[wp-hackers] New Default Theme For 2.1

[Robert Deaton]

All-in-all, I like the idea of using the sandbox theme, and I think it
meets what my original idea was, especially since we can throw a
beautiful looking CSS file over top of the XHTML, and we have a theme
that makes sense. Teaching new users to customize there theme from
there is teaching them basic CSS, not hacking around an image based
theme.

+1 for the inclusion of Sandbox.

The "Theme for the rest of us" is a great idea, but like I said
before, I strongly oppose any such thing being core and default.
Here's why:

First, if you really want it to be as customizable as possible, the
whole thing will be laced with PHP. The CSS files will be generated by
PHP. To mess with 1 vs 2 vs 3+ column layouts that involves more PHP.
To customize even further than that, its more PHP. Kubrick 2 is the
perfect example of this, the code behind it is a mess (Yes, I said it
again.). The fact that our templates use <?php function(); ?> style
"template tags" has already recieved complaints from PHP-afraid web
designers.

What this all means is that when a user wants to add a custom
template, or do some significant change that involves editing the
theme files instead of what even the most powerful options panel is
limited to, we have a support nightmare on our hands. The XHTML and
CSS might be better than Kubrick is now, but it'll open a whole new
can of support problems, as [sorry in advance for anyone who is
offended by this] the vast majority of support forum volunteers, even
the most active ones, know little or no PHP at all, and the minute a
user wonders what is doing what, they'll go to the forums or IRC
(We've already proven we can't document things well enough, so no we
can't just document it).

I hate to make it sound like I'm dumping on the idea of this theme or
even K2. Both are great in concept, and great for the few users who
are satisfied with a few options in the admin panel, and they
definitely have their place...outside the core.

-1 for the inclusion of whatever this shall be titled.

-- 
--Robert Deaton