The WordPress vs WP Engine conflict has escalated into a significant controversy within the tech community, involving trademark disputes and accusations of unethical practices. The drama began when Matt Mullenweg, co-founder of WordPress and CEO of Automattic, publicly criticized WP Engine, labeling it a “cancer to WordPress.” He accused the hosting provider of disabling crucial features like post-revision tracking to cut costs, which he argued undermines user data protection.

The ongoing conflict between WordPress and WP Engine has become a significant topic in the tech community, impacting millions of users worldwide. This article outlines the timeline of events leading to the current situation, focusing on key developments and their implications for the WordPress ecosystem.

Timeline of Events for WordPress vs Wp Engine

September 21, 2024

Matt Mullenweg’s Accusation: Matt Mullenweg, co-founder of WordPress and CEO of Automattic, publicly labeled WP Engine as a “cancer” to the WordPress community. He criticized the hosting provider for disabling essential features like revision history, claiming it compromised user data protection and was a cost-saving measure by WP Engine.

September 23, 2024

Cease-and-Desist Letters: In response to Mullenweg’s comments, WP Engine issued a cease-and-desist letter, alleging that Mullenweg threatened them with severe actions unless they paid a significant percentage of their revenue for a trademark license. WP Engine claimed that their use of the “WP” brand fell under fair use protections.

September 25, 2024

Official Ban on WP Engine: WordPress.org banned WP Engine from accessing its resources, affecting users’ ability to update plugins and themes. This ban left many websites vulnerable to security risks due to outdated software. Mullenweg justified this action by stating that WP Engine was trying to control the WordPress experience without contributing back to the community.

September 26-27, 2024

Community Backlash: The ban sparked widespread criticism within the WordPress community. Many users expressed concerns about the implications for their websites and questioned Mullenweg’s authority in enforcing such measures. WP Engine accused Mullenweg of abusing his influence over WordPress to disrupt their operations.

September 28, 2024

Temporary Reprieve Announced: In light of user frustrations, Mullenweg announced a temporary lifting of the ban until October 1, allowing WP Engine customers access to updates. He acknowledged the negative impact on users stemming from corporate decisions made by WP Engine’s investors.

Key Issues at Stake in the WordPress vs Wp Engine Saga

Trademark Disputes

The core issue revolves around trademark usage. Automattic has accused WP Engine of misleading branding that confuses users about its relationship with WordPress. The WordPress Foundation has updated its trademark policies to clarify these points, emphasizing that while “WP” isn’t trademark-protected, its use must not mislead consumers into thinking it is officially associated with WordPress.

Community Impact

The conflict raises concerns about the future of open-source contributions in the WordPress ecosystem. Many developers fear that strict trademark enforcement could stifle innovation and collaboration within the community. Discussions about potential forks of WordPress have emerged as some members express disillusionment with how the situation is being handled.

Legal Ramifications

While cease-and-desist letters have been exchanged, no formal legal action has been initiated yet. However, if either party pursues litigation, it could lead to a prolonged legal battle that might further disrupt services for users relying on both platforms.

Conclusion

The ongoing WordPress vs WP Engine dispute highlights critical issues surrounding trademark enforcement, community collaboration, and the responsibilities of commercial entities within open-source ecosystems. As tensions continue to rise, both parties will need to navigate these challenges carefully to avoid long-term damage to their reputations and user trust.

A contact form is one of the vital aspects of a website as your visitors can easily enquire about your products and services. If you are looking to add a contact form to your WordPress website, it should not be that difficult. In this article, we show you how you can use the WPForms plugin to create a contact form.

Let’s see how to create a free contact form for your WordPress site using the WP Forms plugin.

This plugin allows you to create multiple forms like survey forms, signup forms, email subscription forms, and more for your website. Some of the features of this plugin are:

Available both as free and paid versions.
With simple drag and drop options, it makes the page user-friendly to create the forms according to the user’s requirements.
The builder is highly responsive with a variety of templates that help in creating complex forms easily.
Can get integrated with multiple payment gateways like Stripe, Paypal, etc.
Offers conditional logic that helps in the creation of complex forms.
It is spam-protected that protects your website.

Step 1- To use the WP Form plugin, visit wordpress.org and find the plugin you need in the search box. And search for WP form. Alternatively, if you are on the WordPress dashboard, you can go to the Plugins > Add New page and search for WP Forms Lite.

Step 2– Install and activate the selected WP Form plugin. A lot of people know that this plugin is used to create contact forms, but you can also use this plugin to create more content. There are multiple options available like complaints forms, bug tracking forms, support card forms, IT service request forms, and more.

Step 3- Go to Dashboard and then to All Forms. Here, you will see all the templates that are created, and when you click on the Add New Contact form, you will see a list of blank templates where you can select one to create the form from the scratch. Select “Simple Contact Form.”

Step 4– Upon selection, it imports an already-created blank contact. Now, rearrange the fields according to your requirements using simple drag and drop options. You can also add new fields by choosing from the options present on the left-hand side of the page (for example, checkboxes, drop-down lists, etc.). You can also add in advanced options like CSS class, choosing font size, etc. After designing the form, you can choose the email ID to send the notification from the notification area present under the options. The Confirm tab saves a message and the same message will be sent later as part of the confirmation to the email id mentioned.

Step 5- After creating the contact form, go to the WordPress site, select the options page and from the dashboard, create a new one. Publish the page after creating it. Once the page is published, add the block by entering the shortcode as shown below.

Step 6- After entering the shortcode, you can go to the display page to see the created contact form. The sample has been shown below

If you have the pro version of the plugin, you get extra features such as multiple sites, client management features, word press multisite support, geolocation, etc.

I hope this helps in the creation of the contact form using the WP forms. For any doubts and clarifications, you can post your queries in the comment section below.

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