poorboy

Thanks everyone. Been reading hard here.

I actually registered back in January but then proceeded to bounce around CMSs, then went back to wp because it's just so easy to find and activate a plugin. Now I have a multisite with ummm, 40+ plugins and a highly functional theme. I cringe on every update. I even have a couple I can't update because I had to tweak them. Lucky for me, there's a plugin to prevent other plugins from being updated accidently. Time for some sanity and some learning. I know html/css pretty well. Last year's versions at least. php or programming in general? Not so much. Took the UK Kent Univ programming aptitude test and didn't do too bad, considering I've never taken an algebra class. I've been blue collar all my life. Electric sign fabricator for 25+ years. Large projects that took weeks. Did many high profile jobs but towards the end, no matter how fancy it was, it was boring. Time for something new. Getting too old for all the climbing, stooping, lifting and breathing toxic fumes typical of a sign shop. Inks, paint, welding etc. Likewise, getting into another blue collar field is not much of an option at 50 so I've decided web dev as my new career. Jumping into a tech career at 50. Did I say sanity? Nevermind. Winter's coming on here and I've set this winter aside for learning php and a CMS thouroughly. Or as thouroughly as I can in one season. It was going to be wp but I just can't stand the UPGRADE TO PRO atmosphere and worry it might be contagious. (there are exceptions of course as I have come across some stand up guys and gals there) I've got a lead on building a site for a small nearby city and the thought of using wp brought feelings of panic and nausea. Depending on their time frame, I may have to use a responsive html/css/js site and upgrade them to a cms later. I don't have the job yet so I'm not going to stress about it. However, I still want to get into something a little more structured yet flexible and it really comes down to ss or pw. I think they're pretty similar but pw looks to have a less steep learning curve. So here I am. I am the type of person that likes to figure things out or find things on my own but I'm sure I'll have plenty of ignorant questions. Thanks for your patience in advance, John