I’ve been following some concerning discussions about WordPress lately. Automattic is suing WP Engine for trademark infringement, which isn’t too surprising since trademark issues are fairly common. However, there have been noticeable efforts to increase revenue from WordPress users. For instance, Jetpack, a popular WordPress plugin, now charges for features that were previously free. One example is the ability to automatically share posts to social media, which now has a cap. WooCommerce, an e-commerce plugin acquired by Automattic, seems to be heading in a similar direction of micro transactions. When I see open source software focus on generating revenue it means there is an expiration date. I’m more likely wrong, but I want to prepare for that outcome.
To prepare for potential changes, I’ve decided to streamline my WordPress setup. This way, I can easily transfer my data to another platform if needed. I don’t think WordPress will become unusable for those without a budget, but I prefer not to rely on plugins and extras that might require subscriptions in the future. Therefore, I’m moving my store to Ko-Fi. Since I already use Ko-Fi for donations, it makes sense to centralize my transactions there. This move will also reduce the load on my website, as WooCommerce often caused errors during updates. Eventually, I plan to transition fully from Patreon to Ko-Fi.
Despite some writer’s and illustrator’s block, I’ve been making progress on McSchluberson Book 5, getting it ready for print. I’ve also started the slow process of coloring my old comics for reprinting. Naked Man Comics #1 is ready to go, and Book 1 of the relaunch of Naked Man Comics as digest books is about 30% complete.
-Illya
