Jeff Chandler at wptavern.com writes:
“In WordPress 3.0, folks can no longer incorrectly misspell WordPress with a lower case p (WordPress). This use is detected by the following patch (14996) that Matt Mullenweg wrote and was then committed by Andrew Nacin. The code simply adds a filter that looks for WordPress used with a lower case p within the content, the post title, and comment text. If detected, the word is replace by the correct spelling. It’s a very simple patch but its simplicity has met strong resistance from those in the developer circle.
One of the arguments against this patch deals with performance which is discussed earlier on in the comments within ticket 13971.
Then there is the principle of the matter. Should WordPress force the use of a word without consent or recourse?”
If the people developing WordPress core are going to act with such contempt for end users, I think the best solution is to stop promoting the WordPress brand on our own sites. I’m planning to simply not put a link to wordpress.org in the next theme I develop.
Maybe this processor-expensive, anti-user auto-correct “feature” simply arises out of the desire to control end users on the part of the core devs–an unfortunate possibility. But it might have to do with people higher up the food chain. After all, Mr. Mullenweg is probably in this for the money and the money is on the side of doing whatever True Ventures, their lawyers and Giga Om tell him to do. And lawyers love aggressive stances on trademarks just as much as they love WordPerfect.
I think that Automattic is becoming another sleazy brand in the tech space like Microsoft (their new friend). Since wordpress.org is still effectively their captive, one solution comes down to end users not promoting that brand–nothing makes you put that WP link in your blog except your desire to support the project–and my desire to support is down to aroud zero. Mr. Mullenweg is certainly all about letting people “vote with your feet” and stop using WordPress. But WordPress code is licensed under GPL2, which means that my feet don’t have to be any one place in order to use the code freely. I’ll think instead about voting with my links.
Also, I’m wondering if we (the oppressed end users) could get the Free Software Foundation involved in this?