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[Latest DRAMA] WP Engine is banned from using WordPress.org as from September 25th
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[Latest DRAMA] WP Engine is banned from using WordPress.org as from September 25th

JasonMJasonM Member
edited September 26 in General

this breaking news..
https://wordpress.org/news/2024/09/wp-engine-banned/

WP Engine need to run their own user login system, update servers, plugin directory, theme directory, pattern directory, block directory, translations, photo directory, job board, meetups, conferences, bug tracker, forums, Slack, Ping-o-matic, and showcase. Their servers can no longer access our servers for free.

What I will tell you is that, pending their legal claims and litigation against WordPress.org, WP Engine no longer has free access to WordPress.org’s resources. --- said WordPress.org (Matt)

I think if any host (like WP Engine) is cut from accessing the core WordPress (installations, updates, plugins, themes) then they are doomed as it will break their customers' sites and installations.

Is it a good move from WordPress.org (self hosted plafrom), will WP Engine customers find the alternatives and now start migrating their sites away from WP Engine???

:#

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Comments

  • "If you want to experience WordPress, use any other host in the world besides WP Engine. WP Engine is not WordPress."

  • Many users can bypass restrictions by using custom proxies, provided that WordPress.org doesn't block the proxy again.

    Thanked by 1yoursunny
  • CharityHost_orgCharityHost_org Member, Patron Provider
    edited September 26

    That is interesting. Also WPengine is expensive, they just have years of a lot of pr and marketing. Sure its not a Performance host and has half decent support. They do make a developers experience different but I wouldnt say better…

    We started a different approach to managed plesk web hosting with WP toolkit (also autoinstall and management wirh softaculous so you have 2 wp tools to work with) :

    https://charityhost.org/optimal-web-hosting

  • Apache should go after Confluent next

  • CharityHost_orgCharityHost_org Member, Patron Provider

    @BigDongLong said:
    Apache should go after Confluent next

    Not likely unless they are breaking oss licensing

    Thanked by 1Moofie
  • I read a post on reddit here from a WordPress developer who contributes to the core development:

    WordPress core dev here.

    All contributors, Automattic and non Automattic, are watching very closely. We're also thinking very carefully about our contributions. This is a community project and contributors are part of the community. No matter who is listed as project leadership, we'll continue to be here for the community.

    I've said this in other comments, but whether Matt has been accurate doesn't even come into it for plenty of us. The way this has been done, and is continuing to be done, is such a significant problem to address before even looking at whether he's been accurate or not.

    The community, which includes us at WordPress core, are not rallying around in support of this action. Everyone I've spoken to at WordPress core had no prior notice of this action being taken. Given the lack of notice about this latest action, it raises concerns about whether more is to come. Right now, there's an almost deafening public silence in contributor-to-contributor communication. We're still trying to regulate our reactions to recent events and hopefully avoid adding more of the kinds of kneejerk actions our whole community have been subjected to in recent days.

    Ceasing our own contributions would have further impact on the community. We definitely don't want that. Even with that at the forefront of my mind, if a decison is made to engage in a collective withdrawal of contributions, with a clearly communicated desired outcome to break that withdrawal, I'd join that action. Regretfully.

    Aside from a warning about legal action being taken, and that he'd pay legal costs of anyone personally affected by legal action, so far there's been no communication or discussion from Matt to WordPress contributors prior to him taking these actions,

    Thanked by 3Ympker mrTom ariq01
  • Me has an idea. Managed service hosting for products like Wordpress. Not for Wordpress.

    Me gonna make Wordpress hosting great again.

    Actually Nah too much work, let me just watch the drama with popcorn.

    Thanked by 2emgh JasonM
  • quicksilver03quicksilver03 Member, Host Rep

    I kind of hope this moves backfires badly on Automattic: what if they corner out wordpress.org out of existence for any shared hosting service other than their own?

    What about people self-hosting WordPress out of their own VPS? Automattic can argue that they don't contribute anything back to WordPress either...

