How Pixo is navigating the WordPress controversy

Recent events in the WordPress ecosystem have sent shockwaves through the community, raising concerns about the future of the platform and the relationships between key players. As an agency specializing in large custom CMS platforms often built in WordPress, we at Pixo want to provide our perspective on these developments and explain our approach to mitigating potential risks.

A brief history of the dispute

The controversy between WordPress co-founder Matt Mullenweg and hosting provider WP Engine has escalated dramatically over the past few weeks:

1. Initial criticism: In mid-September, Mullenweg published a blog post calling WP Engine a “cancer to WordPress,” criticizing various aspects of their service.
2. Legal exchanges: Both parties exchanged cease-and-desist letters, with WP Engine claiming Mullenweg threatened a “scorched earth nuclear approach” unless they paid to license the WordPress trademark.
3. WordPress.org ban: Mullenweg banned WP Engine from accessing WordPress.org resources, preventing their users from updating plugins and themes. This ban was briefly lifted and then reinstated.
4. Trademark policy changes: The WordPress Foundation, where Mullenweg is a board member, updated its Trademark Policy page to specifically call out WP Engine.
5. ACF plugin takeover: In an unprecedented move, WordPress.org took control of the Advanced Custom Fields (ACF) plugin, developed by WP Engine, rebranding it as “Secure Custom Fields (SCF).” This action was taken without the consent of the plugin’s creators.

These events have raised significant concerns about the stability of the WordPress ecosystem and the potential for similar actions against other plugins or hosting providers.

The implications for WordPress users

The dispute between WordPress and WP Engine has far-reaching implications:

1. Security concerns: The ban on WordPress.org resources left many websites vulnerable to security threats due to the inability to update plugins and themes.
2. Plugin uncertainty: The takeover of the ACF plugin has created uncertainty about the future of other popular plugins and the rights of plugin developers.
3. Hosting provider relationships: The conflict raises questions about the relationships between WordPress and various hosting providers, potentially impacting users’ choices.
4. Open-source integrity: These actions have sparked debates about the integrity of the open-source model that WordPress is built upon.

These challenges likely affect most WordPress users,  small businesses, and organizations that rely heavily on the WordPress ecosystem for “low touch” updates and hosting solutions.

However, these recent actions have not affected Pixo’s clients’ websites because our development and maintenance approach mitigates or eliminates external factors like these.

Pixo’s approach to WordPress development

Our approach to WordPress development has proved to be even more prudent in light of these recent developments:

1. Controlled update process: We manage updates regularly, allowing us to review, test, and monitor each change carefully. This process has become even more crucial given the recent events.
2. Minimal plugin usage: We use as few plugins as possible, focusing on popular, well-maintained options with staying power in the market. While we use ACF Pro (which is currently unaffected), we’re closely monitoring the situation and are prepared to adapt if necessary.
3. Custom development: Our projects often involve custom development, which reduces our reliance on third-party plugins and themes. This approach provides us with greater control and stability.
4. Deployment independence: Our update deployment method occurs independently of the web host, ensuring that updates cannot be blocked or interrupted by disputes between WordPress and hosting providers.
5. Advanced Custom Fields (ACF) usage: Pixo often makes extensive use of the ACF plugin to create fields for our websites. This plugin is one of the few plugins that we rely on outside of the WordPress core feature set because of the value it delivers and the reliability it has shown over many years. Because Pixo only uses the licensed “pro” version of ACF, we are protected from this recent takeover of the free version of the plugin that is hosted on wordpress.org. Our websites get ACF updates directly from the WP Engine’s servers (the company that maintains the plugin).

Moving forward

While these events have raised valid concerns about WordPress’s future, we at Pixo remain committed to delivering secure, scalable, and reliable CMS solutions for our clients. Our approach to WordPress development positions us well to navigate these challenges.

We will continue to monitor the situation closely and adapt our strategies as needed to ensure the long-term success of our clients’ digital platforms. As always, we’re here to address any concerns you may have about your website or the future of your CMS platform — WordPress or anything else.

The WordPress ecosystem is being challenged right now, and the coming weeks and months will be crucial in determining its future direction. Rest assured that Pixo is prepared to adapt and evolve alongside these changes, always with our client’s best interests at heart.