ACF Plugin
Earlier this month, I noted an issue between Automattic and WP Engine. Automattic, a company founded by Matt Mullenweg, create and support the CMS called WordPress. Automattic made another concerning move by taking control of the WordPress plugin, Advanced Custom Fields (ACF). While “appropriation” isn’t the right word, I struggled to find a better one. Automattic created a forked version of the ACF plugin. In coding terms, a fork is a copied and modified version of code. I once forked a plugin called ComicPress. Forking open-source projects isn’t inherently problematic, as WordPress itself is an open-source project, and its plugins fall under the same category.
However, Automattic’s forked version replaced the original ACF plugin in the WordPress plugin directory. Automattic claimed this action was due to security concerns. Their own blog, WPTavern, reported on the reactions from the WordPress community, which were overwhelmingly negative. This was surprising, given that WPTavern is owned by Automattic.
My fear is that Automattic is preparing to exploit their own open-source software. Silicon Valley is often seen as a bastion of free-market capitalism, where everything is treated as a commodity, including personal autonomy. I worry that Automattic’s owners have bought into this mindset. With WordPress powering 40% of websites, Automattic has a vast user base that could be manipulated. If my fears are justified, WordPress might become unusable without paying hefty fees or sharing website data. I’ve already given up enough data by signing up for social media accounts; I don’t want to sell any more through my own websites.
Additional Links
WordPress Takes Over Popular Plugin In Dispute With WP Engine | Technology (headtopics.com)
