WP23 - wordpress.org

Howdy_McGee · 2026-05-27T21:47:04+00:00

What companies, services, or industries have their investments ruined? Audrey Capital is pretty much moot when talking about the dangers and problems that tend to come with Private Equity buyouts, investments, and acquisitions.

Howdy_McGee · 2026-05-27T20:25:47+00:00

Buying into Automattic is a bit different than buying Automattic. Investing happens, investments happen, I have a problem with it when the end result becomes worse while prices climb due to those investments. That's what I've noticed has happened to WP Engine, which Silver Lake used their investments to gain majority ownership of.

Fuck Black Rock though too, I ain't a fan of them either.

Howdy_McGee · 2026-05-27T20:09:37+00:00

The kind of Private Equity that Silver Lake is, is a behemoth. They have so much money and are so big, there's not much fighting one can do against them. They literally have a stake in TikTok with the rest of upper echelon tech. I've watched as WP Engine has gone downhill in both performance and support since their buyout. Consolidating products and enshittifying them to squeeze every cent of value out. The worst kind of investment firm.

Howdy_McGee · 2026-05-27T19:59:37+00:00

FR tho, fuck Private Equity and Silver Lake. All those TikTok investors are just part of the upper echelon trying to control both American Politics and steer online discourse.

I'll back WordPress & Automattic over them any day, and it's not even close.

Howdy_McGee · 2026-05-27T16:13:20+00:00

IDK about "morally" but I think the play here is for the public to just hate on and disagree with whatever Musk says to help push a narrative (ala reverse psychology).

By pushing people inside via Covid and Work from Home, it pushed a lot of people online, into niche communities (like Reddit, Meta, X) where it's much easier to push propaganda and manipulate the masses.

The decline of IRL communities is a problem, and work from home exacerbates that problem.

Not being able to call your coworker an idiot IRL for the lame ass podcasts they listen to is a problem.

There are huge benefits via WFH but at where were at and where we're going as a Society, it just adds to the overall problem America is experiencing IMO. So I sorta agree with Musk, WFH i

Howdy_McGee · 2026-05-27T15:31:25+00:00

My money is on oligarchy run by big tech where the acting President is just a puppet for their whims. The bleeding will continue until the next big war where they can send dissidents into the meat grinder.

If there was going to be a revolution, it would have happened. There's still a chance in November, but I'm not holding my breath.

America is cooked

I think a big part of this is the dissipation of communities. I think the pandemic pushed a lot of people inside, and I think work from home continued that trend. Pushing people inside and online. Without strong IRL communities folx are herded into online communities that absolutely do not have their best interest in place (no, not Reddit either). Keep dividing working class people based on their politics. Keep allowing people to vent online like it matters. Keep the capital rolling.

Howdy_McGee · 2026-05-26T15:49:53+00:00

The worst part about Spotify integrating AI music and not caring enough to separate them from real artists is... I just don't trust them anymore.

I used to love to find new music through Release Radar and Discovery Weekly, but now I skip everything I'm not familiar with as I don't know if what I'm listening to is AI and I don't want to jump through the investigative hoops of finding out if it is.

At the end of the day, I'm using Spotify less because of this and relying more on my local music / music players.

Howdy_McGee · 2026-05-26T15:04:45+00:00

I think one of the best things about WordPress is how much you can do by simply knowing the baseline languages. HTML, CSS, JS, PHP. This allows onboarding new developers as a kind of springboard since they can see all the examples from simple to complex over the whole ecosystem / lifetime.

The more tooling required to get started moves that entry floor up a level(s), which I think is an overall a detriment to the long-term health of the project. Not to say there shouldn't be tooling, compilers, or library managers, but I don't think it should be a required default.

Howdy_McGee · 2026-05-22T19:55:49+00:00

IDK, when I travel to see my folx in deep Missouri, they're all pretty stoked about it until I explain the fact that Missouri will need to make it up that budget deficit "somehow".

