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Developers pulling plugins from WordPress.org as tensions with WordPress co-founder escalate
In the wake of WordPress.org’s controversial takeover of WP Engine’s Advanced Custom Fields plugin, developers are pulling their plugins from the official repository, opting to take control of their distribution amid growing concerns that WordPress.org is no longer a secure place to host plugins. The team behind Paid Memberships Pro (PMP) has closed their plugin…
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WP Engine banned from sponsoring WordCamps, disrupting WordCamp Sydney
WP Engine has been banned from sponsoring WordCamps and WordPress events, with WordCamp Sydney 2024 the first event to be affected.
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WordPress.org takes control of ACF, sparking community outrage
WordPress.org has taken over the free version of Advanced Custom Fields (ACF) plugin in a move WordPress co-founder Matt Mullenweg has justified for security reasons, prompting backlash.
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Plugin Review Team hits zero backlog, reducing wait time to seven days
The WordPress Plugin Review Team achieved a significant milestone last week, bringing the queue for initial plugin reviews down to zero. A year ago, the review team faced a massive backlog of 1,260 plugins awaiting review following the departure of long-time rep Mika Epstein in July 2023. Developers were told to wait at least 91…
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WordPress.org escalates WP Engine conflict with login checkbox requirement
The ban on WP Engine’s access to WordPress.org escalated further this week with the introduction of a new checkbox requiring anyone logging in to confirm they are not affiliated with the hosting company. It’s also dragged WordPress.org users and contributors into WP Engine’s conflict with Automattic and its CEO, Matt Mullenweg. The WordPress.org login page…
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Mary Hubbard returns to Automattic to lead WordPress project as new executive director
The WordPress project is set to welcome a new executive director later this month. Matt Mullenweg, co-founder of WordPress and CEO of Automattic, has announced Mary Hubbard will assume the role on October 21. Hubbard is no stranger to WordPress, having worked for Automattic from 2020 to 2023. She started as the General Manager of…
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Automattic hires WPGraphQL creator, plugin to become canonical
WPGraphQL is set to become a canonical plugin at WordPress.org. Its creator and maintainer, Jason Bahl, announced today that after three and a half years at WP Engine, he has accepted an offer from rival hosting company Automattic to continue his work on the project. Started in 2016, WPGraphQL is a free, open source plugin…
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ACF patches vulnerability following Automattic disclosure misstep
ACF developers at WP Engine have patched a vulnerability affecting both the free and Pro versions of the popular plugin after Automattic broke with established security reporting practices and disclosed the issue on X. ACF 6.3.8 patches an arbitrary code execution vulnerability involving Post Type and Taxonomy metabox callbacks where a user with ACF admin…
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159 people leave Automattic, WordPress Executive Director steps down
WordPress Executive Director Josepha Haden Chomphosy has left Automattic, along with 159 other employees who accepted a severance package offered to those who disagreed with CEO Matt Mullenweg’s handling of the ongoing WP Engine feud. In a blog post yesterday, Mullenweg said Automattic employees were offered $30,000 or six months salary, whichever was higher, but…
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Automattic clarifies WordPress trademark use, warning hosting companies
Automattic has put hosting companies on notice, publishing a “legal perspective” this week on how the WordPress trademarks can be used to describe the use of the open source software for hosting purposes. According to Neil Peretz, Associate General Counsel at Automattic, users of the WordPress software have “nominative fair use” rights. This means anyone who…