Can't use it.

Chill out a bit, bp-help. If I had known you were so thin-skinned, I would never have left the review. You’ve certainly taught me a lesson. Too bad you’ve also failed to persuade me to change my review, as I had initially offered.

You didn’t answer my question: will the suggested code rewrite you recommend as a work-around to my criticism of your plugin get overwritten by future updates?

Why are you so hostile? When I am looking at plugins I look at both the support AND the reviews. Searching for an answer in the support section of the WP plug-in repository is like searching for a needle in a haystack. “Negative” reviews are the quickest way for an end-user to find out what doesn’t work for others. Now when someone else is looking for the same information I was, they’ll read your hateful and hostile remarks, rather than your solution, let alone read about a commitment from you to fix such an obvious shortcoming in a future release.

If you’ve reviewed my reviews, you know I leave both positive AND negative remarks. When something works as it should, I usually just rate it 5 stars, without a comment. In your case I should have just given your plugin 1-star without a comment so I could have avoided this kind of interaction with you.

As most of my own work with WP is for my personal use, or as a volunteer for small non-profit groups, of course I try to use open source and freeware as much as possible. Heck, WordPress and Buddypress are free, aren’t they? Despite that I have actually paid for several premium plug-ins.

What I object to is when developers refuse to warrant their products and refund when something doesn’t work as advertised. I’ve been burned, too, so perhaps you can learn something by paying attention to your potential customers rather than shaming and banning them.

My review of this plug-in was not hostile and those who follow will see what kind of temperament they will have to deal with if they ever need support from the developer. I’ve never resorted to ad hominem attacks to make my point.

I had also read of your work when you introduced this plugin a year and a half ago, before you made it as far as the WP repository, so I had some concerns about the stability of the plugin at this early stage. I never expected to have to suffer name-calling and abuse from the someone who wears a smiley face for an avatar.

FWIW, you are onto something here. There is a demand that is not being filled, and you seem to have a leg up on producing something that a lot of people want. Again, I apologize for not raising this issue in the support forum before posting the review, but you’ve seen to it that it’s too late to change that now.

<sigh>

This is beyond ridiculous, “bphelp”. I emailed you because I thought this discussion had gone on too far as a public spectacle. What you call an “excerpt”, I call cherry-picking.

For the enlightenment of all, and to defend my good name, I am posting the entire email I sent you below:

I don’t know what more you want from me. I’ve apologized…. twice… for not raising the issue on the support forum, even though I see that this matter was already covered in the support forums here, so why would you want me to raise it again? If I’m going to have to write code (and yes, I have some training in computer programming, so I can do it), why bother looking for plugins in the first place?

I think the problem is one of expectations. I personally don’t think people should have to pay a premium for a plugin that promises to block BuddyPress and BBPress pages only, yet can’t unblock a static home (landing) page without being rewritten. You apparently think that is cool. Seems that you should make that limitation more clear in the description of the free plugin. What use is this plugin for the average WP user? Don’t a lot, if not most sites have a home page prior to their BP area? (Maybe not… I admit I’m new to BuddyPress)

It also seems to me that you are using the WordPress free plugin repository to promote your premium plugin, which is becoming more and more the case with plugin developers here. But hey, I’m not responsible for how plugin developers get to market their wares here… all I can do is point out what I see as sketchy, if not unscrupulous claims about what is being offered on a free plugin repository. You promote your plugin on a free repository, then castigate users for complaining about abuse by premium plugin developers.

To take you up on your offer after this exchange would be like taking food from a hungry child, and I won’t do that. Might I suggest you consider the business model of WordPress greats like Sayontan Sinha, who offers his theme Suffusion for free, and then asks for donations from those who find it useful. I gladly “tip” Sayontan every time I have reason to appreciate his theme and the support he offers. He’s made far more from me than he would if he charged for his theme. Why? Because I’ve spent money on themes that aren’t half as good as his, and then had to fight the developer for a refund on a product that didn’t deliver as promised.

Oh, and I also leave very positive feedback!

Experiences like this one is part of the reason I’m looking at WP Symposium, instead of BuddyPress for my needs. Yes, I’ll probably end up paying some $ for it, but there is a point of diminishing returns dealing with people with such a big chip on their shoulders for a supposedly free platform.

Oh… if you need money that badly, please send me a link to your own “tip” jar and I’ll gladly send you a small donation, just because I actually care about people too.

BTW, I just added up what I’ve spent on WP plugins, themes and support this year alone, and it’s well over $100. I live on a modest fixed income and support a number of charitable causes, both financially and with technical support, including websites. Stop trying to make me the villain. I’m not. I’m actually a very nice guy and I’m sure you are too. Hell, I might have even considered contracting you for some help if we hadn’t gotten derailed so quickly! I admit that I don’t find BuddyPress or BBpress to be the most intuitive platforms I’ve ever worked with, and I consider myself quite the WordPress whore.

I do wish you success, but castigating people who don’t see things the way you do is likely to alienate more than help build your business.

bphelps’s response last night:

I am sorry as well that we got off on the wrong foot but as I promised I am attaching the premium plugin for you to use on this email. If you decide not to use it then that is entirely your choice but I have made an honest effort here. It unblocks your home page so maybe you will get some use out of it. Good luck!

I posted another comment this morning on another plugin, thanking a reviewer for his “negative” review. It saved me the trouble of installing yet another plugin that promised more than it delivered.

Some developers here seem to think that browbeating and name-calling potential customers for calling out deceptive promotion is going to make us go away. Well, I’m tempted, and this kind of behavior does have a chilling effect on honest reviews and feedback that is intended to be constructive.

What we have here is an honest disagreement about what constitutes compliance with the spirit of the WordPress plugin guidelines that developers agree to when they post code here. Nothing more, nothing less, and certainly nothing that warrants calling each other names.

All code hosted by WordPress.org servers must be free and fully-functional.

I have no intentions of responding here again, so feel free to have the last word. The WordPress plugin repository is overdue for an overhaul. Users have to spend an inordinate amount of time searching, sorting and sifting through outdated, broken or unsupported plugins.