Could 40% of all website owners have to make a decision...?
As of 1st November 2024, a high-stakes feud within the #WordPress community has sparked widespread concern among website owners and developers globally. The ongoing clash between Automattic—the company behind WordPress.com—and WP Engine, a major managed WordPress hosting provider, has raised questions about governance, control, and the future of the open-source ecosystem. This dispute could significantly impact millions of website owners who rely on WordPress for their online presence, with potential changes to hosting, plugins, and even the platform itself.
Background of the Dispute

The conflict centres around apparent improper use of the WordPress trademark (Search Engine Journal, 2024).

In response, WP Engine issued a cease-and-desist letter, accusing Mullenweg of defamation and extortion and subsequently filed a lawsuit against Automattic, citing abuse of power and trademark infringement (The Verge, 2024).

Why in this all important?

WordPress currently powers around 40% of all #websites, making it the world’s most popular content management system (CMS) (Search Engine Journal, 2024). Automattic, founded by Mullenweg in 2005, has grown significantly, with an estimated annual revenue of $1 billion (FT, 2024).

The dispute between Automattic and WP Engine could create fragmentation within the WordPress community, leading to a less cohesive ecosystem. This rift has already raised concerns about control over open-source projects, as WordPress.org (the open-source platform) operates separately from WordPress.com but is still heavily influenced by Automattic’s leadership.

Key potential impacts for website owners...

...Plugin and Theme Compatibility: The conflict could lead to plugin or theme providers taking sides, potentially resulting in incompatibilities across hosting providers.

Price Increases: With added legal costs and potential shifts in hosting providers, both Automattic and WP Engine may pass on expenses to users through price increases.

Open-Source Fragmentation: If plugin and theme developers choose to align with specific providers, it may weaken the collaborative ethos that has fueled WordPress's success.

Options for Website Owners
Website owners dependent on WordPress face several choices moving forward. They need to monitor Developments Closely and seriously consider alternative platforms.

Platforms like Squarespace, Wix, or Shopify offer CMS options that come with dedicated support and fewer governance issues.

As this drama unfolds, WordPress users globally should prepare for potential shifts in the ecosystem. The outcome could redefine #how millions of sites are managed, pushing website owners to adapt to a potentially divided " #internet".

Do you use a worpress site? Will you be affected?

WordPress, Your Way

Build a site, sell online, earn with your content, and more

Meet ‘Link #History,’ #Facebook’s New Way to #Track the #Websites You Visit

source: https://gizmodo.com/meet-link-history-facebook-s-new-way-to-track-the-we-1851134018

When you click on a link in the Facebook or #Instagram apps, the website loads in a special #browser built into the app, rather than your phone’s default browser. In 2022, #privacy researcher Felix Krause found that #Meta injects special “keylogging” #JavaScript onto the website you’re visiting that allows the company to #monitor everything you type and tap on, including passwords. Other apps including #TikTok do the same thing.

#surveillance #web #www #internet #economy #bigbrother #problem #news

Meet ‘Link History,’ Facebook’s New Way to Track the Websites You Visit

Facebook introduces a confusing new setting as the walls close in on Zuckerberg’s data machine.

#KDEConnect continues to impress. You can exchange text in the copy and paste clipboard between your #Computer and #Android #mobile. Useful for opening #Websites with long URLs which happen to be on your #phone, say, in your #laptop's #browser.

#KDE #GNU #Linux

Small static page websites really can be hosted for free

Rather than considering this linked article as an exhaustive compilation of free hosting options (it’s not), instead see it as a message aimed specifically at those who just want to have a couple of webpages to support their hobby or small business. There is often no need to pay for that level of website hosting. Or maybe you want to just try out creating your own website.

Why would you want to create a website when you have Facebook? Well you may want to leave Facebook (you have considered that haven’t you… but I digress), or maybe Facebook shuts down someday, or maybe you want the branding and permanence of having your own domain name not associated with some other big company. There are lots of reasons to want to host your own website.

It is though well worth considering paying a small fee for your own domain name, as you can keep that even if you move to a different hosting service. My own domain name costs me only $7.31 per year.

This article is only the tip of the iceberg though, as not even WordPress.com was mentioned.

See https://www.howtogeek.com/devops/the-best-services-to-host-a-free-website/
#Blog, #technology, #websites

France’s browser-based website blocking proposal will set a disastrous precedent for the open internet

https://blog.mozilla.org/netpolicy/2023/06/26/france-browser-website-blocking/

In a well-intentioned yet dangerous move to fight online fraud, France is on the verge of forcing browsers to create a dystopian technical capability. Article 6 (para II and III) of the SREN Bill would force browser providers to create the means to mandatorily block websites present on a government provided list. Such a move will overturn decades of established content moderation norms and provide a playbook for authoritarian governments that will easily negate the existence of censorship circumvention tools.

