Hi Jeff,

First, thanks for writing this post and raising this topic.

I've built sites using WordPress and other CMS programs, and also built them from scratch, and even coded my own CMS back in the day with Cold Fusion. I am also a tech writer and trainer, and have written an e-book on basic WordPress for people who want to maintain their content.

The easiest setup I've found for the occasional user is to put them on a managed multisite, and built the basic site for them. I then provide them with a one-on-one training session based on my e-book, which is written in tutorial fashion.

By going with a managed multisite, you avoid one of the largest problems occasional users have - failing to login on a regular basis and do core, plugin, and theme updates. You can also limit plugins and themes to ones you've tested and regularly monitor. This keeps the beginner from trying to install the latest, greatest shiny plugin which breaks or gets abandoned a few months later.

With that part of the site managed, the user can focus on creating and managing content. I teach them WordPress by leveraging a program most of them already know - Microsoft Word, and explain the ways that WordPress differs from Word.

These sites are designed to be low-maintenance for very busy professionals. They do not have e-commerce, because it introduces a whole other level of security issues and maintenance. This has worked quite well for small, informational sites.

To some extent, I see some problems with WordPress that I saw back in the day with Microsoft Access. With Access, an amateur could use wizards to start building applications, which could wind up becoming mission-critical. Real mission-critical applications need to be designed by a professional systems analyst who can do a needs analysis and prioritize things and recommend alternatives, and make sure the application is secure and if necessary scalable. The average user does not have the training and experience to know when they need a custom solution vs. a bolt-on, or what the trade-offs may be.