[theme-reviewers] Themes and Favicons

[Edward Caissie]

I think there are a lot of things to be considered here ...

Although I can understand the point of user identity/branding with the use
of a "favicon" I believe the basis behind this point is still related to the
fact for the most  part a web site's theme *is* also a significant part of
its identity and branding. If someone is using a very popular theme as is
then they also run the risk of being lost in the crowd ... a favicon may not
make any real difference to separating them out.

If a site (read: individual) already has a preferred favicon implemented in
standardized method, such as including a 'favicon.ico' file in the root
directory of their website, I could easily understand their surprise to see
it changed for no apparent reason?! That being the case, the theme author
really should be considerate enough to provide a method for the end-user to
revert back to the "site default" ... perhaps a full section of the theme's
advanced options to provide full control over the favicon settings may be
preferred but to that end the actual methods of deploying a favicon, it's
usage, the various browser issues, etc must also be addressed.

I see the favicon included with a theme as more part of the overall theme
itself and its branding / identity if offers the end-user and for that
reason I see it as something that should be allowed to be continued to be
included with themes. The questions now becomes, in my mind, can the
management of a favicon in themes be a required functionality when
implemented; or, is it better stated as a recommended (read: blatantly
obvious) disclosure to the theme's end-user that the theme will change their
favicon?

Of course, that is also taking into account the end-user actually knows and
understands: what the favicon is; how to implement one on their own; and,
what a favicon can be used for. Which IMHO is neither the theme author's nor
the Theme Review Teams responsibility to explain in any detail.


Cais.

On Tue, Oct 19, 2010 at 5:31 PM, Chip Bennett <chip at chipbennett.net> wrote:

> But what Plesk, shared hosts, or even WPMU do isn't really under our
> control.
>
> IMHO, the *best practice* is to expose the option to the user. What
> Developer freedom (or judgement) would we be restricting by requiring the
> option be exposed to the user?
>
> " If users don't like the favicon, they're not forced to use that theme."
>
>
> This take-it-or-leave-it sentiment is completely antithetical to the
> user-freedom philosophy that underlies both WordPress and the Theme
> Repository.
>
> Chip
>
>
> On Tue, Oct 19, 2010 at 4:06 PM, Austin Matzko <austin at pressedcode.com>wrote:
>
>> On Tue, Oct 19, 2010 at 3:47 PM, Chip Bennett <chip at chipbennett.net>
>> wrote:
>> > The reason I think it should be *required* to provide a user
>> configuration
>> > setting is, as I've already stated, because the Favicon is part of the
>> site
>> > identity/branding, and not part of the Theme.
>>
>> My point is that where issues are not clear-cut, there shouldn't be
>> *requirements.*  You say favicons should be determined solely by an
>> individual site's branding; Plesk, many shared hosts, and WPMU back in
>> the day disagree (by providing their own favicons by default).  So why
>> not give developers some freedom to work it out using a measure of
>> judgment?  If users don't like the favicon, they're not forced to use
>> that theme.
>>
>> It's OK if there are contingencies that have not been specifically
>> regulated.
>> _______________________________________________
>> theme-reviewers mailing list
>> theme-reviewers at lists.wordpress.org
>> http://lists.wordpress.org/mailman/listinfo/theme-reviewers
>>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> theme-reviewers mailing list
> theme-reviewers at lists.wordpress.org
> http://lists.wordpress.org/mailman/listinfo/theme-reviewers
>
>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.wordpress.org/pipermail/theme-reviewers/attachments/20101020/e64897af/attachment.htm>