[theme-reviewers] tracking code in themes

[Daniel Fenn]

So how is one suppose to check of see if it was downloaded from a werz
site? Adobe does this all the time. Or was it GA that pissed then off?



On Fri, Mar 9, 2012 at 9:41 AM, Emil Uzelac <emil at themeid.com> wrote:
> 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 Behavior". 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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>
>
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