I’ve been working with WordPress for over 10 years. Or should I say “around WordPress”? Because unlike many of the amazing web developers I know, I’ve not built (many) websites on WordPress. I wouldn’t survive Jamie’s speed build challenge.

Instead, I’ve been working with the people who build the websites, with the people who build the plugins, with the people who build WordPress core. And that’s what I like best about WordPress; the people.

The WordPress Community

Those people in and around WordPress make what we call the WordPress community, which is an extremely vague definition. But, that’s ok. It’s not up to me to decide who is or isn’t in the community. I feel a system of self-classification works well here. Speaking for myself, I most definitely consider myself part of the WordPress community.

It’s a community that meets online. On GitHub, Trac, wordpress.org, in Slack (a lot of Slacks actually), Facebook groups, LinkedIn communities, Reddit, and discord, to name just a few.

It’s also a community that meets offline. At WordCamps, meetups, and many other conferences around the globe.

These local and global communities of WordPress enthusiasts are quite special. Despite the fact they mostly consist of competitors, you’ll find they all have a relaxed, cooperative vibe. People genuinely care about WordPress, open source, and each other.

Friends

More than once, I’ve said the WordPress community consists of friends, and friends I’ve never met before. And while I won’t invite everyone to my birthday party (not even when I turn 40 next year), I do consider them friends. Why? Because I can always turn to the people in the WordPress community for advice. For a helping hand. Or, to lend a hand when they need one.

Even when I don’t always agree with some company’s policies or business ethics, I still may be able to help my friends do better, or make the best of it.

A metaphor

Everyone who’s ever worked with wood knows that driving a nail in a piece of wood might crack it, depending on the type of wood, the size of the nail and its location. Any nail will cause damage to wood. But, when applied correctly, it can help you build a strong structure, larger than any single piece of wood.

But, if you do it wrong, it will hurt your structure. You’ll hurt the solidity of the wood. Maybe at first, you won’t see a crack, you won’t see the wood split. But as you continue to drive in the nail, you’ll see that crack become visible, and at some point even irreparable.

I was there. I was there in the room. I was there in the room when the leader of WordPress started pounding a nail into the WordPress community. At first, it only hurt the people who were hit directly. However, over time, as he decided to continue to pound the nail, the once perfectly formed and polished WordPress community started to crack. By now, a clearly visible crack has formed.

Any craftsman would know to stop pounding the nail to prevent further damage. Any craftsman would know that at this point, the crack is still reparable. Yet what we’re seeing in WordPress is the opposite.

The effect

What I already see happening is splinters flying off. Splinters that were at the core of our polished piece of wood. Splinters that were together forming a strong part of our piece of wood have been forcefully removed, or sprang off because they couldn’t take the constant beating.

Our piece of wood will never be the same.

Leaving the metaphor, what I see happening is people who were heavily invested in WordPress walk off, or being forced to step away. I’m seeing a community that’s hurting because of pain that’s constantly being inflicted. I’m seeing a community that’s increasingly wondering if they’ll still have clients next year. If they’ll still have a job. I’m seeing a community that wants the pounding to end.

I’m seeing friends get hurt. Emotionally and financially. And I want it to stop.

How does this continue?

I don’t know.

I do have a dream though. I dream that Matt stops pounding. I dream that Matt joins forces with Joost and Karim. I dream that everyone involved pulls their weight to create a strong and healthy structure, together.

Because in the end, all I really want is to hang out with my friends -old and new- in this amazing community, and see and help them thrive.