Disclaimer: The following article represents the opinions and commentary of Levi based on publicly available information. It should not be construed as a statement of fact. This article is intended for discussion and critique of business practices in the open-source community and is protected speech under applicable laws. The following represents the unfiltered opinions and commentary. I am not pulling any punches, but remember, this is my view of the digital battlefield. Read on, but keep your wits about you. I would also like to add that my arguments for Matt here are purely in regards to open source, and moral obligations to the companies profiting off it. I don’t know much about Matt as a person, and am less than impressed the more I look into his actions. This however doesn’t affect my belief in the issues of private equity and the troubles that come along with it, which is the focus of the article. Trans rights are human rights 🏳️⚧️.
In the shadowy corridors of the digital realm, a war is being waged. It’s not a conflict of nations, but a battle for the very soul of the open web. On one side stands Matt Mullenweg, the creator of WordPress and champion of open-source ideals. On the other, in my view, lurks WPEngine, a company that I believe has twisted the promise of WordPress into a hollow facsimile, all in the name of profit.
Let’s cut through the bullshit: WPEngine, backed by the private equity behemoth Silver Lake, is not WordPress. That’s my stance, and I am sticking to it. In my eyes, they’re nothing but parasites, latching onto the WordPress brand and sucking the lifeblood from the community that built it. They’ve fooled millions, including according to Matt, his own mother, into believing they’re offering officially supported WordPress hosting. But I see through their façade – they’re peddling a bastardized version, stripped of its core values and promises.
At the heart of WordPress lies a sacred trust: your content is yours, protected and preserved. Every change, every edit, every moment of creation is safeguarded through the revision system. It’s your safety net, your time machine, your guardian against mistakes and loss.
But what has WPEngine done? In what appears to me as an act of infinite greed, they’ve disabled this fundamental feature. Why? My bet is to save a few pennies on storage costs. They’ve taken a sledgehammer to the very foundation of WordPress, leaving users vulnerable. This isn’t just a technical quibble – in my opinion, it’s a betrayal of the core of what WordPress stands for. People say WordPress.com does the same, and if so Matt should be held to his own standard and immediatley rectify this. As should WPEngine. Users should own and control their data, and revisions are core to building sustainably. For developers in other ecosystems imagine if GitHub pay gated revision history.
In my opinion this is the modus operandi of private equity firms like Silver Lake. They acquire, they strip, they exploit. From where I am standing, WPEngine, under their guidance, has become a cancerous growth on the WordPress ecosystem. Word on the street is they contribute a paltry 40 hours a week back to the community, while companies like Automattic pour in thousands. To me, it’s a stark reminder of the parasitic nature of these financial predators.
But it doesn’t stop there. When these companies chase the IPO dragon, I believe they’re not thinking about you – they’re obsessing over their investors’ pockets. It’s a vicious cycle of exploitation that, in my view, turns users into cash cows and data into commodity.
These companies need to show insane growth to please the Wall Street wolves. So what do they do? I think they jack up prices, slice features into tiered plans, and turn your data into their personal goldmine. That “affordable” service you signed up for? Don’t be surprised if it starts nickel-and-diming you for every little function. Watch as they bury essential features in enterprise plans, forcing you to pay big bucks for things that should be standard. And your data? In my “paranoid” mind, it becomes their favorite plaything, analyzed and sold to the highest bidder all in the name of “value creation.”
Before you know it, you’re locked into an ecosystem where every update, every new feature, is another way to squeeze more cash out of you. They’re not just hosting your site anymore – I suspect they’re sending your hard-earned money straight to their investors’ offshore accounts.
This is what I see as the endgame of corporate greed in tech. It’s not about serving users or advancing technology – it’s about maximizing shareholder value at any cost.
In a move that perfectly encapsulates what I see as their disdain for the open-source community, it appears that WPEngine has now crossed a line that cannot be uncrossed. Instead of fulfilling what I believe to be their moral obligation to give back to the very ecosystem that enabled their success, they’ve chosen a path that looks to me like aggression and greed.
