In this Issue:

• WordPress 6.9 brings hidden blocks, simplified editing, and expanded command palette features

• Drupal founder argues governments should fund open source projects like public infrastructure

• WordCamp 2026 schedule creates a coordination nightmare with three flagship events in 4.5 months

• Nick Hamze’s post reignites the debate about WordPress losing its “cool factor” to newer platforms

• WordPress Foundation seeks mentors for university student contribution program

WordPress 6.9 Brings Hidden Blocks and Simplified Editing

WordPress 6.9 is shaping up to be a significant release, with several features designed to make your editing experience smoother. The ability to hide blocks is nearly ready, giving you better control over what appears in your content. The command palette is expanding beyond the editor to work across your entire dashboard, making it faster to navigate your site’s admin area.

Block commenting is getting refined with bug fixes and improved accessibility, while new experimental blocks like accordion, breadcrumbs, and tabs are being tested. Perhaps most interesting is the work on simplified site editing, which aims to reduce the overwhelming nature of the current site editor through either toggle modes or making patterns content-focused by default.

Read Anny Maccarthy’s detailed blog “Exploring work in progress for WordPress 6.9 v2” here to dive deep into the details.

Open Source Needs Government Funding, Drupal Founder Argues

Dries Buytaert, founder of Drupal, is making waves with his call for governments to fund open source projects like public infrastructure. His argument centers on a striking statistic: replacing the most widely used open source software would cost $8.8 trillion, yet 96% of that value depends on just 5% of contributors.

Buytaert points out that governments worldwide rely heavily on open source software but contribute little back. The European Commission runs over 100 Drupal sites, France operates more than 1,000, yet most provide minimal upstream support. He proposes that governments track the health of critical projects, commit to long-term funding, and require vendor contributions in procurement contracts.

• A small group of maintainers supports infrastructure used by millions

• Government agencies use open source extensively but rarely contribute back

• Public funding could stabilize critical projects at relatively low cost

This debate has direct implications for WordPress users, as the platform faces similar sustainability challenges with its vast ecosystem of plugins and themes.

Read Dries Buytaert’s Blog “Funding Open Source like public infrastructure” Here.

WordCamp 2026 Schedule Creates Coordination Nightmare

The WordPress community is grappling with a scheduling problem that could impact everyone who attends conferences or works for companies that sponsor them. All three flagship WordCamps—Asia, Europe, and US—are crammed into just 4.5 months in 2026, creating logistical headaches for organizers, sponsors, and attendees.

Taco Verdonschot breaks down why this matters: organizing a flagship WordCamp takes 9-12 months of work, major venues need to be booked years in advance, and the compressed schedule puts enormous pressure on everyone involved. WordCamp US 2026 in Phoenix during August presents additional challenges with extreme heat and vacation season timing.

The financial impact is significant too. Companies that normally sponsor all three events may have to choose just one or two, potentially leaving organizers scrambling for funding. Individual attendees face the prospect of spending thousands of dollars in a few months if they want to attend multiple events.

• Tight scheduling makes planning exponentially harder for volunteers

• Sponsors may skip events due to budget and logistics constraints

• Summer timing in Phoenix could reduce attendance significantly

This scheduling squeeze highlights the growing pains of WordPress’s global community and the need for better long-term planning.

Read Taco Verdonschot’s “WordPress’ flagship WordCamp strategy is a mess, and 2026 will be hell” blog Here.

WordPress’s “Cool Factor” Problem Gets Fresh Attention

WordPress’s “Cool Factor” Problem Gets Fresh Attention

Nick Hamze has reignited discussion about WordPress’s image problem with a post arguing the platform has “lost the cool kids” to newer tools like Webflow and Framer. His critique focuses on perception rather than technical capability, noting that while WordPress powers much of the web, it’s often seen as “legacy” in design circles.

The post struck a nerve, earning a repost from Matt Mullenweg and drawing responses from across the community. Mike McAlister from Ollie even offered to redesign WordPress.org to give it a more modern, confident feel. Joost de Valk from Yoast agreed with the assessment but argued the project needs an empowered marketing team and better product direction.

Read Nick Hamze’s “Why WordPress Lost the Cool Kids (And How to Win Them Back)” blog Here.

Read Joost de Valk’s “Should WordPress have a product and a marketing team?” blog here.

Read the full report on The Repository Here.

Other reports from The Repository you might like to read:

• WordPress Project Launches New Experimental Core Program Team

• Court Dismisses Antitrust and Extortion Claims in WP Engine v Automattic, Allows Other Counts to Proceed

• WordPress Campus Connect Quickly Growing With Global Events, Student Clubs and Scholarships

• WP Includes Is Helping Women Level Up Their Careers in WordPress — and Applications Are Now Open

Don’t forget to subscribe & support them, they do some amazing hard-hitting WordPress journalism.

WordPress Foundation Seeks Mentors for Student Program

The WordPress Foundation is looking for experienced community members to mentor university students through its WordPress Credits program. This educational initiative connects students with real-world open source contribution opportunities over 13-18 weeks, requiring mentors to commit 2 hours per week.

Mentors will guide up to 5 students each, helping them navigate WordPress contribution processes and develop professional skills. The program aims to bridge the gap between academic learning and practical experience while building the next generation of WordPress contributors.

The foundation is building a global pool of mentors to match with students as more universities join the program. Currently, only a limited number of institutions participate, but expansion is planned.

• Commitment is 2 hours per week for 13-18 weeks

• Mentors guide students through real contribution projects

• Program helps develop the next wave of WordPress contributors

This mentorship opportunity represents a chance to give back to the community while helping shape WordPress’s future through new talent development.

Apply Here.

On other WordPress News

→ The stepping away of a team member (make.wordpress.org)

→ Two-Factor Authentication is Required for All People With the Capabilities to Publish Here, on make/core (make.wordpress.org)

→ Ryan Logan and Derek Ashauer launched changelogwp.com to serve as the #1 resource for changelogs within the WordPress ecosystem. (changelogwp.com)

→ Announcing the Winners of the Summer Photo Contest (events.wordpress.org)

→ Summary, Dev Chat, September 24, 2025 (make.wordpress.org)

→ Core-AI Contributor Check-in September, 24 2025 (make.wordpress.org)

→ The 5 Best Things About WordCamp US 2025 (wordpress.com)

→ Core Committer Meeting notes from WordCamp US 2025

→ WordPress Security Stats 2025 – Melapress Security Survey Results (melapress.com)

→ New FAIR 1.0 Release Brings Decentralized Package Management to WordPress (therepository.email)

→ Enqueue Reveals Speaker Line-Up With Focus on AI, Performance, and the Future of WordPress (therepository.email)

→ Fueled Layoffs Spark Tension After Former Employee Pre-Empts Announcement (therepository.email)

→ WordPress Accessibility Day 2025 will be held on October 15-16, featuring 24 talks over 24 hours. (2025.wpaccessibility.day)

