3 ms·

Can you clarify if "Executive Director of WordPress.org" is the same job as "Executive Director of the WordPress Foundation"? I know you personally own wordpre

by mattl 2y ago

Can you clarify if "Executive Director of WordPress.org" is the same job as "Executive Director of the WordPress Foundation"? I know you personally own wordpress.org and not the foundation (as many people suspected) so this is unclear.

bzmrgonz 2y ago
There is a wordpressfoundation<dot>org, so I doubt it. In my opinion <dot>org is software repo/wp-inc HQ.. and <dot>com is commercial and hosting enterprise. But of course, let's hear from the horse's mouth himself!! :-P
photomatt 2y ago
Totally different. The Foundation has no employees, only volunteers and three board members. (I'm one of them.)
- mattl 2y ago
  I’d love to see something on the foundation website which explains this. Thanks for your reply.
  - neilperetz 2y ago
    Indeed, a blog post with more detail is forthcoming.
- vinnysgreen 2y ago
  What legal entity is WordPress.org insured under, and who cuts the checks?
  - ankleturtle 2y ago
    Wordpress.org isn't a legal entity. It's simply a domain owned by Matt. It seems Matt has a license to use the Wordpress trademarks. The Wordpress Foundation is a non-profit legal entity with a tiny budget. It appears the only thing it does is serve as a holding entity for the trademarks and the for-profit company than operates the WordCamp conferences. I suspect that Automattic is the one who foots the bill for the infrastructure behind Wordpress.org, but that's not clear. Matt talks about transparency, but how everything operates is a muddled mess.
    - FireBeyond 2y ago
      > Wordpress.org isn't a legal entity. It's simply a domain owned by Matt. Automattic's website (https://automattic.com/2024/10/02/wordpress-trademarks-a-legal-perspective/ https://automattic.com/2024/10/02/wordpress-trademarks-a-leg...) says otherwise: > The Foundation also licensed the name WordPress to the non-profit WordPress.org, which runs a website that facilitates access to WordPress-related software.
      - ankleturtle 2y ago
        This is straight from Matt, himself: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=41782365 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=41782365
      - ankleturtle 2y ago
        The article has been updated. > The Foundation also licensed the name to the website WordPress.org, which facilitates widespread access to WordPress-related software at no charge.
        FireBeyond 2y ago
        Matt is apparently in full-blown CYA mode. He's far too used to just referring to, and treating, all these entities synonymously, and now that someone is pointing out all these glaring little admissions of exactly that, he is frantically trying to alter the record. He's obviously paying close attention to HN, even when he's not on a posting binge making things worse. One can only imagine WP Engine's lawfirm is doing the same.
        deleted 2y ago
        [deleted]
slouch 2y ago
Executive Director of WordPress.org is simply a job title at Automattic. Josepha found out about the WP Engine ban from wordpress.org in real time along with the rest of the community.

by mattl 2y ago

bzmrgonz 2y ago

There is a wordpressfoundation<dot>org, so I doubt it. In my opinion <dot>org is software repo/wp-inc HQ.. and <dot>com is commercial and hosting enterprise. But of course, let's hear from the horse's mouth himself!! :-P

photomatt 2y ago

Totally different. The Foundation has no employees, only volunteers and three board members. (I'm one of them.)

mattl 2y ago
I’d love to see something on the foundation website which explains this. Thanks for your reply.
- neilperetz 2y ago
  Indeed, a blog post with more detail is forthcoming.
vinnysgreen 2y ago
What legal entity is WordPress.org insured under, and who cuts the checks?
- ankleturtle 2y ago
  Wordpress.org isn't a legal entity. It's simply a domain owned by Matt. It seems Matt has a license to use the Wordpress trademarks. The Wordpress Foundation is a non-profit legal entity with a tiny budget. It appears the only thing it does is serve as a holding entity for the trademarks and the for-profit company than operates the WordCamp conferences. I suspect that Automattic is the one who foots the bill for the infrastructure behind Wordpress.org, but that's not clear. Matt talks about transparency, but how everything operates is a muddled mess.
  - FireBeyond 2y ago
    > Wordpress.org isn't a legal entity. It's simply a domain owned by Matt. Automattic's website (https://automattic.com/2024/10/02/wordpress-trademarks-a-legal-perspective/ https://automattic.com/2024/10/02/wordpress-trademarks-a-leg...) says otherwise: > The Foundation also licensed the name WordPress to the non-profit WordPress.org, which runs a website that facilitates access to WordPress-related software.
    - ankleturtle 2y ago
      This is straight from Matt, himself: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=41782365 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=41782365
    - ankleturtle 2y ago
      The article has been updated. > The Foundation also licensed the name to the website WordPress.org, which facilitates widespread access to WordPress-related software at no charge.
      - FireBeyond 2y ago
        Matt is apparently in full-blown CYA mode. He's far too used to just referring to, and treating, all these entities synonymously, and now that someone is pointing out all these glaring little admissions of exactly that, he is frantically trying to alter the record. He's obviously paying close attention to HN, even when he's not on a posting binge making things worse. One can only imagine WP Engine's lawfirm is doing the same.
      - deleted 2y ago
        [deleted]

slouch 2y ago

Executive Director of WordPress.org is simply a job title at Automattic. Josepha found out about the WP Engine ban from wordpress.org in real time along with the rest of the community.