Jeffo - You sure picked a real conversation piece this time! Thanks for drawing us in. Thanks!

Though not a developer, I'm now a power user, who started using WP around the time it became a "real" number. I loved it so much in it's early incarnations, I was willing to stick it out through the various growing pains. Being a DIY type, the more I tinkered with it, the more it taught me. Because of WordPress, I learned to edit and change things writen in PHP, how to modify layouts using CSS, etc., which has benefited me across several disciplines.

@Ron Hager I've been around quite a while, too, since those lovely DOS days. Though I loved to muck around under the hood, most of my clients did not. I maintained a dual training focus: for those who wanted to dive in and get dirty, I taught them as much as they wanted to know, effectively working myself out of a job with them. For those who wanted to remain protected from the "1s and 0s", from the crypic-ness of DOS-based programs, I did everything for them, and fast introduced them to the graphical windows when it arrived.

Though that seems like so much history, the story is the same for WordPress, and other popular applications. WP has created a cross-section of grateful, knowledgable users who will always lend a helping hand to to fellow WP users, whether they are just learning or digging around under the hood.

@Regina

I’m happy that upgrades and installations can be relatively easy — it gives me a chance to concentrate on the more complex stuff which is what keeps me interested.

Yes! Even being a power user, and someone who sets up WP for others, I have to agree. Tasks that took forever to do -- or were just plain mundane and aggravating -- have become so easy, I almost feel guilty. And it is so rewarding to see a client's enthusiasm as he participates in building his own site. As he gains confidence in mastering WP, I'll get less support calls -- and a "newbie" moves up the ranks.