Automattic Halts Tumblr Migration to WordPress

Matt Mullenweg, the CEO of Automattic, revealed that the company has halted its plans to transition Tumblr to the WordPress platform, a shift that was previously announced. He provided this update during a Monday episode of The Verge’s Decoder podcast, noting that the initiative is now “on hold” indefinitely.

“We’ve chosen to focus on more visible features that users are actively requesting,” he stated. “This initiative was more of a structural overhaul, similar to a significant re-architecture. I still envision it happening. It makes sense. But for now, it’s not a focus.”

This update brings to light concerns regarding Tumblr’s connection to the open social web, known as the fediverse. Shifting its infrastructure to WordPress would have allowed it to function as a federated application. Mullenweg acknowledged that this was a key reason for contemplating the migration, but indicated that it is not currently a priority.

“…for now, if there’s a strong demand for embracing the fediverse, we would implement it directly within the Tumblr code base,” he remarked.

Mullenweg also emphasized that Tumblr is presently not profitable and depends on revenues from other Automattic products. Nonetheless, he expressed optimism about Tumblr’s future and aims to provide the essential support for it to realize its potential.