Talk:Automattic

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Small?

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Small in head count, but big in influence, aren't they?

--Migs 18:07, 6 January 2007 (UTC)[reply]

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Missing information regarding ownership of .blog domain ending

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It might be smart to mention in this article that the domain ending, .blog is owned by Automattic.

Daylen (talk) 23:20, 21 November 2016 (UTC)[reply]

OK but they do not own every .blog domain in the world. They just deliver some of them as a one of the (many?) registrants. Moreover it's not clear to me if they already do it now. Can somebody confirm? --Valerio Bozzolan (talk) 15:31, 19 November 2021 (UTC)[reply]

Recent edit

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Preserving here by providing this link. My rationale was: WP:DIRECTORY - trim list of nn products in infobox; excessive ext links. --K.e.coffman (talk) 17:05, 11 August 2018 (UTC)[reply]

History section

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The history section needs a rewrite. It's currently just a list of acquisitions, with no information or context about any of them. Much of the sourcing is to company press releases. This entire page currently reads like a press release, frankly. Handpigdad (talk) 06:09, 1 August 2023 (UTC)[reply]

Merge proposal

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The following discussion is closed. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page. No further edits should be made to this discussion.

I propose merging WordPress.com into Automattic. WordPress.com is a website where Automattic sells its WordPress hosting products. My BLAR was objected on notability grounds, but even if notable this website does not warrant a separate article per WP:NOPAGE, especially when it's basically an advert that directs traffic away from WordPress. WP:NPRODUCT: Avoid splitting the company and its products into separate articles, unless both have so much coverage in reliable secondary sources as to make a single article unwieldy. Charcoal feather (talk) 17:41, 24 October 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Oppose For this unfamiliar with this confusing mess, Wordpress.com (a hosting company) despite is similar name, is very strongly distinct from the non-profit Wordpress Foundation (which develops the wordpress software), but both are effectively controlled by WordPress's (co)creator Matt Mullenweg. WordPress.com is one of the world largest providers of WordPress hosting (with WordPress software being used by 43% of all current websites [1]), and I think it clearly notable in its own right, especially given the coverage that has come from the recent WP Engine dispute, where the unclearly separated objectives of the foundation and the for-profit company have come into sharp focus. Hemiauchenia (talk) 19:35, 24 October 2024 (UTC)[reply]
WordPress.com is not a hosting company, Automattic is the hosting company. Re: I think it clearly notable in its own right, as noted above, merging criteria are different from notability, and notable products can and often should be merged. The website / product can be discussed in a section in the company article. Charcoal feather (talk) 12:54, 25 October 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Comment. If that merge happens, Akismet should be merged here too. Apocheir (talk) 03:22, 26 October 2024 (UTC)[reply]
The discussion above is closed. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page. No further edits should be made to this discussion.

Opening sentence in the History section

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Hi editors, I'm Chenda and I work for Automattic. I've got a conflict of interest and know I shouldn't make any changes to this article without first discussing them with the community.

I would like to request an updated beginning sentence to the History section. See below for my proposed addition:

Matt Mullenweg co-founded the open-source blogging platform WordPress in 2003. Two years later, he founded Automattic to monetize the platform.[1]

References

  1. ^ Sawers, Paul (September 22, 2024). "Matt Mullenweg calls WP Engine a 'cancer to WordPress' and urges community to switch providers". TechCrunch. Retrieved November 1, 2024.

I also hope to address the press release tag at the top of the article. If anybody would like to take a peek at my proposed draft, feel free.

If anyone has any questions, I would be happy to address them. Thanks! Chenda at Automattic (talk) 16:53, 11 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

 Done Likeanechointheforest (talk) 00:30, 14 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]
@Likeanechointheforest: Thanks! Chenda at Automattic (talk) 22:01, 18 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

History section

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Hi editors, For my next request, I propose making another update to the History section.

I would like to replace the current second paragraph:

  • On January 11, 2006, it was announced that Toni Schneider would be leaving Yahoo! to become CEO of Automattic. He was previously CEO of Oddpost before it was acquired by Yahoo!, where he had continued as a senior executive.[1][2]

References

  1. ^ Malik, Om (11 January 2006). "Yahoo Exec Exits For Automattic CEO Gig". gigaom.com. Archived from the original on 20 September 2017. Retrieved 24 January 2018.
  2. ^ Schneider, Toni (2006-01-11). "Moving On From Yahoo -> Automattic". Toni's Garage. Archived from the original on 2008-04-19. Retrieved 2024-12-12.

