[theme-reviewers] Why the bias?

Tue Feb 15 18:08:05 UTC 2011

*Disclaimer - I am referring to Platform theme as well as Swift theme here
just for examples. I admire both of them and have immense respect for their
developers .*

I just checked first featured theme - platform and found few things that I
think are not allowed by WPTRT team:

   1. First platform theme uses add new top-level-menu
   2. Second they are not using register settings properly
   3. For various image uploads they are not using wordpress media library
   4. (noted by Satish) "Platform uses pagelines logo in the header, while
   it should show the blog name and blog title." I am 100% sure, my theme will
   be rejected if I do this! ;-)

There may be more! Above I found at first look! Also, some of issues might
have been discussed here already.

I'm bit disappointed to see one featured theme is allowed to break WPTRT
*guidelines* while another theme (swift theme by Satish) was rejected for
the sake of same guideline!

I already read this -
http://make.wordpress.org/themes/2011/01/05/discussion-on-menu-locations-for-theme-options/
and
from what I saw there, WPTRT team is yet to finalize their stand on location
of theme option page(s)!

In that case - rejecting a theme for NOT using add_theme_page() and at the
same time approving another theme which is NOT using add_theme_page() *(and
also making that theme featured)* is totally unfair even it may be
unintentional.

I agree with Chip's comment  -

> What you perceive to be bias is better described as us being human. We can
> and do make mistakes, and we can and do review Themes differently - not
> because we are biased for against a particular Theme or developer, but
> rather because we, as humans, are merely imperfect.

I am really grateful for WPTRT team for spending so much time to keep theme
repo clean and updated. But I believe few things can help all of us:

   1. a complete document finalizing what constitues *guidelines* (may be
   few more pages on codex).
   2. guidelines should be numbered like laws are numbers in legal/judicial
   system
   3. a defined process to pass verdict on new codes/features that may not
   be covered by *guidelines* (as I believe *updating* guidelines will be never
   ending process)
   4. a notification system - when major changes to guidelines takes place a
   kind of mass email to all theme developers by a WPTRT member explaining
   impact of major change (we can use this mailing list)
   5. Report guideline violation button on theme repo (I will explain its
   usage with an example below)

As an example:

As I said before - WPTRT team seems yet to reach a final decision on
add_theme_page() compulsion.
In that case, its not fair to reject any theme which is NOT using it (my
personal opinion)
Once WPTRT team makes a decision on it, say WPTRT decide to force
add_theme_page(),
then a notification will be issued with such a major change and theme
developers can be given some 30 days to update their themes to meet
guidelines.
Now, Report guideline violation button on each theme will be added. A
visitor may use it to report a theme for guideline violation and he can
quote guideline number for reference. This will force developers to be more
accountable towards their work!

On sidenote - theme-check script which runs on uploading theme can be
updated to meet guidelines. After that it can be run as a cron job on all
themes on repo to check which themes are yet to meet new guidelines (say
after 30 days!)

Goal is - to reach a common agreement on what is allowed and remove bias
from the theme review process!

It is essential for the community to keep its contributor motivated no
matter how big or small it is. Just my thoughts...

--
Rahul Bansal | Founder & CEO | rtCamp Solutions Pvt. Ltd.
Skype: rahul286 | Twitter: @rahul286 | Web: http://rtcamp.com/

On Tue, Feb 15, 2011 at 9:48 PM, Chip Bennett <chip at chipbennett.net> wrote:

> On Tue, Feb 15, 2011 at 9:15 AM, Satish Gandham <satish.iitg at gmail.com>wrote:
>
>>
>> Here is the screen shot of platform theme, on a new installation of
>> WordPress after importing the test data.
>>
>> http://d.pr/hyYJ
>>
>> 1.It uses pagelines logo in the header, while it should show the blog name
>> and blog title.
>> 2.Text on default installation is unreadable.
>> 3. Screenshot is not close to the default installation..
>>
>> By the way, there is something wrong with your default installation of
> Platform. Here's what I see<http://www.chipbennett.net/upload/pagelinesdefault.png>on default installation of the most
> current version <http://themes.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/2927>.
>
> Chip
>
> P.S. <http://themes.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/2927#comment:3>
>
> P.P.S <http://themes.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/2927#comment:4>.
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> theme-reviewers mailing list
> theme-reviewers at lists.wordpress.org
> http://lists.wordpress.org/mailman/listinfo/theme-reviewers
>
>
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