[wp-hackers] WP package with spam plugin

[Computer Guru]

As you yourself stated: spam and illegal are two different things...

IT's like sponsored themes - it's unethical, but not illegal... I don't think there's anything you can do except distribute your own spam-free package?

Computer Guru
NeoSmart Technologies
http://neosmart.net/


> -----Original Message-----
> From: wp-hackers-bounces at lists.automattic.com [mailto:wp-hackers-
> bounces at lists.automattic.com] On Behalf Of Alex Günsche
> Sent: Wednesday, September 26, 2007 10:29 PM
> To: wp-hackers
> Subject: [wp-hackers] WP package with spam plugin
> 
> Hi,
> 
> before I explain, a little question: What would you do, if WordPress
> distributed a WordPress version including a plugin for, say,
> TextLinkAds? Would you say this is ok, or would you consider it spam?
> 
> There is a German WordPress (WPD) community who translates WP to German
> and who power support forums. This is very nice, however nothing
> special.
> 
> They also distribute the German WP version, which has everything German
> (even themes and early messages). Therefore their version is quite
> widespread among the German speaking WP community.
> 
> Now WPD distributes a WordPress 2.3 package together with a plugin for
> the usage of LinkLift, a German link trade platform similar to
> TextLinkAds. The plugin is not activated by default, and one needs an
> account with LinkLift to use it, but pretty obviously, this is plain
> spam: Including a plugin in a core distribution suggests that this
> plugin is very important and useful, and even the inclusion itself is
> good for transporting the name of the company to a very relevant target
> audience.
> 
> What WPD does is not illegal, anyway, many German users are rather
> upset
> about this advertising, especially as WPD makes money by including
> advertising into a product that they didn't create. (Btw, remember that
> Automattic doesn't make advertising on the wp.org forums, not even on
> wp.com.)
> 
> Now some of the less savvy German WP users think that this is WordPress
> in general coming with advertising since 2.3, and some of the half
> savvy
> *and* paranoid even believe that there's a connection between the new
> update notification in WP 2.3 and the advertising in WPD's 2.3. This of
> course is very bad PR for WordPress.
> 
> Asked about this plugin being in the WPD's WordPress package, the WPD
> team refuses to give any concrete answers (for the German speaking:
> http://forum.wordpress-deutschland.org/feedback-und-
> ankuendigungen/25428-offene-anfrage-wordpress-deutschland-4.html)
> But it is obvious that there is some sort of deal between WPD and
> LinkLift.
> 
> Now I wonder: Do you guys agree that including a commercial plugin into
> a WordPress package is spam? If so, what could be done about it?
> 
> Kind regards,
> Alex
> 
> --
> Alex Günsche, Zirona OpenSource-Consulting
> Blogs: http://www.zirona.com/ | http://www.regularimpressions.net
> PubKey for this address: http://www.zirona.com/misc/ag.ml2007.asc
> 
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