Mullenweg Deactivates WordPress Community Accounts

Matt Mullenweg, CEO of Automattic and co-creator of WordPress, has deactivated the accounts of several influential WordPress.org community members, including Joost de Valk and Karim Marucchi, amid rising tensions regarding governance and potential forks of the open-source project. This decision follows Mullenweg's criticism of WP Engine for profiting from WordPress while contributing insufficiently, which led to a lawsuit and a court ruling in favor of WP Engine. De Valk has proposed a new vision for WordPress that includes creating independent repositories, while Mullenweg's actions have been perceived by some as an attempt to stifle dissent within the community. He justified the deactivation as necessary to maintain focus and stability within WordPress.org. Critics, including Rand-Hendriksen, argue that Mullenweg's claims of a fork being in the works are unfounded and may serve to undermine their credibility. The situation highlights ongoing debates about the balance of corporate influence and community governance in the WordPress ecosystem.