In reply to Mike Schinkel.

I didn't mean to hijack this comment thread with my superfluous thoughts.
But it doesn't upset or worry me, except that when people keep repeating it, it tends to help set the larger public perception of it as fact, which isn't necessarily true; that's all. And that's also helping keep WordPress work rates too low for a lot of talented WP developers. I've been to WordCamps and Meetups, and know that many people there are just getting started. But there's an army of people - tens of thousands & growing by the minute - that are pretty capable at figuring out WordPress and enough PHP and JS to build on it and hang out a shingle. It becomes clear pretty fast that you simply have to know more than WP if you're serious about what you're trying to do.

I've been around long enough now to have seen lots of debates over "WordPress developers" vs. "Real" developers, and although there certainly is an obvious technical difference and the experiences and training that's led someone to a point in their career, it's no different that if I, as an MBA, were to look own my nose at businesspeople that don't have one. That would be silly. Its occurence is more of a matter of personal insecurity or some other shortcoming, rather than reality, and in either case, doesn't matter in the long run.

*Michael Musgrove* Owner *web design POP, Ltd. Co.* (502) 264-2353 musgrove@webdesignpop.com MichaelMusgrove.com [image: Twitter] [image: LinkedIn] [image: banner]