From WordPress Community

→ WordCamp Organizer Guide: Lessons I Learned (The Hard Way) (leokoo.com)

→ Something Has to Change with WordPress. FAIR is a Great Start. (carriedils.com)

→ The $8.8 Trillion Wake-Up Call: Notes from Open Source Summit NA 2025 (rogerwilliamsmedia.com)

→ Planes & Determination: A Disabled Traveler’s Journey Through Chaos (underrepresentedintech.com)

→ Why Sponsoring WordPress Content Creators is a Win for Your Brand (thewpminute.com)

→ The web isn’t URL-shaped anymore (jonoalderson.com)

→ Why Plugin, Theme & Addon Authors Should Join A Vulnerability Disclosure Program (wpbakery.com)

→ HeroPress at WordCamp US 2025! (heropress.com)

→ PODCAST:“Are there WordPress Echo Chambers” with Imran Siddiq (youtube.com)

→ It’s Always About Authenticity (remkusdevries.com)

→ Rich Tabor argues “WordPress doesn’t need a traditional marketing team.” (X.com)

What’s Your Thought?

Whether it’s technical improvements, funding sustainability, or community coordination, the decisions made now will shape WordPress for years to come. What do you think about these developments?

Hit reply and share your thoughts.

Nishat, WPMore

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P.S. — If these stories resonated with you, forward this to someone who needs to hear them. And if you have a story about why you’re still here, hit reply and tell us. We read every one.

WordCamp Europe 2025: How Basel Became a Symbol of Community Strength

WordCamp Europe is happening June 5-7 in Basel, Switzerland, and honestly, the organizers deserve a medal just for keeping it together this year. Lead organizers Laura Sacco, Steve Mosby, and Uros Tasic managed a 90-person organizing team through one of the most turbulent periods in WordPress history.

The numbers tell part of the story: around 2,000 attendees are expected, which is better than anyone dared hope when planning began. Switzerland’s reputation for high costs initially worried organizers, but they’ve worked hard to make the event accessible. Free tram travel comes with your Basel Card, you can bike in from France or Germany (literally across the border), and there are plenty of budget-friendly food options beyond the tourist traps.

What impressed me most was how the team handled the WP Engine-Automattic dispute. They held three town hall meetings—unrecorded, judgment-free spaces where organizers could voice concerns. “We’re not here to pick sides,” Uros explained. “We’re here to organize a community event.” When team members felt uncomfortable continuing, leaders made it clear they could step back without consequences.

The speaker lineup reflects deliberate choices around inclusion—something that took years of learning from past criticism. “This is the first year I can remember where we haven’t had complaints about inclusion,” Laura noted. They’ve also built in more networking breaks because, as Steve put it, “the most valuable part of WordCamp is the people.”

For those still on the fence about attending: visa issues have been challenging (Switzerland isn’t in the EU), but the team issued over 200 invitation letters to help. And the next location is already being planned with affordability and visa accessibility as top priorities.

Read the full interview with WordCamp Europe organisers here at The Repository

Edit: but actually Switzerland IS in the Schengen area, which is the same for ALL countries in it, same rules, same requirements, and not more difficult than with any other Schengen country (EU + Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland)

The local team received the endorsement of the Swiss Confederation, as shown on the WordCamp Europe website. The number of visa letters sent by the Attendees team is similar to that of previous years.

What It’s Really Like to Be Banned from WordPress.org

Chris Reynolds discovered he was banned from WordPress.org on January 6th. No email, no notification, no explanation—just suddenly locked out of an account he’d held for 17 years. His story offers a rare inside look at what happened to dozens of community members during the height of the WP Engine controversy.

The ban appeared to stem from adding a clown face emoji to one of Matt Mullenweg’s Slack posts. Chris explains the context: during COVID, he and his partner used that emoji to react to wild, unpredictable situations—not as a personal attack, but more like “things are getting out of hand.” Without conversation or context, the reaction was apparently interpreted as hostile.

The practical consequences were serious. When Chris’s Progress Bar plugin received a vulnerability disclosure through Patchstack’s bug bounty program, he couldn’t push the fix to WordPress.org where over 1,000 users had downloaded it. He could only update it on GitHub and Packagist, leaving repository users vulnerable. This highlighted a concerning precedent—earlier, Matt had taken control of WP Engine’s Advanced Custom Fields plugin over a similar security issue.

The personal impact ran deeper. “I’ve never felt less like a valued member of the WordPress community than when my account was blocked with no justification,” Chris wrote in his blog. It led him to DrupalCon Atlanta, where he found a surprisingly welcoming community facing similar challenges but handling them differently.

Chris was among 32 people whose bans were lifted last week—again, without communication or explanation. He’s relieved but still processing the whiplash. His experience raises important questions about due process and communication in our community leadership.

Read Chris’s full blog here.

Read the scope from The Repository: WordPress Leadership Reinstates 32 Banned WordPress.org Accounts, Launches Formal Review — Project leadership is reviewing WordPress.org and WordPress Slack bans following months of tension, with dozens of reinstatements already made and more under evaluation.

Read also — The real impact of a WordPress ban (progressplanner.com)

A different perspective on WordPress ban — Toxic Users: The Unforgiven and the Danger of Unbanning (halfelf.org)

Women in WordPress: A Global Movement Takes Root

Sometimes the best initiatives start with simple conversations. When Aditya Kane shared his sister’s idea for an all-women WordPress meetup in Mumbai, it sparked something bigger. Pooja Derashri took that concept global, and the result was over 25 International Women’s Day events across the WordPress community.

The logistics were challenging. Pooja personally reached out to 30-40 WordPress communities worldwide, many of which had never organized women-led events before. Some struggled to find female speakers or volunteers. But the persistence paid off, creating a powerful network of events from Ajmer to Nicaragua to Madrid.

The impact went beyond single-day celebrations. In Nicaragua, the event “was entirely led and organized by women, most of whom had never led a community event before.” WP LATAM trained four new organizers who can now run events in their local communities. WP Bhopal held sessions in both Hindi and English for better accessibility, drawing everyone from students to entrepreneurs to a fifth-grade schoolgirl.

What struck me most was how these events created lasting change. As WP Pune organizers put it: “Our hope is that this event will inspire even more women to step into the spotlight, whether by organizing sessions, speaking at conferences, or leading teams in the tech industry.”

This wasn’t just about International Women’s Day—it was about reshaping what leadership looks like in WordPress communities. When we create space for new voices to lead, we don’t just run better events; we build stronger communities.

Read Puja Derashri’s full official recap here.

PressConf: Where Showing Up Still Matters

Sometimes the most important conversations happen when the cameras are off. PressConf wrapped up last weekend in Tempe, Arizona, and by all accounts, it was exactly what the WordPress business community needed—a chance to reconnect, be vulnerable, and remember why this all matters.

The numbers tell part of the story: 140 people, no recordings, and an atmosphere more like a retreat than a typical conference. Organizer Raquel Manriquez and her team created something special at the Tempe Mission Palms, the same venue that housed PressNomics for years.

