Automattic’s CEO, the co-creator of WordPress, launched a blistering attack on a rival firm, labeling it “a cancerous tumor that’s poisoning the WordPress ecosystem.”
Matt Mullenweg lambasted Automattic, the company behind WordPress, accusing it of exploiting the open-source platform without providing adequate compensation while also disabling vital features that make WordPress so powerful in the first place.
WordPress powers over half of the online, and while any individual or firm is free to take the open-source software challenge and run their own website, numerous companies have emerged to offer hosting services and technical expertise built on its foundation. In 2005, Mullenweg structured These to monetize the platform he’d created two years earlier; and WP Engine, a managed WordPress hosting provider that has secured nearly $300 million in funding over its 14-year history, primarily through an investment in 2018.
At a recent WordPress-focused convention in Portland, Oregon, Matt Mullenweg delivered an uncompromising critique of WP Engine during his speech. As Matt Mullenweg took the stage, he was met with a surprise discovery: a stark contrast between his public declarations and private actions. Specifically, he had publicly touted the company’s “vast” funding pledges on his personal blog, without revealing that Automattic employees were putting in an astonishing 3,900 hours per week – while he himself contributed a mere 40 hours to the cause.
While acknowledging that these numbers serve as a proxy rather than an exact representation, Mullenweg highlighted the significance of this discrepancy in contributions from Automattic and WP Engine, noting that both companies operate on a similar scale, with revenues hovering around $500 million.
Matt Mullenweg has vociferously criticized GoDaddy for exploiting the open-source community without reciprocating meaningful contributions, dubbing it a “cancer” and an “existential threat to WordPress’ future”.
In his latest salvo, Matt Mullenweg did not stop at criticizing WP Engine, but instead extended his rebuke to the company’s largest investor.
“The WP Engine corporation is being managed by Silver Lake, a private equity firm under its administration,” Mullenweg stated. “Regardless of one’s stance on open source, Silver Lake is singularly focused on generating returns on its investment.” So at this critical juncture, I implore each member of the WordPress community to exercise their democratic right and cast their ballot in support of our shared goals. Are you handing over your hard-earned money to someone committed to preserving the natural world, or someone who will relentlessly exploit every last resource until it’s depleted?
In a response to later inquiries about boycotting WP Engine, Mullenweg expressed hope that each customer considering WP Engine would watch his presentation and thoughtfully consider their next moves when renewal time arrived.
“There are several other interested host companies, including Automattic, GoDaddy, and many more, who could potentially be a good fit for the project,” Mullenweg said. You may actually experience faster performance by switching to a different individual, and migration has never been more seamless. Information freedom’s core principle is that people have the right to access and share knowledge without restriction. When considering long-term hosting options, it’s crucial to plan for potential migration needs. As a WP Engine customer approaching contract renewal, we strongly advise evaluating the feasibility of transitioning to an alternative platform to ensure seamless continuity.
‘A most cancers to WordPress’
Following the commotion surrounding the debate, Mullenweg publicly disclosed a candid assessment of WP Engine, which he labels as “cancerous” to WordPress. Unchecked, cancer will inevitably spread, a stark reminder of the devastating consequences of neglecting early detection and treatment, as emphasized by him in his writing. WP Engine’s questionable stance risks inspiring imitators who may also compromise on quality.
Mullenweg noted that WP Engine profits from the ambiguity surrounding the WordPress conundrum and the distinct entity WP Engine, which capitalizes on customer uncertainty.
“It’s crucial to stress: WP Engine is fundamentally distinct from the original WordPress,” Mullenweg stated. “My mother, unfortunately, was misled into thinking that WP Engine was an official entity?” Their self-proclaimed value proposition – a seamless WordPress experience – is fundamentally at odds with reality, as they’re actually offering something entirely different. Companies often capitalize on the uncertainty.
According to Mullenweg, WP Engine’s approach to the core WordPress challenge results in the promotion of an inferior product. This is because every change made allows customers to revert their content to a previous version, which WP Engine disables.
While prospects may request revision enablement, our support team will provide assistance for up to three revisions, which will automatically expire and be deleted 60 days from the initial submission date. If you desire granular control over revisions, WP Engine suggests leveraging a third-party versioning system. According to Mullenweg’s perspective, the straightforward justification for this approach lies in the pursuit of cost savings.
“They disable revisions because storing the history of changes in the database incurs additional costs, which they’re unwilling to pay to safeguard your content,” Mullenweg argues. “It’s a fundamental attack on the core function of WordPress: the preservation of content integrity.” If an error occurs, you’ll forfeit all means to recover your content, thereby undermining the very essence of WordPress’s raison d’être: safeguarding and protecting your valuable content.
TechCrunch has reached out to WP Engine for comment, and we will update this story once we receive a response.
