The complicated drama of WordPress, explained.
It has caused a great uproar in the WordPress community.
The WordPress community has witnessed an intense debate around the philosophy of the platform, following recent statements by co-founder Matt Mullenweg. In a strong attack against WP Engine, a major hosting provider for WordPress, Mullenweg labeled it a “cancer” for the community. This comment has highlighted the discussion on how for-profit companies should interact with open-source software and whether they have an obligation to contribute to the projects they use.
The conflict has intensified in recent days, generating a series of legal threats that have left many website operators caught in a situation beyond their control. WP Engine customers found themselves without access to the servers of WordPress.org, complicating the updating or installation of plugins and themes. Although they have been granted temporary relief, WP Engine faces a deadline to resolve this dispute or lose access again.
Founded in 2010, WP Engine has become a competitor to WordPress.com, offering a hosting service that leverages the free and open-source software of WordPress. According to Mullenweg, nearly 43% of all websites are powered by WordPress, although it is unclear how many are hosted by WordPress.com or third parties.
Mullenweg leads two distinct entities: WordPress.org, the open-source project that develops the foundation of the publishing platform, and WordPress.com, which sells a hosted version of the WordPress software. Automattic, the company behind WordPress.com, invests a significant amount of effort into the development of the open-source project, contributing approximately 3,988 hours per week. While it does not have to pay for the use of WordPress, it is evident that it makes investments in its development and enhancement.
WP Engine, for its part, argues that it channels its investment in the community through sponsorships and promoting the adoption of the platform. However, Mullenweg believes that WP Engine benefits from open source without giving anything back to the community. This disagreement escalated when Mullenweg, during WordCamp, an event sponsored by WP Engine, directed his criticism at the company, suggesting that the private equity firm Silver Lake, which acquired WP Engine in 2018, does not care about the ideals of open source.
Mullenweg continued to criticize WP Engine in a blog post, indicating that the company only contributes 40 hours a week to the open-source project and noting that this behavior could set a bad example for others. At the same time, WP Engine initiated a legal defense, claiming to have received monetary demands from Automattic prior to Mullenweg's speech at WordCamp, which led to a series of tense exchanges.
Ultimately, WordPress.org decided to cut off access to WP Engine due to its legal claims and alleged lack of contributions to the community. Despite this measure, Mullenweg chose to temporarily lift the restriction, giving WP Engine until October 1 to resolve the conflict.
Reactions to this confrontation have been mixed. Some support Mullenweg and criticize WP Engine for its lack of contribution to the open-source project, while others accuse Mullenweg of abusing his position. The situation could lead to a split in WordPress, and although both sides have valid arguments, the confusion over the identities of WordPress.org and WordPress.com seems to be increasing, complicating the narrative even further.
