Be a Uniter, Not a Divider
*I work in WordPress for my day job, but a reminder that my posts and thoughts are my own.*
A word of advice to anyone in management – whether it’s a C-suite, mid-level manager, or even someone who just has people under them that see them as a mentor.
Be someone who unites, not someone who divides.
While I didn’t attend #WCUS (next year!) I’ve been following closely and have seen the aftermath of what having a “divider” at the helm can do.
I work closely with the fine folks over at WP Engine – and I can tell you from first-hand experience that they love WordPress as much as I do, and we’re all doing our part to make WordPress – and the community – more awesome. And, I’ll continue to do so as long as they’ll have me.
WordPress is in a strange time right now. With page-builders like Wix and Squarespace gaining market-share, it’s ever more important to show a united pathway forward. A direction that the ecosystem and community feels comfortable rallying behind.
It’s no secret that Gutenberg’s introduction was a rocky one. Several years later, we’re finally seeing some semblance of normalization and cohesion with Gutenberg, to the point that myself (and other agencies and professionals) feel comfortable recommending it as the de-facto standard for our clients.
But, leaving WCUS, or seeing what drama has unfolded since the keynote, I am sure there are community members who are weighing what their options are. Is it worth contributing to an ecosystem where you’ll be called out and singled out for your performance or actions?
I love WordPress. I love the people – multiple people – who make WordPress amazing and work every day to improve it. I love the people who make plugins and themes and code snippets and share those with the community.
I don’t love the leadership. I don’t love that the leadership is hell-bent on dividing an already tenuous community who is unsure of it’s next direction. And I sure as hell don’t love a witch-hunt toward good people who just want to do a good job.
And I definitely don’t condone using official channels like WordPress.org to further that agenda – that’s what a personal blog is for.
I love WordPress, and I’ll continue to work in it. But I think it’s time for a change in leadership. A move away, and a succession, to someone who will bring a positive, firm direction to WordPress. A governance without agenda. A TRUE move back into open-source principles.