Thank you for that. Good to know. So there’s still a free tier.

Thanks Cameron! Yeah, we toyed with using AI voices, but the laughs that we got from doing the recordings was worth it’s weight in gold!

Hi Tony, I’m touched. That was a really kind comment. Thank you.

Nathan and I are planning to get to together for a spin off on this very topic to go out earlier next year. It’s very much an exploration for both of us.

About 7 months ago I did this (too long!) video on where I was then:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I2GkZLj4Vfo

Mostly its the same process for me now except I cut out the Github part. What has excited me more since then is a sense of direction on where CSS and web design seems to be going.

Yeah, zero maintenance. I love that! I never expected it to happen so quickly, but I now hate using the builder I love so much for the last 7 years.

All I’m going to say is… stay tuned. In the New Year, you’ll find something of interest to you. David will return (sort of)!

I am so interested in how you are building these non CMS websites as it seems like a cool option when you just want a low maintenance website. I made a one page html site 7 years ago for a family friend which is still up requiring zero maintenance so I am super interested in how you approach these multipage brochure sites in more detail. What is the best way to find out more about your process?

Warm regards,
Tony

Thanks for hunting that down. Appreciate it.

Well, thank you. I did think about a ‘panel’ approach to this discussion, but I think that the 4 part series was a good starting point. Let everyone put their case and then see how the dust settles.

I might well ask the participants for a panel at some point, but I really do not want to put anyone in a situation where they think that they might be the underdog / trapped etc.

Let’s see how this episode shakes out, and THANK YOU for using the comments here!

I personally think that a debate-style conversation between Calvin, Akshat, etc. would be incredibly valuable to everyone in the WP community. Maybe something to think about for a future episode?

Also, as you touch on in the show, no-code tools are enablers for designers and users who have not taken any time in educating themselves on things like UX or accessibility, and so they create monsters. Webflow is tragic in that sense, because all the designers who use it now actually think they’re bona-fide web designers.

While the “no code” approach streamlines the process, I still need to complement it with custom development using HTML, CSS, JS, or even creating my own custom Blocks with React. This enables me to achieve better results and tailor solutions to my specific needs. Despite the convenience of “no code” options, I recognise the importance of in-depth coding knowledge for delivering optimal solutions.

However, now with Gutenberg in WordPress, the “no code” approach empowers “users” to create visually appealing websites without any coding knowledge, leveraging the ease and versatility of “no code” tools. So for me, I don’t think “No code is a lie” 🙂

Well, I think it’s great that you’re talking about this subject, it’s definitely an interesting one for the whole community. 🙂

I’m with you Dario. It all seems a little shady to me, and given that you work for a plugin company in the WordPress space, the whole thing takes on a new level for you. I don’t know how to square this circle TBH.

Thank for your comment Alan. Nice to hear that this one resonated with you so much.

Yes, it was all very inspiring wasn’t it. A lovely, no hype podcast. I drew basically the same conclusions as you did. Thanks for you comment.

I know what you mean. I’ve not got any certs in anything, but I’m perhaps a little grey-haired to worry about that too much now. It was all about word of mouth for me, but I can see that this might be useful for people just starting out.

I only just saw this comment, so sorry for ignoring it! I really think that there’s a place for upselling your green credentials.

Don’t worry. It was a point well intentioned I’m sure. I appreciate you listening very much. Thank you.

Yes, sorry, I regretted writing that immediately after commenting. I think I overreacted.

You do a good job and I really enjoy your podcast and have for years. Thank you.

HI there. Thanks for the comment. I did not intend to cut Zach off, in fact this was a bit a editing. We overran by a very large amount and so decided on-the-fly that we’d come back and do a round 2. There was no elegant way to edit it, but I know that it appears that it was a sudden decision!
In terms of dismissing / minimising Zach’s neurological situation, that was not my intention. Sometimes it’s hard to conjure up the right words, and it would appear that this in case I did not manage that.

Hi there. I suspect that, if these sites are hosted at WordPress.com, you might be best contacting their support.

Somewhat confusingly, WordPress.com and WordPress.org are slightly different beast. With a WordPress.com account which you have, you’re paying for that and will receive support.

With WordPress.org, you don’t get the support, as you don’t pay anything, you need to figure out the solution yourself, or find it in some other way.

Given that you’re paying, you should get support and it’s likely to be a great deal faster than this thread.

I’m sorry that I can’t solve your issue.

Not sure if you got my reply since it isn’t posted. I own the domain and my webmaster set up WooCommerce on the website and it appears to be in her name as well as the WordPress website. Is there a way to change ownership of the WordPress and WooCommerce for my Humbleweed.net website?

I’m not too sure that I understand the problem. Can you explain more?

Hi Charlie, thank you. That is a really great question. We in the “industry” apply these names to others, but yep, it is not one the people themselves are likely to identify with.

In companies I’ve seen the people who call themselves designers, creative directors and marketers taking on the websites. Not with great success in my view. They start with a code free solution and when it does not give the creative freedom they expected they try to hire a developer to force it to behave in ways not intended. Their code-free expectations are very high.

From my limited observations “code free” works best with those small business on a budget who just need a website and are not too particular about it. They’re are the nameless business owners looking for an easy website solution. I suppose that is why there seemed to be a rush on niche websites by industry types.

You know, that’s a really interesting point, which I don’t think that either David and I have thought about. Because, of course the person(s) in question will be Googling with the term which they apply to themselves. So ‘DIY website builder’, or ‘Low code website tool’, or ‘What’s the best software to build a website?’.

Mmm. I think that this needs more thought. I guess that some keyword research is needed.

I am trying to define a WordPress target audience to serve in my retirement gig. The audience would basically be similar to what you were describing in your podcast. Not web designer or developers.

I have used names like “no-code or low-code users and/or DIY site owners or marketers. i.e users who what to know just enough to build. edit, and maintain a simple site with no-code and/or limited technical skills using a pagebuilder or the block editor.

What do these people call themselves???

I’m sure it is not no-code or low-code users or even DIY users.

“Beginner” seems to broad. Any thoughts on how these users refer to themselves?

This is great. Thanks Dennis. Will be great to hear what you manage to find out. Thanks for the comment.

Thanks for the mention! 🙂
Dennis Dornon