Over the past several days, a dispute between Automattic/WordPress.org and WP Engine has escalated to the point where WordPress.org has blocked plugin updates and core updates from WP Engine clients.
What started as a dispute over licensing the trademark (or what some are calling extortion by Automattic) has morphed into a community-threatening event.
WordPress.org is the only source right now for plugins and core updates. its endpoints are hard-coded into WordPress, and replacing them is not easy without altering the core of WordPress.
Regardless of the motivations of any of the parties in this dispute, one thing is clear: having a single source of plugins and core updates, controlled by a mercurial person who can turn it off on a whim, is bad for the community and for all businesses who host, manage, maintain and develop WordPress sites. This is not a matter of one company battling another over trademarks; it’s now a battle for whether or not the community will have continued access to resources going forward.
I want to make clear that WPConcierge stands with WP Engine in this. They are a competitor, They are also a member of the community. And every single website they host is a member of the community, too. They deserve better from the de facto “leader” of the community.
WPConcierge will continue to support our clients and we will ensure that our client’s sites are secure and stable, regardless of what WordPress.org might do in the future. We will continue to contribute to the community. And we will continue to advocate for what is good for open source.
