WordPress hosting service WP Engine has taken a strong stance against Automattic, the company behind WordPress, following disparaging comments made by Automattic’s CEO, Matt Mullenweg. In response to Mullenweg’s characterization of WP Engine as a “cancer to WordPress,” WP Engine issued a cease-and-desist letter demanding that Automattic retract their statements and refrain from making any further harmful remarks about the company.
The conflict between WP Engine and Automattic escalated further when WP Engine accused Mullenweg of making threats against the company prior to the WordCamp summit. According to WP Engine, Mullenweg allegedly demanded a substantial sum of money from WP Engine before his keynote address at the WordCamp US Convention. When WP Engine did not comply with his demands, Mullenweg reportedly engaged in a campaign to discredit the company within the WordPress community and beyond.
The cease-and-desist letter also alleges that Automattic requested a significant portion of WP Engine’s gross revenues on an ongoing basis in exchange for the use of trademarks like “WordPress.” WP Engine defended its use of the WordPress trademark under fair use laws and maintained that its practices were in line with the platform’s guidelines. The letter included screenshots of text messages from Mullenweg to WP Engine’s CEO and board members, indicating his intent to advocate for WP Engine’s exclusion from WordPress community events if his demands were not met.
Automattic has yet to respond to the allegations made in the cease-and-desist letter. Mullenweg, who co-created WordPress, criticized WP Engine for profiting without adequately contributing to the open-source project. He highlighted the disparity in contributions between WP Engine and Automattic to the “Five for the Future” investment pledge, with Automattic reportedly contributing significantly more hours per week to the project.
In a blog post, Mullenweg also accused WP Engine of offering customers a “cheap knock-off” of WordPress. Despite Automattic’s initial investment in WP Engine in 2011, WP Engine has since raised over $300 million in equity, with a substantial investment from private equity firm Silver Lake in 2018.
As the dispute between WP Engine and Automattic unfolds, the WordPress community is left to navigate the implications of this conflict on the future of the platform. The accusations and counter-accusations between the two companies raise questions about the governance and commercialization of open-source projects like WordPress. The community’s response to these developments will likely shape the relationship between commercial entities and the WordPress ecosystem moving forward.
Implications for the WordPress Community
The feud between WP Engine and Automattic underscores the complexities of managing an open-source project like WordPress within a commercial framework. While commercial entities play a crucial role in funding and supporting the development of open-source software, conflicts like the one between WP Engine and Automattic highlight the challenges of balancing commercial interests with the ethos of open-source collaboration.
The accusations of unfair practices and threats within the WordPress ecosystem raise concerns about the integrity of the platform and the relationships between commercial entities and the broader community. As users, developers, and stakeholders within the WordPress ecosystem, it is essential to critically evaluate the actions of companies like WP Engine and Automattic and advocate for transparency, fairness, and accountability in their interactions.
Looking Ahead: The Future of WordPress
As WP Engine and Automattic navigate their dispute, the future of WordPress hangs in the balance. The allegations of misconduct and coercion between the two companies have the potential to impact the reputation and trustworthiness of the WordPress platform as a whole. Users, developers, and contributors must closely monitor the developments in this conflict and hold both companies accountable for their actions.
The outcome of this dispute will likely have far-reaching implications for the governance, sustainability, and commercialization of open-source projects like WordPress. As stakeholders in the WordPress community, it is crucial to advocate for transparency, collaboration, and ethical practices to safeguard the integrity of the platform and ensure its continued growth and success.
