It seems that even the nerdy corner of the internet that we occupy is not free from a bit of drama – because Matt Mullenweg, WordPress’s creator, has been taking aim at WP Engine, a top hosting provider for WordPress.
Since Jambi is a successful WordPress-powered agency and a partner of WP Engine, our Founder Rob felt it only right to weigh in on the situation. Rob writes:
“What Is Mullenweg’s Grievance?
Mullenweg’s criticism hinges on the idea that WP Engine, because it uses and benefits from the open-source WordPress platform, should be contributing more code and financial resources back into its development. While WP Engine does make some contributions, Matt believes these should match the company’s significant revenue from the platform.
Additionally, there’s a question about WP Engine’s use of the “WordPress” name. Though the CMS is open-source, the WordPress trademark is not, and Matt argues WP Engine should pay for using it commercially.
Are These Grievances Legitimate?
Open-source code is one of the best things about the software development industry. It’s essentially freely available code, maintained by a community, for anyone to use. It’s a wonderful premise, one that other industries could benefit from too. I think it should be actively protected, and contributed to, by individuals and corporations where possible.
As a massive company benefiting from WordPress, it’s fair to expect WP Engine to contribute to the ecosystem it profits from. However, charging for the use of WordPress raises a contradiction: if it’s open to one, it should be open to all. WP Engine are able to use WordPress in the same way I am, and the same way you are – freely and without restriction.
It must also be said that the way Matt has aired his grievances has been cringy at best, threatening to the WordPress community at worst. The ‘Most entitled, narcissistic tech-bro’ award is an incredibly competitive field, but even so, his actions have stood out for the wrong reasons and have not helped his cause at all.
The WP Engine Perspective
When I founded Jambi, I used AWS for hosting – reliable but entirely self-managed. As our workload grew, I looked around for a managed hosting solution that could handle the technical load without constant oversight. WP Engine’s strong reputation, expert support team, and focus on WordPress made them an ideal choice.
Transitioning to WP Engine was going to be a big job. Organsing servers, managing people’s downtime fears, and accessing DNS records takes time and care. I can’t remember any specific issues that came up during the months-long migration project, but I do remember that when I did have questions I was able to get in touch with a good human at WP Engine almost instantly, and they stayed with me until my questions were answered and issues fully resolved, every single time. For a (mostly) solo business owner it was incredible to know that someone had my back, that actually I could reach out to someone reliable, and not have it placed squarely and exclusively on my shoulders.
Our Experience with WP Engine
Since moving to WP Engine, our experience has been overwhelmingly positive. Here’s why:
- Reliable Uptime: Since moving to WP Engine, I can’t recall a single outage. Not one. I’ve honestly been sat here at the Science Park for a while trying to remember even a momentary blip to just one site, but I can’t.
- Proactive Support: WP Engine’s technical and customer service is exceptional. I recently received a call from our account manager just to check in – a rare gesture, especially given the recent upheavals.
- Added Value Services: The additional services we’ve adopted work seamlessly, saving me from managing technical details and allowing me to focus on client needs.
- Trustworthy Tech: I haven’t worried about needing to manage the figurative nuts and bolts of servers at all. No package updates, checking memory allocation, or firewall rules. Bliss. Instead I’ve ploughed that time into things my clients actually care about
WP Engine is not cheap. Do I care though? Not at all. I have used and paid for online services for a long old time now, and WP Engine comfortably ranks near the very top in terms of service delivered. To suggest that WP Engine doesn’t provide its own service and is purely profiteering off the WordPress name and product is false, misleading, and potentially damaging.
What happens next?
Well, lawsuits have been filed, tweets have been posted, and, most weirdly, checkboxes have been coded. Although it’s messy, it’s unlikely to threaten the essence of open-source, which is vital to modern tech and remains resilient to corporate disputes. I take great comfort in finding something in open source that is both built on collaboration, the sharing of ideas and technological development, and that is, in all likelihood, unshakeable.