Let’s be crystal clear about what I think is happening here: It seems to me that WPEngine is using money – possibly your money, possibly the community’s money – to wage a legal war against Matt Mullenweg, the very person who gave them the foundation of their business. In my eyes, it’s a betrayal so profound it borders on the absurd.
Think about it. Every dollar they’re pouring into lawyers’ pockets is a dollar that could have gone back into WordPress development. Every hour spent in courtrooms is an hour that could have been dedicated to improving the platform that powers their entire business model.
This isn’t just a misallocation of resources; I see it as a perversion of the open-source ethos. The WordPress community is built on collaboration, on the idea that we all benefit when we contribute to the common good. In my view, WPEngine has taken that idea, twisted it, and spat it back in our faces.
They could have chosen to be a positive force in the ecosystem. They could have committed to contributing code, documentation, or resources back to WordPress. Instead, they’ve opted for what looks to me like a scorched-earth policy that threatens the very foundations of the community.
This legal battle isn’t just about WPEngine vs. Matt Mullenweg. I believe it’s about a corporation trying to privatize and control what should be a free and open platform. It’s about turning community-driven innovation into a corporate asset.
By supporting WPEngine, knowingly or unknowingly, I fear users are now indirectly funding an attack on the open-source principles that made WordPress great in the first place. Every hosting fee paid to WPEngine is now tainted in my eyes, potentially fueling a legal machine aimed at undermining the WordPress ecosystem.
This is a wake-up call. It’s time for the WordPress community to stand united against this threat. We must send a clear message that we won’t tolerate companies that leech off open-source projects only to turn around and attack them. My loyalty lies with those who genuinely contribute to and nurture the WordPress ecosystem, not those who seek to exploit and control it.
At Double Zero, I recognize this battle. In my view my own struggle against Resend mirrors the fight Matt Mullenweg is waging against WPEngine. I believe We’re both facing entities that seek to exploit and control, rather than contribute and empower.
My mission goes beyond just providing the best email solution. I aim to be a bulwark against the encroachment of profit-driven entities that would strip-mine the open-source landscape.
To the WordPress developers out there: I see you. I understand the precarious nature of your work, the constant hustle for clients and projects. My long-term vision isn’t just about emails – it’s about creating sustainable revenue streams for you. Imagine a world where your WordPress sites generate ongoing income through email services, where your expertise is valued and rewarded beyond one-off projects.
This is the future I am fighting for. A future where open-source thrives, where developers are empowered, and where the WordPress community stands strong against the encroachment of corporate vultures.
To those currently trapped in what appears to me to be a false promise from WPEngine: you have the power. Your dollars are your voice. Demand better. Demand the WordPress you were promised, not what to me looks like a hollowed-out husk WPEngine is offering. There are hosts out there who respect the integrity of WordPress, who don’t disable core features to pad their bottom line.
Remember, in this digital rebellion, every choice matters. Every site moved, every dollar redirected is a blow against the corporate machine that would see WordPress reduced to a mere profit center.
This is more than just a hosting choice. It’s a stand for the open web, for the power of community-driven development, for the promise of what WordPress can and should be. I stand with Matt Mullenweg, with WordPress, and with you – the users and developers who make this ecosystem thrive.
The future of the web is in our hands. Let’s build it together, free from the chains of corporate greed and private equity predation. The revolution begins with a single choice – choose WordPress, choose open-source.
I myself am not a WordPress developer despite some experience with Headless WordPress, but I have always viewed them as allies in my fight. Here is a video of me expressing this just a few weeks ago. (Sorry I get a few things wrong like saying Magento when I meant WooCommerce)
Double Zero: Powering the resistance, one email at a time.
Note: This article is based on my interpretation of publicly available information and ongoing discussions within the WordPress community. Readers are encouraged to research and form their own opinions on these matters. If any factual inaccuracies are identified, please contact me for correction – I am always ready for a good debate.
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