    I currently manage 8 personal WordPress instances, and 6 others at work. I'm growing increasingly frustrated with WordPress' limited media library and Gutenberg block editor's usability: in the next 6 months I should be able to replace at least 6 of the personal WordPress instances with something else, and I'll push to do the same at work.

  • @quicksilver03 said: I'm growing increasingly frustrated with WordPress' limited media library and Gutenberg block editor's usability

    You're absolutely spot on with that. Those are the first two things I rip out and replace upon any installation of Wordpress.

    Real Media Library+Elementor are what the media library+gutenberg should be.

  • jsgjsg Member, Resident Benchmarker

    WP Engine, go! I'd be all on your side if I cared at all about the whole WP island.

  • jarjar Patron Provider, Top Host, Veteran

    Matt just needs to pivot toward closed source software. It's clearly what he wants. Even if you agree with him and think WP Engine is morally wrong, he made open source software and chose the license. He regrets his choice. Tough titties.

  • A very brutal destruction of competitor. Public, fast and very hard hit.

  • @quicksilver03 said: What about people self-hosting WordPress out of their own VPS? Automattic can argue that they don't contribute anything back to WordPress either...

    Yes, someone self hosting WP on Virmach can be compared to a billion dollar company focused on WP products. Practically the same thing.

  • Matt is about to talk on theprimeagen twitch channel, interesting to see if he comes off any better than he has in the blog posts

    Thanked by 1emgh
  • @ptreja said:
    Matt is about to talk on theprimeagen twitch channel, interesting to see if he comes off any better than he has in the blog posts

    hope he's being somewhat hard on him

  • jsgjsg Member, Resident Benchmarker

    @Levi said:
    A very brutal destruction of competitor. Public, fast and very hard hit.

    ... that highly likely much increased WP Engine's visibility and potentially sympathy for them as well, read driving customers to them ...

  • jarjar Patron Provider, Top Host, Veteran
    edited September 26

    https://status.getflywheel.com/2024/09/25/plugin-and-theme-update-restrictions/

    They've blocked another host now. It's the death of WordPress. Matt has exposed a weakness in hosting companies - trust in WordPress. Matt won't stand a chance against their comment farms and fake review sites when hosting companies start marketing an alternative, perhaps even funding an alternative.

    Obviously he's free to block access, that's within his rights. But end users aren't going to forget this, and hosts are going to consider WP a liability. I don't see it recovering. It's just going to be a very long transition.

    Thanked by 2jsg fluffernutter
  • ptrejaptreja Member
    edited September 26

    He didn't push too much and mostly just let Matt talk... don't think Matt came across any better than he does in the blog posts tbh

  • I can understand where the frustration comes from but at the same time, what did the users of WPEngine do? If people are using your platform in one way or another, that's a big win. When you rip the rug out from under them for something they have zero control over, that's pretty messed up.

    Why should WPEngine's clients be punished for something that's completely out of their control? Wordpress should have at least gave a couple weeks notice so people could make other accommodations but why NOW? Why the urgency?

    Wordpress' collateral damage doesn't even stop there. In addition to screwing all of those innocent people, I saw one company in charge of publishing vulnerabilities put a moratorium in place (2 weeks I think it was) for any plugin vulnerabilities that arise while this is going down. Now you're putting non-WPEngine users at risk..for what? Because now you decided

    The move seems more like settling a personal vendetta than it does for people taking action for the best interests of their users.

    Thanked by 1jar
  • Petey_LongPetey_Long Member
    edited September 26

    \

    Over the last six years, we’ve been lucky enough to build a truly talented, focused, and imaginative team of more than 200 Flywheelers

    Oooof.

    "Learn to weld."

  • emghemgh Member
    edited September 26

    @Petey_Long said: I can understand where the frustration comes from but at the same time, what did the users of WPEngine do? If people are using your platform in one way or another, that's a big win. When you rip the rug out from under them for something they have zero control over, that's pretty messed up.

    Why should WPEngine's clients be punished for something that's completely out of their control? Wordpress should have at least gave a couple weeks notice so people could make other accommodations but why NOW? Why the urgency?

    It's fairly common when you're getting sued that you cut all contact until its over.

