5 ms·

I have dozens of clients on WordPress and I've not heard from a single one. I'm pretty worried personally, though.

by gman83 2y ago

chairmansteve 2y ago
Why are you worried? I am struggling to understand why anyone cares. I am not a WordPress user though. The WordPress code is available to WPEngine. How are Mullenweg's actions damaging them?
- fortyseven 2y ago
  So you don't use it, or understand anything about what's going on, apparently, but you have big opinions on it contrary to those who actually do know what's up. Brilliant. No notes.
  - chairmansteve 2y ago
    I don't see any opinion in my post. I am literally asking why this is important. Are you a troll?
    - SAI_Peregrinus 2y ago
      Automattic are claiming they own the trademark on WordPress, WP, etc, when it comes to CMS software & hosting of that software. WP Engine is a prominent hosting provider for WordPress, who also contribute several very popular plugins. Automattic have sued WP Engine. Automattic have blocked WP Engine from updating any of their plugins, or anything else on wordpress.org. A vulnerability was found in a WP Engine plugin, and Automattic have taken it over (but are not doing any maintenance). Automattic's CEO went on a number of unhinged rants here and elsewhere.
      - chairmansteve 2y ago
        Got it, thank you. But everyone is still able to publish their blogs, on both WordPress and WPEngine? And both WordPress and WPEngine are able to fork each other's code and run separate platforms? So long term fragmentation is the main danger? Am I completely off the mark?
        SAI_Peregrinus 2y ago
        Well, WP Engine's users can't (legally) use wordpress.org's services any longer, so they're at risk since they can't log in there to check for plugin updates. Also the takeover of the ACF plugin removed all pro features, which broke some users' websites.
    - Brian_K_White 2y ago
      You very clearly expressed the opinion that no one should care what Matt has done.
      - chairmansteve 2y ago
        It turns out that my question means something else in American English vernacular. My question was meant literally. I was very surprised at the triggered response. Unusual on HN. But another HN user clarified. Lesson learnt.
    - edanm 2y ago
      I think the phrase "struggling to understand why anyone cares" implies that you think no on should care. Maybe that's not what you meant. I have no dog in this fight. Just telling you why someone would assume you are expressing an opinion.
      - chairmansteve 2y ago
        Thanks, I am not American, that clarifies the apparently random attack.
bigiain 2y ago
We've had 3 queries so far out of about two dozen clients on WP/WPEngine. We are _actively_ making contingency plans. But our best estimate at this stage is that WPEngine will provide a suitable way to keep all our WPEngine sites running at least in the short and medium term, but we are also making disaster plans in case this all goes, as Matt intends, "nuclear". Matt keeps talking about how he's doing this "for the WordPress Community", but as I commented elsewhere: So far as I can tell, when Matt talks about "the WordPress Community", he means: - Matt - the people who didn't quit Automattic last week - _maybe_ the WP core developers who don't work at Automattic, so long as they keep their criticisms to themselves And the community of people who _use_ WordPress to run their websites, and the people who help them to do that, and the 3rd party plugin and theme developers who make WP work for so many different kinds of websites - can all go and get fucked.
- belorn 2y ago
  I can see how clients that have sites hosted on WPEngine can be a bit concerned. Did you receive any queries by people who do not have anything hosted by WPEngine, but rather simply have a wordpress site on some other hosting company/self-hosted? I work at a hosting company and we have received zero questions, and we have a fair larger number of clients who sites are built on wordpress. In terms of going nuclear, anything regarding trademark will have zero impact on our clients.
  - bigiain 2y ago
    Yeah. One of those clients is hosted on GCE. She is quite technical and plugged into general IT news, and they are in the middle of due diligence with potential investors though. > In terms of going nuclear, anything regarding trademark will have zero impact on our clients. Is that true if Matt/Automattic win against WPEngine, and he starts using that as precident and starts demanding 8% of revenue as his standard shakedown on anybody who's used the "WordPress" trademark to generate revenue?
    - belorn 2y ago
      Yes, it is true. Websites built on wordpress do not generally use wordpress trademark to generate revenue. Its not recommended to have footers that says "built on wordpress", nor is recommended to keep the default website icon. If the client is, say a medical company that sells medical products, any reference to wordpress would be unprofessional to have on their company website. Is that client of yours a web developing company that focus on wordpress in their marketing?

