Hey everyone, I’ve been thinking a lot about what might happen to WordPress after all this drama. It’s got me worried about where things are headed.
I came up with a few ideas of what could happen:
Everything goes back to normal (probably won’t happen)
The community splits up and makes new plugin stores (might happen)
People make totally new versions of WordPress (could happen)
WordPress starts charging for each site (probably won’t happen)
WordPress.org becomes its own real company (very likely)
WP Engine loses and things get weird (probably won’t happen)
WP Engine loses and it’s bad for everyone (probably won’t happen)
WP Engine wins and it hurts WordPress (might happen)
WP Engine wins but Matt finds new ways to make money (could happen)
They make a deal and settle things (most likely)
What do you all think? Any other ideas about what might happen? It’s hard to know for sure, but I’m curious what others in the community are thinking about all this.
i think wp will survive, but things might get shaken up. maybe we’ll see more competition in the plugin market, which could be good for us users. prices might go up tho. whatever happens, I bet wordpress will still be around - its too big to just disappear overnight.
I’ve been using WordPress for over a decade, and I’ve gotta say, this situation feels different. The community’s always been the backbone of WordPress, but now it’s being tested like never before.
From what I’ve seen, the most likely scenario is some sort of compromise between WP Engine and Automattic. Neither wants to lose face or market share. But here’s the thing - this could actually lead to some much-needed changes in how the project is governed.
One outcome I haven’t seen mentioned is increased scrutiny from regulators. With the amount of money and websites involved, don’t be surprised if government bodies start taking a closer look at how WordPress operates.
Ultimately, I think WordPress will weather this storm, but it won’t be the same afterward. We might see a more decentralized ecosystem emerge, with multiple marketplaces and a lessening of Automattic’s influence. It’ll be rocky for a while, but in the long run, it could make WordPress stronger and more resilient.
As someone who’s been in the WordPress ecosystem for years, I’ve seen my fair share of upheavals. This situation with WP Engine is certainly concerning, but I’m not as pessimistic as some. WordPress has always been resilient, adapting to challenges and market shifts.
I think the most likely outcome is a compromise between the involved parties. The WordPress community is too valuable for either side to risk alienating. We might see some restructuring of how themes and plugins are distributed, perhaps with more transparency and clearer guidelines.
That said, this could be a catalyst for positive change. It might lead to better governance structures within WordPress.org and more diverse representation in decision-making processes. While change can be unsettling, it often leads to innovation and improvement in the long run.
Whatever happens, I’m confident WordPress will remain a dominant force in web publishing. Its open-source nature and vast community are its greatest strengths.