ThemeShaper is hosting a contest for the next default theme for WordPress, since Ian thinks Kubrick’s gone old (I agree). He’s proposing The Sandbox since it’s easily modified, but it looks like crap so a new default design is still needed.
Premium Admin Themes The Next Big Thing?
The upcoming WordPress 2.5 is delayed, which I saw coming, and that’s fine. I’d rather have a working release, than a buggy one, and I’m sure most of us agree.
One of the new features in 2.5 is a revamped admin look, something that won’t sit well with every user of course. Not that today’s theme is perfect in any way, but change always makes users react, which is why there are some admin themes available.
Multiple Blogs, Thoughts on the Technical Aspects
So you’ve decided to run multiple blogs after all. Good for you, as long as you’re contributing (or making a truckload of cash) then it’s fine. Or why not just hire someone to blog for you, that always works, right?
Time to install 35 WordPress blogs! Even if that 5 minute install was all that was needed, it would be around 3 hours of work, and that’s not counting setting up your databases, uploading WordPress files, and so on. Then you’ve got your average plugins, API keys to paste into Akismet’s settings, activating the right theme, fixing the permalinks…
Are you committed to WordPress? Then how do you feel about Automattic?
According to TechCrunch, there’s rumors that the Automattic founders will make a bunch of money from the investors in the company, in response to the turned down $200m buyout offer. Good for Matt & Co. of course, I won’t begrudge anyone making money out of good products such as WordPress.com and Akismet.
However, Automattic also controls the opensource self-hosted version of WordPress, and that raises some questions:
- Are you comfortable with a company being the driving force behind the opensource platform you’re committed to?
- What would happen to WordPress if someone bought Automattic?
- Are all decisions being made for opensource WordPress with it’s best at heart, or does the company’s best come first?
Now, don’t get me wrong here, I’m a big WordPress fan, and Automattic have so far not done anything to piss me off. In fact, I think they’re doing a pretty good job, despite the whole sponsor links debacle, and the unfriendly designer credits talked about in the WordPress.com Theme Marketplace idea. And Akismet is great, free, and everything, so I’m committed to WordPress myself.
However, having a company running an opensource platform is scary stuff. How do you feel about this?
Designers: How do you value your name in the footer?
The recent revelation that Automattic wouldn’t allow designer’s names in the footer on themes sold on the upcoming WordPress.com Theme Marketplace – which I blogged about recently – got me thinking. For me, it’s crucial that my name is visually exposed on the sites I design. These are the guarantees of gigs delivered, and a way for gaining recognition. Aside from pure recommendations, I know I’ve gained a few clients this way, and would probably gain more if I had the time, and put up a serious portfolio.
Personally, I don’t care about building pagerank with these design credits in the footer, but I could understand people wanting to do that as well. If a client requested a nofollow on my design credit I’d probably think he was a bit cheap, but fine, I’d probably be OK with it. Unless I took a principal stand for some reason… Anyway, the point is, I’m not putting those links in there to build Google juice, I have them there to prove that I did the design, and to possibly gain new clients.