Category: Newsletter

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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New here?

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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Join Our Community → Sub-Reddit | X Community

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

The rejection has raised questions about contribution requirements and transparency in the WordPress ecosystem.

Oliver Sild, Patchstack’s CEO, received an unexpected email from WordCamp Central explaining that his company hadn’t contributed enough to WordPress Five for the Future to qualify as a sponsor. The decision particularly stings given Patchstack’s substantial role in WordPress security – they handled over 50% of all new vulnerability disclosures in the ecosystem last year alone.

The email shared by Patchstack CEO:

Felipe Santos from the WordPress Community Team informed Sild that WordCamp sponsorships are moving away from the first-come-first-serve model to emphasize “contributions and relationships” with WordPress. The email suggested Patchstack pledge to Five for the Future (5ftF), an initiative encouraging companies to contribute 5% of their resources to WordPress.

However, here’s where things get murky: neither WordCamp sponsorship rules nor WordCamp Europe 2025’s sponsor guidelines mention 5ftF pledges as a requirement. The only stated expectation is that sponsors support WordPress and its principles.

He also wrote in X: “There’s a lot more to list here, but I don’t think it’s necessary to make a point. I just find this very disappointing after a decade of working with WordPress and incredibly demotivating for our entire team who has been pouring their hearts into this mission…”

The numbers back up his frustration. In 2024, Patchstack:

– Managed 4,566 individual vulnerability disclosures

– Paid nearly $200,000 in bounties to security researchers

– Launched a free Vulnerability Disclosure Program platform for plugin developers

– Recently awarded the highest bounty in WordPress history ($14,400) for a critical vulnerability discovery

The community has rallied behind Patchstack, with many prominent figures expressing concern about the decision. Francesca Marano, Patchstack’s Head of Partnerships and former community team member, pointed out issues with transparency and reliance on potentially unreliable Five for the Future data.

WordPress co-founder Matt Mullenweg has acknowledged the situation in X, calling the rejection email “crappy” and promising to investigate.

This comes at an interesting time, as debates about contribution requirements have intensified following Mullenweg’s recent criticism of WP Engine’s WordPress contributions compared to Automattic’s.

The controversy raises broader questions about how the WordPress community measures and values different types of contributions. Should security work carry the same weight as code contributions? How transparent should sponsorship requirements be? As the community awaits further clarification from WordCamp Central, these questions remain at the forefront of the discussion.

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@Nishat Shahriyar

WPMore is your weekly digest of WordPress news, controversies, and community insights. Have feedback or tips? Reply to this newsletter.

The WordPress ecosystem is buzzing with activity as we kick off 2025. From heated discussions about theme design to new tools launching, there’s plenty to digest. Let’s dive in.

The Great Theme Debate: Creativity vs. Accessibility

Nick Hamze sparked quite a controversy by calling for “weird and exciting” WordPress themes. His plea for breaking visual rules and injecting personality into WordPress design resonated with many who feel themes have become too formulaic.

However, accessibility experts quickly pointed out the potential pitfalls. Amber Hinds of Equalize Digital raised valid concerns, leading to a heated exchange with Matt Mullenweg that drew criticism from community members.

The debate highlighted the ongoing tension between innovative design and accessibility requirements.

Brian Gardner perhaps put it best: “I’m all for creative WordPress themes—whether bold and quirky or plain but practical. As far as I’m concerned, they should ALL be accessible.”

WordPress.org Services Back Online After Historic Break

For the first time ever, WordPress.org took a holiday break, pausing several services for two weeks. Alex Shiels from the Meta team has confirmed all services are now restored. Users can once again register accounts, submit plugins/themes, and handle plugin reviews.

The break sparked some interesting discussions, particularly when Joost de Valk raised concerns about WordCamp ticket purchases requiring WP.org accounts. The community adapted, and services are now fully operational with the familiar registration process intact.

Patchstack Opens Up API Access

Security provider Patchstack has made a bold move by offering complete API access to their platform for all Developer accounts. With over 100 endpoints available, this opens up exciting possibilities for automation and integration.

