WordPress related question from a newbie: Will I need to know HTML and CSS?

[Years]

Hi,

I'm a future webmaster who's going to be putting together my first website using WordPress. I'm wondering if I'll need to learn HTML and CSS in order to perform basic maintenance and editing. In order to help answer that question, I'll describe what the purpose of my website is:

I'm thinking about starting one or maybe two different sites. The first one will be a basic blog. I would like to be able to add and remove videos, pictures, and ads to the blog whenever the need arises. The second site would be one where I sell a product or two, or an e-commerce site. I'll want to be able to add and remove images and videos and all the other stuff that needs tending to.

I've heard a lot of good things about WordPress. People say that it's pretty easy to set up and maintain. In order to meet my objectives, would I need to learn HTML and CSS?

[cryptie]

if you download a theme, you can get by without knowing html, however, want to customize anything? then you'll need to know it.

I'm currently morphing wordpress on my site to become a hybrid blog/video CMS powered site. I've been using it for a few years now and haven't looked back. I haven't used any other CMS since then.

once you have set up the site, everything can be handled in a WYSIWYG environment, and if you install the tinyMCE plugin, you can get more features such as tables or divs, or using styles from your stylesheet (think quotes)

if you want a full blown ecommerece site, look at a full-fledged e-comm solution, however, there IS a wp e-comm plugin. I have installed it and toyed with it, but have not installed it on a production server.

[Years]

if you download a theme, you can get by without knowing html, however, want to customize anything? then you'll need to know it.

When asked this question, somebody else said,

No, you don't need to learn code, not really. It certainly doesn't hurt to know the basics, but as long as you can use FTP or hire somebody to use FTP for you then you'll be all set with Wordpress.

I don't know how true that statement is. And I don't know much about FTP, but I guess someday I'll find out.

[cryptie]

When asked this question, somebody else said,

No, you don't need to learn code, not really. It certainly doesn't hurt to know the basics, but as long as you can use FTP or hire somebody to use FTP for you then you'll be all set with Wordpress.

I don't know how true that statement is. And I don't know much about FTP, but I guess someday I'll find out.

exactly like my statement. you can upload the theme into the theme folder. login to the admin and activate the theme, and poof! its running.

however, you want to change the title of the site in the header to your site, and not the name of the theme, and now you want to change the name in the footer, and now you want to... yo0u get it?

you can install with no knowledge of html xhtml php or css, but if you want to modify something, you will need to know a bit.

however, it's not that hard. I learnt html 1.0 back when i was 11 in, I kid you not, 5 minutes. (mind you it was a lot easier back then)

[V_RocKs]

www.w3schools.com
All you need to know.

[stonehammer]

YES you need to know

1) FTP the most basic
2) HTML

CSS is optional but certainly useful

[MrAwesome]

very good to have