[wp-forums] Sidebars and Widgets

[Podz]

Podz wrote:
> Is it me or are sidebar problems the current mass problem?
> 

Okay ....http://automattic.com/code/widgets/themes/
Go read.
Ignore the money / ask nicely bit - I'll get to that.

---

Widgets could cause us massive amounts of work / posts / angry posts /
WTF posts. Fact is theme authors should do this, not us - but we know
some will not and we know we'll pick up the rest. It's the way it is.
I don't know what emailing has gone on to authors and I have no idea
which themes that are not currently in use on wp.com are workable.

This is very open to what we need to do but we need to accept the
workload that will happen for our users. It does for everything else :)

I'm thinking a sticky from today "Made a theme? READ THIS!" which points
very clearly to the above link.
I'm also thinking that we include in that a list of known Good themes.
Let's point people at work we know will give us less grief.
Maybe even a list of known Bad themes (name & shame tactics)
We need to make it clear it's not our fault, or the fault of widgets or
the fault of wp code - this is a change theme authors choose to do. Or
not. I have no problem with blaming an author - and I also have no
problem with someone releasing a sidebar for a them and insisting they
be credited in that theme ("Created by Bob - Fixed from being broken by
Tom") - that seems perfectly fair.

Just like the new editor came along and the new 1.5 structure we pick up
the bits for some people - and widgets are the same (only this time we
really can blame someone for not helping). As a side issue, if changing
how themes interact with wp code means we get better themes for users
that actually helps us in the longer term.

I know someone reading this will take issue with my using the word
'blame' but hey, if authors want the good stuff that comes with
releasing a theme, they can take a bit of extra work too.

P.