[wp-hackers] Need a clarification regarding wordpress.org plugin guidelines for the new version of our plugin

[Mika Epstein]

Best to email plugins AT Wordpress.org for this one - that be the final call on repo rules.

Keep in mind, the real point of the rule is about serviceware. That is if your plugin is doing all the work (and not sending files to your own servers) then using a license check is totally against the rules. When we talk about crippling, we talk about the usefulness of the plugin. How much of the pro plugin is included in the free one? There's no set number, it's more about use.

As Eric said, this functionality is in other plugins, but more, are the majority of FREE users using this aspect? If so, it would be a bad marketing idea, but also bumping up on that crippling rule.

> On Dec 22, 2013, at 6:26 AM, Eric Hendrix <hendronix at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> .ics functionality is available in other calendar plugins for free, so
> users could just jump onto another bandwagon. In my opinion, you're
> definitely "crippling" or removing a function that was previously available
> and asking payment for that functionality again.
> Probably a mistake in marketing terms. Your "draw" is this functionality in
> the free version, and much more spectacular advances when the user upgrades
> to the paid version.
> Again, my opinion only.
> 
> 
> On Sun, Dec 22, 2013 at 9:22 AM, Nicola Peluchetti <
> nicola.peluchetti at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
>> The plugin is http://wordpress.org/plugins/all-in-one-event-calendar/. We
>> currently have three versions ( lite ( the one hosted on wordpress.org,
>> standard and pro on our website http://time.ly ). We are currently working
>> on version 2.0 which will unify the codebase and then we will sell
>> extensions from our website.
>> 
>> Our plugin provides a calendar for our user’s sites. One of the features we
>> currently offer in our free version is an ability for users to pull in
>> events on .ics feeds. This lets them easily populate their calendars with
>> events. We are working now on a 2.0 version and we would like to remove
>> this feature and have it available in our paid plugin extension. We feel
>> this feature is really for people who are using their calendar’s to
>> aggregate events. These are our event curators, and fit our model for Pro
>> users. We will be offering a temporary discount for our current users
>> allowing them to update to 2.0 and reinstall this extension for free.
>> 
>> We are concerned that we do not run afoul of rule number 5 in the plugin
>> guidelines, specifically- "Similarly, you cannot "cripple" functionality in
>> the plugin and then ask for payment or provide a code to unlock the
>> functionality”.
>> 
>> We do not believe this is crippling our plugin, as the core functions of
>> the calendar all remain, including offering site visitors the ability to
>> subscribe to events using their personal Google and Apple calendars,
>> however the term “cripple” is somewhat open to interpretation.
>> 
>> What do you think?Is there someone i could ask directly?
>> 
>> *Nicola Peluchetti - Senior PHP Developer @ Timely*
>> Twitter: @nik_peluchetti <https://twitter.com/#!/nik_peluchetti>
>> Facebook: nicola.peluchetti <https://www.facebook.com/nicola.peluchetti>
>> Stackoverflow: Stackoverflow<
>> http://stackoverflow.com/users/397861/nicola-peluchetti>
>> Mobile: +39 339 7507235
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> 
> 
> 
> -- 
> *Eric A. Hendrix*
> hendronix at gmail.com
> (910) 644-8940
> 
> *"Non Timebo Mala"*
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