Automattic announced it is minimizing support for the WordPress.org CMS project, using words and phrases that present the withdrawal of support as a positive change to make WordPress stronger, while casting blame on WP Engine for its decision to minimize contributions.
The entire statement uses double-speak, pretextual statements and passive-aggressive language to portray itself as a victim of WP Engine and framing the withdrawal of support as the unavoidable consequences of WPE’s lawsuit against Automattic, saying:
“Additionally, we’re having to spend significant time and money to defend ourselves against the legal attacks started by WP Engine and funded by Silver Lake, a large private equity firm.
…We’ve made the decision to reallocate resources due to the lawsuits from WP Engine.
…This legal action diverts significant time and energy that could otherwise be directed toward supporting WordPress’s growth and health.
…We remain hopeful that WP Engine will reconsider this legal attack, allowing us to refocus our efforts on contributions that benefit the broader WordPress ecosystem.”
At no point in the statement does Automattic acknowledge its role in creating the conflict, instead portraying itself as forced to go down the path of Mullenweg’s self-described “nuclear” war with WP Engine when in fact there has always been time to engage in constructive dialogue.
Automattic Turns Against The WordPress Community Itself
A stunning feature of Automattic’s statement is that this is the first time that it points a finger at the WordPress community itself as part of the reason for pulling back resources. It wraps the word “community” in quotation marks in a manner that seems to undermine the legitimacy of the critics, which has the subtext of portraying the critics as not true members of the WordPress community.
There is an undertone of contempt for the criticisms against Mullenweg, which to be fair started out as timid expressions of hope that things would work themselves out then gradually increased to outright calls for new a new governance structure that reflects the diversity of the entire WordPress community and a move away from the so-called “benevolent dictatorship” of Matt Mullenweg.
Automattic’s statements targeted the WordPress community itself:
“We’ve also faced intense criticism and even personal attacks against a number of Automatticians from members of the ‘community’ who want Matt and others to step away from the project.
…Automatticians who contributed to core will instead focus on for-profit projects within Automattic, such as WordPress.com, Pressable, WPVIP, Jetpack, and WooCommerce. Members of the ‘community’ have said that working on these sorts of things should count as a contribution to WordPress.”
Use Of Doublespeak
Lastly, Automattic’s statement uses language that seems to cross the line into doublespeak. Doublespeak is the use of language in a way that is deceptive and manipulative as opposed to a rhetorical approach that seeks to persuade. Doublespeak obscures and distorts reality and masks the real meaning and intent of a statement.
Example of doublespeak:
“To recalibrate and ensure our efforts are as impactful as possible, Automattic will reduce its sponsored contributions to the WordPress project. This is not a step we take lightly. It is a moment to regroup, rethink, and strategically plan how Automatticians can continue contributing in ways that secure the future of WordPress for generations to come. “
The portrayal of the withdrawal of support as a way of securing “the future of WordPress for generations to come” is manipulative and hides the reality that those actions have the opposite effect.
It also claims:
“This realignment is not an end, but a new beginning—one that will ultimately strengthen the foundation of WordPress.”
That’s an example of how Automattic’s statement portrays the actual weakening WordPress.org as a way to strengthen it.
There are many other examples of how the statement portrays Automattic as the victim, WP Engine as the aggressor and the WordPress community itself as complicit in undermining itself.
Read the statement here:
Aligning Automattic’s Sponsored Contributions to WordPress
Featured image by Shutterstock/Wirestock Creators