#censorship #security #privacy #freedom #liberty #web #website #websites #web-browsers #browsers #mozilla #firefox #france

370 pro-Russian disinformation sites discovered in Bulgaria

An analysis by the Sofia-based Human and Social Studies Foundation identified 370 websites spreading Russian propaganda and disinformation, Euractiv wrote on June 20.

The research, presented last week in Sofia, indicated that the fast growth of the so-called "mushroom sites" is one of the causes of the rapid spread of Russian propaganda in the country.

Mushroom sites are online media websites created in bulk by malicious actors to spread propaganda and disinformation.

"In 2022, Russian propaganda spread powerfully in the Bulgarian online space. Compared to the previous year, 2021, by the end of 2022, it rose almost 20 times. Propaganda increased in two periods – at the beginning and the end of the year," Euractiv cited the analysis.

https://kyivindependent.com/400-pro-russian-disinformation-sites-dicoverd-in-bulgaria/

#RussiaInvadedUkraine #InformationWarfare #misinformation #propaganda #disinformation #RussianPropaganda #Bulgaria #websites #media #MediaWebsites #OnlineSpace #SocialMedia #RussianAggression #Ukraine #StandWithUkraine

Media: 370 pro-Russian disinformation sites discovered in Bulgaria

An analysis by the Sofia-based Human and Social Studies Foundation identified 370 websites spreading Russian propaganda and disinformation, Euractiv wrote on June 20.

The War on Clown World

One side bans #wickedness. The other side bans any insufficient enthusiasm for wickedness. It’s not really that hard to determine who the #good guys are, and who the #evil servants of #Satan are:

Russian media watchdog Roskomnadzor officially approved on Wednesday an expanded set of criteria for what is to be considered ‘#LGBTQ #propaganda’, which can be grounds to #block access to #websites.

This comes after the Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology and Mass Communications issued an order to broaden and specify the definitions of #LGBTQ #propaganda and #pedophilia online.

The new set of norms will come into effect on September 1, and will be valid for the next six years, according to the document, which was published on #Russia’s official internet portal of legal information.

Under the order, Roskomnadzor will be authorized to block access to websites that feature content depicting children imitating or taking part in sexual activities, child genitalia in a sexual context, information about obtaining, creating, or sharing #child #pornography, as well as content aimed at #provoking #sexual #attraction towards #children or #justifying #sexual #relations with #minors.

In case you don’t understand why I am very, very pleased to be among the #Unauthorized, all I can say is that if you’re not persona non grata among the #wicked of #ClownWorld, you really need to contemplate whether you are truly on the side of the Good, the Beautiful, and the True or not.

Because Clown World is at war with everything good, everything beautiful, and everything true.

N-O-D-E Unveils Slick Tech News Site

#news #node #tech #websites #hackaday
posted by pod_feeder_v2

N-O-D-E Unveils Slick Tech News Site

There’s probably some axiom in professional journalism that says you shouldn’t give out free advertisement to your competitors — but since none of us have any formal training in t…

#HackersCardgame.ch v2.0

Even if Source is 80 Years old i still think that this is relevant to understand what and how some people think

Thread:

https://twitter.com/PinkyDef/status/1604620165362159618
https://twitter.com/PinkyDef/status/1603926813327216640

http://0x8.ch/HackersCardgame_2.0/png/DE/#book03

#Vintage #MindControl #PsychologicalWarfare #Psychology #Warfare #Lawfare #Desception #CIA #NSA #Deepstate
Today this things are realized with the #Internet, #Linux, #Windows, #OSX, #Facebook, #Twitter, #Telegram, #Instagram, #Websites

There is also a #Wikipedia Page (not consulted yet)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morale_Operations_Branch

Internet

I'm really annoyed by the #Internet of today:

