Getting pretty clear that if you want to start a blog or anything like that, #Wordpress is *not* the place to be. And it's not just the recent drama.
I tested it last spring. The whole experience feels grubby and nickel-and-dimey. It's made for people trying to make money, by people trying to get a cut. That's fine, but it's not for me.
So what better alternatives are there? Host a static blog on GitHub pages?