Matt Mullenweg announced on the WordPress.org blog on Friday morning that several free services are being paused “to give myself and the many tired volunteers around WordPress.org a break for the holidays.”
These include new .org account creation, plugin reviews, and new submissions to the theme, plugin, and photo directories.
“I hope to find the time, energy, and money to reopen all of this sometime in the new year,” Mullenweg said. “Right now much of the time I would spend making WordPress better is being taken up defending against WP Engine’s legal attacks.”
It is unclear how long these critical parts of WordPress.org will be unavailable.
Open Letter from WordPress Contributors and Community Leaders Pleads for Reform
The letter, entitled “Dear WordPress community: We stand with you,” criticizes the governance model of WordPress, emphasizing Matt Mullenweg’s excessive control over critical project infrastructure, including websites, repositories, communication channels, and security tools.
Concerns are also raised about a lack of transparency in project operations, particularly surrounding trademark licensing, hosting recommendations, and the activities of the WordPress Foundation.
The signatories object to Mullenweg’s lack of accountability under the WordPress project’s Code of Conduct while he simultaneously serves in multiple powerful roles (WordPress project leader, Automattic CEO, and WordPress Foundation board member) without a formal conflict-of-interest policy.
The letter urges Mullenweg to acknowledge the raised concerns and collaborate with the community to develop more inclusive, transparent, and sustainable governance structures.
Despite these grievances, the letter conveys optimism that open discussions and governance reforms can create a more democratic environment for the project.
A11y News: Court Rules Online-Only Businesses are Not Places of Public Accommodation
A federal judge in New York has determined that stand-alone websites without physical storefronts do not fall under the definition of “places of public accommodation” as outlined in Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The case concerns a legally blind plaintiff who was unable to purchase coffee from an online-only business due to the website’s incompatibility with his screen reader.
The ruling could impact small businesses facing similar federal website accessibility lawsuits.
However, it’s important to note that the dismissal applies only to the ADA claim and does not address potential violations under state or local laws.
Various courts have different interpretations of website accessibility requirements, so there will certainly be more legal challenges to come.
Revisit everything that happened in 2024 during, “The 12 Days of OpenAI”. It’s really difficult to believe that all of this happened in the last 12 months. What will 2025 bring?
In the latest episode of DoTheWoo featuring Amber Hinds, learn how WooCommerce and Equalize Digital are leading efforts to make e-commerce accessible for developers and users alike.
