WordPress Project Governance: CEO Calls for Federated Approach to Repository Management

Yoast CEO calls for a ‘federated’ approach to WordPress repository

In a recent blog post, Joost de Walk, the CEO of WordPress-based SEO optimization tool Yoast, has called for a “federated” approach to the WordPress repository. This comes amidst ongoing controversy and tension between WordPress co-creator Matt Mullenweg and web hosting provider WP Engine.

De Walk’s proposal suggests creating a WordPress Foundation-like entity that would lead the project and oversee all community assets, including themes and plug-ins. He also recommends giving the WordPress trademark to the public domain, allowing for greater freedom and democratization of the platform.

The CEO argues that the current structure of open-source governance is inadequate, citing incidents such as Mullenweg’s recent ban on WP Engine from accessing WordPress.org, which led him to take control of a popular plug-in. De Walk believes that by taking a federated approach, the community can ensure that no single individual or entity has too much control over the project.

He also emphasized the importance of data sharing and collaboration between all servers hosting WordPress plug-ins and themes, saying that this would allow for greater transparency and accountability.

Source: techcrunch.com