Issue #128 Loop WP

Hi, friend. 👋

Welcome to Issue #128 of Loop WP!

Last week, we chatted about YouTube, how it slows down your website and what you can do about it so you can still embed your awesome content without impacting performance and privacy.

This week, after putting things off for a couple of weeks, it’s time to share my thoughts on the Halloween Horror show that the latest #WPDrama has become.

Let’s go! 👇

Spooky Season has begun!

🎃 It “might” be a bit early for Halloween puns, but I think most of you will agree with the horror show the last couple of weeks in WordPress have been.

I’ve held off writing about my thoughts for several reasons:

• There seemed to be daily new information and updates every few hours.

• Some very experienced and knowledgeable people in the community shared their thoughts.

• The last couple of weeks (for me, at least) have been a bit “all-consuming” and downheartening.

I didn’t want to write about it, but then this happened. 👇

🎢 It’s been a rollercoaster of emotions over the last couple of weeks, but Matt’s attitude to this question angered me. 🤬

Why, friend?

Well, the answer was in my reply on Twitter/X, but to make it crystal clear:

🤦‍♂️ “Seemingly” Matt doesn’t care, and I would imagine (I can’t confirm) that the 2+ million installs of ACF are most likely the free version.

The Pro version shouldn’t be impacted as it has its own update system, but that won’t help most users.

A Twist to the Tale?

Like you, friend, I'm sure you wish this whole thing were over; profound lessons can be learned, and we can move on.

⏳ I can’t see a swift solution, and I think WordPress will be profoundly impacted going forward.

🤯 However, Matt's threat of “a corporate takeover” of WP Engine could be a possible end (and “twist in the tale”) to this saga.

Please Note: The Repository made public comments from Post Status (which might be against the terms of Post Status membership), and Matt's comments, therefore, lack full context.

Where Does The Community Go From Here?

🧠 There is so much ambiguity at this point, and Jake Goldman makes a great point in this thread about looking outside WordPress and shifting the dialogue. 👇

✅ Joost de Valk calls for greater transparency and governance, and Morten Rand-Hendriksen elaborates on this more in terms of “sharing the load”.

There have been many calls for Matt to step down, and certainly, from what the algorithms serve me, that seems to be the majority opinion.

• Could Matt have initially handled things differently? Yes.

• Could Matt continue to handle things better? Yes.

Should Matt step down? I honestly don’t know, and Brian Coords argues there “needs to be balance.”

There is still much more of this story to be told…

That’s it for this week 👋

⏭️ Who knows? The drama could have evolved even further, and there will be more to discuss, but we will hopefully move on to something more positive.

Hopefully, for the last time, we have a special News and Tips section below dedicated to the latest in the drama for you to follow along with (if you choose).

Weekly WordPress News & Tips

The links below do not represent my support or disagreement of an article or opinion.

It would be great if the links were chronological, but that is more time-consuming than worth it!

🚨 If I include an X/Twitter post, read the comments for more insights and antithesis to the post (there are two sides to every story).

• On with Theo / T3.gg - The full video that made me write this newsletter. (Matt Mullenweg)

• The “Harsh” Video - This might be the end of WordPress - the original video that led to Matt’s interview above. (Theo - t3.gg)

• The Stripe Thing - Affiliate links are worth a lot of money. Is WooCommerce offering $500 to switch plugins? (Andrew Robbins)

• More Stripe - If a host swapped out the Stripe account info used by Woo instances they host with their own... they'd funnel that monetization their way and take it out of the pocket of the developer. (Carl Hancock)

• The Longer Impact - Automattic vs WP Engine: What I see as the most disruptive scenario going into 2025. (Noel Tock)

• These Things Matter - WordPress Drama: From the Sidelines. (Eric Mann)

• Fire Matt - If WordPress is to survive, Matt Mullenweg must be removed. (Josh Collinsworth)

• Another Interview - Matt Talks About WordPress Situation. (The Prime Time)

• A Discussion - Automattic vs WP Engine, with Matt Medeiros, Courtney Robertson and Brian Coords. (The WP Minute)

The above is not an exhaustive list of sources, and I have tried to be unbiased in listing as much helpful information as possible.

If you have a question about this email or WordPress, reply, and I will answer you as soon as possible.

👋 Until next time,