The Automattic-WP Engine Feud: Implications for the WordPress Community

The world of WordPress has been rocked by a bitter and complex feud between two giants: Automattic, the company founded by WordPress creator Matt Mullenweg, and WP Engine, a leading WordPress hosting provider. This dispute has far-reaching implications for anyone who relies on this powerful content management system.

The Roots of Discord

The tension began escalating in mid-September, when Mullenweg publicly criticized WP Engine for disabling a key feature that allowed users to track revision histories. He accused WP Engine of turning off this feature to save money, a move he deemed detrimental to user data integrity.

Mullenweg’s criticism wasn’t just a passing remark; it marked the beginning of a series of aggressive actions. He blocked WP Engine from accessing crucial WordPress resources, causing chaos for their customers. Websites were broken, updates were prevented, and some sites were left vulnerable to security risks.

Legal Battles and Retaliation

WP Engine responded by clarifying its non-affiliation with the WordPress Foundation and changing service names to remove WordPress references. However, these moves did little to quell the tensions.

In October, WP Engine filed a lawsuit against Automattic, alleging extortion, libel, and unfair competition. The lawsuit highlighted Automattic’s demand for an 8% revenue share or equivalent contributions, which WP Engine deemed unreasonable.

Automattic retaliated by launching a tool that monitored and displayed domains leaving WP Engine, framed as a transparency tool but widely seen as an invasion of customer privacy. Additionally, they began recruiting key personnel from WP Engine and took control of the Advanced Custom Fields (ACF) plugin, drawing significant backlash from the community.

Governance Concerns and Community Backlash

The feud has sent shockwaves through the WordPress community, raising concerns about governance and the future of the platform. Critics argue that Mullenweg is centralizing control over WordPress.org, compromising the open-source ethos that has driven its success.

Automattic’s introduction of a checkbox requiring contributors to verify they are not associated with WP Engine further exacerbated tensions. This divisive move led to internal contributors being banned from community Slack workspaces.

Shifting Support and Community Criticism

In a recent announcement, Automattic revealed it is reducing support for the core WordPress CMS project, citing the ongoing legal battles with WP Engine as a significant drain on resources. However, this announcement also included a subtle shift in how Automattic views the community, suggesting that intense criticism and personal attacks from community members contribute to the decision to pull back resources.

The Future of WordPress: Uncertainty and Introspection

As the conflict continues, entrepreneurs and businesses relying on WordPress are left wondering about the stability and security of their websites. The actions of Automattic and WP Engine have created an environment of uncertainty, challenging the principles of open-source software that have made WordPress so successful.

The WordPress community must now grapple with these challenges and consider what the future holds for this beloved CMS. Will the community navigate these turbulent times and emerge stronger, or will the feud between Automattic and WP Engine irreparably damage the open-source spirit that has made WordPress thrive?

A Question for the Future

As you ponder the implications of this feud, you might ask yourself: How will the outcome of this dispute shape the future of WordPress, and how might it impact your own online presence? The answers could have profound consequences for anyone who values the power and flexibility of this pivotal piece of internet infrastructure.