Tag: Wordpress

  • Automattic to reduce contribution to WordPress core project amid ongoing dispute with WP engine

    Automattic to reduce contribution to WordPress core project amid ongoing dispute with WP engine

    It’s a new year, but the WordPress community’s drama continues. Automattic, the company that runs (link unavailable), said that it would reduce its contribution to WordPress core, the open-source project that acts as the backbone of most of Automattic’s products and ensures the longevity of WordPress as a technology and community.

    Automattic CEO and WordPress co-creator Matt Mullenweg has debated with WP Engine since September 2024 whether to contribute to WordPress as an open-source and community project.

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    Matching WP engine’s contribution: A new era for Automattic’s Involvement

    In a blog post, the company said it would reduce the number of hours it commits to the Five For the Future program to match rival hosting provider WP Engine’s contribution in the number of weekly hours.

    The company added that it will redirect the resources to the ongoing legal battle against WP Engine.

    A call for fairness and shared responsibility in the WordPress community

    “WP Engine’s historically slim contributions underscore the imbalance that must be addressed for the health of WordPress. We believe in fairness and shared responsibility, and we hope this move encourages greater participation across all organisations that benefit from WordPress,” Automattic said.

    According to Five for The Future’s dashboard, it automatically contributes around 2,560 hours per week. This number is significantly less than the 3,900 hours the company contributed in September.

    The company’s new blog post also sarcastically noted that members of the “community” have considered working on commercial products like (link unavailable), Pressable, WPVIP, Jetpack, and WooCommerce as contributing to WordPress.

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    Changes in WordPress leadership: Thijs Buijs steps down

    Earlier this week, Thijs Buijs, a WordPress core contributor who led the sustainability team, decided to step down as a representative.

    Mullenweg’s approach to the legal battle with WP Engine has attracted calls for different leadership in the WordPress world.

    Last month, Joost de Valk, the creator of Yoast, a popular WordPress SEO tool, outlined a plan to create a “federated” approach to the WordPress repository. This would allow decentralised access to assets like plug-ins and themes.

  • WordPress announces100-year domains

    WordPress announces100-year domains

    WordPress has revealed that you can register a domain for 100 years for one price, which includes managed hosting, 24/7 customer service, and other features.

    The self-publishing website-building tool WordPress.com is well-known for its use in blogging and other creative endeavors. It is owned by Automattic, Inc., which also runs it. It is run on a version of WordPress software that has been changed. 

    Matt Mullenweg, an American developer, and Mike Little, an English developer, made WordPress and published it on the web on May 27, 2003.

    To meet the needs of millions of site publishers, WordPress evolves. Users’ requirements drive WordPress. It will hopefully keep empowering people worldwide to make beautiful websites. The most WordPress users are in the US (9.2 million), UK (802 thousand), and India (393 thousand).

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    WordPress 100-year plan 

    Yusuf Musa, iWeb.ng’s CEO said a price decrease would determine whether his company would buy this package. “Only with a more competitive pricing structure could I justify the inherent risks of such a long-term commitment,” Yusuf said.

    As was said, the plan will cost $38K (about N29 million). Some corporations can afford it, but most cannot. On affordability, Tooltester creator and CEO Robert Brandl said the fee was high.

    “The $380 per year fee isn’t worth it. You would pay far less than WP Engine’s or Kinsta’s most expensive premium WordPress hosting.

    What does the WordPress Century Plan come with?

    In the public announcement, these parts of the plan were called out:

    Domain bought for the next 100 years

    Multiple copies of information at different data centres in different places

    Managed WordPress server that is “top-tier.”

    Unlimited broadband means sending and receiving as much data as you want.

    Support that is dedicated and one-on-one is provided. Seven days a week, 24 hours a day

    Who does the 100-Year Plan serve?

    WordPress says that the plan is for people, families, and business founders who want to keep a record of their company’s history.

    The message explains:

    “Families who want to keep their stories, photos, sounds, and videos that are part of their wealthy family past safe for future generations

    Founders who want to protect and record the past, present, and future of their business

    People who want a stable, fluid, and personalized online home that can change as technology does in the future

    It looks like they’re going after people who want to keep their stories alive.

    Matt Mullenweg, the CEO of WordPress.com, says, “I hope this approach gets people and other companies to think about building for the long term, whether it’s giving a newborn a domain and a home on the web for life or putting something in your will to make sure your website and story are available to future generations.”