We need a trustworthy Web browser. There isn't one. And such a massive complexity moat has been created with de facto standards, and also made a moving target, that some nice programmer's temporary hobby project isn't a viable solution.
Seeing the discussions, I would point out that a startup needs stability in leadership to grow that fast.
Look at Google, Meta, etc.
They were super stable in leadership when they took off.
Can’t say the same for OpenAI.
Also, being an AI researcher, them converting to profit org after accepting donations in name of humanity and non-profit is honestly shameful and will not attract most talented researchers.
Similar to what happened to Microsoft once they got labelled as “evil”.
WPEngine literally exists on Matt’s product but they are neither ready to contribute dev hours or money (which can be used for development) to platform.
I don’t think this makes WPEngine looks good.
That’s what Matt said.
Now they are trying to legally block him for perfectly genuine points.
Would have been great if they clarified any of those points.
Did you read the PDF? WP Engine answers this - quote below. They employed (or used to employ) WordPress core contributors and have spent lots of money in the community. It's not 'Matt's Product' but an open source code base supported by a large community.
=== Quote ===
Contrary to Mr. Mullenweg’s statements that WP Engine does not contribute to his
narrow and self-serving definition of the WordPress community, WP Engine has
been deeply dedicated to advancing the use and adoption of WordPress through
innovation, investment, and active community involvement. WP Engine has
contributed tens of millions of dollars in ongoing support for the broader
community through events, sponsorships, and the development of educational
resources, including sponsorship of WordCamps worldwide and producing
DE{CODE}; educating and empowering the WordPress community through
content like the WordPress Roundup and the Building WordPress series; hosting,
funding and actively maintaining multiple Open Source projects (e.g., ACF,
WPGraphQL, faust.js) within the ecosystem used by millions of websites around
the world; and producing informative webinars, podcasts, and tutorials. Even
considering Mr. Mullenweg’s incorrect statement that contribution is only based on
hours worked and contributors to Five for the Future, Mr. Mullenweg falsely stated
that WP Engine is failing on this metric. In reality, WP Engine is ranked 30 out of
189 in hours contributed and 16 out of 189 in contributors, significantly outpacing
multiple other contributors relative to our revenue.
=== End Quote ===
Blackmail is not okay - even if what he argues is true. He could have just done his presentation as he wanted and, as long as his claims are actually true, he wouldn't have had any trouble. Instead he tried to Blackmail a company into giving his FOR PROFIT COMPANY money. This wasn't about supporting WordPress, this was about rent seeking for his own organization.
But why specifically them? Pantheon and Acquia offer basically the same service as WPEngine, but they weren't singled out like that. This whole thing makes it seem like Matt had some personal vendetta against WPEngine (or did the other two already get blackmailed earlier and caved?).
Is Automattic hurting for money? If they're making half a billion developing and selling WordPress, why do they care what some other host does, even if they don't contribute as many hours upstream...? They're still part of that long tail of the WordPress ecosystem and helps grows users and devs.
It's so weird watching this all unfold. In 2024 I definitely didn't expect to be bringing out the popcorn for WordPress drama, of all things.
WP Engine is hosting WordPress.org software, which isn't owned by Matt. His product is WordPress.com, which is deliberately designed to blur this distinction and confuse users so he can wield this as an advantage against his competitors. Apparently this isn't enough and he's resorting to shitposting now.
There will always be great people building alternatives.