WEBVTT NOTE This file was generated by Descript 00:00:38.948 --> 00:00:42.158 Matt: I wonder if people are generally upset that Mullenweg has control 00:00:42.158 --> 00:00:46.928 of WordPress or that he has control over a large chunk of the open web. 00:00:47.288 --> 00:00:50.618 Placing his irresponsible reactions aside for a moment. 00:00:50.618 --> 00:00:54.458 I think we should abstract why we might feel the way we do. 00:00:55.268 --> 00:00:57.128 The fight for WordPress is feudal. 00:00:57.698 --> 00:00:58.478 It's a distraction. 00:00:58.478 --> 00:01:01.898 Really one must stop vying for shared control over the decision-making 00:01:01.898 --> 00:01:03.428 the features and the direction. 00:01:03.908 --> 00:01:06.818 You either choose to participate and leave your mark in the direction 00:01:06.818 --> 00:01:08.858 that's being led like contributing. 00:01:09.158 --> 00:01:10.928 Having debates, communicating, et cetera. 00:01:11.378 --> 00:01:15.488 Or just simply observe, there is no clawing away ownership at this point. 00:01:16.118 --> 00:01:19.478 What would you do if you had shared control, what would we all do? 00:01:19.778 --> 00:01:22.208 Vote and get hub for every single feature. 00:01:22.718 --> 00:01:24.788 Hey, you got a few minutes to hop on a zoom call. 00:01:24.788 --> 00:01:25.778 How long would that take? 00:01:26.318 --> 00:01:28.058 Who gets to vote in the process. 00:01:28.208 --> 00:01:29.078 If you serve clients. 00:01:29.078 --> 00:01:32.318 Now, you already know how painful designed by committee is. 00:01:32.768 --> 00:01:37.478 Is that what thousands of people would do in order to choose the next default theme? 00:01:37.868 --> 00:01:41.708 The point I'm making is I've yet to hear a real solution to the 00:01:41.708 --> 00:01:44.918 perceived problem, just complaints that we're not in control, and it's 00:01:44.918 --> 00:01:46.808 mostly an automatic driven project. 00:01:47.528 --> 00:01:51.128 I've worked too many jobs where the company gets to decide the direction. 00:01:51.428 --> 00:01:52.328 And guess what happens? 00:01:52.478 --> 00:01:55.058 No one does because they don't want to challenge the boss. 00:01:55.058 --> 00:01:58.448 I rather have a stable paycheck and just want to move on with their lives, 00:01:58.838 --> 00:02:01.928 which might be happening at automatic, but certainly would be the case. 00:02:02.168 --> 00:02:04.448 If leadership ceded control to us. 00:02:04.448 --> 00:02:08.708 Uh, great product needs a single leader to set the vision and guide the organization. 00:02:08.708 --> 00:02:12.428 If not Matt Mullenweg, who and McCarthy rich Tabor. 00:02:12.818 --> 00:02:13.388 Mathias. 00:02:14.198 --> 00:02:16.928 Fact of the matter is you can still enjoy everything. 00:02:16.928 --> 00:02:19.778 WordPress has to give us, regardless of who holds the 00:02:19.778 --> 00:02:22.118 reigns for freedoms a career. 00:02:22.418 --> 00:02:26.228 An open source app to publish with in a community to share in all of that. 00:02:26.798 --> 00:02:30.578 It's too challenging, near impossible to make any large changes to the 00:02:30.578 --> 00:02:32.138 overall direction of WordPress. 00:02:32.408 --> 00:02:33.908 If we, the people had control. 00:02:33.908 --> 00:02:38.228 In other words, the community, most likely won't have their Gutenberg moment. 00:02:38.598 --> 00:02:41.298 We can certainly try to influence others to be the change and 00:02:41.508 --> 00:02:42.618 that's our best approach. 00:02:42.978 --> 00:02:43.818 Facing Goliath. 00:02:43.818 --> 00:02:46.338 Head-on isn't the smartest play influencing others 00:02:46.338 --> 00:02:47.718 around the community is. 00:02:48.438 --> 00:02:52.068 We need to be more open and communicative to the core contributors and decision 00:02:52.068 --> 00:02:55.398 makers throughout the project, support them provide great feedback. 00:02:55.398 --> 00:02:59.778 Loops, have some empathy, being a keyboard warrior around every design decision. 00:02:59.778 --> 00:03:01.668 You don't agree with it doesn't help anyone. 00:03:02.268 --> 00:03:05.298 So why aren't more people up in arms about this leadership thing? 00:03:05.568 --> 00:03:07.068 Well, it's the lack of demand. 00:03:07.068 --> 00:03:10.038 The demand is there to improve WordPress and that's what's happening 00:03:10.038 --> 00:03:13.728 regardless of how you feel about its current iteration or Mullenweg as a 00:03:13.728 --> 00:03:17.328 leader, even with all of the flagrant fouls, he's toss around, he remains in 00:03:17.328 --> 00:03:19.068 control of WordPress and that's that. 00:03:19.428 --> 00:03:22.428 I'm not saying any of those issues are okay, but it just hasn't rippled 00:03:22.428 --> 00:03:26.238 throughout the community enough to cause more people to stand up and walk out. 00:03:26.268 --> 00:03:29.238 Uh, GoDaddy could always start their own WordPress. 00:03:30.288 --> 00:03:31.068 It's a bitter taste. 00:03:31.308 --> 00:03:31.788 I get it. 00:03:32.328 --> 00:03:35.988 I see WordPress as a critical link in the open web infrastructure. 00:03:35.988 --> 00:03:39.408 As much as I enjoy being a critic on the product side of WordPress. 00:03:39.678 --> 00:03:42.618 I'm much more interested in its survival for the open web sake. 00:03:42.798 --> 00:03:44.238 WordPress is getting better. 00:03:44.508 --> 00:03:48.858 It's existence encourages a more open web and decentralized approach for publishers. 00:03:49.158 --> 00:03:52.638 It's the best tool with mass appeal to compete with closed source systems. 00:03:53.088 --> 00:03:54.438 And I generally believe that Mullenweg. 00:03:54.468 --> 00:03:57.738 And wag wants an open web, which is great in the longterm for all of us. 00:03:58.398 --> 00:04:02.178 As DHH put it open-source is neither a community nor a democracy. 00:04:02.508 --> 00:04:05.418 People show up to do the work for the benefit of assault. 00:04:05.578 --> 00:04:09.508 And I say, reap those benefits, be a good steward of WordPress, help it thrive. 00:04:09.658 --> 00:04:11.308 And we all continue to gain that positive. 00:04:11.998 --> 00:04:14.638 We're moving in the direction of a more clear business model for 00:04:14.638 --> 00:04:16.708 automatic over the next few years. 00:04:16.918 --> 00:04:20.308 wordpress.com versus self hosted WordPress with Jetpack full-stop. 00:04:20.698 --> 00:04:23.128 There is no turning back on gaining community control. 00:04:23.128 --> 00:04:26.098 In fact, I do think we'll start to see Mullenweg place. 00:04:26.128 --> 00:04:26.938 Key automotive. 00:04:27.178 --> 00:04:30.028 Into critical product roles to allow himself to scale 00:04:30.028 --> 00:04:31.348 his burgeoning organization. 00:04:31.978 --> 00:04:34.918 Strap in because the next five years are going to be interesting 00:04:34.918 --> 00:04:36.208 and Hey, it could be worse. 00:04:36.478 --> 00:04:38.518 Imagine if Salesforce owned WordPress.