With the following:

  • The company is based in San Francisco.[1] Since its founding, Automattic has had a fully remote workforce.[2] Initially the company developed commercial products related to WordPress, including WordPress.com for WordPress-managed hosting and the spam filtering service Akismet.[2] Toni Schneider, a former executive at Yahoo, became chief executive officer (CEO) in 2006.[2][3]

References

  1. ^ Cai, Kendrick; Konrad, Alex, eds. (August 6, 2024). "Forbes Cloud 100 No. 71: Automattic". Forbes. Retrieved December 2, 2024.
  2. ^ a b c Morrison, Chris (October 19, 2021). "How doing everything wrong turned Automattic into a multibillion dollar media powerhouse". TechCrunch. Retrieved November 1, 2024.
  3. ^ Farr, Christina (January 13, 2014). "WordPress creator Matt Mullenweg to take over Automattic as CEO". VentureBeat. Retrieved November 1, 2024.

This addition will add more context surrounding the founding of Automattic and adds reliable sourcing.

I wrote a draft to try to address some of the tags on the article if anyone is interested. @Likeanechointheforest: would you be interested in reviewing this request since you looked at the last one? Thanks. Chenda at Automattic (talk) 21:12, 21 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

 Done Looks good to me! Implemented most of this Likeanechointheforest (talk) 19:59, 2 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]
Hello @Likeanechointheforest: Thank you for the review. Quick question, why were the first two sentences about Automattic being based in San Francisco and having a fully remote workforce since its founding not included in the body of the article? Chenda at Automattic (talk) 17:11, 12 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]
To me that felt either redundant or promotional in tone, something felt off about it, but copyediting is a pretty subjective process, so consider getting another editor's thoughts in your next edit request Likeanechointheforest (talk) 17:12, 17 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]
I understand Likeanechointheforest, thank you for explaining! I will let you know when my next request is up, if you are interested in taking a look. Chenda at Automattic (talk) 22:46, 19 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Second paragraph, History section

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Hi editors, for my next request, I propose making another update to the History section .

I would like to replace these two sentences:

  • In April 2006, Automattic's Regulation D filing showed it had raised approximately $1.1 million in funding.[1] On September 9, 2010, Automattic gave the WordPress trademark and control over bbPress and BuddyPress to the WordPress Foundation.[2]

References

  1. ^ "EDGAR Search Results". www.sec.gov. Archived from the original on 2024-06-12. Retrieved 2018-01-24.
  2. ^ Mullenweg, Matt (2010-09-09). "A New Home for the WordPress Trademark". ma.tt. Archived from the original on 2024-12-09. Retrieved 2018-01-24.

With the following:

  • That year, Automattic's Regulation D filing showed it had raised approximately $1.1 million in funding and it launched WordPress VIP, a WordPress.com tier with greater support.[1][2] WordPress reached 3.8 million downloads in 2007 and Automattic had $29.5 million in funding.[3][4] Investors included Polaris Ventures, True Ventures, and The New York Times Company.[2][4] Automattic acquired Gravatar in 2007, then IntenseDebate and PollDaddy in 2008.[5][2] The company had 25 engineers that year.[3] The company donated the WordPress source code and trademarks to the nonprofit WordPress Foundation in 2010 and acquired prompt generator Plinky.[6][7] In 2011, it created Jetpack, a WordPress extension.[2]

References

  1. ^ "Form D" (PDF). United States Securities and Exchange Commission. April 11, 2006. Retrieved March 19, 2025.
  2. ^ a b c d Morrison, Chris (October 19, 2021). "How doing everything wrong turned Automattic into a multibillion dollar media powerhouse". TechCrunch. Retrieved November 1, 2024.
  3. ^ a b Cadelago, Chris (July 17, 2008). "Founder of blog platform gets venture funding". San Francisco Chronicle. Archived from the original on September 29, 2012. Retrieved November 1, 2024.
  4. ^ a b Silverman, Dwight (January 29, 2008). "For a native of Houston, the big time". Houston Chronicle. Archived from the original on July 22, 2012. Retrieved November 1, 2024.
  5. ^ Burns, Matt (August 19, 2013). "GitHub Co-Founder And CEO Tom Preston-Werner To Speak At Disrupt SF". TechCrunch. Retrieved March 21, 2025.
  6. ^ Brodkin, Jon (October 3, 2024). "Automattic demanded web host pay $32M annually for using WordPress trademark". Ars Technica. Retrieved November 8, 2024.
  7. ^ Rao, Leena (June 25, 2010). "Automattic Buys Up Thing Labs' Plinky To Help Bloggers Overcome Writer's Block". TechCrunch. Retrieved March 21, 2025.

