Right, which is why the Huffington Post with 30-50 Million unique users each month uses it!
The NY Times, Techcrush, Tribune, etc......all fooled by this non-CMS for small sites!
Mercedes-Benz, Renault, Slashgear, BBC......all must have smaller websites than we do!
You're never going to win this argument. Anyone that makes claims like that is just following the herd. you will never convince them. There is nothing wrong with WP at all, it has great expandability, but it is still a PUBLISHING platform (notice every site you listed is a news(ish) and the ones that aren't are still using their sites primarily for publishing) type site.. I shied away from WP for years in my studio because I just didn't want to get into that. We developed almost exclusively for EE based sites for several years, but due to changes in our structure how to reach out more into the retail side of development and design. So I got involved with WP, and frankly it's a good system to build on as long as you keep it within the boundaries of what it's written to do. EE is by far the superior CMS in my eyes, but it's still under the radar in many areas, because they are a development based platform. you MUST understand the EE system. it's not like WP where there are a billion plugins, you actually have to be a real developer to use it. (other than a very thin site). and while it's a shame that more people aren't aware, it is also partly based on the fact that there is no free version. but anyway...
personally I've been using ExpressionEngine for the same length of time I used vBulletin which is since it's enception. Of course VB was around longer, but i prefer VB and EE until this latest debacle with vb that sent me running for the hills.
We picked up XF and so far I really like it. It definintely has a familiar feel to it.
Like I said, i just prefer forum makers make forums and just stick to what they do. The problem is created when a company decides to branch out to do something like bring in a CMS and they don't do it properly. meaning brining in a new team, and also bringing up a solid liason that works between the two new groups to keep everything running.
This to me is no different than buying a complete stereo back in the day. You didn't buy a pioneer or name brand stereo, you bought components. the same reaason I don't buy a Dell PC. I build it from components. Buying pre-packaged hardware always resulted in at least one item being compromised due to price. Well it's the same concept with software. A large company has the funding and stakeholders as well as the employees to do things like that, but every time I've seen a small(ish) software company do this, they don't do this, and i don't care what anyone says, when you stack things on the plates of existing personel, things suffer. it's not rocket science. and frankly in order to build out a complete CMS that could compete with matured software that is all over the web already, it would take a monumental effort, and would still likely fall short.
platforms like WP are great because the community takes over development of things. XF has the same right idea, in building a wonderful core system, and not spending too much time adding things that aren't necessary. Let the mod community do what they do best, build out on a great foundation. Everyone wins.
it all boils down to KISS