WordPress Bans Thousands Of WP Engine Customers via @sejournal, @martinibuster

WordPress banned WP Engine, a managed WordPress web host, blocking thousands of websites from adding oregon updating plugins and themes. Technology writer Robert Scoble described the determination arsenic “universally hated successful tech” and that retired of hundreds of posts connected the taxable astir nary was connected Mullenweg’s broadside connected the issue.

What Happened

Matt Mullenweg, co-creator of WordPress, accused WP Engine of infringing connected their trademarks and demanded tens of millions of dollars successful compensation. Things came to a caput connected the past time of the caller WordCamp WordPress league erstwhile Mullenweg gave WP Engine until 4:30 PM that time to comply with his demands. Failure to hold to those demands led to a nationalist shaming of WP Engine by Mullenweg and the consequent prohibition of WP Engine.

WordPress.org Bans WP Engine

In a station titled WP Engine is banned from WordPress.org, Mullenweg announced that WP Engine was banned and chopped disconnected from their plugin and taxable repository.

He wrote:

“Any WP Engine customers having occupation with their sites should interaction WP Engine enactment and inquire them to hole it.”

WP Engine posted an incidental study connected their website that offered a workaround:

“WordPress.org has blocked WP Engine customers from updating and installing plugins and themes via WP Admin. There is presently nary interaction connected the performance, reliability oregon information of your tract nor does it interaction your quality to marque updates to your codification oregon content. We cognize however important this is for you and we are actively processing a remediation for this issue. We volition update you arsenic soon arsenic we person a fix.

If you request to instal oregon update a plugin oregon theme, manual instructions tin beryllium recovered astatine https://wpengine.com/support/manage-plugins-and-themes-manually

If you person immoderate questions oregon request assistance, bash not hesitate to scope retired to our method enactment team.”

WordPress Core Contributor Sentiment

WordPress halfway contributors are seemingly not liking the existent situation. A station connected Reddit by an anonymous codification contributor to WordPress indicated that that the halfway developer assemblage is not rallying astir Mullenweg.

The WordPress halfway contributor wrote:

“WordPress halfway dev here.

All contributors, Automattic and non Automattic, are watching precise closely. We’re besides reasoning precise cautiously astir our contributions. This is simply a assemblage task and contributors are portion of the community. No substance who is listed arsenic task leadership, we’ll proceed to beryllium present for the community.

I’ve said this successful different comments, but whether Matt has been close doesn’t adjacent travel into it for plentifulness of us. The mode this has been done, and is continuing to beryllium done, is specified a important occupation to code earlier adjacent looking astatine whether he’s been close oregon not.

The community, which includes america astatine WordPress core, are not rallying astir successful enactment of this action. Everyone I’ve spoken to astatine WordPress halfway had nary anterior announcement of this enactment being taken. Given the deficiency of announcement astir this latest action, it raises concerns astir whether much is to come. Right now, there’s an astir deafening nationalist soundlessness successful contributor-to-contributor communication. We’re inactive trying to modulate our reactions to caller events and hopefully debar adding much of the kinds of kneejerk actions our full assemblage person been subjected to successful caller days.

Ceasing our ain contributions would person further interaction connected the community. We decidedly don’t privation that. Even with that astatine the forefront of my mind, if a determination is made to prosecute successful a corporate withdrawal of contributions, with a intelligibly communicated desired result to interruption that withdrawal, I’d articulation that action. Regretfully.”

The halfway contributor related that speech from the informing astir ineligible action, Mullenweg has not discussed his plans oregon people of enactment with the WordPress contributors. They besides confirmed that nary of the halfway contributors person made a alteration to “facilitate his actions”.

The halfway contributor posted a travel up to their comments to accidental that they’re not seeing thing affirmative yet.

“It should beryllium crystal wide successful Matt’s caput that what’s happening close present can’t continue. How helium chooses to enactment connected that cognition is anyone’s guess. Unfortunately, what I’m seeing successful his messages done each connection channels truthful acold doesn’t amusement signs of thing positive, yet (as I said successful my earlier comment, we’re each watching very, precise closely).”

Social Media Reaction

An overwhelming fig of the posts connected X (formerly Twitter) explicit disappointment with Mullenweg’s actions and are supportive of WP Engine.

Technology writer Robert Scoble posted:

“WordPress astatine war. So sad.

I was 1 of the archetypal to usage WordPress. I didn’t spot this coming. I work hundreds of posts astir what @photomatt did and astir nary of them are connected his side.

Never seen a determination truthful universally hated successful tech. Lots of my aged friends are successful symptom tonight.”

Typical absorption connected X:

“This is perfectly insane and specified a disgusting maltreatment of powerfulness by @photomatt. I person clients utilizing @wpengine and present they can’t easy instal plugins oregon update themes. #WordPress”

Another WordPress idiosyncratic posted:

“Gotta say, I’m with WP Engine connected this. Not saying they are the “good guys” but if we each person to wage Automattic for utilizing the connection “WordPress” successful our marketing, past we’re each successful trouble. This sets a unsafe precedent.”

Read Mullenweg’s station connected WordPress.org

WP Engine is banned from WordPress.org

Read the WP Engine Incident Report:

Plugin and Theme Update Restrictions

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