Community Backlash and Exodus from Automattic
The controversy surrounding the Mullenweg-WP Engine dispute has resonated strongly within the WordPress community, with many voicing concerns about the centralization of power and the potential threats to the open-source nature of the platform.
John O'Nolan, the founder of the open-source content management system Ghost, criticized the concentration of control over WordPress, stating on X (formerly Twitter) that "The web needs more independent organizations, and it needs more diversity. 40% of the web and 80% of the CMS market should not be controlled by any one individual."