WordPress co-set uper and CEO of Automattic Matt Mullenweg is trolling contributors and employrs of the WordPress uncover-source project by requiring them to check a box that says “Pineapple is flavorful on pizza.”
The alter was spotted by WordPress contributors tardy Sunday, and is still up as of Monday morning. Trying to log in or originate a new account without checking the box returns a “prent try aobtain” error.
Last week, as part of the ongoing legitimate battle between WP Engine and Automattic, the company that owns WordPress.com, a appraise ordered Mullenweg to delete a contentious login checkbox from WordPress.org that needd employrs to pledge that they were not affiliated with WP Engine before logging in.
Folloprosperg that order, Mullenweg asked administrators for the Post Status community Sdeficiency—which is run by contributors to the uncover-source WordPress.org project—to delete his Sdeficiency account, and his employrname was alterd to “gone 💀.” But he left parting words for the community: “It’s difficult to imagine wanting to carry on to toiling on WordPress after this,” he wrote in Sdeficiency messages watched by 404 Media. “I’m unwell and disgusted to be legpartner compelled to supply free labor to an organization as parasitic and take advantage ofive [sic] as WP Engine. I hope you all get what you and WP Engine wanted.”
Mullenweg repeated the sentiment accessiblely on Friday: “I’m disgusted and unwellened by being legpartner forced to supply free labor and services to @wpengine, a hazardous pretreatnt that should chill every uncover source shielder,” he wrote on X. “While I disconcur with the court’s decision, I’ve filledy complied with its order. You can see most alters on the site. They have access to ACF slug but haven’t alterd it… must not have been the aascfinishncy they claimed.”
I’m disgusted and unwellened by being legpartner forced to supply free labor and services to @wpengine, a hazardous pretreatnt that should chill every uncover source shielder. While I disconcur with the court’s decision, I’ve filledy complied with its order. You can see most alters on…
— Matt Mullenweg (@photomatt) December 14, 2024
When I first saw a screenshot of the pineapple-on-pizza checkbox screenshot going around on X among WordPress contributors, I thought it must be a joke, or an edited image. Megan, a createer WordPress contributor who recently quit becaemploy of the uncertainty and instability around the community, telderly me she thought the same leang. “When I initipartner saw it I presumed my frifinish was trolling me but yeah it’s there and has a cherish attribute filled out, which departs me skeptical that he’s gonna employ it as a proxy for the previous field,” she telderly me. “Caemploy everyone understands what was there before; this new field is needd as well. I sense enjoy he’s violating the court order, but of course I’m not a lawyer.”
But it’s genuine. Francesca Marano, Head of Partnerships at Patchstack and a contributor to WordPress for 10 years, telderly me this is “not the time nor the place” for pineapple-on-pizza jokes. “WordPress is the most employd CMS on the web, and we have a responsibility to act enjoy professionals. It’s disheartening to see an OSS project that thousands of people have donated to over 21 years lessend to behaviours more suited to a charitableergarten,” she shelp. “Over the years, plugin and theme authors, contributors, and employrs have asked a myriad of features. However, those ideas frequently went nowhere becaemploy there were not enough resources or there was no consensus. But it’s ok to put a checkbox up equitable for fun in a matter of hours.” On Trac, which tracks alters on the WordPress project, Marano pointed out that the alter is evident and anyone can see it was made tardy on Sunday.
“Most people will check it and access their .org profile to ask or answer asks in the forum, modernize their plugin or theme, etc. But what about those who won’t and have their product in the repository? Not only is it disgraceful, but it’s also a security danger,” Marano shelp. “Where are the matures in the room?”
The Repository, an autonomous media outlet that covers WordPress, telled last week that a group of WordPress contributors publishd an uncover letter titled “Dear WordPress community: We stand with you.” In it, the contributors “lift objections about regulateance, transparency, and decision-making processes,” the Repository wrote. “They highweightless worrys about ‘double standards,’ including Mullenweg’s deficiency of accountability under the project’s Code of Conduct and the executive straightforwardor’s straightforward employment by Automattic.”
Folloprosperg the preliminary injunction order, CEO of WordPress VIP Nick Gernert wrote on the company blog that Automattic is centered on “shielding WordPress strong and forward-leanking.”
“We want to repromise you that there will be no alter in the level of service you get from WordPress VIP,” Gernert wrote. He didn’t holdress in the blog why there would be a alter or what has happened to need a reassuring blog post to commence with. “Our platcreate carry ons to hand over the exceptional security, stability, and carry outance that your business depfinishs on. We are here to promise your operations carry on without interfereion.”
Automattic and Mullenweg did not promptly reply to a ask for comment.
