Probably one of the most common questions I get asked, and also many others who work with WordPress content management system I know, is ‘What is the difference between the dot com version of WordPress, and the .org?

The differences are kind of important, because we are not simply talking about ‘academic’ differences here, this is not small difference.

I always say that the best way to look at this is in terms of either being an Independent operator, or being a member of a supported community.

I completely understand people selecting the supported community option, because internet/web skills are highly variable out there in the real world. We can also choose to ride with our own domain name in the classic WP (I will abbreviate WordPress this way from now on) dot com world, but even if we do, we are not entirely ‘free’ of corporate involvement with our projects.

The software, the framework, the basic package of WP is derived from wordpress.org.

If you prefer to be totally independent, if you choose to completely build your project/s on your own dime, and on your own real estate, then the software and self hosting option is going to appeal.

This is what drew me to considering WordPress as a media build tool back in 2008. I was becoming more and more interested in the WWW, having worked with IT for a long time as a corporate systems man, troubleshooter and technology enabler I was positioned well to examine the options.

I have been a writer all of my adult life, I am drawn to language and expression. I even entertained the ambition of being a ‘Writer’ in the classic literary tradition, however this has not really eventuated, I have written some eBooks, and lots of articles but nothing ‘literary’ has emerged thus far; you never know, I never call the end of the game until my eyes shut for the last time.

There are a lot of writers on the ‘interwebs’, this is one positive outcome of being compelled to use a keyboard and make yourself understood, people need to gain a measure of literacy!

Anyway, I notice that there has been an explosion of ‘Freelance’ writers, and people who feel the itch to develop their own career as a ‘Blogger’, or Journalist, the enormous growth of media production in our web-centric society has been the result of people understanding the benefits and potential for making a living as a ‘Web Media’ person.

I always think that owning your assets is an obvious benefit, if you are in complete control of your own ‘means of production’ then this has enormous benefits to you personally; it is always much harder, the path is not quite as smooth but the rewards are considerably more.

If you like the idea of forging your own path.

WordPress software appealed to me because it so very clearly is about being ‘Independent’, you are building a genuine asset, not simply being a community member, or a passive recipient of provided service.

The World Wide Web is not about being passive, it offered us, as the ‘rank & file’ the means to become ‘producers’ of media.

This is a very important distinction to make.

People are so used to being ‘customers’ and fed a diet of media, instructions, of receiving benefits that the model of being active producers is very awkward to many.

This is why WordPress sorts out the true entrepreneurs, the ambitious and energetic, the ‘doers’ of our society!

The Media, we are also still used to using this term to refer to centralised, and corporate forms of media, a type of ‘Authority’.

However since the mid 1990’s we have a vastly different kind of medium to work with. The more that you can learn, and understand about this medium the more able you are to leverage, and take hold of it to craft your intentions.

OK, Mike, I hear you saying, “I get it mate, but what is your point’?

My point is that you, as someone who expresses an interest, a desire and ambition to build your identity as a media person, to become an authority, a source of information and analysis, an actual producer of distinctive media need to take notice of this.

We do not have to struggle, and convince people to like us, or approve of what we are producing, we have the ‘Open Market’, this is what determines if your work has merit, these are the people you truly ‘work for’.

Your audience, the people who gain a measure of understanding, of recognition, you need to become hypersensitive to these people.

WordPress is useful to us, for one major reason. Forget about what is the coolest little CMS community, or which feature is superior to another one, we have this toolkit, and you can build your Media presence with it, that is all you need to be concerned with.

I am not romantic about WordPress, I simply recognize that it represents an incredible opportunity.

If you have the spirit of adventure, of lusty ambition, you can hoist your flag and commence voyaging on the turbulent waters of ‘Mass Media’.

Do you want this, do you w3ant something valuable and worthwhile, tangible, a true Media business?

Consider that: Once you have built your media project, and it is producing, everything is labelled with your flag, your domain is slapped onto each article, essay, video, podcast, graphic – you could potentially sell your media enterprise a few years down the track for a handsome profit and retire (or commence building another one)…but I am getting ahead of myself.

If you are a special kind of person, if you are not a herd animal, or a follower of trends, you have something to offer people and want to do a good job; this is for you.

1. Practical, stepped sequences of learning. Go from absolute ‘Ground Zero’ and grow into a digital media producer.

2. Be supported, provided with the means to move ahead, technical, creative, practical support.

3. Grow your own Media Personality

4. Become well known, recognised around the globe, or locally, as being ‘that web journo’, that media personality who runs their own online media business.

5. The future can be made into something very different than it looks right now, once you commence you will be amazed at how things fall into place and your inner-picture of what your life can be also changes.

6. iWriteBox is not just another ‘web training’ site, or even a media publishing macro-Blog, this is unique, be part of something that is building a legacy, not just begging for VC funding.

7. Every aspect of building your media company will be provided, refined, enabled, improved, established, promoted.

There is nothing like this happening on the web today.

Practical, tangible web-media skills, physical resources and technical support, join me, Mike Gorman with this version of iWriteBox, Media training and unique support for the new breed of mass-media producers. Become your own hero, stop giving away your power to greedy fatcats in Silicon Valley, build your own Media Empire and discover the enormous power of the World Wide Web to disrupt this world.