Matt Mullenweg Suspends WordPress Accounts Amid Fork Controversy
Matt Mullenweg has deactivated several WordPress accounts linked to a potential fork, stirring up discussions in the community.
Matt Mullenweg, WordPress, WP Engine, Fork, Open Source, Joost de Valk, Karim Marucchi, USA
San Francisco: So, here’s the scoop. Matt Mullenweg, the big guy behind WordPress, just hit the brakes on some accounts of contributors who were thinking about creating a new version of WordPress. This has caused quite a stir in the community.
It all started when Mullenweg called out WP Engine for making money off WordPress without giving much back. Things got heated, and WP Engine even ended up suing after being cut off from some key resources. A court had to step in and tell WordPress to let them back in.
In the midst of all this drama, some key players in the WordPress world, like Joost de Valk, have been talking about a new direction for the platform. He’s been hinting at a possible fork, which is basically when someone takes the original code and makes their own version. Sounds like a big deal, right?
WP Engine is ready to jump in and help out if needed. Mullenweg has even said he’s open to the idea of a new fork, which is pretty interesting. It’s like saying, “Hey, if you want to try something different, go for it!”
Recently, Automattic, the company behind WordPress, announced it would cut back on its contributions to the core project. This got de Valk excited, and he’s ready to lead the next release. But then, Mullenweg dropped a bombshell by deactivating their accounts to give their new project a push.
He also deactivated a few other accounts without much explanation, which raised some eyebrows. One of them was Sé Reed, who’s been working on a new non-profit aimed at helping the WordPress community. Reed and another contributor, Heather Burns, were surprised by their account suspensions, especially since they hadn’t been active for a while.
Burns even took to social media to express her shock. Meanwhile, Rand-Hendriksen, another contributor, thinks Mullenweg is holding a grudge against him and Burns for their past criticisms of WordPress governance.
When you lose your WordPress.org account, it’s a big deal. You can’t contribute to the project or any plugins or themes anymore. But since it’s also on GitHub, anyone can still fork the project if they want.
In a light-hearted jab, Mullenweg suggested that if a new fork happens, they could call it “JKPress” and even hold a summit together. He’s curious to see what de Valk and Marucchi come up with, saying that’s the beauty of open source. If they create something great, it could even be merged back into WordPress.
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