<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html charset=iso-8859-1"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><div>If the Theme Review Team and .org Admins are confused by PageLines marketing then what do you think the average customer thinks when they find out they're stuck?</div><div><br></div><div>People won't realize what PageLines "service" actually means until PageLines flips the kill switch and they lose access to features they already paid for and can no longer update the website they've built. </div><div><br></div><div>Your understanding of the GPL was correct according to the GNU.</div><div><br></div><div>I do not believe Otto and Nacin were incorrect in their logic or reasoning, I think they simply didn't understand the full application and deceptive nature of what PageLines is actually doing until now.</div><div><br></div><div>We got clarification from the GNU on this issue so we could bring about a resolution and properly educate everyone on what applies here in this particular case and for future similar cases.</div><div><br></div><div>As far as I'm aware we've never seen anyone try to do this before, it's a very clever strategy to lock users in that looks like a support service at first glance but its much more then that.</div><div><br></div><div>It's a usage limitation that contradicts users rights as outlined in the GPL, and is also clearly against <a href="http://WordPress.org">WordPress.org</a> policy.</div><div><br></div><div>There is nothing wrong with software as a service if you are actually providing a service. What PageLines is claiming is their software is the service, which is simply not true. It's a marketing ploy that even a lot of people here fell for which further illustrates the deceptive nature of what they're trying to accomplish.</div><div><br></div><div apple-content-edited="true">
<div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px; "><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; border-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-size: medium; "><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; border-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-size: medium; "><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; border-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-size: medium; "><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; ">--Trent Lapinski<br>=============<br>CEO of CyberChimps Inc<br></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></div>
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<br><div><div>On Oct 9, 2013, at 3:20 PM, Srikanth Koneru <<a href="mailto:tskk79@gmail.com">tskk79@gmail.com</a>> wrote:</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote type="cite"><div dir="ltr"><div><div><div><div>It is not against GPL, GPL gives you legal permission to copy,
distribute and/or modify the software.<br></div>You can do all that with their plugin. (atleast pagelines say you can edit out the restrictions)<br><br></div>Its not already paid for, plugin is not just $8.<br><br></div>
I always thought this wasn't allowed as per WPORG policy, but Otto/Nacin says it is so it is. Maybe their higher up's may overrule them and until they do its allowed under WPORG policy.<br><br></div>Its not morally/ethically wrong because they are putting the pricing plan upfront, users are buying knowing that they have to pay a monthly fee.<br>
</div><div class="gmail_extra"><br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Thu, Oct 10, 2013 at 3:41 AM, Trent Lapinski <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:trent@cyberchimps.com" target="_blank">trent@cyberchimps.com</a>></span> wrote:<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"><div style="word-wrap:break-word"><div>Selling people a WordPress theme is selling them a tool to build a website with.</div>
<div><br></div><div>How would you feel if you went to Home Depot and were told you can't buy the hammer you need to build a bird house, you instead have to join Home Depots "subscription" to get access to the hammer you need to build a bird house, but you're only allowed to build 1 bird house with that hammer. If you want to build more then 1 bird house you have to pay signficnatly more money monthly to do so.</div>
<div><br></div><div>If you finishing building your bird house and stop paying they will take your hammer away, and also lock you out of features from the birdhouse you already built and paid for.</div><div><br></div><div>
That's what PageLines is doing, and thats why this is against the GPL, <a href="http://wordpress.org/" target="_blank">WordPress.org</a> Policy, and morally and ethically wrong.</div><div><div><br></div><div>This has nothing to do with upgrade fees, support, or anything else. That has to do with limiting and crippling software that customers have already paid for and forcing them to continue to pay for something or else they lose access to the tools they need to maintain or update their website in the future.</div>
<div><br></div><div>This is not a support service, but merely a clever way to lock users in forever.</div><div><br></div><div><div class="im"><div>
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<div style="text-indent:0px;letter-spacing:normal;font-variant:normal;text-align:-webkit-auto;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;line-height:normal;text-transform:none;font-size:medium;white-space:normal;font-family:Helvetica;word-wrap:break-word;word-spacing:0px">
<span style="border-collapse:separate;border-spacing:0px"><div style="word-wrap:break-word"><span style="border-spacing:0px;text-indent:0px;letter-spacing:normal;font-variant:normal;text-align:-webkit-auto;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;line-height:normal;border-collapse:separate;text-transform:none;font-size:medium;white-space:normal;font-family:Helvetica;word-spacing:0px"><div style="word-wrap:break-word">
<span style="border-spacing:0px;text-indent:0px;letter-spacing:normal;font-variant:normal;text-align:-webkit-auto;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;line-height:normal;border-collapse:separate;text-transform:none;font-size:medium;white-space:normal;font-family:Helvetica;word-spacing:0px"><div style="word-wrap:break-word">
<span style="border-spacing:0px;text-indent:0px;letter-spacing:normal;font-variant:normal;text-align:-webkit-auto;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;line-height:normal;border-collapse:separate;text-transform:none;font-size:medium;white-space:normal;font-family:Helvetica;word-spacing:0px"><div style="word-wrap:break-word">
--Trent Lapinski<br>=============<br>CEO of CyberChimps Inc<br></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></div>
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<br></div><div><div class="im"><div>On Oct 9, 2013, at 3:00 PM, Bryan Hadaway <<a href="mailto:bhadaway@gmail.com" target="_blank">bhadaway@gmail.com</a>> wrote:</div><br></div><blockquote type="cite"><div class="im">
<div dir="ltr">Whatever the case, I feel we're actually getting much closer to all being at least in the same book, maybe not quite the same page yet. But, much closer to a reasonable and productive understanding/conclusion.<br>
</div></div><div class="im">
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