Re: Perfect way to kill the project [LWN.net]

Re: Perfect way to kill the project

Posted Mar 13, 2025 15:17 UTC (Thu) by smurf (subscriber, #17840)
In reply to: Re: Perfect way to kill the project by pizza
Parent article: Automattic reduces WordPress contributions

In case you didn't notice: there's a material difference between saying "hey, community, this isn't sustainable, everybody please contribute" and selectively going after one single hosting provider who isn't even responsible for the majority of traffic.

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Re: Perfect way to kill the project

Posted Mar 13, 2025 15:27 UTC (Thu) by pizza (subscriber, #46) [Link] (2 responses)

> In case you didn't notice: there's a material difference between saying "hey, community, this isn't sustainable, everybody please contribute" and selectively going after one single hosting provider who isn't even responsible for the majority of traffic.

Automattic isn't legally (or morally) responsible for anyone's customers but their own.

Re: Perfect way to kill the project

Posted Mar 14, 2025 10:07 UTC (Fri) by smurf (subscriber, #17840) [Link] (1 responses)

I didn't say that. OF COURSE they are not responsible for anybody's customers.

However, neither is WPE, who is (for the most part) simply offering tailored hosting.

So I do wonder what exactly he expected to accomplish by going after them specifically … other than to throw the whole community into a massive black hole of FUD?

Re: Perfect way to kill the project

Posted Mar 14, 2025 12:05 UTC (Fri) by pizza (subscriber, #46) [Link]

> However, neither is WPE, who is (for the most part) simply offering tailored hosting.

So you're saying WPE isn't morally and legally responsible for providing "tailored hosting" to its customers? (ie the ones paying it?)

Relatedly, what gives random customers of WPE the right to expect, much less demand, anything of Automattic? After all, they're paying WPE, not Automattic.

> So I do wonder what exactly he expected to accomplish by going after them specifically …

What is Automattic supposed to do, if not go after the commercial entity with whom they have a legitimate dispute?

(I'll repeat yet again -- Just because Automattic has a legit beef and has the right to seek some sort of relief doesn't mean that they haven't gone about it in a particularly boneheaded manner)