I’ve been away from CP for a while, except for making sure my plugins work with it. But with Automattic cutting off WP Engine’s access to the WP.org API, I finally got around to migrating a couple of small sites to ClassicPress. (The migration plugin worked like a charm, BTW!)
I have some concerns, though:
I see the dashboard accesses the WP theme and plugin directories by default. What’s the likely risk if WP.org blocks API access to CP? Or adds an “I am not affiliated in any way with ClassicPress” checkbox to WP.org like they did with WP Engine?
I found the plugin for the CP plugin directory and got it installed easily enough, but it seems like something that ought to be shipped by default, not something end-users have to look for.
Even among plugins that are available on both directories, I found a few that had been updated on the WP side, but not on the CP side.
Wordpress.org can’t block access to CP plugins. We use our own code for that, not theirs.
Actually, we can’t block anyone from getting CP plugins either, because we have a directory and not a repository. Code is actually stored on developers’ own Github accounts.
I agree that having the plugin integrated into core, or at least distributed with it, makes sense. We are working on it!
I’m mostly concerned that WordPress might block access to their own directories from ClassicPress installations while they’re still the default way of finding plugins and themes through CP…
…and that WordPress might put plugin devs who currently support both projects into a position where they have to choose one or the other. Especially since there already seems to be some of that going on with the plugins I mentioned that have been updated more recently (like, a lot more recently, not just the bugfix is taking a few extra days) on the WP repository than the CP directory.
If they did that to CP, they’d kill their own defense to WPE’s claims of extortion and tortious interference with business. Because then they couldn’t argue that their beef was specifically against WPE and their actions targeted against WPE because of WPE’s alleged wrongdoing.
In other words, getting hostile to CP would cost them millions of dollars.
This is what most users out there don’t understand about this whole WP vs WPE thing.
CP is 100% safe because it’s not messing with the trademark, and it’s not plastering the word “WordPress” everywhere on their website. WP won’t ever mess with CP. Ever.
Everyone else is safe, it’s only WPE who did some shady things.
I am building with WordPress twice as much as before, and I am unaffected by the entire thing.
I am also focusing on ClassicPress more and more, and making sure all my plugins and my theme are compatible with CP.
@timkaye Maybe an announcement should be posted somewhere, explaining how ClassicPress is not and will not be affected by this. It seems that potential CP adopters are wary about blocking and WP restrictions.
My point is that they can’t take similar actions against us because it would completely undermine their legal case. I have no idea what Matt feels about CP from a personal point of view, but legally we aren’t simply untouchable; we are exactly the type of organization he has to leave alone if he wishes to maintain a credible case in the courts.
I guess the difference is I’m not convinced Automattic is acting rationally in this situation, and I don’t trust them to act rationally (or care about further collateral damage) in the future. That’s why I’m moving more of my WP sites to ClassicPress and Eleventy, and why I’d like to see more future-proofing in the ClassicPress plugin ecosystem.
I’m with you on the need for more CP plugins and themes. I’m actually also with you on Matt being irrational. But the dispute is all really about money, so he’s not going to do something that causes him to lose millions.
@Kelson even if they did block access to CP, we have the directory. What would happen then would be an uproar of devs forking needed plugins and releasing their CP versions then listing them on the ClassicPress directory.
Blocking us from using WP repos is basically useless for them since it poses no real threat to us.
Hi, have you found anything and read about AspirePress?
They are working on a solution to provide updates to plugins and themes with mirrors so if one day someone turns off wp org, people can still run updates from another places
I hadn’t, so thanks for bringing it to our attention. But it looks like they’re at a very early stage: it’s far too early to talk about potential collaboration. Let’s see what pans out. As I have said already, though, CP isn’t at risk of being shut out from wordpress.org.
Let me tell you…as a Wordpress user for a long time (going to be moving to classic press here in a bit), I have lost a ton of respect for Matt Mullenweg, I’ll just say that much. I understand that companies need to make money; I get that, though it seems like he’s taken stuff too far. I’m sure going into the ins and outs of it is probably better suited to a different topic, however, so I’ll shut up
One can make money without being unethical or forcing his way onto the market as a whole.
That is true.
Automattic is what it is, and the only way to make it different is not abiding by them (stop using it, go for alternatives, build the alternative you want to see in the world in a way)
sensible. I didn’t know that I had an option outside of Automattic, though I do now thanks to you guys. I never liked Jetpack anyway, for instance; I only used it because of the few features that it had; the ability to reblog, like, what not, though I can achieve the same via ActivityPub integration (I suppose I can forgive myself for using a plugin which was commandeered by Automattic, though it’s been thriving since they took it, so double-edged sword.) which is a good thing. I think that I can have fun with Wordpress again.
unaffected