The emotional openness surprised some attendees, especially international visitors not accustomed to American-style vulnerability in business settings. Miriam Schwab from Elementor delivered what many called the most powerful session, sharing deeply personal stories about balancing career, family, and the ongoing impact of war in Israel. Her talk ran 30 minutes over, but nobody left.

Read Rae Morey’s full PressConf here at The Repository

More PressConf recap blog —

→ Pressconf reflections (binatethoughts.com)

→ Business is personal (progressplanner.com)

Also Read: The WP Community Collective’s field report on PressConf

The WordPress Price Shock: How Soaring Costs Are Squeezing Millions of Website Owners

Your monthly WordPress expenses just doubled—and you’re not alone. Across the globe, millions of website owners are facing a harsh new reality: the tools that power nearly half the internet are becoming increasingly expensive, and fast.

From WP Rocket’s staggering 162% price jump to Bricks Builder’s eye-watering 302% increase, the WordPress ecosystem is experiencing unprecedented price inflation that’s leaving users scrambling for alternatives. But here’s what makes this crisis particularly brutal—while Silicon Valley startups might shrug off these increases, small business owners in developing nations are getting hit with a devastating double punch: massive price hikes combined with weakening local currencies.

If you’ve been wondering why your favorite WordPress plugins suddenly cost more than your monthly rent, or if you’re a developer watching clients abandon projects due to ballooning costs, this deep dive reveals exactly what’s happening—and more importantly, what we can do about it. The numbers don’t lie, and the impact is bigger than you think.

Read Gaurav Tiwari’s full deep dive on WordPress companies price hike

On other WordPress News

→ Post Status Acquires WP Speakers (poststatus.com) — Michelle Frechette’s long standing community driven project with 500+ WP speakers profiles found a new home.

→ Matt Mullenweg Settles Caregiver Lawsuits Days Before Trial (therepository.email) — Claims of wage theft, discrimination, retaliation, and defamation brought by two former caregivers against WordPress co-founder Matt Mullenweg have quietly settled after a nearly three-year legal battle.

→ WordPress Market Share, Statistics, and More (wordpress.com) — this article explores the platform’s market share in detail, as well as its versatility, reasons for success, and what keeps it ahead of the curve two decades after it launched.

→ WordPress Sites Cost Up to 44% Less Than Proprietary CMS Platforms, WP Engine Report Finds (therepository.email) — WP Engine’s new report puts a price tag on CMS decisions, claiming WordPress cuts website costs by up to 44%, as business leaders face longer buying cycles.

→ Mary Hubbard Moves to Rebuild Trust After WordPress.org Bans (therepository.email) — In a new Make WordPress post, Executive Director Mary Hubbard suggests moderation reforms, such as an appeals process, clearer Slack guidelines, and rotating roles, following months of community uncertainty over WordPress.org bans.

→ Announcing WordCamp Volunteer Badges on WordPress.org Profiles (make.wordpress.org) — Now, Wordcamp volunteers will get Badges for their contribution in WordPress community.

→ Second Plaintiff to Join Class Action Against Automattic, Mullenweg Over WP Engine Dispute (therepository.email) — Ryan Keller, who is suing over WP Engine’s temporary blocked access to WordPress.org, plans to expand his proposed class action and respond to Automattic’s push to dismiss.

From WordPress Community

→ Not everything needs AI. But WordPress needs AI-ready infrastructure (progressplanner.com) — Joost de Valk goes deep talking about why WordPress stand in a good place to build AI-ready infrastructure.

→ Freemius: Growing Beyond WordPress (thewpminute.com) — In this episode of the WP Minute+ Podcast, Matt welcomes Vova Feldman, the founder and CEO of Freemius, to discuss how the company is expanding beyond its roots in the WordPress ecosystem.

→ WordPress.org Plugin Submissions Surge 87% Amid Rise in AI Tools (therepository.email) — With plugin submissions up 87% and AI tools playing a bigger role in development, the WordPress Plugin Review Team is evolving its processes to keep pace — without compromising plugin or review quality.

→ New Social Icons for WordPress (make.wordpress.org) — WordPress.org now covers X, Bluesky, Mastodon, Threads, Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, TikTok, YouTube, and Tumblr.

→ How to disable and lock Gutenberg blocks (kinsta.com) — Find different ways to block Gutenberg blocks when working on client site.

→ The 3 C’s of Becoming a WordPress Professional (thewpminute.com) — after years of working with WordPress businesses of all sizes, Matt found that real professionalism comes down to three simple but powerful principles

→ Top WordPress technologies to learn in 2025: Trends and expert opinions (gravitykit.com) — WordPress experts share their tech stacks, and thoghts on what skills you should learn now.

→ Seven Tasks to a Custom Block Theme: Anders Norén’s Weekend Workflow (gutenbergtimes.com) — Over a single weekend, Anders Norén built Pulitzer, a new block theme, from the ground up. In this post, you’ll learn about Anders’ process.

→ WP Perspectives Issue 24: 2025 the Year of the Page Builder (webtng.com) — Page builders are seeing a resurgence in 2025, checkout David McCan’s this post to learn more.

→ The unintended consequences of making SEO “for everyone” (joost.blog) — Joost talks about the unintended consequences of making Yoast.

Here’s What I Keep Coming Back To

I keep thinking about something Uros from the WordCamp Europe team said: “We didn’t have big hopes at the start, but now we believe again.”

That sentence has stuck with me for days. Not because it’s particularly profound, but because it’s so damn honest. Most of us didn’t have big hopes at the start of this year either. How could we? Every week brought new drama, new uncertainty, new reasons to wonder if WordPress was worth our continued investment.

But here we are, still building. Still organizing events. Still writing code. Still showing up for each other in Slack channels and GitHub issues and conference hallways. Not because everything is perfect—it’s not—but because something about this community keeps pulling us back.

Maybe it’s the memory of that first WordCamp where strangers became friends. Maybe it’s the satisfaction of solving a tricky problem with custom post types. Maybe it’s just the stubborn belief that the web should be something we can all contribute to, not just consume.

Whatever it is, it’s stronger than the noise. Stronger than the controversies. Stronger than the disappointments.

Chris Reynolds, after months of being inexplicably banned, wrote: “I’m still here, so that’s a start.” That’s not resignation—it’s resolve. And it’s everywhere in these stories.

We’re still here. We’re still building. We’re still WordPress.

That’s not nothing. That’s everything.

Talk soon,

Nishat, WPMore

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Join Our Community → Sub-Reddit | X Community

P.S. — If these stories resonated with you, forward this to someone who needs to hear them. And if you have a story about why you’re still here, hit reply and tell us. We read every one.

