Automattic, the company behind WordPress.com, is significantly reducing its contributions to the WordPress open-source project, citing the ongoing legal battle with WP Engine and criticism from the community.
Automattic , the company behind WordPress.com, is reducing its contributions to the WordPress open-source project. The company announced a significant decrease in its weekly development hours, citing a need to align with the contributions of companies like WP Engine. Automattic will now contribute around 45 hours weekly, down from 3,988 hours, as part of the Five for the Future program, which encourages companies to donate 5% of their resources to WordPress.org.
Automattic states that these hours will primarily focus on security and critical updates. This decision follows a period of escalating tension between Automattic CEO Matt Mullenweg and the WordPress community, particularly regarding WP Engine's contributions. Mullenweg has publicly criticized WP Engine's involvement, calling it a 'cancer' to the community. Automattic attributes the cutback to the 'significant time and money' spent on the ongoing legal battle with WP Engine and the 'intense criticism' from community members who want Mullenweg and others to step away from the project. The legal dispute began last year after Mullenweg launched a public campaign against WP Engine and took control of its ACF plugin. A judge subsequently granted a preliminary injunction in favor of WP Engine, citing Mullenweg's actions as intended to induce breach or disruption. Automattic also faced internal turmoil last year when several employees left the company after it offered buyouts to staff who disagreed with its approach to the conflict with WP Engine. This week, Mullenweg further dissolved the WordPress project's sustainability team, citing its inability to achieve its goals. This move has also drawn criticism from the community
Automattic Wordpress Open-Source Legal Battle Community Tension
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