> feels just as fake

I suspect some of the controversy is fake. I've heard one of the previous 404 articles, alleging Wordpress training AI on self-hosted Wordpress sites, is fake according a semi-trustworthy source.

Speaking based on my gut feeling, the fact that so many low-caliber Wordpress controversy articles are all arising in quick succession seems odd to me. Some allegations seem credible, but I question to what degree they are newsworthy, given all the other scummier things corporations and institutions do these days. Perhaps now that Wordpress and Tumblr are owned by the same company, Wordpress is now seen as a more valuable target to attack.