• #Trackers and #data #collection everywhere
• #JavaScript-heavy #Web #applications instead of document-oriented #websites
• No #JavaScript most often translates to an empty page with a single sentence: "Please activate JavaScript"; the page content however is often nothing that actually requires JavaScript, the website creators just want to feel like actual #application #developers, so they re-build much of what the #browser already supplies with #inefficient and #bug heavy JavaScript code
• Content almost always behind a #login wall
• More often than not only very superficial #information
• #Ads
• Thousands of 3rd party JS files included, most of which have the only purpose of tracking you across websites
• #Misinformation and #biased #information everywhere
• Deliberately misleading advertisment, sich as "save 80% now", and artificial time pressure)
• "Best viewed on #Google #Chrome"
• "Login with Facebook"
• Newsletter subscription and cookie pop-ups featuring #dark #patterns
• #Search #engine #optimization ( #SEO ) acts in the worst interest of the user by skewing search results
• Artificial restriction of web #app functionality to promote their native apps
• Large parts of the Web are only accessible by #smartphone
• You have to provide your #phone #number to login
• If you didn't provide a phone number, your account is being blocked right after the initial login because we suspect you being malicious actor because why not (=> #Instagram, #Facebook)
• #Proprietary #platforms are required to participate in public #online life (Amazon, Google, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube)
• One-sentence-paragraphs and sloppy language (especially found in #Medium #articles)
• "We care about your #privacy" actually means: "We were forced by law to do this shit, we just want to collect and store as much information on you as possible to make money off of you now or in an undescript future"
• JavaScript code minimizer
• Large font sizes, much whitespace, large illustrative, but useless images, HD screen required to browse most websites
• Lack of #government #regulation and #law #enforcement, too many malicious actors (#spam, #phishing, etc.)
• Emotional content to increase #interaction, #clickbait

Once being an open platform geared towards information exchange and bringing people into contact, most of the public Internet today is nothing but annoying useless #marketing, #advertising and #data #collection. Providing information, connecting people, and making life convenient is definitely NOT the primary goal of whoever is big on the Internet today. It's shocking to see how much of it is only to sell you stuff or to sell your information.

And the worst is: we are even paying them to do this shit. #Marketing spending will be reflected in product prices, and with much of marketing being done in 1st world countries, a substantial amount of the price goes into this destructive industry.

I could go on with this for hours. Really sick of it.

#media = #mediums #internet #websites #msm #memes #blogs #books #magazines #podcasts #cartoons #etc

#Cop27 #wifi in #Egypt blocks #HumanRights and key news #websites | Cop27 | The Guardian

What's the point of holding a global conference in a place which openly #censors the #Internet and doesn't even pretend to care about all its citizens? You might as well hold a world sports tournament in such a regime too.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/nov/07/cop27-wifi-egypt-blocks-human-rights-key-news-websites

Umatrix rule-list for popular #websites

https://github.com/kristerkari/umatrix-recipes

https://github.com/uMatrix-Rules/uMatrix-Rules-Site/blob/master/rules.txt

#umatrix #privacy #browser #list #trackers #cookies #javascript

GitHub - kristerkari/umatrix-recipes: "uMatrix Recipes" is a collection of rules for uMatrix that you can use to fix some popular websites by whitelisting the 3rd-party requests that are critical for the websites to function.

"uMatrix Recipes" is a collection of rules for uMatrix that you can use to fix some popular websites by whitelisting the 3rd-party requests that are critical for the websites to function....

#Meta injecting code into #websites visited by its users to track them, research says | Meta | The Guardian

Probably not news to many here.

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2022/aug/11/meta-injecting-code-into-websites-visited-by-its-users-to-track-them-research-says

#Facebook #Instagram #SurveillanceCapitalism

HAAL 'T LOKAAL

#Websites en #adressen, waar de #boeren, #molenaars, #imkers, #telers, #bakkerijen en #stalletjes aan de weg, te vinden zijn.
https://zoekdeboer.nl/boerderijwinkels
https://lokaalwijzer.nl/
https://www.productenvandeboer.com
https://www.antibioticavrijekip.nl/
https://lekkernassuh.org/
https://www.rechtstreex.nl
https://www.boeregoed.nl/onze-telers/
https://hetkraampje.nl
https://landwinkel.nl
https://boerenmarktplein.nl/
https://www.supportyourlocalsnl.nl/
https://www.kalfsvleeszuna.nl/
https://www.westzaansezuivelboerderij.nl
https://landwinkeldelindenhorst.nl
https://www.tuinderijdedrieberken.nl/
https://www.antibioticavrijekip.nl/
https://degroeneschuur.nl
https://www.christis-boerderijwinkel.nl/
https://zoekdeboer.nl/boerderijwinkels/
https://www.degroenteweide.nl/
https://www.mikkelhorst.nl/
https://kleinbroekhuizen.nl/
https://www.fruitschuur.com/
https://deversekers.nl/
https://www.luemes.nl
https://puurdichtbij.nl/boeren/boerderij-de-kolke.html
https://www.blakervelderhoeve.nl/
https://destreekboer.nl/streekboeren/apm-aardbeien-berltsum/
https://www.destokhorst.nl/
https://www.degroenegeer.nl
https://giessenlander.nl/
https://vleesboerderijbarten.nl/
https://www.natuurbizz.nl/
https://www.fietsnetwerk.nl/
https://www.boerderijvansteenbergen.nl/
https://eieren-automaat.nl
https://www.ruygeweydekaas.nl/
https://fietsenvoormijneten.nl/
https://www.deversboerderij.nl/
https://dekleinehope.nl
https://vleesboerderijdieker.nl
https://boerderijhetbinnenveld.nl
https://www.veluwsland.nl
https://www.vvb-savelkouls.nl
https://luysterburgbv.nl
https://www.dezuidgeest.nl
http://www.sterregaard.nl
https://www.nieuwbureveld.nl
https://www.luemes.nl
https://www.verkoopstalletjes.nl
https://www.buitengewonevarkens.nl
https://landwinkel.nl/
https://www.boerdereike.nl
https://www.genneperhoeve.nl
https://www.philipsfruittuin.nl
https://deblijebig.nl
https://veehouderijen.nl
https://destreekboer.nl/friesland&groningen
https://www.groenteboerkeuze.nl
https://broodsmakelijk.nl
https://boerenkeukenrecepten.wordpress.com
https://FindFarm.nl
#lokaal #indebuurt

