wpisnotwporg

wpisnotwp.org – WordPress or MattPress?

The Community-Driven Platform Hijacked by One Man’s Vision

Welcome to the curious world of wpisnotwp.org, where the line between community-driven collaboration and corporate interests has all but disappeared. WordPress, once hailed as the beacon of open-source development, now feels more like a personal project ruled by Matt Mullenweg, who conveniently confuses his many roles. Is he the community leader, the CEO of Automattic, or the owner of WordPress.org? The answer seems to be: all of the above—whenever it suits him.

The Governance Crisis – When One Man Controls the Open-Source Project

At the heart of WordPress’ current turmoil is a governance structure that no longer reflects its original open-source ideals. What started as a decentralized, community-led project has gradually shifted into something closer to a one-man monarchy. Despite the vast global community that powers WordPress, Matt Mullenweg holds all the keys—controlling WordPress.org and steering major decisions like Gutenberg and Full Site Editing (FSE) with little regard for community input.

WordPress is meant to be governed by its contributors, from developers to theme designers and plugin creators, but recent events have shown a top-down approach where decisions are made for the community, not with the community. Mullenweg’s ownership of critical infrastructure, particularly WordPress.org, has allowed him to bypass traditional, democratic processes and impose changes that serve Automattic’s vision more than the broader WordPress ecosystem.

Ownership vs. Community – Who Really Owns WordPress?

Let’s talk about ownership. Although WordPress is technically an open-source project, the fact that Matt, via Automattic, owns the domain WordPress.org has given him disproportionate control over the platform’s direction. This ownership of the central hub for the entire ecosystem means that key decisions—what’s promoted, what’s prioritized, and what’s enforced—are dictated by Matt and his close circle.

This is not how governance in an open-source project is supposed to work. WordPress belongs to its contributors, users, and developers, yet Matt has taken on the role of gatekeeper, deciding which ideas pass through and which are dismissed. The conflict of interest between his personal vision for WordPress, his role as CEO of Automattic, and his supposed leadership of a community-driven project is obvious. But more than that, it’s dangerous for the future of open-source governance.

The Need for Governance Reform – Realigning WordPress with Community Values

WordPress is in dire need of governance reform. If it’s truly going to continue as a platform that reflects the values of open source—collaboration, transparency, and shared ownership—the project must undergo a fundamental shift. Here are a few ways this could happen:

Decentralizing Decision-Making: Rather than decisions being made behind closed doors by a few individuals, WordPress needs transparent, community-led governance structures. This means real input from contributors across the globe, and more accountability for leadership decisions. No more unilateral pushes of projects like Gutenberg and FSE without adequate community consensus.
Reclaiming WordPress.org: The fact that WordPress.org is owned by Automattic, a private company, is a significant barrier to true community governance. A shift needs to happen where this central hub is managed by an independent body, perhaps a non-profit foundation, separate from Matt’s personal and corporate interests. WordPress.org should serve the community, not just one person’s vision.
Re-establishing Clear Boundaries: Mullenweg needs to make clear distinctions between his role as Automattic’s CEO and his leadership of the open-source project. Mixing these roles has led to increasing distrust in the community, as decisions often seem more aligned with Automattic’s commercial interests than the platform’s long-term health.
Enforcing Accountability: There needs to be real mechanisms for accountability within WordPress. Leadership roles should be earned and regularly assessed based on performance, not assumed indefinitely. This means establishing checks and balances that ensure no single person, no matter how significant their contributions, can hold disproportionate power.

Reclaiming the Spirit of WordPress

At its core, WordPress was always about democratizing publishing and giving people the tools to create and share content freely. But that spirit of freedom is at risk. The project has become too closely tied to the vision of a single individual, and too distant from the values that made it thrive in the first place: inclusivity, collaboration, and shared ownership.