In this Issue:

• WordPress Security in 2025: CRA Compliance Now Critical for Developers

• WordCamp Asia 2026 Heads to Mumbai, But Visa Issues Create Barriers for Bangladesh & Pakistan

• Matt Mullenweg on Succession: “I Don’t Want to Pass It to a Committee”

• 70% of New WordPress Themes Still Using Classic Architecture

• Lua Salazar Receives WordCamp Europe 2025 Diversity Scholarship

WordPress Security in 2025: CRA Compliance Now Critical for Developers

The European Union’s Cyber Resilience Act (CRA) is now reshaping WordPress security practices. Having come into force in December 2024, the CRA will begin applying its first requirements in 2026, mandating that plugin and theme developers implement processes to notify authorities and users about vulnerabilities.

This couldn’t be more timely – 2024 saw 7,966 new security vulnerabilities in the WordPress ecosystem, a concerning 34% increase from 2023 reported by PatchStack. Of these, 96% were in plugins and only 4% in themes. Even more alarming, more than half of plugin developers failed to patch reported vulnerabilities before official disclosure.

The current community situation has further complicated matters. The ongoing dispute between Automattic and WP Engine that became public in September 2024 has fractured trust, with some WordPress sites being disconnected from WordPress.org updates. Many see governance and supply chain integrity as pressing security issues for WordPress in 2025.

With AI playing an increasing role in WordPress development, PatchStack is seeing several emerging risks:

• AI-generated code introducing new vulnerabilities

• Easier vulnerability discovery

• Faster exploitation of vulnerabilities

• Previously low-priority vulnerabilities becoming easier to exploit

For developers, implementing vulnerability management and virtual patching will be essential to comply with the CRA and protect their users.

Read the full report “State of WordPress Security In 2025” on PatchStack.com

WordCamp Asia 2026 Heads to Mumbai, But Visa Issues Create Barriers

Mumbai has been selected to host WordCamp Asia 2026, highlighting India’s growing WordPress community that has hosted 12 WordCamps this year alone. However, this exciting announcement has been tempered by concerns over diplomatic tensions between India and Bangladesh.

Since late 2024, India has suspended visas for Bangladeshi nationals, potentially preventing many WordPress contributors from attending. WPManageNinja CMO Faizus Saleheen raised this issue on social media, noting that even if visa processing resumes, clearing the backlog could take 3-4 months, making attendance difficult for many Bangladeshis.

Read the full report on The Repository Here.

Other reports from The Repository you might like to read:

• WordPress Could See Just One Major Release Per Year Under New Proposal

• Newfold Digital Slashes WordPress Contributions to 20 Hours Per Week

• Who Leads WordPress Businesses? The Data Confirms It’s (Still) Not Women

Don’t forget to subscribe & support them, they do some amazing hard-hitting WordPress journalism.

Matt Mullenweg on Succession: “I Don’t Want to Pass It to a Committee”

Amid increasing calls for WordPress co-founder and Automattic CEO Matt Mullenweg to step down following his controversial battle with WP Engine, TechCrunch Reports Mullenweg has instead begun thinking about succession planning. In a recent episode of Lenny’s Podcast, he shared that he doesn’t want to pass what he’s built to a “committee,” but rather to another individual CEO who would continue to act as a steward for the WordPress community.

Mullenweg described the role as being “more like a mayor than a CEO,” where the person would ultimately be accountable to users and contributors. He emphasized that checks and balances exist naturally, as “the community could leave, they could fork the software, people could change.”

He also highlighted Automattic’s role in boosting WordPress adoption, noting how the free version of WordPress.com has introduced more than 100 million people to the software. Mullenweg described this collaboration between for-profit Automattic and open source WordPress.org as “a really informed model” that many new startups are now adopting.

70% of New WordPress Themes Still Using Classic Architecture

Despite the push toward Full Site Editing (FSE), classic themes continue to dominate WordPress theme development. According to recent data from WordPress Themes Trac, 70% of themes published in the WordPress directory over the last two years are still using the classic architecture rather than block-based FSE.

The analysis from WPBakery, which looked at 3,486 themes, found only 1,045 block-based FSE themes. However, there’s a clear upward trend in FSE adoption, with the percentage growing steadily. If the trend continues, FSE themes could reach 50% of new submissions by 2026.

Interestingly, the top theme authors are showing resistance to FSE adoption. Among the top 10 independent theme authors, 81% of their submissions are classic themes, with half not submitting any FSE themes at all.

Read the full report here on WP Bakery.

Lua Salazar Receives WordCamp Europe 2025 Diversity Scholarship

WordCamp Europe has announced Lua Salazar as the recipient of this year’s Diversity Scholarship for the 2025 event. Hailing from Nicaragua, Lua is a business administrator with 15 years of experience in business management, consulting, and training, along with a passion for technology and digital marketing.

Lua has been an active WordPress community member since 2019, currently contributing about 10 hours weekly to the Community Team and mentoring local events through the WordPress Latam Community. She works as a Community Manager and Project Manager, roles that align with her passions for technology and community engagement.

On other WordPress News

→ Check WordCamp Asia 2025 in photos – Flickr Album, and Official Google Photos Album Here.

→ Join Alt Ctrl Org WordCamp event Friday Evening from 18:00 till 21:00 on June 6th in Basel to hear alternative talks on WordPress that you probably won’t hear at WordCamp.

→ A Month in Core – February 2025 (Make WordPress)

→ WordPress.org Themes of 2024: Reflections & Stats (ILoveWP) – It’s harder than ever for new WordPress themes to stand out. In this article, Dumitru Brinzan dive into data from over 1,700 themes released on WordPress.org throughout 2024.

From WordPress Community

→ What is a “Website Care Plan” and What’s Included? (TheAdminBar.com)

→ From Founding to Funding, Marieke van de Rakt’s Entrepreneurial Journey (DoTheWoo.io)

→ 16 Years of rtCamp: Expansion, Innovation, and New Frontiers (rtcamp.com)

→ What Kinsta’s Black Friday and Cyber Monday analytics can teach e-commerce websites (Kinsta.com)

→ How we use AI for software development at WP Fusion (drunk.support)

→ Why WordPress is a tough sell for marketing students (progressplanner.com)

→ WordCamp Asia 2025 Talk you don’t want to miss: Boosting Performance with Optimization Detective (weston.ruter.net)

→ WordCamp Asia 2025 Recap: A New Era for Freemius and Uncertain Times for WordPress (Freemius.com) – Vova Feldman shared in-details of their WordCamp Asia 2025 pros and cons, worth reading.

→ WordCamp Asia 2025: It’s All About The People (wpbakery.com) – Another WordCamp Asia 2025 blog I enjoyed reading.

→ From 2017 to Now: How Influencer Marketing Has Transformed in WordPress space (callmelana.com) – Lana Miro shares her observations on influencer marketing; on where we are today and what the future holds.

→ A New Home for All Things Within WordPress (remkusdevries.com) – Remkus de Vries moved his popular newsletter to a new website.

From the Editor’s Desk

That’s all for this issue of WPMore newsletter! What are your thoughts on these developments?