I have dozens of clients on WordPress and I've not heard from a single one. I'm pretty worried personally, though.

by gman83 2y ago

I have dozens of clients on WordPress and I've not heard from a single one. I'm pretty worried personally, though.

Why are you worried? I am struggling to understand why anyone cares. I am not a WordPress user though. The WordPress code is available to WPEngine. How are Mullenweg's actions damaging them?

fortyseven 2y ago
So you don't use it, or understand anything about what's going on, apparently, but you have big opinions on it contrary to those who actually do know what's up. Brilliant. No notes.
- chairmansteve 2y ago
  I don't see any opinion in my post. I am literally asking why this is important. Are you a troll?
  - SAI_Peregrinus 2y ago
    Automattic are claiming they own the trademark on WordPress, WP, etc, when it comes to CMS software & hosting of that software. WP Engine is a prominent hosting provider for WordPress, who also contribute several very popular plugins. Automattic have sued WP Engine. Automattic have blocked WP Engine from updating any of their plugins, or anything else on wordpress.org. A vulnerability was found in a WP Engine plugin, and Automattic have taken it over (but are not doing any maintenance). Automattic's CEO went on a number of unhinged rants here and elsewhere.
    - chairmansteve 2y ago
      Got it, thank you. But everyone is still able to publish their blogs, on both WordPress and WPEngine? And both WordPress and WPEngine are able to fork each other's code and run separate platforms? So long term fragmentation is the main danger? Am I completely off the mark?
      - SAI_Peregrinus 2y ago
        Well, WP Engine's users can't (legally) use wordpress.org's services any longer, so they're at risk since they can't log in there to check for plugin updates. Also the takeover of the ACF plugin removed all pro features, which broke some users' websites.
  - Brian_K_White 2y ago
    You very clearly expressed the opinion that no one should care what Matt has done.
    - chairmansteve 2y ago
      It turns out that my question means something else in American English vernacular. My question was meant literally. I was very surprised at the triggered response. Unusual on HN. But another HN user clarified. Lesson learnt.
  - edanm 2y ago
    I think the phrase "struggling to understand why anyone cares" implies that you think no on should care. Maybe that's not what you meant. I have no dog in this fight. Just telling you why someone would assume you are expressing an opinion.
    - chairmansteve 2y ago
      Thanks, I am not American, that clarifies the apparently random attack.

bigiain 2y ago

We've had 3 queries so far out of about two dozen clients on WP/WPEngine. We are _actively_ making contingency plans. But our best estimate at this stage is that WPEngine will provide a suitable way to keep all our WPEngine sites running at least in the short and medium term, but we are also making disaster plans in case this all goes, as Matt intends, "nuclear". Matt keeps talking about how he's doing this "for the WordPress Community", but as I commented elsewhere: So far as I can tell, when Matt talks about "the WordPress Community", he means: - Matt - the people who didn't quit Automattic last week - _maybe_ the WP core developers who don't work at Automattic, so long as they keep their criticisms to themselves And the community of people who _use_ WordPress to run their websites, and the people who help them to do that, and the 3rd party plugin and theme developers who make WP work for so many different kinds of websites - can all go and get fucked.

belorn 2y ago
I can see how clients that have sites hosted on WPEngine can be a bit concerned. Did you receive any queries by people who do not have anything hosted by WPEngine, but rather simply have a wordpress site on some other hosting company/self-hosted? I work at a hosting company and we have received zero questions, and we have a fair larger number of clients who sites are built on wordpress. In terms of going nuclear, anything regarding trademark will have zero impact on our clients.
- bigiain 2y ago
  Yeah. One of those clients is hosted on GCE. She is quite technical and plugged into general IT news, and they are in the middle of due diligence with potential investors though. > In terms of going nuclear, anything regarding trademark will have zero impact on our clients. Is that true if Matt/Automattic win against WPEngine, and he starts using that as precident and starts demanding 8% of revenue as his standard shakedown on anybody who's used the "WordPress" trademark to generate revenue?
  - belorn 2y ago
    Yes, it is true. Websites built on wordpress do not generally use wordpress trademark to generate revenue. Its not recommended to have footers that says "built on wordpress", nor is recommended to keep the default website icon. If the client is, say a medical company that sells medical products, any reference to wordpress would be unprofessional to have on their company website. Is that client of yours a web developing company that focus on wordpress in their marketing?