Call for Founder Matt Mullenweg to Share Control with a Board

WordPress has been a pillar of the open-source community, powering millions of websites across the globe. Its success is due to the contributions of countless developers, designers, and users who have built an entire ecosystem around this platform. However, the governance structure of the WordPress project raises concerns, with Matt Mullenweg, its founder, retaining disproportionate control over the future of this essential public good.

Problem: While Mullenweg's leadership was crucial in WordPress' early years, the current governance model—where one person holds most decision-making power—contradicts the principles of open source and community-driven projects. For a platform that claims to champion democratization of publishing, this structure seems at odds with the spirit of inclusivity and shared responsibility.

What We Want: We, the undersigned members of the WordPress community, are calling for Matt Mullenweg to step down from having sole control over the WordPress project and to establish a governing board where leadership is shared equally among representatives of the community, contributors, developers, and non-profit stakeholders.

This board should:

• Ensure that decisions are made collaboratively and with input from all corners of the community.
• Adopt transparent policies for governance.
• Give voting rights to all members of the board to prevent the concentration of power in any single individual.

Why This Matters: Open-source software thrives on collaboration, innovation, and shared ownership. By creating a more democratic governance structure, we can ensure that WordPress remains a vibrant, inclusive project that serves its diverse user base, rather than becoming dominated by any single entity or individual.

Call to Action: If you believe in the power of open source and the importance of community-driven decision-making, join us in calling for a change in leadership at WordPress. Let’s push for a more equitable governance model that reflects the values of openness and democracy that WordPress was built upon.

Sign this petition to demand that Matt Mullenweg share control and establish a governing board with equal voting rights!