As WordCamp Europe approaches, I find myself both excited and reflective. This year, we return as a sponsor after a turbulent time when we were unexpectedly banned from WordPress events. Remember that? Taco discussed it in this blog post. Against all odds (and apparently the pope had some say in it), we are now unbanned. And thus, we’re heading to Basel.
While we’re genuinely happy to be back, the experience still leaves us with unanswered questions. Why were we banned in the first place? Was that fair? (No, it wasn’t.) And why did Automattic, or Matt, change his mind? We may never know. What we do know is that the WordPress community is important to us, and we’re eager to contribute in meaningful ways again.
Website reviews: get expert feedback
You’ll find us at our sponsor booth at WordCamp Europe. Make sure to come and say hi! We’ve got some fun goodies, and you’ll have a chance to win an amazing prize. We’ll also be sharing what’s new in Progress Planner.
And there is more. The Progress Planner team will take the stage! I’m joining a panel for live website reviews. It’s an interactive session where you can get expert feedback on your site. Very exciting!
Joining me on the panel are:
- Taco Verdonschot (Emilia Capital)
- Jono Alderson (independent consultant, working across Meta, Emilia Capital, and others)
- Amber Hinds (Equalize Digital)
This is a great opportunity to get insights from people deeply embedded in the WordPress ecosystem across different roles and perspectives. And it will be fun and interactive!
The power of independent voices: why Alt Ctrl matters
WordCamp Europe isn’t just about that main event. As always, there are several side events in Basel taking place alongside it. One event I’m especially looking forward to is the Alt Ctrl conference on Friday, June 6th. Make sure to check out their schedule. Alt Ctrl is an independent, community-driven initiative built to spark open conversations about the future of WordPress and open source. And we need that!
In recent months, we’ve seen growing concerns about the concentration of power in the WordPress project. Joost’s post laid this out clearly. Decisions made by Automattic and its leadership, particularly Matt Mullenweg, can impact the long-term health of the open-source ecosystem. While Automattic is now unbanning people and returning to contributing, it is still unclear why or how they changed their minds. Let alone when and why they’ll change them back again. When the lines between a single company and a community-driven project blur, we risk losing the collaborative spirit that makes open source thrive.
That’s why Alt Ctrl is so important. It’s a space for honest dialogue, for asking hard questions and for imagining a future where WordPress remains a robust, open platform for everyone (and not just the few who hold the keys). I’m incredibly grateful that our community has people willing to create spaces like this. Joost will be on one of the panels on the 6th of June.
And of course… the parties!
Lots of talking, strategizing and networking. That is what WordCamps are all about. But of course, no WordCamp is complete without the parties and after-parties. These moments of connection, celebration, and often a bit (or more than just a bit) of dancing are what make WordCamp special for me. I always leave them energized and with a renewed sense of purpose.
I’m looking forward to learning, sharing, and meeting so many of you at WordCamp Europe. Let’s keep the conversations about websites, about open source and about the future we’re building together going.
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