I am mentioning you here, Likeanechointheforest, just in case you are interested in taking a peek at this new request. This addition keeps and expands upon the information in the current first sentence, and removes the information sourced to a blog post. It also expands upon Automattic's history after 2006 using reliable sources.

If anyone has any questions, I would be happy to address them. Thanks! Chenda at Automattic (talk) 14:31, 12 June 2025 (UTC)[reply]

 Not done. This is obviously a promotional rewrite. We're not going to turn the article into an advertisement bit by bit. - MrOllie (talk) 14:34, 12 June 2025 (UTC)[reply]
Hello MrOllie, can I ask what specifically reads as promotional from your point of view? I agree that this article should not read like an advertisement, and am interested in creating a neutral and fair article. I can adjust as needed, just let me know. Chenda at Automattic (talk) 13:58, 13 June 2025 (UTC)[reply]
Chiming in, I agree parts of this feel promotional. I wonder about a more toned down version of this? The sources are all here. Likeanechointheforest (talk) 14:41, 13 June 2025 (UTC)[reply]
Definitely heard, Likeanechointheforest. Is there any specific part you think I should adjust? If you let me know what sounds promotional, I would be happy to take a look. Just let me know, thanks. Chenda at Automattic (talk) 16:28, 23 June 2025 (UTC)[reply]
I think it's the amount of positive material here, naming the investors, the number of downloads, etc, it feels like it's supposed to be impressive Likeanechointheforest (talk) 19:46, 23 June 2025 (UTC)[reply]

I see what you mean about all the positive information. I have cut it down to the most important beats. Let me know what you think of this updated request likeanechointheforest:

Initially the company developed commercial products related to WordPress, including WordPress.com for WordPress-managed hosting and the spam filtering service Akismet. Toni Schneider, a former executive at Yahoo, became chief executive officer (CEO) in 2006.[1][2] It launched WordPress VIP the same year.[1]
Automattic reported $29.5 million in funding in 2007.[3][4] Investors included Polaris Ventures and The New York Times Company.[1][4] Automattic acquired Gravatar in 2007, then IntenseDebate and PollDaddy in 2008.[5][1]
Automattic transferred the WordPress source code and trademarks to the WordPress Foundation in 2010 and it also acquired the prompt generator Plinky.[6][7] In 2011, the company created Jetpack, a WordPress extension.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Morrison, Chris (October 19, 2021). "How doing everything wrong turned Automattic into a multibillion dollar media powerhouse". TechCrunch. Retrieved November 1, 2024.
  2. ^ Farr, Christina (January 13, 2014). "WordPress creator Matt Mullenweg to take over Automattic as CEO". VentureBeat. Retrieved November 1, 2024.
  3. ^ Cadelago, Chris (July 17, 2008). "Founder of blog platform gets venture funding". San Francisco Chronicle. Archived from the original on September 29, 2012. Retrieved November 1, 2024.
  4. ^ a b Silverman, Dwight (January 29, 2008). "For a native of Houston, the big time". Houston Chronicle. Archived from the original on July 22, 2012. Retrieved November 1, 2024.
  5. ^ Burns, Matt (August 19, 2013). "GitHub Co-Founder And CEO Tom Preston-Werner To Speak At Disrupt SF". TechCrunch. Retrieved March 21, 2025.
  6. ^ Brodkin, Jon (October 3, 2024). "Automattic demanded web host pay $32M annually for using WordPress trademark". Ars Technica. Retrieved November 8, 2024.
  7. ^ Rao, Leena (June 25, 2010). "Automattic Buys Up Thing Labs' Plinky To Help Bloggers Overcome Writer's Block". TechCrunch. Retrieved March 21, 2025.

