Perils Of Open Source Or One Man With Too Much Power?

The open-source world is facing a dramatic showdown, with the future of nearly half of the internet's websites hanging in the balance.

At the center of this storm is WordPress, the popular open-source content management system that powers 43% of the web, including Benzing and other major players like The New Yorker and BBC America.

The drama involves WordPress’ founder Matt Mullenweg, and a major managed WordPress hosting provider, WP Engine.

Following weeks of public showdown between Mullenweg and WP Engine, and subsequent actions taken by WordPress, the tensions have continued to escalate.

This has caused significant strife for not just those who manage websites that use WordPress, but also developers who manage these websites.

Why does that matter to people like you and us? The future of nearly half the world’s websites hangs in the balance!

What Makes WordPress So Dominant

It's like having a digital Swiss Army knife – versatile enough for a small personal blog yet robust enough to handle enterprise-level demands. This versatility shows in its diverse user base:

Major news organizations trust WordPress to deliver breaking stories to millions of readers. Government institutions, including the White House itself, rely on it to communicate with citizens.

Top universities showcase their groundbreaking research through WordPress sites. Even entertainment icons and Fortune 500 companies choose it to connect with their global audiences.

But, Now The Battle Lines Are Drawn

The latest controversy erupted when Matt Mullenweg, WordPress founder and Automattic CEO, dropped a bombshell by calling WP Engine – one of the platform's biggest hosting providers – a "cancer to WordPress."

Strong words, but what's the real story here?

The conflict boils down to a seemingly simple feature: post revisions.

WP Engine decided to disable this function, which lets users track and restore previous versions of their content.

While WP Engine saw this as a cost-saving measure, Mullenweg viewed it as an attack on WordPress's core principles and user data integrity.

Mullenweg's Nuclear Option

Instead of a gentle warning, Mullenweg went for the jugular. He blocked WP Engine from accessing WordPress.org's critical resources – including security updates and plugin access.

Imagine running a website without security patches. That's exactly the situation thousands of WP Engine customers suddenly faced.

How WP Engine Responded

WP Engine responded to the situation by stating that Mullenweg had improperly leveraged his influence over WordPress to disrupt their customers' access to WordPress.org resources.

On Sept. 27, WordPress.org temporarily lifted the ban, granting WP Engine access to resources until Oct. 1.

In a blog post, Mullenweg said that the dispute is solely over trademarks, noting that Automattic has long attempted to negotiate a licensing deal, but WP Engine has strung them along. 

Later, just before the WordPress.org deadline, WP Engine updated its site’s footer to state it is not directly affiliated with the WordPress Foundation or the WordPress trademark.

WP Engine eventually announced that it had successfully implemented its system for updating plugins and themes.

Plugin Controversy

The takeover of the Advanced Custom Fields (ACF) plugin by WordPress, done without the consent of its original developers, has also raised concerns among users about the future of the plugins they rely on.

This action, termed "forking," was justified by Mullenweg as a means to address security issues but has been criticized as undermining the original creators.

Power Trip Or Principled Stand?

This isn't just about a technical disagreement – it's raising fundamental questions about power in the open-source world.

Think of it like this: WordPress is supposed to be community-driven software, but Mullenweg's actions show just how much control one person can wield over a platform used by millions.

The fallout from this conflict has led to a significant departure of employees from Automattic, with over 150 staff members leaving after Mullenweg offered buyouts to those who disagreed with his approach.

David Heinemeier Hansson, who created Ruby on Rails, has jumped into the fray, warning about the dangers of concentrated power in open-source projects.

“Automattic is completely out of line, and the potential damage to the open source world extends far beyond WordPress. Don’t let the drama or its characters distract you from that threat,” he stated in a blog post on Oct. 8.

Ghost's founder John O'Nolan echoed these concerns saying that “40% of the web and 80% of the CMS market should not be controlled by any one individual.”

Why This Matters

Even if you're not a WordPress user, this conflict has huge implications for the future of open-source software. When one person can effectively hold millions of websites hostage, it raises serious questions about the sustainability of the open-source model.

The community itself is divided on the matter. Some view this as an opportunity for innovation within the ecosystem, suggesting that Mullenweg's actions could lead to new directions for WordPress akin to shifts seen in other tech sectors.

Others express concern that these conflicts may undermine the collaborative spirit essential to open-source projects and could harm WordPress's reputation in the long term.

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