Category: Technology Author : Duncan Riley Posted: December 14, 2008
Tags : automattic, matt mullenweg, WordPress
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More Hypocrisy from Mullenweg and WordPress with new themes jihad

matt mullenweg

WordPress has removed over 200 themes from the WordPress theme directory for the crime of the themes linking back to the sites and people that created them.

The jihad against themes started last year with Automattic’s Matt Mullenweg declaring there was no place for non-GPL licensed themes on the WordPress Themes directory.

I wrote at the time of the original jihad about the gross hypocrisy of Mullenweg in a post to TechCrunch that gained a lot of flack, including from Arrington, but it stands true today: Mullenweg has an issue with people profiting from WordPress despite the fact that he’s the one person who profits from it the most. It’s all very well and good wanting to be a open source purist, but you don’t get to play legitimate purist when you’re making money from it yourself.

The issue last year, as it seems to be this time around is primarily links out on themes to other sites. Mullenweg likes to call all links SEO scams, and while I’ll agree that some themes do meet this criteria, many don’t, and a simple link back in a theme to the person or organization who wrote the theme is hardly a scam nor by any stretch of the imagination unfair.

What’s interesting in the new round, having purged non GPL (open source) themes last year, is that Mullenweg is now purging open source themes for the link crime. The number isn’t insignificant either: 200 themes is around 35% of the themes on the WordPress Themes site. As one site put it: the decision is similar to Apple pulling apps from the iPhone App store, with the same loss of custom for theme creators.

This is yet another case of Mullenweg biting the hand that feeds him. WordPress theme designers were one of the backbones of WordPress’ spectacular rise from obscurity to the powerhouse it is today. Those same designers help drive use of WordPress, and they are continually treated with little or no respect.

I use WordPress today due to familiarity and availability of extensions, and the lack of a easy to switch to alternative (there are some, but they lack the community, features or ease of use). I can say though that I don’t use WordPress as a mark of support for the direction WordPress has taken since Automattic took over the show: there is zero church and state seperation between WordPress open source and Automattic the commercial enterprise, and until there is this great idea of an open source and free platform is a running joke. Mullenweg should excuse himself from decisions within the WordPress community while he continues to profit from Automattic if he truly believes in open source and that WordPress.org and supporting sites should maintain a strict ethos in that directions. That is the only way this decision could possibly be delivered with any authority and trust.

(via Pro Blogging/ Alistair Cameron. img credit: Duanestory)

m0nty

I don't understand why they have to be kicked out. Can't he just ask them to resubmit with rel=nofollow on the offending links?

Matt

There were actually closer to 300 themes removed, and it seems like less than 2% may have been a mistake. These are themes that never complied with the guidelines in the first place, they had just gotten in due to some lax review and we were correcting that. "Link crime" themes were maybe 5 of the 300 that were removed.

What does "with the same loss of custom for theme creators" mean?

All we're doing is choosing to host and promote things that follow the license that WordPress itself is under, namely the GPL. It is not ambiguous that the GPL gives you certain freedoms and when plugin or theme developers try to take these freedoms away from users we just don't want to promote them on our site. They can do whatever the heck they like, but they're not entitled to be promoted on WordPress.org. Users get confused when WP is completely open source and then they start using a theme they downloaded that requires they link to a refinancing or SEO site.

Ed

"Mullenweg should excuse himself from decisions within the WordPress community while he continues to profit from Automattic if he truly believes in open source..."

Here lies the heart of the problem and the solution. Just as Apple loves its vertical business linking iPhones to the Apps Store and iPods to iTunes, the WordPress software has taken on similar importance for Automattic.

Matt

The theme directory (and plugin directory) are about providing a GPL-licensed free resources for a GPL-licensed and free product. You're still welcome to use a theme or plugin that isn't in the directory.

I'm still not clear on why WordPress.org should be required to promote and link things that violate its license, which seems to be what you and Duncan are suggesting.

Elliot

Matt, I completely support you and what you say here is how I understand it in the first place: WordPress.org won't hosting themes that are not GPL-compliant nor it won't be promoting sites that are not GPL-compliant. If somebody wants to sell quality premium themes, like those from WooThemes, they're absolutely free to do so. The issue is as simple as this.

Ed

It seems WordPress.org feels premium theme designers are expendable.

"I’m not sure if it’s worth going through gymnastics to try and include these people, it’s only a handful of themes. The directory will be fine without them, and they’ll be fine without being in the directory," Matt said on my site.

ashrafism

Great perception Duncan, well crafted.

Now, what I don't understand is the mentioning the word 'Jihad' I mean its Wordpress, Mullenweg,
and Automattic
whats the point of involving jihad in the matter?

Alister Cameron // Blogologist

Because Duncan is the king of unnecessary hyperbole. Did you even need to ask?

Just do a review of the headlines on this site! He's desperate to get this new project off the ground and no headline is too ridiculous.

Duncan, you have some good stuff to say, now and again. But stop being the douchebag sensationalist, for goodness sake.

Andy

Hmm, says the guy unnecessarily using the world "douchebag". Honestly, you lot really need to come up with some better insults, because that "highly amusing" phrase (I suppose it comes from the schoolboy mentality that thought it was funny to call someone something to do with vaginal cleansing?) is getting VERY tired.

nwilliam3

Open Source does not mean Non-Profit. I think it is great that somebody is showing that you can profit from an open sourced application. If WP only wants to show GPL'd themes that meat certain criteria so be it. There are lot of other sites that offer WP themes other than Wordpress.org. If you are building a legitimate site you will do your research and find a template that works for you or someone who can build on for you.

Jan Dembowski

Wow, Duncan, you really have a thing for Matt don't you? I'm not defending or criticizing Matt, just making an observation regarding your posts.

The terms of hosting a theme on WordPress,org is that the theme has to be GPL compatible.

If someone puts up a theme that says "you can't remove the links in the footer" (which makes it incompatible with the GPL), why would you object to the people hosting the repository booting those themes for violating the terms?

You definitely know how to create web sites, why don't you just create a premium theme showcase/repository yourself? That would let you put your money where your mouth is.

Edited: On second thought I'll take out a petty shot. But I am curious why you don't create a WordPress themes showcase/repository.

Dr. Mike Wendell

He's done it before. When he booted the themes with sponsored links, he was caught doing it on his own sites. Not once, not twice but in fact there's links there now.

ron domba

you are jealous

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More Hypocrisy from Mullenweg and WordPress with new themes jihad

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