I cut out a lot of the noted promotional language from my last proposal. When compared to the current live article, the refreshed request accomplishes the following:

  • Adds Toni Schneider as CEO in 2006, noting his background at Yahoo
  • This expands historical information in the draft.
  • Adds the launch of WordPress VIP in 2006
  • This expands historical information in the draft.
  • States Automattic reported $29.5 million in funding in 2007
  • This expands historical information in the draft.
  • This was added because these two are independently notable on Wikipedia.
  • Adds details on Automattic acquiring Gravatar in 2007, and IntenseDebate and PollDaddy in 2008.
  • This expands historical information in the draft.
  • Adds the acquisition of the prompt generator Plinky in 2010.
  • This expands historical information in the draft.
  • Replaces gave with transferred in regards to the current sentence: "On September 9, 2010, Automattic gave the WordPress trademark and control over bbPress and BuddyPress to the WordPress Foundation.".
  • This will make the sentence more accurate to the source wording. Automattic transferred the WordPress source code and trademarks, they didn’t give them away.
  • This also removes bbPress and BuddyPress name dropping and changes it to simply "source coding".
  • Adds that Jetpack, a WordPress extension, was created in 2011.
  • This expands historical information in the draft.
  • Replaces the Regulation D (SEC) filing and $1.1 million with funding information in the next year.
  • The original content for 2006 uses a primary source. I have found reputable sourcing for 2007 instead. The replacement will make it so that the section is not too loaded with funding information, which would make it overly promotional.

This new proposal's wording is more neutral. Let me know if this works for you, thanks! Chenda at Automattic (talk) 16:02, 26 June 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Partially implemented! Likeanechointheforest (talk) 17:37, 27 June 2025 (UTC)[reply]
Thanks Likeanechointheforest! I'll let you know when I post my next request if you're interested. Chenda at Automattic (talk) 17:15, 1 July 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Fourth paragraph, History section

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Hi editors, I am here with my next edit request in order to update to the History section.

I would like to propose adding the following content after the paragraph ending in "Jetpack, a WordPress extension":

Automattic acquired Lean Domain Search and CloudUp in 2013.[1][2] It had approximately 190 employees that year.[3] In 2014, Automattic raised $160 million in a venture round, acquired Longreads, and Mullenweg became CEO.[4][5][6] Schneider remained as an adviser while Mullenweg led product development.[7] Automattic acquired WooCommerce and relaunched the hosted version of its content manager, WordPress.com, in 2015.[5][8] This version replaced PHP with JavaScript and simplified administrative design. Automattic also launched a WordPress application with Mac support.[8]

References

  1. ^ Kelly, Meghan (September 25, 2013). "WordPress to get collaborative post editing after CloudUp acquisition". VentureBeat. Retrieved March 19, 2025.
  2. ^ Lardinois, Frederic (July 15, 2013). "Automattic Acqui-Hires Lean Domain Search To Improve Its Domain Registration Service". TechCrunch. Retrieved November 1, 2024.
  3. ^ Bort, Julie (August 8, 2013). "Great Place to Work: At Automattic Employees All Work From Home And Travel To Exotic Locations". Business Insider. Retrieved March 11, 2025.
  4. ^ Kolodny, Lora (May 5, 2014). "Automattic Valued at $1.16 Billion, Says It Doesn't Need IPO". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved March 5, 2025.
  5. ^ a b Morrison, Chris (October 19, 2021). "How doing everything wrong turned Automattic into a multibillion dollar media powerhouse". TechCrunch. Retrieved November 1, 2024.
  6. ^ Taylor, Colleen (April 9, 2014). "Automattic Acquires Longreads, The App For Discovering And Reading Long-Form Content Online". TechCrunch. Retrieved November 1, 2024.
  7. ^ Farr, Christina (January 13, 2014). "WordPress creator Matt Mullenweg to take over Automattic as CEO". VentureBeat. Retrieved November 1, 2024.
  8. ^ a b Weber, Harrison (November 23, 2015). "Automattic revamps and open-sources WordPress.com". VentureBeat. Retrieved November 1, 2024.

This paragraph will add information to the article that is missing from the period of 2013 through 2015, and elaborates on this period of expansion for Automattic as a company with reliable sourcing.

I am mentioning you here, Likeanechointheforest, just in case you are interested in taking a peek at my new request.

If anyone has any questions, as usual, I would be happy to address them. Thanks! Chenda at Automattic (talk) 19:55, 17 July 2025 (UTC)[reply]

 Note: I recommend looking at WP:RSP, as it shows some of these sources may be unreliable, I recommend the reviewer doing some digging into the sources before approving/denying. Valorrr (lets chat) 04:15, 18 July 2025 (UTC)[reply]
 Not done for now: Please rewrite without the unreliable sources, i.e. without the Venture Beat source, the first Tech Crunch source, the Business Insider source, and the last Tech Crunch source, as these all read as promotional, press releases, or entirely interviews. Likeanechointheforest (talk) 16:46, 18 July 2025 (UTC)[reply]