Mark - thanks for the comprehensive answer to my question. The curiosity was genuine.

I can't remember if I said it during the podcast or after, but I mentioned that a conversation about WordPress "leadership" and the relationship between the open source project and the biggest commercial WordPress-based entity (Automattic) is worth some exploration, maybe an episode of its own.

We touched on the issue (but tried not to let it consume the episode) because I think it's fair to examine whether commercial SaaS endeavors like page.ly are actually competing on an equal playing field with Automattic, or whether Automattic has a unique relationship with the software.

Whether it's fair or not, I do think many WordPress "customers" have conflated the two. I've heard "WordPress software is managed and owned by a company, Automattic" from smart professionals more times than I count. Why, exactly, this is is unclear. I suspect it's a combination of both factors you raise.

I'm not sure how many listeners will read the comments. If you're around at 2 pm EST on Saturday, we're doing a call in show for the wrap up episode. It would be great if you could share your clarification and POV.