Are you preparing for CRA compliance?

Planning to attend WordCamp Asia 2026?

Still developing classic themes?

Let us know by replying to this newsletter.

Until next month,

Nishat, WPMore

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Join Our Community → Sub-Reddit | X Community

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WordCamp Asia 2025 Wraps Up in Manila, Sets Sights on Mumbai for 2026

WordCamp Asia 2025 concluded last weekend at the Philippine International Convention Center in Manila, bringing together over 1,400 attendees from 71 countries, with nearly 15,000 more participating online. This marked the first flagship WordPress event since WordCamp US 2024.

The conference unfolded against the backdrop of Matt Mullenweg’s ongoing legal dispute with WP Engine, but in Manila, conversations focused primarily on innovation, WordPress’s role for entrepreneurs across Asia, and bringing fresh faces into the community—including through the new YouthCamp initiative for attendees aged 8-17.

Reflecting on the event, Mullenweg noted on his blog that it presented an “interesting contrast to US and EU WordCamps as well in that the audience is definitely a lot younger, and there’s very little interest in ‘wpdrama’ du jour.”

Contributor Day: The Heart of Community Collaboration

The three-day conference kicked off with Contributor Day, bringing together nearly 800 people—including 126 first-timers—who collaborated across 19 Make WordPress teams.

Key accomplishments included:

• Core Team fixing a critical media bug and progressing on vertical text editing in Gutenberg

• Polyglots Team translating over 4,000 strings with 66 contributors

• Plugins Team onboarding new contributors and handling queue management

• Themes Team clearing all new theme submissions

• Documentation and Marketing Teams enhancing WordPress learning resources

The “Human Library” feature was particularly popular, with 16 experts “books” available to share their experiences across 64 sessions.

Here’s a detailed recap of contributor day →

AI, Open Source, and WordPress’s Future

The main conference opened with a keynote from Matías Ventura, Gutenberg’s lead architect, who explored how the Block Editor and Full Site Editing continue to evolve while maintaining WordPress’s core design principles.

Sessions covered diverse topics including:

• Open source and GPL fundamentals

• Block development and the Interactivity API

• Artificial intelligence integration

• Multisite for enterprise deployment

• Structured content and content modeling

Read Conference Day 1 Recap: A Thrilling Start to WordCamp Asia 2025! →

Mullenweg’s Q&A Addresses Community Concerns

Closing the conference, Matt Mullenweg took the stage for his keynote and Q&A. When asked about the reduced contributions from Automattic to WordPress development, Mullenweg attributed it to the ongoing legal battle with WP Engine:

“Automattic is having to spend millions of dollars—per month, sometimes—to defend against these attacks from WP Engine. And with the court injunction, it’s just hard to stay motivated and to spare the resources to contribute so much. Now, [WP Engine] could end it tomorrow… But we can’t end it. We can only defend… So as soon as they stop that, we’ll get back to it.”

A tense moment came when Taco Verdonschot challenged Mullenweg about how open the project is to change, particularly given recent bans of community members. Mullenweg responded that talking about change “isn’t going to get you banned,” adding that it’s “other behavior” that leads to people being banned from WordPress.

Mumbai to Host WordCamp Asia 2026

As the event concluded, organizers announced that Mumbai, India, will host next year’s flagship event.

India’s selection makes sense given its strong grassroots WordPress community—the country has already hosted three WordCamps this year in Ahmedabad, Kolhapur, and Kolkata. WordPress Meetup events in India lead global engagement, with in-person meetups in Ahmedabad and Mumbai regularly drawing 165+ attendees.

During his Q&A, Mullenweg suggested next year’s event could bring in 3,000–4,000 attendees, potentially making it the largest flagship WordCamp yet.

Automattic Faces Class Action Over WP Engine Dispute

In significant legal news, Automattic is now facing a class action lawsuit related to its ongoing feud with WP Engine. Ryan Keller, who runs Ohio-based cybersecurity business SecureSight, has filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of WP Engine customers in the United States.

The complaint alleges that Automattic deliberately sabotaged WP Engine’s business by blocking access to critical WordPress.org services, causing disruption, security risks, and financial harm. Filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, the lawsuit accuses Automattic of multiple counts of tortious interference and violations of California’s Unfair Competition Law.

Read the full report from The Repository →

Five for the Future Program Under Scrutiny

Adding to the ongoing discussion about WordPress governance, Samuel Sidler recently published an article challenging the Five for the Future initiative and how contributions to WordPress are defined and valued.

In “Challenging Five for the Future,” Sidler argues that the program disproportionately benefits Automattic and creates barriers for independent contributors. The former Audrey Capital employee claims that contributors without Automattic’s backing face significant challenges, while Automattic employees dominate leadership roles.

“In my experience, a perpetual problem within the WordPress core community is the ‘backchannels’ that exist, private spaces where contributors align on next steps. This is particularly acute with Automattic employees, which actively communicate in private spaces that do not include the community,” Sidler writes.

Read the full article from Samuel Sidler’s Blog →

Plugin Directory Updates Author Display

In technical news, the WordPress.org Plugin Directory has implemented a change in how plugin author information is displayed. The directory now pulls author names and links directly from WordPress.org profiles, replacing the manually set “Author” and “Author URI” fields in plugin headers.

The update means that instead of plugin authors being able to display any name and link to any website, the attribution is now directly linked to the plugin owner’s WordPress.org profile, showing their display name as set on their profile.

Companies and teams can still maintain branded profiles, but all plugins owned by the same entity must use the same account. The changes apply retroactively to all existing plugins in the directory.

While only the plugin owner’s display name and profile will be shown under the plugin title, multiple contributors can still be listed in the “Contributors & Developers” section through the plugin’s readme file.

On other WordPress News

→ Introducing Preview Sites: Pushing the Limits of Collaboration with Studio – One of Studio’s most-loved features just got a big upgrade: Demo Sites, now named Preview Sites, are enhanced to better support your local development needs and simplify sharing progress with clients and teammates. (WordPress.com)

→ 🌏 Can’t make it to Manila? Experience the energy of WordCamp Asia 2025 from anywhere in the world! – Check out the recorded live WordPress conference day here.(YouTube/WordPress)

From WordPress Community

→ What is a WordPress Contribution? – A complete guide on WordPress contribution, Bookmark it! (remkusdevries.com)

→ 2024 in Review and Transparency Report – Jack Arturo from WP Fusion shared his ongoing year in review of 2024, must read if you are interested in the WordPress plugin business. (wpfusion.com)

→ The Three Big Existential Threats Facing WordPress – Jamie dives into the threats that might end WordPress (X.com)

From the Editor’s Desk

As we wrap up this issue, it’s clear that the WordPress community continues to evolve in both inspiring and challenging ways. WordCamp Asia 2025 demonstrated the vitality and growth of WordPress across Asia, with youth initiatives and a focus on the future that bodes well for the ecosystem.

