A new website, WordPressEngineTracker.com, has been launched by Automattic to track the number of websites leaving WP Engine hosting. The website, which was initially blocked by Cloudflare for “suspected phishing,” now displays information on the migration of websites from WP Engine.
The tracker shows that 18,280 websites have left WP Engine as of November 12. It also provides a downloadable CSV list of websites currently hosted on WP Engine and links to promotions offered by other hosting providers for migrating from WP Engine.
However, not everyone is pleased with Automattic’s move. Security researcher Daniel Ruf has described the website as “amateurish.” WordPress developer Brian Coords expressed disappointment that talent and resources are being poured into increased negativity in the community.
The situation has sparked a heated debate among security researchers and users, with some calling for a boycott of 0-day exploits on WordPress and related plugins/themes due to this whole situation. Others have raised concerns about Automattic’s intentions, suggesting that it could lead to legal action from one or more of the affected sites.
Automattic launched this website in response to the ongoing dispute between WP Engine and the WordPress community. The move has been seen as a way for Automattic to counter WP Engine’s efforts and potentially harm its reputation.
Source: https://wptavern.com/automattic-launches-wp-engine-tracker-to-monitor-sites-leaving-wp-engine-sparking-controversy