<div style="text-align:center"><img src="https://i2.wp.com/www.therepository.email/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/AltCtrOrg-Event-69.jpg?ssl=1" class="attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image" alt="Alt Ctrl Org Draws 200+ for Open Discussion on WordPress, Free Software, and Governance" title="Alt Ctrl Org Draws 200+ for Open Discussion on WordPress, Free Software, and Governance" /></div><div>
<p>The <a href="https://www.therepository.email/grassroots-alt-ctrl-org-event-aims-to-give-voice-to-wordpress-governance-concerns">Alt Ctrl Org side event</a>, held alongside WordCamp Europe 2025 in Basel, was initially envisioned as an informal meetup and a safe space for free expression and discussion about the open web. But the idea quickly gained traction. More than 200 people turned up, and the event was <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@altctrlorg">broadcast live on YouTube</a>.</p>
<p>When the event was first announced, organizers weren’t sure what to expect. According to one team member: “The Klara food court, located near Basel’s Congress Center [where WCEU 2025 was held], let us use its annex room for free — on the condition that 40 meals would be consumed on site.”</p>
<p>Registrations soon outpaced expectations. Klara responded with remarkable flexibility, first making its 200-seat basement room available, then reserving its 35-seat “Séparée” back room as well. Still, it wasn’t enough — 150 people were placed on a waiting list. Some made it in at the last minute, while others missed out entirely when registered attendees didn’t show.</p>
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<p>The high demand prompted organizers to arrange a video stream, which was projected onto a large screen in the main food court and broadcast live on YouTube. It also turned into a profitable night for Klara’s nine kitchens and bar — an appreciated outcome for the venue’s adaptability.</p>
<p>Midway through the evening, the <a href="https://www.therepository.email/fair-to-decentralize-wordpress-backed-by-linux-foundation-and-contributors">announcement of the FAIR project launch</a> drew significant attention. While a major moment, it inadvertently overshadowed other speakers and topics. As the organizers noted, AltCtrl.org isn’t the official voice of FAIR, but a broader platform for open source discussion and community exchange.</p>
<p>Zoë Kooyman, Executive Director of the <a href="https://www.fsf.org/about/what-is-free-software">Free Software Foundation</a>, opened the event by drawing a clear line between free software and open source. She advocated for the former, emphasizing user freedoms, ethics, and social solidarity over profit.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw==" fifu-lazy="1" fifu-data-sizes="auto" fifu-data-srcset="https://i3.wp.com/www.awordpresscommenter.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/AltCtrOrg-Event-69.jpg?ssl=1&w=75&resize=75&ssl=1 75w, https://i3.wp.com/www.awordpresscommenter.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/AltCtrOrg-Event-69.jpg?ssl=1&w=100&resize=100&ssl=1 100w, https://i3.wp.com/www.awordpresscommenter.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/AltCtrOrg-Event-69.jpg?ssl=1&w=150&resize=150&ssl=1 150w, https://i3.wp.com/www.awordpresscommenter.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/AltCtrOrg-Event-69.jpg?ssl=1&w=240&resize=240&ssl=1 240w, https://i3.wp.com/www.awordpresscommenter.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/AltCtrOrg-Event-69.jpg?ssl=1&w=320&resize=320&ssl=1 320w, https://i3.wp.com/www.awordpresscommenter.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/AltCtrOrg-Event-69.jpg?ssl=1&w=500&resize=500&ssl=1 500w, https://i3.wp.com/www.awordpresscommenter.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/AltCtrOrg-Event-69.jpg?ssl=1&w=640&resize=640&ssl=1 640w, https://i3.wp.com/www.awordpresscommenter.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/AltCtrOrg-Event-69.jpg?ssl=1&w=800&resize=800&ssl=1 800w, https://i3.wp.com/www.awordpresscommenter.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/AltCtrOrg-Event-69.jpg?ssl=1&w=1024&resize=1024&ssl=1 1024w, https://i3.wp.com/www.awordpresscommenter.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/AltCtrOrg-Event-69.jpg?ssl=1&w=1280&resize=1280&ssl=1 1280w, https://i3.wp.com/www.awordpresscommenter.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/AltCtrOrg-Event-69.jpg?ssl=1&w=1600&resize=1600&ssl=1 1600w" fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" width="1024" height="682"src="https://i3.wp.com/www.awordpresscommenter.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/AltCtrOrg-Event-69.jpg?ssl=1" alt="A woman speaks into a microphone at a podium, with an audience visible behind her." class="wp-image-5939" srcset="https://www.therepository.email/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/AltCtrOrg-Event-69-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https://www.therepository.email/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/AltCtrOrg-Event-69-300x200.jpg 300w, https://www.therepository.email/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/AltCtrOrg-Event-69-768x512.jpg 768w, https://www.therepository.email/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/AltCtrOrg-Event-69-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://www.therepository.email/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/AltCtrOrg-Event-69-1320x880.jpg 1320w, https://i3.wp.com/www.awordpresscommenter.