At the same time, the ongoing legal tensions between key players in the WordPress space remind us that open source doesn’t necessarily mean freedom from conflict. The discussions around contribution models and project governance are important ones that will shape how WordPress develops in the years to come.

I encourage all of you to stay engaged with these conversations, consider ways to contribute that make sense for your skills and resources, and remember that the strength of WordPress has always been its community.

Until next month, keep building and sharing!

Happy WordPressing,

Nishat

Your WPMore Editor

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Join Our Community → Sub-Reddit | X Community

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De Valk Banned from WordCamp Asia Amid Leadership Tension

The WordPress community was rocked this week when Matt Mullenweg banned Joost de Valk from WordCamp Asia 2025, publicly declaring him “persona non grata.” This dramatic development followed de Valk’s dinner invitation to Mullenweg in Manila, which sparked accusations of betrayal and resulted in de Valk’s WordPress.org access being revoked.

The tension stems from de Valk’s December call to reform WordPress’s governance structure and end Mullenweg’s role as “Benevolent Dictator for Life.” Progress Planner, a product from de Valk’s investment firm, has also been barred from sponsoring major WordCamps.

→ Read the full story from The Repository

WordCamp Asia’s Speaker Diversity Falls Short

Speaking of WordCamp Asia, the event is struggling to meet its local representation targets. Despite aiming for 60% Asian speakers, only 38% of speakers are from the APAC region. Even more telling, when excluding Oceania, Asian representation drops to just 27%.

Automattic’s presence at the event has notably increased, with 30% of speakers being Automatticians – up from 19% last year. This level of representation exceeds even what Salesforce maintains at their own Dreamforce events.

→ Read the full findings from WPbiz.dev

Trademark Crackdown Hits WordCamp Sponsors

The WordPress Foundation is tightening its grip on trademark usage, with Mullenweg and Executive Director Mary Hubbard now personally reviewing all WordCamp sponsorships. Companies must strictly comply with trademark policies, removing terms like “WordPress hosting” from their materials before approval.

This comes as the foundation expands its protected marks to include “Hosted WordPress” and “Managed WordPress,” with trademark applications filed across multiple jurisdictions. While some applications face procedural hurdles, the UK has already registered “Hosted WordPress.”

→ Read the full story at the Repository

Human Library Returns to WordCamp Asia

On a brighter note, WordCamp Asia 2025’s Contributor Day will feature the return of the Human Library, where attendees can have one-on-one conversations with experienced WordPress contributors. These “Human Books” include experts like Milana Cap, Riad Benguella, and Birgit Pauli-Haack, covering topics from documentation to block development.

Last year’s program sparked meaningful connections, with one participant even beginning to contribute to WordPress Core after their conversation. Sessions run throughout February 14th, offering both morning and afternoon slots.

→ Find out from the official WordCamp Asia Blog

Community Reaction of the Week

On other WordPress News

→ Introducing the new Woo: A revitalized brand for a new commerce landscape (woocommerce.com)

→ Tumblr to join the fediverse after WordPress migration completes
(Techcrunch)

→ Your Home for a Century: Our 100-Year Domains and Plans
(WordPress.com)

→ Sé Reed Accuses Matt Mullenweg of Retaliation After WordPress.org Ban (therepository.email)

From WordPress Community

→ Using Real News Skills to Cover What Happens In WordPress, with Rae Morey (publishPress.com)

→ Post Status Cache Up With Mary Hubbard (postStatus.com)

→ Does WordPress need a Radical Rethink in 2025? (YouTube)

→ Have you adopted a WordPress user? (Rich.blog)

→ My January in WordPress (aaron.jorb.in)

→ WordPress Wapuu: History & 145+ Stunning WordCamp Avatars (sitesaga.com)

If you are visiting WordCamp Asia 2025 next week Philipines, must-read these:

→ The Ultimate Guide to Philippine Culture: Travel Etiquette, Customs, and Key Phrases

→ Find the full WordCamp Asia 2025 Schedule

→ Meet Our Contributor Day Table Leads at WordCamp Asia 2025

WordPress Resource

→ 15+ Fastest WordPress Hosting Providers Compared (18,380 Individual Tests Between 2021-2025)(wpshout.com)

→ Easily manage multiple WordPress websites in one location. Backup, staging, migration and more with BlogVault (WPTutz)

That’s all for this week’s roundup. It’s clear we’re witnessing a pivotal moment in WordPress’s evolution, with questions about governance, representation, and trademark enforcement taking center stage. Yet initiatives like the Human Library remind us of the community’s enduring strength – its people.

These discussions aren’t just about policies or personalities; they’re about shaping WordPress’s future. As these stories develop, we’ll keep bringing you the context and insights you need.

Until next week,

Nishat,

WPMore Curator

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P.S. What are your thoughts on these developments? Hit reply to share your perspective – I read every response.

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Matt Mullenweg Bolsters Legal Team in WP Engine Battle

The WordPress co-founder is stepping up his game. Automattic and Matt Mullenweg have brought in heavyweight legal firm Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP to join their defense team in the ongoing WP Engine lawsuit. Their new representative, Rosemarie T. Ring, brings serious tech industry experience, having previously represented Meta and Facebook.

The addition of Gibson Dunn – a firm that’s handled major cases like Bush v. Gore and Apple v. Samsung – signals that Matt and Automattic are reinforcing their position. While their original legal team from Hogan Lovells US LLP may still be involved, this move suggests they’re preparing for an intense legal battle ahead.

→ Read full news here (searchenginejournal.com)

Enterprise WordPress Adoption Hits New Heights

Some encouraging news from the State of Enterprise WordPress Survey 2024. The second annual report shows major brands like Amnesty International, The Times, and Princeton University are leveraging WordPress at scale. With insights from over 100 large organizations, the survey provides a comprehensive look at how enterprises are using WordPress to drive their business goals.

This level of enterprise adoption demonstrates WordPress’s continued evolution from a blogging platform to a robust enterprise solution. → Read the full report here.

Also Worth Checking – Top Accessibility Issues Found in 2024 (Infographic)

PressConf 2025 Draws Top WordPress Leadership

Despite recent controversies, PressConf is shaping up to be a must-attend event this April in Tempe, Arizona. Mary Hubbard, WordPress’s Executive Director (with impressive stints at TikTok and eBay), and Matías Ventura, Gutenberg’s Lead Architect, are confirmed as speakers.

This conference promises candid discussions about WordPress’s direction, particularly timely given the recent debates about WordPress Foundation governance sparked by the surfacing of its founding documents. Speaking of which…

Historical Documents Reignite WordPress Governance Debate

A fascinating discussion has emerged around the WordPress Foundation’s original intentions. Recently shared founding documents from 2008 reveal initial plans for the foundation to manage wordpress.org and the open-source code repository. The documents show a different vision than what ultimately materialized, raising interesting questions about WordPress’s governance evolution.

The revelation has sparked community discussion, especially given the current dynamics between WordPress’s commercial and community aspects. While some see this as merely historical context, others view it as an opportunity to revisit conversations about WordPress’s governance structure.

