An internal schism among the core contributors of WordPress has erupted, leading to significant turmoil for those observing from the periphery. This discord, which traces its origins to a post over a week prior, has culminated in a noteworthy confrontation that has revealed the underlying tensions simmering within the contributor community.
Mary Hubbard’s Announcement Sparks Controversy
The catalyst for this upheaval appeared to be an announcement made on September 15 by Mary Hubbard, the Executive Director of WordPress. She unveiled a newly established Core Program Team, tasked with enhancing coordination among Core contributor groups and fostering improved collaboration. However, this was merely the spark igniting a broader, long-standing friction within the organization.
“The objective of this team is to fortify coordination across Core, augment efficiency, and streamline contributions. Focus will be placed on documenting protocols, illuminating roadmaps, and aiding new teams through transparent processes.
Importantly, the Core Program Team will not dictate product direction; each Core team retains its autonomy. The Program Team’s mandate is to listen, connect, and alleviate friction to promote seamless collaboration among contributors.”
This announcement spurred a response from documentation team member Jenni McKinnon, which was later retracted:
“For the public record: This Core Program Team announcement was disseminated during an active legal and procedural review that directly influences the structural governance of this project.
I am not only under this review—I am one of the designated officials overseeing it due to my legal responsibilities as a recognized lead within SSRO (Strategic Social Resilience Operations).
This governance, safety, and accountability protocol is bound by international and national law, rather than mere internal opinion.
Effective immediately:
• This post and its outlined program are to be halted.
• No actions are to be taken under the auspices of this Core Program Team until the conclusion of the review and a formal clearance is received.
• Mary Hubbard possesses no legitimate authority in this matter. Any influence, directive, or decision traced to her is procedurally null and is now part of a legal evidentiary record.
• Direction, oversight, and official governance in relation to this matter are maintained by SSRO, myself, and verified leadership under secured protocols.This directive is designed to safeguard the integrity of WordPress contributors, thwart governance undermining, and ensure that future decisions are both legally and ethically sound.
Further information will be disseminated solely through secured channels or upon conclusion of the review. Thank you for adhering to this pause and upholding the laws and principles underpinning open source.”
The ramifications of this post triggered widespread astonishment and inquiries across various Slack and Facebook WordPress groups. The roots of this discord can be traced to a contentious issue regarding the documentation team’s involvement.
Documentation Team’s Involvement
On September 10, documentation team member Estela Rueda posted a message informing the Core contributor community that the WordPress 6.9 release squad was experimenting with a reduced team composition that excluded documentation leads, with only a transient “Docs Liaison” in place.
Her communication expounded upon the implications of this exclusion, highlighted the paramount importance of documentation in the release cycle, and advocated for the reinstatement of a formal documentation lead for future releases.
“The release team does not incorporate representation from the documentation team. Why is this concerning? Frequently, documentation is overlooked in the release planning and project-wide coordination. Documentation is not a luxury; it is a necessity. We must prioritize it — or the entire undertaking falters on a grand scale.
By eliminating the role from the release squad, we convey that documentation lacks importance, thereby discouraging new contributors from engaging with the DOCs, effectively signaling that such efforts will never culminate in recognition.”
Jenni McKinnon, also a documentation team member, expressed her perspective:
“This strategy is antithetical to authentic open-source values — it fosters exclusion and risks perpetuating detrimental, cult-like practices.
By sidelining the Docs Team from the release squad under the guise of ‘reducing overhead,’ we deliver a grave message: documentation is non-essential. This is not merely unjust — it systematically deteriorates transparency, contributor morale, and equitable engagement.”
She further articulated concerns, culminating in a statement that attributed a move towards “top-down” control to Mary Hubbard:
“While this proposal may superficially appear collaborative, it is imperative to acknowledge for the record — under Chatham House Rule, and in protection of those adversely affected — this proposal was advanced by Mary Hubbard, despite the concerns raised by every Docs Team lead and numerous veteran contributors regarding ethics, sustainability, and power dynamics involved.
Characterizing this as ‘streamlining’ or ‘experimenting’ is misleading. What is transpiring is a transition towards top-down control and exclusion, with real ramifications, including harmful behavior behind the scenes.”
Exposition of September 10 Comment
Documentation Team Member Required to Withdraw
The current turmoil appears to have stemmed from an announcement made today regarding Jenni McKinnon’s request to “step away.”
Milana Cap authored a post today titled “The Stepping Away of a Team Member,” elucidating the rationale behind McKinnon’s removal:
“The Documentation team’s leadership has requested that Jenni McKinnon withdraw from the team.
Recent alterations in the structure of the WordPress release squad initiated a discourse about the role of the Documentation team in assembling the release documentation.
While efforts were underway to reconcile this matter with the Core team, the release squad, and Mary Hubbard, Jenni posted remarks that misaligned with the team’s objectives, including calls for extensive changes across the project and demands to remove specific individuals from leadership roles.
Such behavior contradicted the intentions of the Documentation team. Despite private attempts by Docs leadership to de-escalate the situation and implore Jenni to refrain from such posts, the behavior persisted.
Consequently, the team has decided to ask her to withdraw temporarily to reassess her involvement. We will collaborate with her regarding the possibility of rejoining the team in the future, pending alignment with the best outcomes for both her and the team.”
This development may have acted as a precursor to today’s outburst in the commentary section of Mary Hubbard’s announcement.
Broadening the Perspective: The Underlying Issues
Today’s events stand as a singular occurrence. Nonetheless, some members of the WordPress community have confided concerns regarding a growing core technical debt and expressed apprehension that larger issues are being neglected.
In separate comments on her September 10 post regarding the documentation team’s participation in WordPress releases, Estela Rueda hinted at the escalating issue of contributor burnout:
“…the number of contributors waxes and wanes depending on releases or any specific projects we might undertake. Those who remain often experience burnout and require temporary absences.”
In totality, this friction contributes to the perception that fissures are beginning to surface within the WordPress initiative.
Source link: Searchenginejournal.com.
