FAIR Transitions Focus from WordPress to TYPO3
Joost de Valk has announced a pivotal shift in the initiative’s trajectory, indicating that FAIR will no longer center its efforts on WordPress.
Instead, resources will be strategically allocated to TYPO3. For users wishing to retain the capability to host avatars locally rather than utilizing Gravatar via FAIR’s connector plugin, a new standalone plugin has been introduced.
Established in June 2025, FAIR—which stands for Federated and Independent Repositories—emerged in response to unease surrounding WordPress’s centralized update management.
A significant component of FAIR’s initiative was the connector plugin, designed to decentralize and secure the delivery of WordPress Core and plugin updates.
AspirePress pioneered the hosting resources necessary for updates; however, the overarching ambition was to encourage a multitude of companies to invest in further decentralized package mirror servers.
Joost de Valk noted that this ambition languished in execution. On February 26, 2026, he disclosed on his personal blog that FAIR would be diverting its focus from WordPress due to a lack of investment from hosting providers.
Our recent discussions with hosting companies and significant players in the ecosystem revealed a troubling consensus: an unwillingness to invest in this model.
This hesitance is not born from satisfaction with current conditions. It stems from the understanding that real investment translates to commitment, incurs costs, and, notably, evokes political tensions.
Risk is inherent, and the prevailing environment, while discomforting, offers a level of predictability. Altering this landscape necessitates financial backing and collaborative endeavors—elements that are currently absent.
Joost de Valk, FAIR, WordPress, and Knowing When to Stop
Though FAIR remains operational, its mission will now pivot towards another content management system: TYPO3. The WordPress connector plugin will continue to exist, albeit stripped of contributors and decentralized support outside what AspirePress provides.
Therefore, WordPress administrators may find it advantageous to revert to receiving updates directly from WordPress.
We have not abandoned WordPress. Contributors and leaders within the ecosystem are still encouraged to collaborate with us to further this work.
FAIR Blog, Second star to the right and straight on till morning…
In light of Valk’s announcement, I opted to remove the FAIR connector plugin from Coywolf but sought to retain the functionality enabling local profile images, independent of Gravatar.
I contacted Andrew Norcross, the contributor who integrated that feature into the FAIR plugin. He generously extracted it, developing a standalone plugin that facilitates local avatar image serving.
This plugin can be downloaded via GitHub; users can then upload and activate it within WP Admin. After activation, navigate to All Users and select a user to edit. In the Profile Picture section, upload the desired image.
Hit the Update Profile button, and the image will be used as the avatar, served from the domain’s site. Norcross’s standalone plugin allows for the local uploading and serving of avatars within WordPress.
The profile images featured in the bylines and brief bios following each article on Coywolf are now served locally due to this plugin.
Source link: Coywolf.com.