Boerderijwinkel bij jou in de buurt? Hier kun je producten kopen bij de boer

Boerderijwinkel bij jou in de buurt? Op Zoekdeboer vind je boerderijen waar jij rechtstreeks streekproducten kunt kopen bij de boer. Bekijk het hier

DDoSers are using a potent new method to deliver attacks of unthinkable size

Basically, "middleboxes" used for censorship are being used for DDoSing.

https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2022/03/unending-data-floods-and-complete-resource-exhaustion-ddoses-get-meaner/

These servers—known as middleboxes—are deployed by nation-states such as China to censor restricted content and by large organizations to block sites pushing porn, gambling, and pirated downloads. The servers fail to follow transmission control protocol specifications that require a three-way handshake—comprising an SYN packet sent by the client, an SYN+ACK response from the server, followed by a confirmation ACK packet from the client—before a connection is established.

#internet #ddos #middlebox #censorship #site-blocking #tcp #networks #sites #websites

DDoSers are using a potent new method to deliver attacks of unthinkable size

100,000 misconfigured servers are creating a new way to knock sites offline.

The open source CrowdSec bouncer is designed to be included in any PHP application (inc WordPress sites) to help block attackers

PHP is a widely-used programming language on the web, and it’s estimated that nearly 80% of all websites use it. CrowdSec provides server admins with a PHP bouncer to help ward away bots and bad actors who may attempt to interact with PHP files.

Note that a server agent must be installed, with the bouncer application running at website level. WordPress has a plugin, whilst Drupal does not, but for Drupal you can use the PHP Bouncer directly.

See https://opensource.com/article/22/1/php-website-bouncer-crowdsec

#technology #security #websites #bots #wordpress #secops
#Blog, ##bots, ##opensource, ##security, ##technology, ##websites, ##wordpress

This Reddit Thread Of The Most Useful Websites That Most People Might Not Know About Will Make You Fall Down The Ultimate Internet Rabbit Hole

Despite the fact that the World Wide Web comprises 1.88 billion websites, with the rise of social media, it can sometimes feel like we use just five of them.

Redditor u/SauloJr quizzed the r/AskReddit community about the most useful unknown websites that they wished more people knew about, and netizens enthusiastically offered some of their favourite lesser-known fruits of the web.

The article lists a very few of them, but there are countless more on the Subreddit itself. Some could be pretty useful.

See https://digg.com/2021/this-reddit-thread-of-the-most-useful-websites-that-you-might-not-know-about-will-enhance-your-internet-browsing-experience

#technology #websites #reddit #useful #interesting
#Blog, ##reddit, ##technology, ##websites

Some #websites are informative, others are #colourful, yet others are traps. This #spider's #web fits into the last two categories for unwary #insects. Joking aside, I was looking for something in the garage and saw this web with the #Sun shining through it. The #colours are what struck me; how the silk #refracts #sunlight into the colours of the #rainbow.

#MyWork #MyPhoto #CCBYSA #DSLR #Nikon #D7000

Ten common photography website mistakes (and how to fix them)

#inspiration #caitlynedwards #photographywebsite #website #websites

Ten common photography website mistakes (and how to fix them) - DIY Photography

When we think about websites, search engine optimization (SEO) is often top of mind. How is Google ranking you against other similar photographers? Are you showing up on the first page of search results? There’s no doubt SEO is important for every...