Reflection on my two websites

Building websites on GitHub Pages and WordPress was an interesting experience that helped me understand how different these platforms are. Both have their pros and cons, and figuring out which one works best really depends on what you’re trying to do. Here’s my take on the process and what stood out to me.

Challenges for New Learners

GitHub Pages: Starting with GitHub Pages is definitely not beginner-friendly. You need to know how to use Git, understand how repositories work, and have at least some knowledge of coding. For me, it felt like a lot upfront, especially figuring out how to push changes and edit the layout directly in the code. It’s not impossible to learn, but there’s definitely a steep learning curve.

WordPress: WordPress, on the other hand, feels much easier for someone just starting out. Its drag-and-drop interface and pre-made templates make it less stressful. However, it can get frustrating if you want to do something that isn’t supported by the template. I found myself spending way too much time trying to adjust things that seemed simple, which was annoying.

Advantages

GitHub Pages: The best part about GitHub Pages is the control you have over everything. Once you get the hang of it, you can make your site look and function exactly how you want. It also forces you to learn skills like HTML, CSS, and version control, which are super useful if you’re interested in web development.

WordPress: WordPress is great if you need something quick and professional-looking. You don’t need to touch a single line of code to get started, which is nice if coding isn’t your thing. It also has tons of plugins and features that make it easy to add functionality without much effort.

Skills I Want to Improve

I want to get better at coding, especially CSS, so I can design sites more efficiently on GitHub Pages. I’d also like to learn more about JavaScript to add interactive elements to my sites. For WordPress, I’d focus on figuring out how to make better use of plugins and maybe learn some PHP, but honestly, I don’t see myself using WordPress much in the future.

Final Thoughts

Overall, I prefer GitHub Pages because it gives me more control and lets me create something exactly how I want. WordPress has its perks, especially if you’re short on time, but the lack of flexibility made me appreciate the freedom coding offers. Both platforms taught me something new, but GitHub Pages just feels like the better fit for how I like to work.

WordPress Website

Check out my WordPress site here: Temi’s WordPress Portfolio