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/AltCtrOrg-Event-69.jpg?ssl=1 2000w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px"><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><em>Free Software Foundation Executive Director Zoë Kooyman. </em><br /><em>Image credit: <a href="https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipNtSS4rlBe-bR28-UY0RzBiTUsNYbdbwgAl-y3CALyoG9Z51RpoMzGVLofchx_E-w/photo/AF1QipMHiXEuOV-8Xgv3dxKwvIgLalKY_DH25qI0CWEY?key=dlZ6c3NYNHdYNkJLRGl6bkFYV2xORkhLQWhOYjNn">Kostas Fryganiotis</a>.</em></figcaption></figure>
<p>Olivier Dobberkau, President of the <a href="https://typo3.org/project/association">TYPO3 Association</a>, followed with a presentation on TYPO3’s governance model. He emphasized that members should be placed above the board in decision-making, urging WordPress to avoid concentrating power in the hands of technical leads alone.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw==" fifu-lazy="1" fifu-data-sizes="auto" fifu-data-srcset="https://i2.wp.com/www.awordpresscommenter.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/AltCtrOrg-Event-84.jpg?ssl=1&w=75&resize=75&ssl=1 75w, https://i2.wp.com/www.awordpresscommenter.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/AltCtrOrg-Event-84.jpg?ssl=1&w=100&resize=100&ssl=1 100w, https://i2.wp.com/www.awordpresscommenter.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/AltCtrOrg-Event-84.jpg?ssl=1&w=150&resize=150&ssl=1 150w, https://i2.wp.com/www.awordpresscommenter.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/AltCtrOrg-Event-84.jpg?ssl=1&w=240&resize=240&ssl=1 240w, https://i2.wp.com/www.awordpresscommenter.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/AltCtrOrg-Event-84.jpg?ssl=1&w=320&resize=320&ssl=1 320w, https://i2.wp.com/www.awordpresscommenter.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/AltCtrOrg-Event-84.jpg?ssl=1&w=500&resize=500&ssl=1 500w, https://i2.wp.com/www.awordpresscommenter.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/AltCtrOrg-Event-84.jpg?ssl=1&w=640&resize=640&ssl=1 640w, https://i2.wp.com/www.awordpresscommenter.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/AltCtrOrg-Event-84.jpg?ssl=1&w=800&resize=800&ssl=1 800w, https://i2.wp.com/www.awordpresscommenter.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/AltCtrOrg-Event-84.jpg?ssl=1&w=1024&resize=1024&ssl=1 1024w, https://i2.wp.com/www.awordpresscommenter.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/AltCtrOrg-Event-84.jpg?ssl=1&w=1280&resize=1280&ssl=1 1280w, https://i2.wp.com/www.awordpresscommenter.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/AltCtrOrg-Event-84.jpg?ssl=1&w=1600&resize=1600&ssl=1 1600w" decoding="async" width="1024" height="682"src="https://i2.wp.com/www.awordpresscommenter.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/AltCtrOrg-Event-84.jpg?ssl=1" alt="A speaker holds a microphone while addressing an audience in a dimly lit room." class="wp-image-5940" srcset="https://www.therepository.email/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/AltCtrOrg-Event-84-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https://www.therepository.email/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/AltCtrOrg-Event-84-300x200.jpg 300w, https://www.therepository.email/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/AltCtrOrg-Event-84-768x512.jpg 768w, https://www.therepository.email/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/AltCtrOrg-Event-84-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://www.therepository.email/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/AltCtrOrg-Event-84-1320x880.jpg 1320w, https://i2.wp.com/www.awordpresscommenter.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/AltCtrOrg-Event-84.jpg?ssl=1 2000w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px"><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><em>TYPO3 Association President Olivier Dobberkau. </em><br /><em>Image credit: <a href="https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipNtSS4rlBe-bR28-UY0RzBiTUsNYbdbwgAl-y3CALyoG9Z51RpoMzGVLofchx_E-w/photo/AF1QipMHiXEuOV-8Xgv3dxKwvIgLalKY_DH25qI0CWEY?key=dlZ6c3NYNHdYNkJLRGl6bkFYV2xORkhLQWhOYjNn">Kostas Fryganiotis</a>.</em></figcaption></figure>
<p>Next, Vlad-Stefan Harbuz shared insights from his work on the <a href="https://opensourcepledge.com/">Open Source Pledge</a>, which raised over $2.5 million in the past year to support maintainers. He called for new models of collective governance.</p>
