WordPress has just announced that WordPress.com business accounts now support third-party plugins and themes. This is a huge announcement that will completely redefine the way we look at the hosted service of WordPress.
In the past, the general consensus was that the hosted service of WordPress was for beginners because the service was so limited. Everyone recommended using the self-hosted version of WordPress that is found at WordPress.org.
This latest development may change that way of thinking as it opens up the WordPress.org plugin directory to those that select the business hosting plan (the most expensive plan, but still relatively cheap at around $20 per month). It also presents many new opportunities for WordPress developers.
Check out my video below to hear my opinion on this development.
What Say You?
There will be a lot of people within the managed WordPress hosting world who are quietly concerned about this development as it makes WordPress.com a more viable alternative for many bloggers and businesses.
What’s your thoughts on this?
Please leave a comment below and share your opinion on how you think this affects the WordPress community.
Kevin
Hey CJ.
Sorry about your initial comment not publishing. I am not sure why you saw that error. I activated the Jetpack Comments module to allow people to login via social media and post a comment. There is absolutely no mention of any kind of comment limit. I’m quite annoyed such a restriction is put in place. Firstly, because I welcome longer more detailed comments. Secondly, because it is not up to a third-party to place any kind of restriction like that without my permission. I will need to investigate the issue further.
Automattic are slowly but surely encroaching onto the turf of a lot of WordPress businesses. I can understand how managed WordPress hosting companies and hosting companies that offer WordPress packages could be affected by this. They are sure to lose business to WordPress.com.
This decision is great news for WordPress users in the short term. In the long term, I hope that decisions like that do not push other WordPress businesses and developers away from the community.
:)
Kevin
Hey Kevin. Great post. I tried to comment earlier, but didn’t realise there was a word count (I was told to be more concise, and I don’t blame them. Lol. My first comment was nearly 600 words long!).
In short, this announcement is the end of an era. Its both good and not so great at the same time; especially for the .ORG community and those who depend on it for a livelihood. We should soon start seeing the resulting debris as micro-businesses of that nature get washed away.
Businesses that need web hosting are going to benefit from this new offering, so that’s a positive.
As far as hosting goes, WordPress.com will be a collosus as they venture into affordable hosting. However, product developers need to be cautious, and service providers need to be vigilant.
Having said that, Automattic is always hiring :D
PS: I don’t work for WordPress or Automattic. I’m just a guy on the street with an opinion, and much shorter comment.
Thanks Kevin, I appreciate all that you do.