One Man Effectively Controls 40% of the Internet . . . And This is A Problem.
Post inspired from an article by Aures Notes on Medium, November 2024.
What if I told you that one man effectively holds the reins to 40% of the internet?
Sounds a bit dramatic, doesn’t it? But that’s precisely the situation we’re in with Matt Mullenweg, the brain behind WordPress - a tool so embedded in our online lives that you’ve probably used it without even realising. So the Internet has a problem.
Let’s rewind to the early 2000s. A 19-year-old Matt, full of curiosity and big ideas, stumbled across b2/cafelog, a rudimentary content management system (CMS). Instead of just tinkering with it, he forked it (that’s geek-speak for creating a new version) and built WordPress - a platform so simple and effective that it became the go-to solution for bloggers, businesses, and creatives. Today, WordPress powers a staggering 810 million websites, from hobby blogs to massive e-commerce platforms.
But all that power in one pair of hands? It’s not all roses and rainbows.
The WordPress Monopoly
Let’s not mince words here - WordPress is a game-changer for anyone looking to build a site. It’s open-source, meaning anyone can modify it, and it’s free, which doesn’t hurt its appeal. But there’s one catch: WordPress is controlled by Automattic, Mullenweg’s company, and he calls the shots.
This wouldn’t be much of an issue if Mullenweg were simply a benevolent overseer. But his recent moves have caused a right stir. Take WP Engine, a WordPress hosting company. Matt labelled them a “cancer” for supposedly piggybacking on the WordPress name while giving little back to the project. Strong words, right? WP Engine fired back with legal threats, but Matt wasn’t having any of it. He blocked them from accessing WordPress updates, leaving their customers stranded.
And then came the cherry on top: Automattic appropriated a popular plugin developed by WP Engine, citing vague rules about protecting the WordPress “community.” Whether this was a justified move or a power grab depends on who you ask.
A Conflict of Interests?
Here’s where things start to feel a bit off. While WordPress itself is free, Mullenweg has made a fortune through Automattic’s various ventures. They own WordPress.com (a hosting service), WooCommerce (for e-commerce), and Jetpack (a bloated plugin that slows websites but somehow remains popular). These businesses rake in hundreds of millions of dollars a year.
So when Mullenweg picks a fight with WP Engine, a direct competitor to Automattic, it’s hard not to wonder if this is less about “community” and more about crushing rivals.
And what about the rest of us, the WordPress users? Are we just pawns in this corporate spat?
The Fallout
Let’s get one thing straight: the WordPress community is more than just Matt Mullenweg. It’s made up of developers, designers, and everyday folks who rely on the platform to make a living. And many of them are furious.
David Heinemeier Hansson, a respected voice in the open-source world, urged Mullenweg to bury the hatchet with WP Engine. Instead, Matt fired back with a public letter filled with insults and mockery. Not exactly what you’d expect from someone at the helm of such a significant project.
The result? People are losing faith. Some developers are even talking about forking WordPress - essentially creating a rival version of the software to escape Matt’s control. It’s not an easy task, but the whispers are getting louder.
Cracks in the Foundation
All this drama brings up another uncomfortable truth: WordPress, despite its dominance, isn’t perfect. It’s clunky, slow, and often requires a heap of plugins to do what should be basic tasks.
Take WooCommerce, Automattic’s flagship e-commerce tool. Despite being over a decade old, it still lacks some fundamental features, like proper fields for product variations, a must-have for things like Google Shopping. And then there’s Jetpack, which promises to “enhance” WordPress sites but often ends up being more trouble than it’s worth.
With so much focus on lawsuits and power plays, one has to ask: wouldn’t Matt’s time be better spent fixing these glaring flaws?
Who Owns Your Website?
Here’s the kicker: if you use WordPress, you don’t fully own your website. Sure, you can customise it and host it wherever you like. But if Automattic decides to pull the plug on a feature or service you rely on, like they did with WP Engine, you’re out of luck.
This isn’t just about WordPress. It’s a wake-up call for anyone who relies on software controlled by a single entity. When one person or company holds all the cards, everyone else is at their mercy.
What Happens Next?
No one knows how this saga will end. Maybe Matt will step back and let cooler heads prevail. Maybe the WordPress community will fracture, with new competitors rising to challenge Automattic. Or maybe the status quo will hold, and we’ll all keep using WordPress while grumbling about its flaws.
But one thing’s for sure: this isn’t just a WordPress problem. It’s a question of how we, as a society, balance innovation with accountability. Can we trust the people who build the tools we rely on? And if not, what’s the alternative?
Over to you - what do you think?
Would you stick with WordPress warts and all?, or is it time to explore other options?
One alternative is . . . not to use Wordpress, as there are many other proprietary web-building systems. Digital Advantage also use Wix. Contact us for a quote - digitaladvantage.me
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