WordPress Expands Code of Conduct to Private Conversations, Community Reacts

Automattic’s Marketing Lead, Nicholas Garofalo, has announced that WordPress is adding a new element to the Community Code of Conduct: Publishing private messages without consent. This addition expands the examples of unacceptable behaviors in the Community Code of Conduct to six. He pointed out that “Sharing private communications without permission is a clear violation of professional integrity. This new addition …

WP Fusion Lite Plugin Removed From WordPress.com Following a Cease and Desist Letter

Automattic has agreed to remove the WP Fusion Lite Plugin from WordPress.com following a Cease and Desist letter filed by the plugin’s creator Jack Arturo on October 12, 2024. The letter accused Automattic and WordPress.com of unauthorized trademark usage by displaying the plugin on WordPress.com. WP Fusion Lite is a WordPress plugin that connects WordPress websites to popular CRM systems …

Developers Remove Plugins From WordPress.org Repository After ACF Controversy

Following the recent ban and ACF to Secure Custom Fields fork/takeover incident, some plugin authors have announced their decision to remove their plugins from the WordPress.org repository. Gravity PDF Plugin The Gravity PDF plugin with over 50k active installations and a 4.9 rating is leaving the plugin repository. Its founder Jake Jackson stated that “WordPress co-founder Matt Mullenweg has weaponized …

#141 – Christy Nyiri and Mike Straw on Automattic’s Special Projects Team

Transcript [00:00:00] Nathan Wrigley: Welcome to the Jukebox podcast from WP Tavern. My name is Nathan Wrigley. Jukebox is a podcast which is dedicated to all things WordPress. The people, the events, the plugins, the blocks, the themes, and in this case, learning about the work of the Automattic Special Projects Team. If you’d like to subscribe to the podcast, …

Jetpack 13.9.1 Patches a Critical Security Flaw

Jetpack 13.9.1, a critical security update, was released yesterday to fix a vulnerability in the Contact Form feature that had been present since 2016. This flaw allowed logged-in users of a site to access forms submitted by visitors. The vulnerability was discovered during an internal security audit, prompting the Jetpack team to collaborate with the WordPress.org Security Team to release …

State of Enterprise WordPress 2024 Survey is Now Open

The 2024 State of Enterprise WordPress Survey is now open. This marks the second year Big Bite, a UK-based enterprise WordPress agency, is conducting this survey. Last year, over 100 prominent organizations using WordPress, including Macy’s, New Statesman Media Group, and The Times, participated. The 2023 report highlighted how enterprises monetize their websites, with 9 out of 10 respondents planning …

Mary Hubbard to be the New Executive Director of WordPress.org

Matt Mullenweg has announced that Mary Hubbard will take over as the new Executive Director of WordPress.org on 21st October, 2024, following the resignation of Josepha Haden Chomphosy.  Mary is taking on this new role after stepping down as the Head of TikTok Americas, Governance and Experience. She is not a stranger to the WordPress arena, having worked at Automattic …

Impact of WPEngine’s Ban on ACF Plugin

When WP Engine was blocked from accessing WordPress.org, users were left wondering what the future holds for ACF (Advanced Custom Fields) and how this ban will impact their sites moving forward. ACF Blocked from WordPress.org On October 03, 2024, ACF (Advanced Custom Fields) announced via X that “The ACF team has been blocked from accessing WordPress dot org and are …

Thank You, Josepha: WordPress Executive Director Resigns

Josepha Haden Chomphosy has stepped down from Automattic, where she served as the Executive Director of the WordPress project. She was also leading Automattic’s open-source division, championing the efforts of developers, designers, community builders, and WordPress advocates. She has now updated her title in the WordPress Slack to “Community Steward.” Like Josepha, 159 employees left Automattic after accepting the Alignment …