WordPress Co-Founder Warns Lawsuits Could End WordPress.org: Hashtag Trending for Wednesday, January 15, 2025

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WordPress Co-Founder Warns Lawsuits Could Mean The End Of  WordPress.org. Tech Leaders Launch $30M Campaign to Protect Bluesky and Mastodon. OpenAI Drops their commitment to AI being ‘Politically Unbiased’ Clause, Raising Concerns.

This is Hashtag Trending, for Wednesday, January 15th, I’m your host, Jim Love.

WordPress Co-Founder Warns Lawsuits Could Be The End of WordPress.org

When we think of huge open source successes, we naturally think of Linux, but there’s another huge open source success story that everyone of us use every day. 

WordPress powers close to 30 percent of the world’s websites. Two out of five sites are delivered with that software and it has a huge ecosystem of developer and contributors. And according to one of its founders, Matt Mullenweg, WordPress.org, the central focus of that community could be coming to an end.

How did this come about? The conflict started when Mullenweg moved to cut off hosting provider WP Engine’s access to critical WordPress resources.  WP Engine claimed that Mullenweg was trying to push the company out of business. Mullenweg claimed that they were freeloaders, taking advantage of WordPress without contributing back. So he tried to block them from using the WordPress trademark and more. He’s arbitrarily cut of them and others from their wordpress.org accounts. 

WP Engine felt that Mullenweb’s actions were going to hurt or even destroy their wordpress hosting business. 

 In response, WP Engine filed a lawsuit, prompting what is likely to be a prolonged legal battle.

Although Mullenweg claims the lawsuits could bankrupt him or force WordPress.org to shut down, he remains resolute in his position and insists the only resolution is for WP Engine to drop their legal action. But, a federal judge recently sided with WP Engine, halting Mullenweg’s attempts to disrupt the hosting company’s operations.

In the meantime, the WordPress community is alarmed. Users have expressed concerns about the platform’s stability, with some developers considering alternatives like Drupal or ClassicPress. A prominent user pleaded with Mullenweg on social media, emphasizing the importance of stability for the livelihoods of thousands of developers and agencies.

Despite community backlash, Mullenweg remains resolute, warning that the legal cases could stretch into 2026 or even 2027. Mullenweg has doubled down and closed the accounts of others who he thinks are opposed to his actions. 

Who is right and who is wrong doesn’t really matter to the thousands of people who have invested in services and software associated with WordPress. 

And with neither side backing down, the future of WordPress.org hangs in the balance.

Tech Leaders Launch $30M Campaign to Protect Bluesky and Mastodon

A group of tech leaders has launched a $30 million campaign called Free Our Feeds to protect decentralized platforms like Bluesky from corporate takeovers. Bluesky, originally co-founded by former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, has gained popularity as an alternative to Twitter, now called X. The campaign aims to ensure that Bluesky’s open-source infrastructure remains under community control, even if ownership changes.

The campaign has the backing of figures like Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales and Mozilla’s Mark Surman. Actor Mark Ruffalo is also a supporter. The funds will go toward creating a foundation to safeguard Bluesky from billionaire influence.

Meanwhile, Mastodon, another decentralized platform, is transitioning to nonprofit ownership. Founder Eugen Rochko is stepping back to ensure the platform remains independent of any single wealthy individual or corporation. Mastodon plans to introduce new features like a privacy-respecting search tool while enhancing trust and safety measures.

Both efforts reflect growing concerns about billionaire influence on social media and a desire to preserve user control over these platforms.

OpenAI Drops ‘Politically Unbiased’ Clause, Raising Concerns

OpenAI has quietly removed a policy clause that stated its AI models should remain politically unbiased. This change coincides with Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg rolling back some fact-checking measures and Elon Musk continuing to block critics on his platform X, despite claims of supporting free speech.

Critics argue that these moves indicate growing political influence over tech platforms. The removal of the neutrality clause raises concerns that OpenAI may face pressure to align with political agendas.

Zuckerberg recently acknowledged flaws in Meta’s fact-checking approach, which some say is an attempt to reduce corporate liability. Meanwhile, Musk’s selective moderation practices have been called out as contradictory to his free-speech stance.

In the U.S., there’s been a backlash against what some call “woke” policies in tech, but others see this as a smokescreen for political interference. The fear is that politicized tech governance will erode trust and undermine the objective role of AI and social media platforms.

The trend raises important questions about the balance between content moderation, freedom of expression, and political influence in the digital age.

That’s our show for today. You can reach me with tips, comments, and even some constructive criticism.

I’m your host Jim Love. Thanks for listening.

 

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