WP Engine is not WordPress. Matt is WordPress.

[joelr]

The world of WordPress, one of the most popular technologies for creating and hosting websites, is going through a very heated controversy. The core issue is the fight between WordPress founder and Automattic CEO Matt Mullenweg and WP Engine, which hosts websites built on WordPress.

WordPress technology is open source and free, and it powers a huge chunk of the internet — around 40% of websites. Websites can host their own WordPress instance or use a solution provider like Automattic or WP Engine for a plug-and-play solution.

In mid-September, Mullenweg wrote a blog post calling WP Engine a “cancer to WordPress.” He criticized the host for disabling the ability for users to see and track the revision history for every post. Mullenweg believes this feature is at the “core of the user promise of protecting your data” and said that WP Engine turns it off by default to save money.

He also called out WP Engine investor Silver Lake and said they don’t contribute sufficiently to the open source project and that WP Engine’s use of the “WP” brand has confused customers into believing it is part of WordPress.

The WordPress vs. WP Engine drama, explained | TechCrunch

This story has been updated throughout with more details as the story has developed. We will continue to do so as the case and dispute are ongoing. The

techcrunch.com

 

[Shawn Gossman]

Are they checking to see if you're affiliated with WP Engine at all or can you just lie?

 

[Ravenfreak]

I honestly thought WP Engine stood for "Wordpress Engine" until I read this article. I can see why Wordpress went after the company. It's odd seeing the "I am not affiliated with WP Engine in any way, financially or otherwise." text though.

 

[Carlos]

I honestly thought WP Engine stood for "Wordpress Engine" until I read this article. I can see why Wordpress went after the company. It's odd seeing the "I am not affiliated with WP Engine in any way, financially or otherwise." text though.

The problem is that the consortion that is Automattic is not the "for-profit" company it needs to wield the iron fist. It's a non-profit. However Matt calls it, it's one and the same. Wordpress.com and Wordpress.com are one and the same, and under the same umbrella no matter what Matt says or how he handled the corporate structure. Non-profits are still for-profit companies.

The reason why they designed the company like this is to follow the Wikipedia business model of donations. But the thing is, Matt doesn't want to be taxed like a C-corp company. So, to skirt the law, to skirt the tax code... he decided to make it a "non-profit" designated company. He takes donations from anyone, including BlackRock. I'm telling you right now, the writing is on the wall... Wordpress is about to die in the years that follows today.

Right now, I'm drawing a blank. I'll come back to this tomorrow, but xenForo community section has like over 17 pages and Forsaken is trying to make this a bigger drama than it is. Matt ain't no saint, but oh c'mon. This is semantics and is business talk.

Meh, whatever.