The timing is perfect for those looking to enhance their security workflows – new Developer plan customers can get 50% off for the first three months until January 8th, 2025. Whether you’re building custom security reports or integrating with SIEM tools, the possibilities are extensive.

New SEO Plugin Promises Simplicity

In a market crowded with feature-heavy SEO plugins, a simplified SEO tool has emerged. SEO for WordPress® launched with a refreshing focus on simplicity and transparency. The plugin aims to provide essential SEO functionality without the bloat and upsells that have become common in this space.

Looking Ahead: WordPress in 2025

David McCan has shared his predictions for WordPress in 2025, acknowledging the ups and downs of 2024 and anticipating significant changes ahead. Read the article here or watch the video below.

The timing couldn’t be better, as the WordPress ecosystem seems poised for transformation across multiple fronts – from theme design to security tools to SEO solutions.

The start of 2025 has already shown that WordPress continues to evolve and adapt. Whether it’s the push-pull between innovation and accessibility, the recognition that even open-source communities need breaks, or the emergence of new tools focused on simplicity, these developments reflect a maturing ecosystem grappling with complex challenges.

What are your thoughts on these developments? Share your perspective by replying to this newsletter or commenting.

Until next week,

WPMore

Welcome to the 2nd WPMore newsletter of 2024! We’ve got exciting updates from the WordPress ecosystem to share, from major developments in plugin submissions to community initiatives and upcoming events. Let’s dive in!

Plugin Check Phase 2: A Game-Changer for WordPress Plugin Development

The success of Plugin Check‘s first phase has been remarkable. The numbers speak for themselves: 41% fewer issues per approved plugin and a 138% increase in weekly plugin approvals. Most impressively, the average review wait time has plummeted from 37 weeks to just 9 weeks, even as submissions have nearly doubled.

Now, the Plugins Team is gearing up for Phase 2, which will expand beyond new submissions to include updates for existing plugins in the Directory. The upcoming phase brings several key improvements:

– Enhanced documentation and clearer messaging for each check

– A revamped UI for better user experience

– New conditional rule application system

– Experimental checks feature for beta testing

– Retroactive directory integration

If you’re a plugin developer who hasn’t tried Plugin Check yet, now’s the perfect time to integrate it into your workflow. The tool is available both as a WordPress plugin and a GitHub Action, making it flexible for different development setups.

Empowering Women in WordPress: International Women’s Day Initiative

The WordPress Community Team has announced an inspiring initiative for International Women’s Day 2024. Local WordPress communities worldwide are being encouraged to organize women-centric events that will serve as platforms for learning, networking, and inspiration.

These events will feature various formats, from hands-on workshops and inspiring talks to networking sessions and mentorship opportunities. To support organizers, WordCamp Community Support is offering stipends between $100-$500 USD based on location and typical meetup sizes. Apply through the Creative WordPress Events form.

The team is currently seeking volunteer designers to create:

– An event banner for community use

– A female-themed Wapuu sticker sheet

– A WordPress Women’s Day logo

If you would like to volunteer for the designing part, please comment on the official post!

WordCamps in India: A Strong Start to 2025

The Indian WordPress community is kicking off 2025 with three major WordCamps in January:

WordCamp Ahmedabad (Jan 3-4) returns for its fifth edition at AUDA Auditorium TODAY. The event features a contribution day, showcase opportunities, and sessions on digital marketing, accessibility, and AI. Their Uttarayan-inspired Wapuu perfectly captures the spirit of limitless possibilities in WordPress.

WordCamp Kolhapur (Jan 11-12) makes its debut at D.Y. Patil School of Engineering. While sponsorship slots and no-swag tickets are still available, they’re going fast.

WordCamp Kolkata (Jan 18) comes back for round three at Viveka Tirtha, offering dual tracks packed with sessions on eCommerce, translation, accessibility, and practical workshops on Gutenberg, WP-CLI, and headless WordPress.

These events showcase India’s vibrant WordPress community, with cities like Ahmedabad and Mumbai leading global engagement for in-person events according to recent WordPress Meetup trends.

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That’s all for this week’s WPMore! If you found this newsletter helpful, feel free to share it with your WordPress friends and colleagues.

See you next week with more WordPress news and updates!