Photo credit: www.theverge.com

Automattic Cuts Back Contributions to WordPress Amid Legal Battles

Automattic, the parent company of WordPress.com, is reducing its involvement in the WordPress open-source project, as outlined in a recent announcement. The company intends to lower its contributions to align with the time dedicated by other industry players, specifically mentioning WP Engine, elevating the existing tensions between Automattic’s CEO Matt Mullenweg and the broader WordPress community.

Previously, Automattic allocated nearly 4,000 hours weekly to the development of WordPress. However, the company will now direct approximately 45 hours to the initiative under Five for the Future, a program designed to motivate companies to contribute five percent of their resources back to WordPress.org. According to Automattic, these reduced hours are expected to focus on vital updates and security measures.

The decision to limit contributions is attributed to the “significant time and money” being consumed by ongoing litigation against WP Engine. Additionally, Automattic faces mounting pressure from segments of the community calling for Mullenweg and others to withdraw from their roles in the WordPress project. The company stated:

“We’ve made the decision to reallocate resources due to the lawsuits from WP Engine. This legal action diverts significant time and energy that could otherwise be directed toward supporting WordPress’s growth and health. We remain hopeful that WP Engine will reconsider this legal attack, allowing us to refocus our efforts on contributions that benefit the broader WordPress ecosystem.”

Last year also witnessed an exodus of several employees from Automattic after the company proposed buyouts for those opposed to its ongoing confrontation with WP Engine. Recently, the company disbanded its sustainability team, following a message shared on Slack from Mullenweg that seemed to endorse the team’s dissolution. He remarked, “it’s probably a good time to officially dissolve the team entirely,” indicating that the creation of a dedicated team had not been able to achieve its intended objectives. This decision has drawn criticism from various community members, including notable journalist Kara Swisher.

Source
www.theverge.com