    I'd say blocking server access during the lawsuit is completely fair game honestly.

    But yes, sucks to be a WP Engine client if this drags on.

    Thanked by 1mustafamw3
  • @jar said: They've blocked another host now.

    Flywheel is a WP Engine brand.

    Thanked by 1jar
  • jarjar Patron Provider, Top Host, Veteran
    edited September 26

    MS said:

    @jar said: They've blocked another host now.

    Flywheel is a WP Engine brand.

    Good to know. But I bet a good portion of their customers don't know that. This is going to further erode trust and it's perfectly sane that any/all web hosts should now be considering hyping or funding alternatives because they don't know if they might be next. Hosts collectively have more marketing resources and money, I don't think this event ends in an increase in WP popularity.

    Thanked by 1_MS_
  • @emgh said:

    @Petey_Long said: I can understand where the frustration comes from but at the same time, what did the users of WPEngine do? If people are using your platform in one way or another, that's a big win. When you rip the rug out from under them for something they have zero control over, that's pretty messed up.

    Why should WPEngine's clients be punished for something that's completely out of their control? Wordpress should have at least gave a couple weeks notice so people could make other accommodations but why NOW? Why the urgency?

    It's fairly common when you're getting sued that you cut all contact until its over.

    I'd say blocking server access during the lawsuit is completely fair game honestly.

    He said his actions were "For the best interests of the users." I don't disagree with your premise, but his statement is specious. Anyone that believes his actions were "in the best interest" of Wordpress users are completely disconnected from reality. You know what's better than lying? Not saying anything at all.

    Thanked by 1emgh
  • jarjar Patron Provider, Top Host, Veteran

    Did anyone actually announce a lawsuit? A C&D is the furthest thing from a lawsuit.

    Thanked by 1emgh
  • emghemgh Member
    edited September 26

    @jar said:
    Did anyone actually announce a lawsuit? A C&D is the furthest thing from a lawsuit.

    My bad, that might be the case. Haven't really googled or researched this during the last day.

    If you intend to ignore the cease and desist I'm not sure it's the furthest thing from a lawsuit however.

    Thanked by 1jar
  • @Petey_Long said:

    @emgh said:

    @Petey_Long said: I can understand where the frustration comes from but at the same time, what did the users of WPEngine do? If people are using your platform in one way or another, that's a big win. When you rip the rug out from under them for something they have zero control over, that's pretty messed up.

    Why should WPEngine's clients be punished for something that's completely out of their control? Wordpress should have at least gave a couple weeks notice so people could make other accommodations but why NOW? Why the urgency?

    It's fairly common when you're getting sued that you cut all contact until its over.

    I'd say blocking server access during the lawsuit is completely fair game honestly.

    He said his actions were "For the best interests of the users." I don't disagree with your premise, but his statement is specious. Anyone that believes his actions were "in the best interest" of Wordpress users are completely disconnected from reality. You know what's better than lying? Not saying anything at all.

    Since WP Engine "isn't WordPress" then no WordPress users were affected by this. 🤭

    Thanked by 2emgh ACARROT
  • @xaoc said:

    @Petey_Long said:

    @emgh said:

    @Petey_Long said: I can understand where the frustration comes from but at the same time, what did the users of WPEngine do? If people are using your platform in one way or another, that's a big win. When you rip the rug out from under them for something they have zero control over, that's pretty messed up.

    Why should WPEngine's clients be punished for something that's completely out of their control? Wordpress should have at least gave a couple weeks notice so people could make other accommodations but why NOW? Why the urgency?

    It's fairly common when you're getting sued that you cut all contact until its over.

    I'd say blocking server access during the lawsuit is completely fair game honestly.

    He said his actions were "For the best interests of the users." I don't disagree with your premise, but his statement is specious. Anyone that believes his actions were "in the best interest" of Wordpress users are completely disconnected from reality. You know what's better than lying? Not saying anything at all.

    Since WP Engine "isn't WordPress" then no WordPress users were affected by this. 🤭

    I wish I was this smart

    Thanked by 2xaoc sasslik
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