What happens to your site when a project in its stack changes license? On Open Talk on Open Source, Robert Jacobicolleague and I talked about Redis, the caching software many hosts offer, and why forks like Valkey were appearing.
🎙️ Episode details
- Topics: open source events outside WordPress, the Redis license change and Valkey, and who funds the tools under WordPress
- Show: Open Talk on Open Source, on Do the Woo (now Open Channels FM)
- Hosts: Robert Jacobi and me, Courtney Robertson
- Released: April 25, 2024
- Listen and read along: Valkey Taking Over Redis and Open Source Funding, with a transcript, on Open Channels FM
🎪 Open source events outside WordPress
I’d attended Open Source Summit the year before and explained it has regional flagship events, much like WordCamps. For example, at the Japan event, the automotive industry was well represented, with executives describing open source inside your car. I also hoped to attend the CloudFest hackathon someday, when it didn’t land so close to WordCamp season, because I prioritize time with my family.
🔀 Redis, Valkey and forks after a license change
First, I said plainly that I’m a web developer, not a DevOps person. Still, I’d seen Redis named in hosting plans. When Redis changed its license, people at Open Source Summit were buzzing about what to do next. I’d noticed more forks over the previous half year and expected things to settle.
💰 Who funds the tools under WordPress?
Finally, on funding, I noted that Automattic contributes to the PHP Foundation and to PHP_CodeSniffer, where Juliette Reinders Folmer works. PHPCS isn’t part of the PHP Foundation, but many projects, WordPress included, depend on it to check code quality.
🧪 What can you take from the Redis license change?
- Topics: open source events outside WordPress, the Redis license change and Valkey, and who funds the tools under WordPress
- Site owners: ask your host which caching software it runs and what its license change means for you.
- Companies: look past your own product to the tools it depends on, and fund them.
Also, more conversations like this one live in my podcast and speaking archive.
🗓️ Archival note
Do the Woo released this episode on April 25, 2024. Then I added this post on November 9, 2026, from the publisher’s transcript. However, I reviewed the transcript, not the audio.