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<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw==" fifu-lazy="1" fifu-data-sizes="auto" fifu-data-srcset="https://i1.wp.com/www.awordpresscommenter.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/AltCtrOrg-Event-117.jpg?ssl=1&w=75&resize=75&ssl=1 75w, https://i1.wp.com/www.awordpresscommenter.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/AltCtrOrg-Event-117.jpg?ssl=1&w=100&resize=100&ssl=1 100w, https://i1.wp.com/www.awordpresscommenter.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/AltCtrOrg-Event-117.jpg?ssl=1&w=150&resize=150&ssl=1 150w, https://i1.wp.com/www.awordpresscommenter.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/AltCtrOrg-Event-117.jpg?ssl=1&w=240&resize=240&ssl=1 240w, https://i1.wp.com/www.awordpresscommenter.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/AltCtrOrg-Event-117.jpg?ssl=1&w=320&resize=320&ssl=1 320w, https://i1.wp.com/www.awordpresscommenter.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/AltCtrOrg-Event-117.jpg?ssl=1&w=500&resize=500&ssl=1 500w, https://i1.wp.com/www.awordpresscommenter.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/AltCtrOrg-Event-117.jpg?ssl=1&w=640&resize=640&ssl=1 640w, https://i1.wp.com/www.awordpresscommenter.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/AltCtrOrg-Event-117.jpg?ssl=1&w=800&resize=800&ssl=1 800w, https://i1.wp.com/www.awordpresscommenter.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/AltCtrOrg-Event-117.jpg?ssl=1&w=1024&resize=1024&ssl=1 1024w, https://i1.wp.com/www.awordpresscommenter.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/AltCtrOrg-Event-117.jpg?ssl=1&w=1280&resize=1280&ssl=1 1280w, https://i1.wp.com/www.awordpresscommenter.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/AltCtrOrg-Event-117.jpg?ssl=1&w=1600&resize=1600&ssl=1 1600w" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="682"src="https://i1.wp.com/www.awordpresscommenter.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/AltCtrOrg-Event-117.jpg?ssl=1" alt='A speaker presents on stage with a slide showing "$2,250,212" to an audience.' class="wp-image-5941" srcset="https://www.therepository.email/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/AltCtrOrg-Event-117-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https://www.therepository.email/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/AltCtrOrg-Event-117-300x200.jpg 300w, https://www.therepository.email/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/AltCtrOrg-Event-117-768x512.jpg 768w, https://www.therepository.email/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/AltCtrOrg-Event-117-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://www.therepository.email/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/AltCtrOrg-Event-117-1320x880.jpg 1320w, https://i1.wp.com/www.awordpresscommenter.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/AltCtrOrg-Event-117.jpg?ssl=1 2000w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px"><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><em>Open Source Pledge’s Vlad-Stefan Harbuz. </em><br /><em>Image credit: <a href="https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipNtSS4rlBe-bR28-UY0RzBiTUsNYbdbwgAl-y3CALyoG9Z51RpoMzGVLofchx_E-w/photo/AF1QipMkedS2y36X5gGSF45zV_eSnruiGwIFueAQfneb?key=dlZ6c3NYNHdYNkJLRGl6bkFYV2xORkhLQWhOYjNn">Kostas Fryganiotis</a>.</em></figcaption></figure>
<p>A panel discussion moderated by Javier Casares brought the three speakers together to explore some of the WordPress community’s biggest concerns: falling contributor engagement, trust issues, contributor burnout, lack of recognition, and the need for clearer goals and a shared social contract.</p>
<p>Before the FAIR launch announcement, Sé Reed, President and CEO of <a href="https://www.thewpcommunitycollective.com/">The WP Community Collective</a>, gave a <a href="https://www.thewpcommunitycollective.com/2025/06/06/the-heart-of-open-source/">passionate talk</a> urging the community to reclaim WordPress. “We need collaboration more than ever,” she said. Matt Leach presented the <a href="https://aspirepress.org/">AspirePress package</a>, followed by Francesca Marano introducing Joost de Valk and Karim Marucchi for the FAIR Package Manager launch—a moment that sparked numerous questions from attendees.</p>
<p>For the organizers, the night was unforgettable. “This experience felt life-changing for me,” said Gus Austin. “I had never before met such a group of people that would open doors for me, a complete stranger at the time, in return for nothing. I felt the power of collectivism and kindness.”</p>
<p>Veerle Verbert added: “I just loved the team, the content, and the vibe. And the mere fact it just happened… it felt like the WordPress event I’ve needed for a long time. Started without a dime, without sponsored time, without anything. Just the gut feeling it needed to happen. WCEU did need a totally independent side event. I think we did just that.”</p>
<p><em>Feature image credit: <a href="https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipNtSS4rlBe-bR28-UY0RzBiTUsNYbdbwgAl-y3CALyoG9Z51RpoMzGVLofchx_E-w/photo/AF1QipOygI8ZW_1MxyIgvC4pP60BYMwFjGvzhexCygUO?key=dlZ6c3NYNHdYNkJLRGl6bkFYV2xORkhLQWhOYjNn">Kostas Fryganiotis</a>.</em></p>
<p>The post <a href="https://www.therepository.email/alt-ctrl-org-draws-200-for-open-discussion-on-wordpress-free-software-and-governance">Alt Ctrl Org Draws 200+ for Open Discussion on WordPress, Free Software, and Governance</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.therepository.email/">The Repository</a>.</p>
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