[wp-hackers] Text ads in themes

[Podz]

Kaf Oseo wrote:

> Second, I could be wrong but I don't believe anyone is asserting theme
> authors do not have a right to place ads in themes. Similar to non-GPL
> themes, plugins and whatnot, rather I think it's being asked how we in
> the community view the practice, and whether we should make the wp.org
> resources available to them or not.

It's not the fact ads are there.
It's the fact that the ads are in the footer - a file rarely touched by
most bloggers I would guess - and that there is no acknowledgement that
the ads ARE there. It's stealth linking. It's relying on ignorance to
get backlinks. There are spammy companies that are creating these themes
for this very purpose.

Barthelme.
>From the footer: "Sponsor: <a href="http://www. digitalflowers
.com/New+York/New+York/New+York_NY.htm" title="New York City Flower
Delivery">New York City Flower Delivery</a>
			<?php /* The last link above is from my sponsor, whose support makes
it possible for me to spend the time to create these themes for free. It
is appreciated, though not necessary, for you to allow this link to
remain. Do please allow the link to this theme to remain. Thanks. --
scott */>
If you look in the footer you will see that information. Should that
information be more prominent? But at least scott's theme is GPL so you
can remove it.

http://themes.wordpress.net/columns/2-columns/900/indigo/
>From the footer: "Sponsored by <a href="http://www. digitalflowers
.com/">Online Flowers</a>" and the theme is not declared to be GPL.
"Feel free to use and modify but please provide credits." is not GPL.

Same no-licence-declared behaviour at wpthemes.info and yet lots of ads
and not a single mention anywhere that if you use a theme you are
providing a backlink.

I can see that author's want reward for creating a theme - that isn't
the problem. But they are getting bloggers to pay for that reward
unwittingly. But then spammy crap like Indigo is almost there _just_ for
the sponsor cash.

"This theme has a sponsored link which you are free to remove" would be
better surely? Telling the blogger and allowing them to make a
considered decision - or would telling the blogger have them removing
the link?

P.