[pluc]

This is just a play to pretend that WordPress.org is run by volunteers when in truth it's entirely run by Automattic. If it was actually ran by volunteers, he couldn't make any of it stop... because people volunteer their time without being told what to do.

I can't wait for him to lose millions of dollars for a hissy fit. It's going to be delicious.

[JumpCrisscross]

> a play to pretend that WordPress.org is run by volunteers when in truth it's entirely run by Automattic

It's run entirely by Mullenweg. The Board is clearly unable to have a big-boy conversation.

[pluc]

WordPress.org is way too big to be a one-man show. I am absolutely certain that Mullenweg has nothing to do with plugin or theme validation, account creation or even packaging new WordPress versions, but also certain that he can tell his employees what to do. Hell, all of that should be automated by now.

He wouldn't be able to do any of that with volunteers that aren't operating under his authority.

[JumpCrisscross]

> WordPress.org is way too big to be a one-man show

Big productions still have a director. The point is Mullenweg--not Automattic--has control.

[pluc]

I don't think there's a difference between the two, even if it was WordPress Foundation who claimed control, it's all Mullenweg's for-profit company that performs the work because Mullenweg's employees are all Automattic, and Mullenweg is at the head of all of it.

[Kwpolska]

Automattic is basically Matt Mullenweg, Inc. — not much difference there.

[rurban]

You forgot his mother.

https://projectdmc.org/regarding-mullenwegs-mother-the-wpe-l...

[nolok]

Except the injunction was against .com, not the .org

Part of the case is that he is muddying the water on purpose and the separation in two entities is fake, and actions like this may backfire in a big way (and I'm not even talking about the taxes aspect of it at the end).

Again, I doubt any lawyer with any once of competency validated this move, let alone write it publicly like this that it's because of the legal case and WP Engine. That's very dumb. What are the lawyers supposed to say when the case will be reviewed ? Nothing to do with the case ? Reasons unrelated to WP Engine ? Their client put it in writing without even being asked to.

[arielcostas]

> Except the injunction was against .com, not the .org

Against .com (Automattic) and .org (Mullenweg as an individual)

> Part of the case is that he is muddying the water on purpose and the separation in two entities

Three, actually: WordPress Foundation, Automattic Inc., and Matt Mullenweg (as an individual)

[nolok]

Ah yes, you're right, I meant "was against the .com not the foundation" but even I got confused ...

[arielcostas]

Which is the whole point: there is no actual, clear, separation between Mullenweg's person, Automattic and the WP Foundation

[danaris]

While I agree with your overall conclusion...

> If it was actually ran by volunteers, he couldn't make any of it stop... because people volunteer their time without being told what to do.

...this doesn't really follow. Just because someone is a volunteer for an organization doesn't mean the people at the head of that organization have no control over what they do. As a library volunteer, for instance, I can't just take all the books off the shelves and start building forts out of them (unless the library board is into that sort of thing).

He can't force them to show up and do things he tells them that they don't want to do, but he absolutely could stop all operations, including those run by volunteers.

[yencabulator]

He can't play pretend wordpress.org is run by a group of volunteers, given how he has demonstrated ultimate decision power over it.

[deepfriedchokes]

It’s pretty clear that Mullenweg is having a mental health crisis, not a hissy fit.

Let’s not take pleasure in someone destroying their life because they don’t have the support they need.