The sponsored themes debate rages on

I was reading ShoeMoney today and noticed that the sponsored themes debate is still raging on. Specifically, Weblog Tools Collection is very vocal about this (see this post).

Here is my view on the subject :

• I do not believe that designers should embed copyright links using encrypted code. It should be clear before downloading how many copyright links are in the theme
• The decision to remove links should be the designers. Bottom line, if you do not intend in keeping the copyright links then you should not use the theme.
• I believe that a lot of designers are forced to put in copyright links back to their own websites because the wordpress theme download system completely removes the need for anyone to visit the authors website.
• I think that a maximum number of copyright links should be set for themes in the wordpress theme directory and any theme found with adware should be removed.

Jeremy from ShoeMoney hit the mark in his post when he said

So let me get this straight. No more sponosored links on themes. The only links that can come with wordpress is the ones YOU MATT MULLENWEG and all your friends embed in the default install of wordpress? Also like all of you guys have sold text links or have adsense or making money off your default dashboard and embeded links.

I mean I have seen software that embeds links like you guys do with the default blog roll and its called Adware. I dont think you should act like your taking the high and mighty ground here bucko.

There are a lot of people who are designing links specifically to sell links on them. I can understand some bloggers being concerned about this but if this encourages more free designs for the blogging community I dont believe it’s a bad thing. Regardless, I feel that credit has to be given where it is due.

One thing which I find ironic in this whole debate is that Wordpress do this themselves. In their own words

“If you’d like to support WordPress, having the “powered by” link someone on your blog is the best way, it’s our only promotion or advertising.”

I don’t believe Wordpress are going to ban sponsored themes from their theme directory but if they do I will have to reconsider keeping the link back to wordpress on my blogs.

where do you stand in this debate? Would you remove a copyright link from a theme? Do you believe designers have the right to add links to the footer in the first place?

Written by Kevin Muldoon from Blog Themes Club
Posted on July 11th, 2007 and filed under Design & Coding
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