The WP Minute | What would we do with those keys to the Kingdom?

I wonder if people are generally upset that Mullenweg has control of “WordPress” or that he has control over a large chunk of the “open web.” Placing his irresponsible reactions aside for a moment, I think we should abstract why we might feel the way we do.

The fight “for WordPress” is futile.

It’s a distraction really. One must stop vying for shared control over the decision making, the features, and the direction. You either choose to participate and leave your mark in the direction it’s being lead (contributing, debating, communicating, etc), or just simply observe.

There is no clawing away ownership.

What would you do if you had shared control? What would we all do? Vote in Github for every single feature? “Hey you got a few minutes to hop on a Zoom call?” How long would that process take? Who gets to vote in the process? If you serve clients now, you already know how painful design by committee is — is that what thousands of people would do in order to choose the next default theme?

The point I’m making is: I’ve yet to hear a real solution to the perceived problem, just complaints that we’re not in control and it’s mostly an Automattic driven project.

I’ve worked too many jobs where “the company gets to decide the direction.” And guess what happens? No one does, because they don’t want to challenge the boss, rather have a stable paycheck, and just want to move on with their lives. Which might be happening at Automattic, but certainly would be the case if leadership ceded control to “us.”

A great product needs a single leader to set the vision and guide the organization. If not Matt Mullenweg, who? Anne McCarthy? Rich Tabor? Matias?

Fact of the matter is, you can still enjoy everything WordPress has to give you regardless of who holds the reigns: 4 freedoms, a career, an open source app to publish with, and a community to share in all of that.

It’s too challenging, near impossible, to make any large changes to the overall direction of WordPress if we the people had control. In other words, the community most likely won’t have their “Gutenberg” moment. We can, certainly try to influence others to be the change, and that’s our best approach. Facing Goliath head-on isn’t the smart play. Influencing others around the community is.

We need to be more open and communicative to the core contributors and decision makers throughout the project. Support them, provide great feedback loops — have some empathy. Being a keyboard warrior around every design decision you don’t agree with doesn’t help anyone.

So why aren’t more people up in arms about this leadership thing? It’s the lack of demand.

The demand is there to improve WordPress, and that’s what is happening regardless of how you feel about its current iteration or Mullenweg as a leader. Even with all of the flagrant fouls he’s tossed around, he remains in control of WordPress and that’s that. I’m not saying any of these issues are okay — but that it hasn’t rippled throughout the community enough to cause more people to stand up, and walk out. GoDaddy could always start their own WordPress.

It’s a bitter taste, I get it.

I see WordPress as a critical link in the open web’s infrastructure. As much as I enjoy being a critic on the product side of WordPress, I’m much more interested in its survival for the open web’s sake.

WordPress is getting better, its existence encourages a more open web and decentralized approach for publishers. It’s the best tool with mass appeal to compete with closed source systems. And I generally believe that Mullenweg wants an open web, which is great in the longterm for all of us.

As DHH put it, open source is neither a community nor a democracy. People show up to do the work, for the benefit of us all. And I say: Reap those benefits! Be a good steward of WordPress, help it thrive — we all continue to gain net positive.

We’re moving in the direction of a more clear business model for Automattic over the next few years: WordPress.com vs self-hosted WordPress w/ Jetpack, full stop. There is no turning back on gaining community control. In fact, I do think we’ll start to see Mullenweg place key Automatticians into critical product roles to allow himself to scale his burgeoning organization.

Strap in, because the next 5 years are going to be interesting. And hey, it could be worse, imagine if Salesforce owned WordPress.

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Matt: I wonder if people are generally
upset that Mullenweg has control

of WordPress or that he has control
over a large chunk of the open web.

Placing his irresponsible
reactions aside for a moment.

I think we should abstract why
we might feel the way we do.

The fight for WordPress is feudal.

It's a distraction.

Really one must stop vying for shared
control over the decision-making

the features and the direction.

You either choose to participate
and leave your mark in the direction

that's being led like contributing.

Having debates, communicating, et cetera.

Or just simply observe, there is no
clawing away ownership at this point.

What would you do if you had shared
control, what would we all do?

Vote and get hub for every single feature.

Hey, you got a few minutes
to hop on a zoom call.

How long would that take?

Who gets to vote in the process.

If you serve clients.

Now, you already know how
painful designed by committee is.

Is that what thousands of people would do
in order to choose the next default theme?

The point I'm making is I've yet
to hear a real solution to the

perceived problem, just complaints
that we're not in control, and it's

mostly an automatic driven project.

I've worked too many jobs where the
company gets to decide the direction.

And guess what happens?

No one does because they don't
want to challenge the boss.

I rather have a stable paycheck and
just want to move on with their lives,

which might be happening at automatic,
but certainly would be the case.

If leadership ceded control to us.

Uh, great product needs a single leader to
set the vision and guide the organization.

If not Matt Mullenweg, who
and McCarthy rich Tabor.

Mathias.

Fact of the matter is you
can still enjoy everything.

WordPress has to give us,
regardless of who holds the

reigns for freedoms a career.

An open source app to publish with in
a community to share in all of that.

It's too challenging, near impossible
to make any large changes to the

overall direction of WordPress.

If we, the people had control.

In other words, the community, most
likely won't have their Gutenberg moment.

We can certainly try to influence
others to be the change and

that's our best approach.

Facing Goliath.

Head-on isn't the smartest
play influencing others

around the community is.

We need to be more open and communicative
to the core contributors and decision

makers throughout the project,
support them provide great feedback.

Loops, have some empathy, being a keyboard
warrior around every design decision.

You don't agree with
it doesn't help anyone.

So why aren't more people up in
arms about this leadership thing?

Well, it's the lack of demand.

The demand is there to improve
WordPress and that's what's happening

regardless of how you feel about its
current iteration or Mullenweg as a

leader, even with all of the flagrant
fouls, he's toss around, he remains in

control of WordPress and that's that.

I'm not saying any of those issues
are okay, but it just hasn't rippled

throughout the community enough to cause
more people to stand up and walk out.

Uh, GoDaddy could always
start their own WordPress.

It's a bitter taste.

I get it.

I see WordPress as a critical link
in the open web infrastructure.

As much as I enjoy being a critic
on the product side of WordPress.

I'm much more interested in its
survival for the open web sake.

WordPress is getting better.

It's existence encourages a more open web
and decentralized approach for publishers.

It's the best tool with mass appeal
to compete with closed source systems.

And I generally believe that Mullenweg.

And wag wants an open web, which is
great in the longterm for all of us.

As DHH put it open-source is
neither a community nor a democracy.

People show up to do the work
for the benefit of assault.

And I say, reap those benefits, be a good
steward of WordPress, help it thrive.

And we all continue to gain that positive.

We're moving in the direction of
a more clear business model for

automatic over the next few years.

wordpress.com versus self hosted
WordPress with Jetpack full-stop.

There is no turning back on
gaining community control.

In fact, I do think we'll
start to see Mullenweg place.

Key automotive.

Into critical product roles
to allow himself to scale

his burgeoning organization.

Strap in because the next five
years are going to be interesting

and Hey, it could be worse.

Imagine if Salesforce owned WordPress.