WordPress.com Says Goodbye to Calypso Admin Interface

In a significant shift for WordPress.com users, Automattic has announced they’re discontinuing their custom Calypso admin interface. The platform will transition to using the standard WordPress admin panel that self-hosted WordPress users are familiar with.

For those unfamiliar, Calypso has been WordPress.com’s signature admin interface for years, offering a modern, JavaScript-based experience that set it apart from traditional WordPress installations. The interface was launched in 2015 as part of Automattic’s efforts to modernize the WordPress.com experience.

The community response has been notably mixed, with many long-time WordPress.com users expressing concerns about the change in the official announcement blog. The standard WordPress admin panel, while familiar to the broader WordPress community, represents a significant shift for WordPress.com users who have grown accustomed to Calypso’s workflow and features.

This move raises interesting questions about the future direction of WordPress.com and its relationship with the broader WordPress ecosystem. It could signal a strategy to align WordPress.com more closely with the core WordPress experience, potentially making it easier for users to transition between hosted and self-hosted solutions.

For WordPress.com users, this transition will mean adapting to a different interface and workflow. We’ll be keeping an eye on how this change impacts the WordPress.com user base and what it might mean for the platform’s future development direction.

[Note: This development is particularly interesting given Calypso’s role in WordPress.com’s historical differentiation strategy. What are your thoughts on this change? Hit reply to share your perspective.]

On other WordPress News

→ Re: WP Community Collective Naming Similarity Concern – WP Community Collective (WPCC) clears naming confusion and publishes the reply to WordPress Community Support (WPCS) for full community transparency.

→ Festinger Vault Returns After Settling Legal Dispute with Automattic – Festinger Vault’s founder Martin Groot says the controversial GPL club is “back and better than ever.”

→ Should You Still Use WordPress? – Last year was an interesting year for the CMS. WordPress Veteran Alex Moss discusses whether you should still use it or not. Spoiler: YES!

→ HumanMade published a guide on WordPress in 2025 – this guide unpacks how enterprise users can get the most out of WordPress in 2025.

→ Studio now syncs with WordPress.com – which helps you deploy local sites globally.

→ Worth reading – A Stronger Foundation for the Ecosystem

WordPress Resource

→ Introducing PootleWriter: Your Friction-Free WordPress Writing Companion – Jamie Marsland from WordPress Youtube, released a disctraction free writing tool. It’s an amazing tool that helps you write and publish to your WordPress website without any hassle. Great tool for writers, who don’t like the default writing dashboard of WordPress.

→ Rich Tabor from Automattic also experimenting with a text editor, which might be interesting (I did not test this).

→ Gutenberg 20.1 takes Full Site Editing inside the block editor. Now, pages display the header and footer, making the experience more WYSIWYG than ever.

Community Reaction of the Week

That’s all for this issue! Next week, we’ll be back with more WordPress news and resources.

What are your thoughts on these developments? Drop me a line – I’d love to hear your perspective.

Stay WordPress-curious!

Editor’s Note: We aim to provide balanced coverage of ongoing situations. All legal proceedings and governance discussions are reported based on publicly available information.

Community in Turmoil: Developer Seeks Intervention in WordPress Lawsuit

The conflict has escalated beyond Automattic and WP Engine. Michael Willman, a web developer, has filed a motion to intervene in the legal battle, claiming significant personal and professional harm.

Willman’s 58-page declaration details devastating consequences, including:

– Cancellation of a $14,500 website development contract

– Loss of an ongoing eCommerce partnership

– Forced relocation of his family into a travel trailer

He’s proposing the creation of a WordPress Governance Oversight Board to protect the community’s interests during this turbulent period. Read more on this from “The Repository”.

Related Story You might find interesting: Matt Mullenweg: WordPress developer hours cutback may or may not slow innovation

Full Recap: Automattic VS WP Engine

In case you miss everything about the WP drama, check out this no-nonsense video from David Risley, founder of Blog Marketing Academy.

He covers:

• Is this the end of WordPress?

• Is the answer to fork WordPress?

• Is Matt just… the “bad guy”?

• What do I think will ultimately happen with all this?

• What needs to happen?

• Are people making too big a deal out of it?

Watch: Is This The End Of WordPress? My Thoughts on the Matt Mullenweg / WP Engine Affair.

And this just happened—-

This tweet got a strong reaction from the Reddit WP community.

In case you want the full picture, here’s a full timeline of Mullenweg VS WP Engine.

Post Status Transforms: A New Non-Profit Chapter Begins

Joost de Valk and his wife Marieke are acquiring Post Status from Cory and Lindsey Miller, transforming it from a for-profit LLC to a non-profit foundation in the Netherlands. Key highlights include:

– Creating a board with Juliette Reinders Folmer and Karim Marucchi

– Plans to reduce membership prices

– Leveraging Slack’s 85% non-profit discount

– Retaining Michelle Frechette as Executive Director

– Maintaining a community space for open WordPress discussions

– Preserving the platform’s legacy of free-flowing conversations

The move aims to enshrine community freedoms while ensuring Post Status remains a neutral, safe space for WordPress professionals to share ideas, business insights, and community perspectives. Read his detailed blog announcement.

Bright Spot: WordCamp Asia 2025 Scholarships Highlight Community Resilience

Amidst the legal drama, the WordPress community continues to nurture new talent. WordCamp Asia 2025 has announced Kim Parsell scholarship recipients & Diversity Scholarship recipients who embody the spirit of innovation and contribution.

Standout scholars include:

– Zeel Thakkar: A freelance WordPress developer who has contributed to WordPress 6.7’s Testing Team

– Pooja Derashri: A Global Translation Editor for Hindi

– Makarank G. Mane: Lead organizer of WordCamp Kolhapur

– Astha Jain: A lawyer-turned-WordPress contributor bridging technology and legal expertise

Read the official announcement blog for details.

Gutenberg Milestone: 200 Releases and Counting

In a testament to the platform’s ongoing evolution, the Gutenberg plugin marked its 200th release. Highlights include:

– Improved Style Book with new navigation

– Redesigned starter patterns UI

– Enhanced multisite support for developers

– New block hooks allowing more flexible content manipulation

Read the full changelog and announcement details here.

WordPress Tips and Tutorials

• I Found a FREE Way to Export WordPress Posts to Google Sheets Automatically (WP Workshop)

• How & Why You Should Remove Unused WordPress Plugins (Patchstack.com)

Just read:

• The WordPress Android App is a Failure (Amber Hinds)

• The magic of the commons (Seth Godin)

• Automattic Cuts Weekly Contributor Hours to WordPress.org by 99% – Community Members Fear ‘Beginning of the End’ (WP Shout)

The WordPress ecosystem stands at a critical crossroads. Legal battles, development hour cuts, and community reshuffling suggest significant changes are coming. Whether this is a temporary storm or a fundamental shift remains to be seen.

