WordPress, the world's most popular content management system, finds itself at the center of a controversy involving its community organizers and the oversight by Automattic, the company led by WordPress co-creator Matt Mullenweg.
According to the register, the mandate, delivered through an official letter from an Automattic employee, requires WordCamp organizers to share login credentials for their event-related social media accounts.
Automattic claims this requirement stems from "recurrent issues with new organizing teams losing access to the event's social media accounts."
Kellie Peterson, former head of domains at Automattic, shared the letter ordering the sharing of social media creds and the takedown request sent to WordCamp Sydney.
The situation has become particularly contentious following an incident involving WordCamp Sydney. Organizers were instructed to remove social media posts that spoke favorably about WP Engine's contributions to the WordPress community.
The takedown request cited that the content did not "align with the Community Team's view," raising concerns about content control and community independence.
Conflict within the WordPress ecosystem
This development is part of a larger conflict within the WordPress ecosystem. Matt Mullenweg's ongoing criticism of WP Engine is at the center of the dispute, arguing that the private-equity-controlled hosting company should either license the WordPress trademark or increase its contributions to the platform's open-source codebase.
Peterson and others see these actions as attempts to control the narrative around WordPress rather than safeguarding the community's interests. This sentiment is echoed across the community, where there's a growing concern that such measures could stifle the organic growth and spirit of WordCamps.
The situation highlights growing tensions between WordPress's commercial interests and its community-driven nature, raising questions about the future of community events and their independence within the WordPress ecosystem.
At the same time, a website named Alt Ctrl Org has emerged, calling the community to join a sideloaded event on June 7th after the WordCamp event to hear alternative talks on WordPress.
"WordCamp EU has 3 tracks in the day, but we’re here to introduce Track 4, the evening track that is an alternative space for ideas that might not fit the official program. Alt Ctrl Org is the physicl space where people can meet, talk and think outside the box." - website content reads
"we’re bringing together speakers for quick, impactful talks on topics like governance, freedom of expression, decentralization, and other challenging issues. Drinks in hand we will have talks about organising alternative paths for a alternative unified future."