Lee controls the board of WP Engine. The board is why WP Engine hasn’t done a trademark deal for their use of the WordPress and WooCommerce trademarks.
You hide behind lawyers and corporate PR when you’re wrong, not when you’re right.
I’m replying on Twitter, I’m commenting on Reddit and Hacker News, I’m dropping into livestreams with ThePrimeagen and WPMinute. I’m talking to journalists whenever they reach out, and I’m happy to go on any large credible podcast or show to discuss these issues.
Lee could do the same. Why isn’t he?
Lee is a managing director of a $102B private equity firm, he is probably richer than me. (Though I doubt he gives back as much.)
“Because their lawyers are telling him not to.” Why do you think their lawyers are telling them not to?
Open invite: Lee, let’s debate this publicly. Propose a neutral venue and moderator.
Quoting Michelle Obama: „If they go low (WPE), we go high.“ When and why did you make the decision to go low on the wrestling mat(t) with them. I understood it was a process over years you contacting, meeting, writing them, but what was the trigger? The big stage at #WCUS – which I watched at 00:45 am local time half asleep via YT livestream? Or rumours of a possible IPO of WPE?
As a disclosure, I‘m using WordPress (selfhosted) since 2006, we met at WordCamp Germany (Jena 2009)
Further more, please address the fear, that is spreading right now that it is not „legally“ safe to use WordPress as profit-making company while not giving back to the community.
Specifically asked, a SME created their website based on WordPress and is making millions with their manufactured products? Should they give back? Or is your focus on the agency that created the WP site for the SME, making money with WP without giving back?
I think all we are asking for is more transparency about how decisions are taken?
@Nick: His latest interview might shed some light on the backstory of things: https://ma.tt/2024/09/t3/ (2 hours long).
Although I’m totally not qualified to answer, I’d answer you Q about is it safe + in future will it cost money/time? Yes it’s safe, and no you should not fear anything like that. WP engine is owned by $100 billion hedge fund and is uniquely eligible to contribute something more meaningful or at least cease using the brand so much and re-enable certain core features so I agree with Matt. Plus they disable post revisions and use that to upsell you; whereas I doubt post revisions uses a lot of resources (I’m not a dba) since it is purely text. It gives WordPress a bad look (post revisions disabled) and so they tarnish the brand, hence a trademark suit is application, as well as the only path available.