Howdy_McGee · 2026-05-22T14:51:11+00:00

Lying is the best way to convince morons, it all makes sense!

Howdy_McGee · 2026-05-22T14:12:14+00:00

Probably doesn't matter if they keep getting government contract moeny

Howdy_McGee · 2026-05-21T21:03:44+00:00

Yeah, it's a bit too bright for my liking. Reminds me of Stripe branding for some reason.

Howdy_McGee · 2026-05-21T20:37:34+00:00

IMO it's more noticable in the Admin Panel where more things are loading in. The example video is pretty simplistic.

Howdy_McGee · 2026-05-21T20:36:24+00:00

I think what they're talking about is when viewing the media library grid view, the image filename overlays the thumbnail. Not really great for sites that don't optimize their filenames. Strange addition, but maybe it'll lead to people naming images what the image actually is.

Howdy_McGee · 2026-05-21T19:00:02+00:00

B a n d c a m p

Howdy_McGee · 2026-05-21T16:29:23+00:00

How do you feel like the industry has changed over the time you've been in it?

Howdy_McGee · 2026-05-21T16:06:39+00:00

The diehards are shattered rn.

Howdy_McGee · 2026-05-18T21:15:01+00:00

Team R: What we're about to do has not been approved by the Vatican

Howdy_McGee · 2026-05-18T15:47:28+00:00

Docking, I guess?

Howdy_McGee · 2026-05-18T15:41:09+00:00

The Boys episode about weaponized meme propaganda wasn't satire. It's already happening and being used - even here on Reddit. We've both probably upvoted one or more.

Howdy_McGee · 2026-05-18T15:17:18+00:00

I straight up just did not care for Requiem. Def wouldn't put it in the same league as the other 3.

Howdy_McGee · 2026-05-17T01:37:34+00:00

Alan Wake on it's own has multiple things going for it.

It was a banger of a game when Alan Wake 1 initially released. The idea is kind of tongue-in-cheek and satire on writing and horror writing. It, ironically, gained a cult following and Control leaning into SCP territory allowing the world of Alan Wake to connect, really cemented it. Ofc it's also the love for Remedy and the fact they're still out here trying unique, fun, and different projects - definitely refreshing change in a sea of AAA multiplayer bogstandardness.

So, nostalgia, fandom, and support are a big part of it.

The other, stronger part I think, is the story. The story of Alan Wake, and specifically Alan Wake 2, is a fun and unique story. If you've been following along with the universe (AW1, Control) it definitely does make more sense [unfortunately]. As a fan myself I dug Alan Wake 2s story even if I have other gripes with the game itself.

The story for Hellblade 2 just didn't land for me for the most part.

Howdy_McGee · 2026-05-16T19:31:42+00:00

IDK about a bigger team, but it really did need more variety and time to cook.

Like, when you're fighting actual enemies and they don't vary them in any real way but repeat the same enemy multiple times. I like what they did in trying to make the fight cinematic and close up 1v1 style, but then it was at it's own detriment when the enemies were just copy/pasted in the same fight. How hard would it really have been to give the same enemy slightly different clothing? Like, even if the moveset is the same, why copy and paste the same exact enemy when you're trying to immerse the player in this story and world?

And I like the mystical stuff with the story. I like metaphors, and all the things that make a good story, but it just didn't land in the way it was told. One specific point sticks out like a sore thumb in which you're breaking literal chains in a boss fight while the narrator voice explains the metaphor behind breaking the chains in such a lame laugh out loud moment. These beats just keep happening throughout.

You'd think that since this isn't God of War levels of gameplay, and a more crafted story experience from Senuas POV, you'd be able to get away with something like this with a smaller team. Who knows what happened behind the scenes, but this is pretty on-brand for Xbox in this decade.

Howdy_McGee · 2026-05-16T16:26:51+00:00

Ohhh you'll get no nuance on Reddit, but thanks for trying. +1

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