It’s a new year, but the drama in the WordPress community just keeps on coming. Automattic, the company behind WordPress.com, announced that it would be scaling back its contributions to WordPress core, the open source project that forms the foundation of most of Automattic’s products and ensures the continued growth of WordPress as a technology and community.
A Beef with WP Engine
Automattic CEO and WordPress co-creator Matt Mullenweg has been in a bit of a tiff with WP Engine since September over the issue of contributing to WordPress as an open source and community project. In a recent blog post, Automattic revealed that it would be reducing its commitment to the Five For the Future program to match WP Engine’s contribution in terms of weekly hours.
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Automattic currently contributes around 2,560 hours per week, a significant drop from the 3,900 hours per week they were contributing back in September. The company stated that this reduction could be due to a decrease in headcount or a shift in strategy.
More Changes in the WordPress World
The recent decision regarding contributions to the WordPress community project isn’t the only shake-up happening at WordPress.org. Thijs Buijs, a WordPress core contributor and leader of the sustainability team, recently stepped down as a representative. The sustainability team focused on the long-term sustainability of WordPress across social, economic, and environmental factors.
Overall, the WordPress world is facing some changes and challenges, with calls for different leadership and new approaches to ensure the continued growth and success of the platform.
