The WordPress community (yes, this is still a thing) is in full drama mode after Matt Mullenweg, co-founder of the site, took a swing at WP Engine, calling the hosting provider a βcancerβ during WordCamp 2024. His gripe? WP Engine is making big money off WordPressβs open-source platform without, he claims, giving much back.
WP Engine fired back with a cease-and-desist, and things escalated fast. At one point, WordPress.org even blocked WP Engine customers from accessing certain serversβthough thatβs been temporarily lifted while they scramble to fix things before an October deadline.
Basically, Mullenweg is saying that if you're profiting from WordPress, you should be contributing more to its community. WP Engine claims they do, through sponsorships and adoption, but Matt's not buying it. The community is divided: some back Matt for defending open-source values, while others think he's using his power to control the narrative.
Our take: Tbh, we donβt really have one, beyond just feeling mildly surprised that Wordpress still inspires this much passion. Happy for them. Or sorry that happened. *shrugs*