[theme-reviewers] Question: Someone Want to Take Benefit From a 'Top Reviewer of the Month'.

[esmi at quirm dot net]

on 29/01/2014 14:04 Kharis Sulistiyono said the following:
> I'm WordPress theme reviewer. Someone suddenly tried to make direct
> contact via email this evening. He wanted to take benefit from my
> theme reviewing works. Here is the main idea of the message:
>
> "You will just review the wp.org themes as you do now, and we will pay
> you for it. But you need to be a top reviewer of the month so you can
> choose our theme to be in the featured section. Is this interesting
> for you? Let us know. Thanks."

> I want to know whether it is allowed or not.

I'm not sure this has ever been brought up before but I'd say absolutely 
not.

Had anyone ever had similar experience?

Not that I know of. I'm actually rather astounded that someone would try 
this on.

> If you were in my position, as professional theme reviewer what will you do?

Raise it here as you have done but otherwise not respond to it.

> From my personal point of view, doing something like this is not good.
> It is a crucial issue dealing with maintaining featured themes
> quality. Because it is driven by money rather than objectiveness of
> theme reviewers.

I couldn't agree more.

> How WordPress respond this problem? Further more, I'm really curious
> of how WordPress maintain the featured themes stay badass and
> 'healthy'.

By relying on ethical reviewers like yourself who are more interested in 
contributing something of real value to the wider WordPress community as 
opposed lining their own pockets.

The elephant that is now in the room is of course... which theme did 
your correspondents want featured? And should any action be taken 
against that theme? I'd like to hear what other people have to say about 
this before we get around to actually naming names.

Mel
-- 
http://quirm.net
http://blackwidows.co.uk