Introduction to the Dispute
Matt Mullenweg, the founder of WordPress, has downplayed his dispute with WP Engine, stating that it’s not as significant as people are making it out to be. He believes the issue will be resolved in a few months. In a recent podcast interview, Mullenweg shared his perspective on the situation, comparing himself to someone standing up to a bully.
Standing Up to Bullies
The podcast host expressed surprise at how harshly Mullenweg went after WP Engine, saying it didn’t seem to fit his idea of the kind of person Mullenweg was. Mullenweg responded that he’s actually that guy, and he feels obliged to stand up for WordPress, just like someone standing up to a playground bully. He explained that if you look at the history of WordPress, there have been several times where he had to fight to protect the platform’s principles and sustainability.
The Dispute Will Be Forgotten
Mullenweg compared the current dispute with WP Engine to previous controversies, noting that those were forgotten, and the WP Engine conflict will also be forgotten. He mentioned that some of the previous controversies, such as the Hot Nacho scandal, used to be a significant part of his Wikipedia page, but now they’re barely mentioned. He believes that in a few years, the WP Engine dispute will be a sentence or not even mentioned on his Wikipedia page.
Downplaying the Dispute
Mullenweg sought to portray WP Engine as not a big company, saying they’re probably the sixth or seventh largest WordPress web host. He stated that people are making a bigger deal about the dispute than it actually is. He also mentioned that WP Engine has around 700,000 to 800,000 WordPress sites, which is a single-digit percentage of all WordPress sites in the world.
Expecting a Quick Resolution
Mullenweg expressed that it’s his duty to stand up and fight, and he expects the WP Engine dispute to be resolved in a few months. He acknowledged that there are many angry people, but he didn’t explain what he meant by his comment, and the podcast hosts didn’t ask him to elaborate. Mullenweg said that sometimes you have to fight to protect your open-source ideals, community, and trademark.
A One-Sided Narrative
Mullenweg explained the conflict from his point of view, painting himself as the victim who was forced to go on the attack. He narrated a sequence of events that generally isn’t how most people experienced it. He painted WP Engine’s side as the aggressor and characterized the public rebuke he gave of WP Engine at WordCamp as a "presentation." Mullenweg stated that WP Engine took aggressive legal action, and they were preparing a legal case to attack WordPress.
Lack of Challenging Questions
The podcast hosts solicited questions from the WordPress community on Reddit and Twitter, but they largely refrained from asking those user-submitted questions. The community responded with many hard-hitting questions, but the podcast hosts claimed it was "common sense" to side with Mullenweg, despite not having deeply researched the WP Engine dispute.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Matt Mullenweg has downplayed the dispute with WP Engine, stating that it’s not a significant issue and will be resolved in a few months. He believes he’s standing up for WordPress and its community, just like someone standing up to a bully. However, the podcast interview raised more questions than answers, and the lack of challenging questions from the hosts has left many in the WordPress community seeking more clarity on the issue. The dispute may be forgotten in a few years, but for now, it remains a topic of discussion and debate in the WordPress community.