A new proposal for WordPress 6.0, scheduled for May 2022, will enable automatic image conversions by default so that all uploaded images will display in the more efficient WebP format. However, this proposal was met with significant opposition from the WordPress developer community due to concerns about a massive increase in disk space usage.
## Proposal to Enable WebP by Default
WebP is a newer image format that reduces file size significantly, resulting in faster webpage load times and an enhanced user experience. This should benefit publishers as faster websites often lead to higher advertising earnings and increased sales.
Nevertheless, this proposal triggered passionate and, at times, furious resistance within the WordPress community.
## Massive Increase in Disk Space
One of the primary concerns voiced by the community is that this new feature could dramatically increase disk space usage by 25 to 50% or even more. A developer mentioned that this increase in disk space would also drive up costs for publishers, as web hosting is more expensive than bandwidth.
One developer commented:
> “Unfortunately, there are serious consequences to essentially doubling the number of image files being generated – namely, disk space.
>
> This is not inconsequential. This single “decision” will lead to millions of dollars in increased hosting fees over the long run.
>
> I can already see our clients running regenerate thumbnails and suddenly need to pay 25%-50% more for upgraded hosting simply for disk space.”
WordPress Core Committer Adam Silverstein, a Developer Relations Engineer at Google, responded that those who don’t like the new feature can turn it off by adding a few lines of code to WordPress. However, this isn’t something a regular user can easily do. To make matters worse, WordPress has no plans to provide an on/off switch, asserting that they don’t want to burden users with having to make these decisions.
## Why WordPress Proposal for WebP is a Bad Idea
Andrew Wilder, founder of NerdPress, a company that supports and maintains WordPress sites for numerous clients, offered a detailed critique of the proposal.
Andrew shared:
> “On the surface, this seems like a good idea, since WebP images are typically smaller than JPG (with similar quality).
>
> However, I believe this is a fundamentally flawed approach, since it will cause the media libraries to balloon out of control (doubling the number of files), causing sites to run out of disk space.
>
> It will also make backups/restores/migrations more difficult.
>
> This proposal would effectively double the number of image files (over time) and use up probably an additional 70% more storage space.
>
> It won’t convert all images immediately; the proposal is to start duplicating new images going forward.
>
> However, if someone “regenerates” thumbnails (which is often necessary after a theme change), it will create the WebP copies as well.
When asked what a more reasonable approach might look like, Andrew responded:
> “I think the best thing to do is to keep it as a standalone plugin and not merge it into core.
>
> However, if they absolutely are going to do this no matter what, they should make it disabled by default on all sites, and it should be a setting on the Media Settings page.
>
> Along with that setting, there should be information to explain the pros/cons of enabling the setting – and perhaps also have a link to an article from a neutral source that clearly outlines why someone would, or would not, want to enable it.”
## Lack of On/Off Switch is Heavy Handed?
A major concern is the lack of an easy way to disable this feature. One person commented:
> “It is bothersome that there is not an easy off switch and that it requires yet another plugin or snippet.
>
> The Settings API is not that hard to use. If you can convert WebP, you can give an off switch.
>
> I’m not opposed to the feature. It will benefit many users and inconvenience some.
>
> But this feels so heavy-handed.”
## WordPress Doesn’t Want to Burden Users with Choices
Adam Silverstein reminded everyone of the official WordPress philosophy to create features that work out of the box without users needing to make decisions. This philosophy, called “Decisions, not Options,” aims to ensure that publishers aren’t overwhelmed by technical choices.
Adam insisted:
> “The vast majority of users will benefit from this feature and do not need to understand or need to make a choice about the technical details of turning specific image formats on or off.”
A WordPress user responded:
> “Decisions not options seems a very poor argument here. It’s a single check box on the settings page. One could argue ‘discourage search engines’ is a pointless option since 99% want their sites indexed, yet it’s a very useful option that avoids needing a plugin.”
## Freedom to Decide
Some decisions are minor, and most people are fine with WordPress making those on behalf of the users. But, as one very unhappy WordPress user insisted, this is not one of those decisions:
> “I choose my images. I choose their formats. It is my decision, not WordPress’s place to choose for me.
>
> …So yes, this kind of behavior is unacceptable to me, in the extreme.
>
> It will be disabled on any site under my control, permanently.”
## WordPress to Create a Plugin?
Amid the intense discussion, Adam Silverstein suggested creating a plugin to disable the new WebP function. However, this was also met with resistance. One commenter pointed out that it would make more sense to include the option in WordPress itself rather than force additional complications onto publishers.
## WordPress Community Unhappy With WebP Proposal
The comment section on the WordPress WebP proposal is one of the longest threads seen in a very long time. The sentiment among the community is overwhelmingly negative.
One commenter summed up the community’s feelings:
> “Honestly, this is bad on so many levels and while I have found some development directions taken by WordPress core in the past questionable I have eventually come around, I don’t honestly see this as something I will ever be on board with.”
## Citation
### Read the Official WordPress Proposal and Lively Discussion
Enabling WebP by default
