DID AUTOMATTIC COMMIT OPEN SOURCE THEFT?

Summary from the TLDR newsletter

Automattic, the VC-funded company behind WordPress, is in a full-blown corporate conflict with WP Engine, a popular managed WordPress hosting service. As part of the conflict, Automattic forked a popular plugin made by WP Engine, replaced the plugin in the plugin directory, and is migrating over 2 million of the plugin's customers silently onto the fork. The reviews for the plugin have remained as if nothing has changed and any reviews pointing out the heist are being actively removed. The silent change, aimed at reducing WP Engine's revenue, broke some production sites. The incident is a nightmare scenario for companies serious about supply chain security - the WordPress.org plugin directory is no longer reliable.