[theme-reviewers] Formal Request for Change of Methodology.

[Philip M. Hofer (Frumph)]

These are features of a theme, the shortcodes and more are 'features' of the 
theme.

If they use the theme and use those shortcodes, then that is the theme that 
is using it, to require shortcodes to be cross compatible and in a plugin is 
simply ridiculous.

The end user, while picking a theme will choose a theme that has features 
that they want.   When they choose another theme that doesn't have those 
previous themes features they miss out, it's not a question of requiring a 
compatibility.

This also goes with themes that have specialty programming in the way of 
custom post types and the like. - again the data is not lost, it's still 
there, just switching to a different theme will not grant access to it.

The age of feature rich themes and innovation should be promoted not 
stifled.


-----Original Message----- 
From: Harish
Sent: Tuesday, June 25, 2013 10:24 PM
To: theme-reviewers at lists.wordpress.org
Subject: Re: [theme-reviewers] Formal Request for Change of Methodology.

Good suggestions by Philip (Frumph) however I have to disagree with:

" the idea that a theme must adhere and be cross compatible with other
themes in features is a nuance that is unnecessary to worry about."

Themes do not have to be cross compatible with other themes, but they should
not be the cause of the end user losing data when changing their themes.

2 of the most common issues are shortcodes and custom meta boxes where the
key  has "_" in front to hide it from the custom meta fields section.

If theme developers are worried of making things easier for the end user,
most of these things should not have been in the theme in the first place.



Regards,
Harish


-----Original Message-----
From: theme-reviewers [mailto:theme-reviewers-bounces at lists.wordpress.org]
On Behalf Of Philip M. Hofer (Frumph)
Sent: Wed 26 June 13 10:41 AM
To: theme-reviewers at lists.wordpress.org
Subject: [theme-reviewers] Formal Request for Change of Methodology.

1) Remove all requirements and recommendations, change it all to 'best
practices', do not remove anything in the codex just yet.

2) Theme review process.
* Theme reviewers tag a theme for review. / It already passed the upload
checker
* Check theme with the other plugin(s)[1] available for development, check
it for notices, warnings, fatals and deprecation messages, Pass/Fail
* Check theme with theme unit test.  Pass/Fail
* Review the tags, website links, theme name.  Pass/Fail

It's done, it's reviewed, it's over, if it passed all of those, flag it as
passing review and live.

3) Anything else missing on the above list that is a MUST should be added to
the list but only if it's a MUST, and can't go live no exception.

[1] Make the plugins work for the theme review team; add common security
problems, etc.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This is it, this is all that is needed.     Everything else is icing on the
cake for best practices.


Themes are the 'meat and potatoes' of WordPress, the idea that a theme must
adhere and be cross compatible with other themes in features is a nuance
that is unnecessary to worry about.   Plugins are made to enhance themes;
if a plugin doesn't work with a theme the community WILL contact the author;

they always do.   As long as the theme is up to date with core coding which
all of the tools at our disposal make you aware of - of which even the
messages from core will also state things it is unnecessary to do anything
otherwise.

// not sure about
Not sure what Nacin wrote in entirety on the Make site, but having the
themes that are live and pass the upload process and immediately go live
again would be a boon; that basically makes it like the theme developer has
svn access, without having svn access.





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