The WordPress Divide: Navigating the Current Controversy

WordPress powers a significant portion of the internet, with 506 million sites using the platform. This includes blogs, online stores, business websites, and non-profits. Currently, there's tension between the two sides of WordPress: the open-source non-profit WordPress Foundation and Automattic, the for-profit entity.

WordPress's open-source nature allows third-party companies like Bricks and Elementor to create design extensions without requiring coding knowledge. There are approximately 70,000 plugins available, both free and paid, that enhance usability, tracking, and database linking for data collection.

WP-Engine, founded by Jason Cohen and Ben Metcalfe in 2010, is a managed WordPress hosting service. It enables companies to build, manage, host, and serve numerous WordPress sites. Managed hosting environments offer features such as content delivery, caching, and automatic scaling for high-traffic websites.

The current controversy stems from Automattic's dissatisfaction with the WordPress Foundation's efforts in staging, bug fixing, and vulnerability testing. These were requirements for Automattic to continue offering open-source contributions.

How This Impacts You

This dispute can affect website owners. Website maintenance might be hindered, deployment of new features could be delayed, and security risks associated with outdated plugins could compromise sites, impacting customers, brand image, and revenue. For example, while an hour of downtime might be acceptable for a personal blog, it can significantly impact an e-commerce site's bottom line.

Protecting Your WordPress Site

To mitigate these risks, website owners should:

• Actively review WordPress databases, forums, comments, and directory structure.
• Use security tools like Word Fence.
• Follow standard security best practices for online services.
• Keep installed plugins updated.
• Maintain off-server daily backups.
• Create staging sites for testing before deploying changes.