Stay informed, stay engaged, and keep building.

Automattic Scales Back: A New Chapter in WordPress Development

Automattic, WordPress’s largest historical contributor, has announced a dramatic reduction in its open-source contributions, matching WP Engine’s 45 pledged hours amid their ongoing legal dispute. This decision effectively pauses the operations of Dotorg, Automattic’s WordPress-focused division that previously contributed 3,539 weekly hours through 104 team members.

The company’s Dotorg employees have ceased work on core WordPress projects, including Gutenberg, Playground, Openverse, and WordPress.org. Instead, they’re shifting focus to Automattic’s commercial products like WordPress.com, Pressable, WordPress VIP, Jetpack, and WooCommerce.

What’s particularly interesting is how this reshapes the contribution landscape. Looking at the current Five for the Future numbers, we’re seeing rtCamp emerge as the new leading contributor with 454 weekly hours, followed by Multidots and GoDaddy. This marks a significant shift in WordPress’s development dynamics.

What This Means for WordPress’s Future

The reduction in Automattic’s involvement raises several critical questions:

• How will WordPress 6.8 and future releases be managed?

• What roles will Automattic’s key personnel, including Executive Director Mary Hubbard, play going forward?

• How will the broader WordPress community step up to fill the contribution gap?

With legal proceedings expected to continue at least through June 2025, these changes might shape WordPress’s development landscape for the foreseeable future.

Also read: WordPress 6.8: Release Squad, Timeline, and Focus

WordPress Fork Debate: Mullenweg Responds to Community Leadership Challenge

Expanding on our coverage of WordPress’s evolving governance landscape, Matt Mullenweg has responded to Joost de Valk’s recent proposal for project leadership changes with an unexpected suggestion: create a fork.

In a detailed blog post in the official WordPress.org blog, Mullenweg frames forking as a healthy exercise for open source projects, seeing it as an opportunity to experiment with different governance models and technical approaches. He specifically addresses the possibility of what he playfully dubbed “JKPress” – a potential fork led by de Valk and Karim Marucchi.

In a decisive move, Mullenweg has deactivated the WordPress.org accounts of several prominent community members, including de Valk, Marucchi, Se Reed, Heather Burns, and Morten Rand-Hendriksen, encouraging them to pursue their alternative vision.

Mullenweg remains committed to WordPress’s development, pledging to work on version 6.8 during his evenings and weekends. He’s even proposed a WordPress + JKPress summit for January 2026 in NYC to evaluate both projects’ progress.

The situation has become more complex, with TechCrunch reporting that contrary to Mullenweg’s characterization, neither de Valk nor Marucchi had actually announced plans to fork WordPress. De Valk clarified that his proposal centered on creating federated “mirrors” for themes and plugins, rather than a complete fork of the project.

The account deactivations extend beyond just de Valk and Marucchi. Three additional community members had their accounts deactivated:

• Sé Reed, who heads the newly formed WP Community Collective non-profit

• Heather Burns, who hasn’t been involved with the project since 2020

• Morten Rand-Hendriksen, who along with Burns, had previously raised concerns about WordPress governance

These deactivations effectively prevent these individuals from contributing to WordPress.org, though the project’s presence on GitHub means the code remains accessible to all.

One of the affected members, Heather Burns, revealed she hasn’t been involved with WordPress for nearly five years. In a detailed personal blog post, Burns explained that she retired from WordPress and open source involvement in February 2020, making the account deactivation particularly puzzling.

Burns strongly denies any involvement in fork planning efforts, stating she has no contact with the other named individuals. She characterizes the deactivations as part of a pattern of community management issues that originally led to her departure from the project.

Despite the tensions, Mullenweg has maintained an apparently open stance toward potential forks, suggesting they could even merge successful innovations back into WordPress – a sentiment that highlights open source’s collaborative potential, even amid governance disputes.

The incident raises important questions about communication, governance, and conflict resolution within the WordPress ecosystem. As one of the web’s most crucial open-source projects, these developments could have lasting implications for WordPress’s community structure and leadership model.

Mullenweg Dissolves WordPress Sustainability Team, Sparking Community Backlash

Also from This week, the WordPress community was rocked by the sudden dissolution of the WordPress Sustainability Team, a move that has ignited widespread criticism and disappointment. The decision, made by WordPress co-founder Matt Mullenweg, came shortly after team representative Thijs Buijs announced his resignation in the Making WordPress Slack channel.

Buijs cited a recent Reddit thread created by Mullenweg as a key reason for his departure. In the thread, Mullenweg had asked for suggestions to create “WordPress drama” in 2025—a move Buijs described as counterproductive to the community’s goals of fostering positivity and sustainability.

“These acts of a single person are so counterproductive to the economic, social, and ecological sustainability and longevity of the project,” Buijs wrote. “Personally, it’s not sustainable for me to invest any more energy into this project under the current leadership.”

Just 90 minutes after Buijs’ resignation, Mullenweg entered the #sustainability Slack channel and announced the team’s disbandment, stating, “Today I learned that we have a sustainability team.” He questioned the team’s return on investment and suggested focusing on performance metrics and code optimization instead.

The decision has drawn sharp criticism from across the tech world, with prominent journalist Kara Swisher calling Mullenweg’s actions “bizarrely heinous” and labeling him a “stone cold asshole” in a scathing Threads post.

A Look Back at the Sustainability Team’s Journey

The WordPress Sustainability Team was born out of a conversation at WordCamp Europe 2022, where UX/UI designer Nora Ferreirós raised concerns about sustainability within the WordPress ecosystem. The team officially became part of the Make WordPress initiative at WordCamp Europe 2023, with Ferreirós, Thijs Buijs, Csaba Varszegi, and Nahuai Badiola serving as its founding representatives.

Their mission was clear: to embed sustainable practices into the WordPress community, ensuring its social, economic, and environmental longevity. Over the past 18 months, the team worked on several key initiatives, including the Sustainable Events Handbook, a guide to help WordCamp organizers host more eco-friendly events. They were also developing a plugin to help website owners estimate their site’s carbon footprint.

While Mullenweg’s decision has cast a shadow over these initiatives, the passion and dedication of the WordPress community suggest that the conversation around sustainability is far from over.

What’s Next for WordPress?

As we wrap up this week’s coverage, it’s clear that WordPress stands at a crossroads. The combined impact of Automattic’s reduced involvement, the possibility of a significant fork, and the dissolution of community-led initiatives signals a period of profound change.

These developments raise crucial questions about WordPress’s future:

– How will the development process adapt to Automattic’s reduced involvement?

– Could a fork actually strengthen the WordPress ecosystem by encouraging innovation?

– What happens to sustainability initiatives in open source when leadership and community vision diverge?

Until then, keep building amazing things with WordPress!

P.S. Have thoughts about these developments? Hit reply to share your perspective, or join our discussion on Substack comment. Your insights help shape our coverage.

Best regards,

WPMore Team