I think overly harsh in your sentiment, but I concur. The authors of these themes do this for free and without asking for anything back – many don’t even ask for a link back, but it’s just courtesy to do so. A link in the CSS is fine bu a bit useless because 99% will not view your CSS only your site.
When you finally build your own theme from scratch and then have some one download it and remove every reference from the site bar your CSS you will probably be just as happy as the author that you probably started your theme from and chose to remove the credits.
Does it really bother people that much to show that you didn’t make the site from scratch? Still, let’s not peopel over the head with a very large wooden spoon. I guess teach but don’t preach?
I agree about giving credit, but can understand how some can get removed not necessarily on purpose but with other ways.
Mine for example, the footer is completely free of WP linkage, does this make me a bad person? I removed it because I broke something in the php code and I replaced it with a plain link to my site, copy and pasted from a static page. This was done not in spite of WP but was done as a quick fix. Do I intend to change this? No but the links have been left in place from the sidebar from the classic version of WP. I know yesterday when I first released spiderman there was mention of mine being a modified classic. There was also mention that Spiderman did not get hurt before hand so when modifying css today I simply highlighted all the text and cut it out as I did not want the Spiderman refferance.
Sometimes when people are busy with many things going on, for instance I may have my five month old in my lap trying to write code and I simply remove parts that are easy not to slight anyone. That is why when you visit my test site I credit WP as well as the support forum, I did not mention names because the list would grow longer eah day and I did not want to forget anyone who may have helped. I think that some should just lighten up as we do not know why some things in code may be removed. Personally the refferances made in css for Kubrick are the main reason I do not use it. ie bicycle built for two as well as many others.
But what about someone like myself who took one theme, and spent nearly 2 solid days making code changes, CSS changes, and other tweaks, only to come the end of the weekend and noticing only 25% of the original theme was still intacked? I actually used code from 3 themes, and the codex. Does this mean I should still give credit to the original author, even though the site has changed internally quite a bit?
Thats a hard call I understand what you are saying. If you take a look at classic and then my blog it does not resemble classic one bit. Mainly the only thing left that was not changed was the calendar but I left it although I do not use the calendar.
Basically I am just using a template I designed on my site for a contest I had a year ago.
My blog has this template that I did a long time ago as seen here, it looks nothing like classic.
As you can see all credits are given but then I knew who for the credits that participated.
http://cafe789.com/ckl1.htm
1. In the WP 1.5 package the so-called “Default WordPress” theme does NOT have any credit in the footer for design!
2. It has a link to WP’s site (this one), but again, under the GPL license it is NOT mandatory.
3. It is exactly like people picking their nose 🙂 – It’s not nice, but there is no law forbidding it. You can dislike it, despise it, hate it… but you cannot force anyone not to do it.
Manners and laws are two different realm.
Well as I said, it’s a courtesy – it would be nice to see authors who do the work to get some sort of linkage back. It’s not a law, sure, but’s it the community spirit surely?
moshu I was referring to linkage in footer, not credits.
dawg, I wasn’t referring to you. My answer was mainly for the OP – I should have mentioned it, sorry. I just get annoyed by self-appointed guards of credits (or anything else for that matter…).
Thread Starter
Roar
(@rori)
I did not mean to be harsh, I tend to just come across that way when I write. It is a constant battle.
I just get annoyed by self-appointed guards of credits (or anything else for that matter…). I have to agree with you on that one, I rememember when I had not even had my blog up for about an hour when I got a post referring to credit, I hated the theme that was in place and was going to change it.
This was posted on my blog {Maybe you should read Michael Heilemann (original author of kubrick) most recent post at binarybonsai dot com
Just a thought 🙂 }
Those darn credit gaurds
I wonder who would post a link to this but it did seem nasty.
http://binarybonsai.com/archives/2005/01/09/villagers-demand-credit/
This is exactly why I’ve started taking to making my own layouts from scratch…. plus it makes it easier to modify, since I don’t have to guess what’s what.
My own 2 cents….. If you’ve taken a theme from some one else and hacked and slashed it, at least give a nod to the original… something along the lines of “Inspired by XYZ Design by What’s His Face.”
And I would think that most designers would agree, it’s not something that has to be on every page (like in the footer), but at least acknoledged *somewhere* even if in the “About Me,” “Credits,” or “Colophon.”
I think the tough part is deciding what is a change? Is changing the background color from white to blue a “change” or is it simply customizing? What if I leave all colors and placings & typeface, but replace all the images? Is that significant enough? shrug.
It’s a tough call. Personaly, I say that if there is any doubt, simply add a Thank You section and give the original author a small blurb.
Tg
Very well written TechGnome.
It seems to me that this sort of think will happen quite a bit to the “default” template. The vast majority of people using WP are not going to create a template from scratch. By calling Kubrick the default, it can give the impression that it’s not a “design”, but rather a good place to start and customise from there. If this is a serious problem then perhaps Kubrick shouldn’t be called default, or the expectations for credit should be more clearly laid out (or it should be released under a different license).
Actually this depends on the author, i’ve just releases a theme i’ve called equiX and it is made from scratch… not even from the classic template because it was my blogger design on the first place but now i’ve ported to wordpress using a lot of info taken from the codex and this forum…
License: If it is released under a gpl, like the one i made, you can use it and make a completely diferent version or just change the header image but no link back or atribution is required.
Of course that it will be apreciated if you leave the link to my site and you also give proper atribution to a possible modification but if you choose not to do it it is fine, if i’ve wanted to have credit i would have released it under another licence or even charge for it.
Putting aside the courtesies for a moment – what I dislike are people in breach of the licence whatever that may be. And authors who should know better who *stipulate* a link is required WTF stipulation ? Is it Creative Commons. Or is it GPL. Thats one. Two. Internally we are beginning to distinguish betwen a theme and a style. Eg: Gemini developed by Root Styled by Joni (say :). Gemini is currently unlicensed. if its GPL no link is required. At the same time the theme author can be credited for design, and by releasing the style under the Creative Commons can require it to be so. It also kills off these *When is Kubrick not Kubrick* type of questions. In the case of the default as it released under the GPL no link is required. If your are the designer – then its bad luck. But I do not think any one should kinda hint that WP users have obligations that go one inch beyond what WP has signed us up for – GPL. If you do not like it then do not do open source.
