork" (branch) the code of b2. While version 0.7 was basically their work, the original creator, Michel Valdrighi Soon he took an interest in the project and gave his blessing to continue.
The name of the software Christine Selleck Tremoulet, It was suggested by a blogger friend of Mullenweg's. A 27 May 2003 appeared Version 0.7 Although it was puritanical, it already contained the promise of the future:
- PHP and MySQL based, robust data management.
- XHTML 1.1 Support for modern web standards.
- Completely renewed, more transparent administrative interface.
- New, more flexible Templates (templates) for appearance.
Freedom of software: The GPL License and Open Source
WordPress isn't just a set of code, it's a legal promise. The software is GPLv2 (General Public License) It guarantees technological independence. This license provides the "Four Fundamental Freedoms":
- 0. holiday: The freedom to run the program for any purpose.
- 1st Freedom: Studying and modifying the operation of the program.
- 2nd leave: Free distribution of software.
- 3rd Freedom: Freedom to publish modified versions.
A critical point is that WordPress trademarks are not controlled by a profit-driven company (such as Automattic) but the independent the WordPress Foundation he's on guard. The specific objective of the foundation is to maintain the free and independent software, ensuring that the project does not fall under the sole control of a single company.
Democratization of publishing: The mission of WordPress
The central mission of the project is to "democratize publishing" (Democracy of publication). As the official ars poetica says: “The freedom to build. The freedom to change. The freedom to share.’ (Freedom to build, change, and divide).
WordPress has broken down the technological walls. It allowed users to publish without technical knowledge, ‘out of the box’, while offering developers endless customisation. This openness has created a billion-dollar ecosystem where volunteers, agencies and hosting providers work together.
The 2004 turnaround: The Movable Type and Market Rearrangement
2004 It was a life-changing year. The market leader, the Movable Type, introduced unexpectedly strict licensing conditions and pricing. This act acted as a catalyst: Thousands of users have searched for a way out of the closed system and found a home in open source WordPress. This historic moment proved the GPL economic and community power.
The answer at the technological level is WordPress 1.2 ‘Mingus’ He was the one who introduced the plugin architecture. This developer milestone allowed us to add new features to the software while keeping the kernel (core) intact.
| Typical | Movable Type (2004) | WordPress (2004) |
| License terms | Paid / Strict restrictions | Free / GPLv2 (Free Code) |
| Expandability | Closed, limited | Plugin architecture |
| Ownership | Business (Six Apart) | Community/Foundation Management |
| Model | Profit-oriented | Open Source Ecosystem |
Summary and outlook
A 2003-2005 Years have laid the foundations for WordPress. That's when it crystallized monolithic architecture, which built on the stability of PHP and MySQL Backward compatibility culture. This engineering decision is the reason why many decades of code fragments have remained operational even in today's modern environment.
The 2005 ‘Strayhorn’ 1.5 version a Themes (Themes) and the static Pages (Pages) With its introduction, it has already indicated the direction: WordPress is no longer just a blog engine, but a full-fledged website building tool.
Come with me to the Part 2, where we look at how WordPress became a real CMS, how it survived the media management revolution, and how we got to block-based Gutenberg editor and the modern era of full page editing (FSE)!
Resources used
- Wikipedia: History and versions of WordPress
- Darren Stuart: A Brief History of WordPress
- Mike Little: WordPress-12 years since the beginning
- WordPress.org English: About us – Democratising publishing
- NetMasters: WordPress in 2024: Are you still trustworthy or are you out of time?
- Outsourced Marketing: Using the Gutenberg Editor on WordPress Sites
- WPBeginner: The History of WordPress from 2003 – 2026
- Horizon Web Studio: 25 Interesting Facts about WordPress
- WebDevCenter: About WordPress Updates in Detail
- Meta Creative: The History of WordPress
- Own resource: WP Foundation Draft 01
