Linux Foundation steps in with neutral solution to WordPress crisis

Editor’s take: The battle between WordPress and WP Engine might carry your entire WP neighborhood to an unprecedented breakup. It is why the Linux Basis is making an attempt to keep away from the worst-case situation with another platform for distributing and sharing WP-related content material.

Whereas Matt Mullenweg and WP Engine are combating for the center (and cash) of WordPress, the Linux Basis (LF) is making an attempt to carry some semblance of order to this chaos. The non-profit group born to help Linux and open-source actions just lately launched the Honest Package deal Supervisor Mission, a brand new initiative designed to host and distribute WordPress code and content material by a impartial platform.

Honest is a federated and unbiased repository of WordPress plugins, themes, and instruments, launched by each open-source and business ventures. This new vendor-neutral bundle administration system is designed to carry stability to the WordPress platform, the Linux Basis explained. LF Government Director Jim Zemlin mentioned that WordPress contributors, builders, and corporations ought to relaxation assured {that a} impartial group is now managing updates and plugins.

The Honest Package deal Supervisor Mission’s official repository explains intimately how the brand new platform is making an attempt to attain its said objectives. The challenge is a decentralized various to WordPress.org’s centralized strategy to managing WP’s plugin and theme ecosystem. It really works as a drop-in substitute for the standard WP platform, offering a brand new API for speaking with server-side sources, and a brand new bundle distribution mannequin and protocol that may work with customized mirrors and domains as effectively.

The Honest challenge may be applied in customized WordPress installations both as a standalone plugin or as a full WP distribution with the plugin preinstalled. Honest removes reliance on a single supply for WP core and plugin updates, LF mentioned, and can try to battle fragmentation throughout the overly contentious WP ecosystem. Moreover, Honest ought to make WordPress extra aligned with Europe’s GDPR, with improved privateness and safety measures and fewer telemetry information despatched to business entities.

In line with LF’s announcement, Honest needs to be well-received by all WP gamers because of the folks concerned with the challenge. The Technical Steering Committee is led by Carrie Dils, Mika Epstein, and Ryan McCue, who’re distinguished figures and specialists within the WP neighborhood. Dils is a widely known supporter of unbiased builders; Epstein is the previous supervisor; and McCue developed the all-important WordPress REST API whereas contributing to the challenge for greater than 20 years.

The Honest Package deal Supervisor Mission is clearly making an attempt to deal with the conflict between Automattic founder Matt Mullenweg and WP Engine. In 2024, Mullenweg escalated the criticism in opposition to WP Engine, a WP internet hosting firm that allegedly exploited WordPress.org sources to gas its personal enterprise with out paying a dime in alternate. WordPress is each an open-source project and a commercial venture, whereas the brand new Honest challenge is depicted as a completely community-led challenge aiming to construct a brand new WP infrastructure that’s each resilient and “honest” to everybody.