[theme-reviewers] tracking code in themes

[Emil Uzelac]

Back in late 2009 I contracted for commercial Theme site where they had two
forms of tracking, one was via Google Analytics and second one hidden to
check if the Theme was purchased or downloaded from "" sites. In matter of
months they went from "all star" to "where are the customers" type of
thing. Long story short users don't like to be tracked one way or another
and honestly I don't blame them at all. Permission or not "touching things
that should not be touched" are never good idea.

If one wants to track and get the general ideas where the Themes go, simply
use your very own GA. There are many things you can do with Analytics
beyond how many visitors one have on monthly basis. Not 100% accurate, but
it does get close.

This is from my marketing perspective. Privacy is issue everywhere nowadays
and once this leaks to the public, your sales will go down to toilet,
please believe me on this.

Imagine this title on a popular WP News sites "*Example Theme Site Now
Tracks User's Behavio*r". warez

Cheers,
Emil

On Thu, Mar 8, 2012 at 3:48 PM, Bruce Wampler <weavertheme at gmail.com> wrote:

> As the author of a popular WordPress theme, I would like to add my strong
> agreement with the opt-in only policy for trackers such as PressTrends.
>
> I find Trent Lapinski's arguments for the harmlessness of opt-out tracking
> self-serving and disingenuous. Anyone with the least bit of understanding
> of the difference between opt-in and opt-out, and how that affects user
> privacy, would never argue for allowing any kind of automatic or opt-out
> tracking of any kind in any repository based WordPress theme. It is simply
> the wrong thing to do.
>
> Maybe PressTrends isn't any different in concept or privacy issues than
> Google's tracking code, or even WP stats, but both of those are opt-in -
> they don't happen unless the web admin actively adds them.
>
> Personally, I believe any sort of tracking should require permission from
> the visitor to the site - but that is a much larger battle.
>
> Bruce Wampler
>
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