Editor 
In a fiery critique that has turned heads throughout the digital world, Matt Mullenweg, the founding figure behind WordPress, has not minced words when addressing his grievances with WP Engine. Labeling the hosting service provider as “a cancer to WordPress,” Mullenweg’s attack highlights several detrimental practices that he believes compromise the core values and functionality of the WordPress platform.
Misrepresentation and Marketing Confusion
At the heart of Mullenweg’s criticism is WP Engine’s branding strategy, which he argues creates confusion among users. Many are led to believe that WP Engine is an official service provided or endorsed by WordPress itself, when in fact, it is a separate, third-party company. This misleading marketing has sown confusion and fostered a situation where users are uncertain about what constitutes an authentic WordPress experience.
“The essence of WordPress is user-friendliness and open-source accessibility,” Mullenweg says. He contends that WP Engine’s branding muddies these waters, leading users astray.
Disabling Core Features for Profit
Perhaps more alarming to the purist is the disabling of significant WordPress features by WP Engine. A notable example is the disabling of the revision history feature, which allows users to track changes and revert to previous versions of their content effortlessly. This feature is paramount for many WordPress users, providing them with the assurance that their work can be preserved and restored as needed.
WP Engine’s justification for this action appears to center around storage cost savings. By limiting or removing revision history, WP Engine can ostensibly reduce their storage requirements and, thereby, their costs. However, this cost-saving measure undermines one of the very promises of WordPress: protecting user content.
Mullenweg elaborates, “To disable a core feature that protects user content, all in the name of saving a few pennies on storage, is an affront to what WordPress stands for.”
Prioritizing Profit Over User Experience
Accusations against WP Engine do not end with their disabling of core features. Mullenweg also criticizes the company for placing profits above user experience. He describes the service provided by WP Engine as a “cheap knock-off” of what WordPress offers, yet alarmingly, it comes at a higher price point. This strategy, he argues, not only exploits the trust that users place in the WordPress brand but also sets a negative precedent within the industry.
The Call to Action: Switch Providers
In a direct plea to the WordPress community, Mullenweg calls for users to reconsider their choice of hosting providers. He encourages the community to contact WP Engine’s support to ask for the reinstatement of the revision history feature and, more importantly, to switch to alternative hosting services that align more closely with the principles of WordPress.
“The practices of WP Engine set a poor standard,” Mullenweg asserts. He fears that if left unchecked, other hosting providers might emulate these cost-cutting and user-unfriendly practices, leading to a degradation of the overall WordPress ecosystem.
Final Thoughts
Mullenweg’s critique of WP Engine is a passionate defense of the values that underpin WordPress—transparency, user-centric design, and open-source integrity. His call to action is clear: to preserve the health and integrity of the WordPress community, users must support providers that uphold these values.
FAQ
Q: Who is Matt Mullenweg?
A: Matt Mullenweg is the founder of WordPress, an open-source content management system that powers a significant portion of the web.
Q: What did Mullenweg accuse WP Engine of?
A: He accused WP Engine of creating confusion with their branding, disabling essential WordPress features like revision history, and prioritizing profit over user experience.
Q: Why is the revision history feature important?
A: The revision history feature allows users to track changes and revert to previous versions of their content, which is crucial for content management and protection.
Q: What does Mullenweg suggest the WordPress community do?
A: He urges the community to ask WP Engine to revert their disabling of core features and to consider switching to other hosting providers that adhere to WordPress’s core values.
In closing, Mullenweg’s strong words serve as a stark reminder of the importance of maintaining the integrity and user-focused ethos that has made WordPress a trusted platform for millions.
