Laptop with a WordPress LogoLaptop with a WordPress Logo

WordPress v WP Engine

Gavel with a wall of code behind it

World War WordPress?

There’s an ongoing dispute between Automattic (the company behind leading web content management system WordPress) and WP Engine (a third-party company that sells products and services related to WordPress, such as hosting and plugins). The situation has escalated from private negotiations to public disagreements, a cease & desist, and finally to a lawsuit.

Depending on who you ask, the dispute is about trademark abuse, or revenue sharing, or code contributions, or security – and the list goes on. For more details, you can Google “WordPress drama” or check out this Techcrunch article, which is one of the better explainers we’ve seen so far.

The TLDR is: rich tech bros are beefing, and the rest of the WordPress ecosystem is stuck in the middle.

So what does that mean for Asher and our clients?

Right now? Absolutely nothing.

Asher has specialized in WordPress development for about a decade now, and we still believe it’s a great platform. We’re mid-stream on multiple WordPress projects, and currently host and maintain close to 75 WordPress sites for clients – everything from small landing pages to international ecommerce.

So far, this situation has not impacted Asher or our clients in any way. None of the products or services we use as part of our development stack have been affected by the ongoing drama, and all our client sites remain online and fully functional. Additionally, the armchair lawyer consensus is that Automattic’s trademark dispute over the “WP” initials won’t hold up in court, and things should eventually go back to normal.

43%

of the Internet runs on WordPress

But what if they don’t?

Contrary to what some Redditors would have you believe, feeling uncertain about the current WordPress landscape isn’t an overreaction – it’s prudent, and we’re watching the situation closely in case the winds of change do start blowing our way.

The reality is that WordPress, like all third-party software, is licensed. We’re building on top of somebody else’s foundation. And if something shakes that foundation, we’ll feel it too. The same would be the case if we were building on Wix, Squarespace, Joomla, or any other CMS. The difference is that WordPress is still:

  • The leader, powering 43% of the entire internet and 62% of the CMS market
  • Open source, free to use and adapt as we see fit

That means that even if things don’t settle down, we’ve got more options (and a lot more company) in how we move forward.

Asher Agency owners Megan Bennet and Kara Kelley

We’ve got your back.

If Asher is your hosting & maintenance partner, know that your website will remain operational. If we need to make some changes under the hood – in what code/plugins power your site or how they need to be updated – we’ll get that news as it happens and be able to adapt before you or your users experience any issues. You can rest easy knowing you’ve got a partner that will help you navigate any disruption in the web landscape.

And if you’re an Automattic or WP Engine customer – caught in the crossfire and looking to migrate your website to neutral territory – give us a shout! We’re happy to hop on a call to showcase the many included services of our hosting and maintenance package, run a free audit on your current setup, and give you a customized quote.

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