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

[Otto]

On Wed, Jan 29, 2014 at 8:44 AM, Chip Bennett <chip at chipbennett.net> wrote:
> For the sake of discussion: how is this any different from commercial Theme
> shops paying their employees to perform Theme reviews, with the expressed
> intent of ensuring that one of the Theme shop's Themes gets listed as
> featured?

A theme shop doesn't hire somebody to review themes, they hire them to
create themes.

I would argue that reviewing themes makes one a better theme developer
overall. It should be the goal of a "theme shop" to improve their own
abilities and such. Getting themes featured would be a possible
side-benefit only.

And realistically, if that's their marketing strategy, it's kind of a
crappy one. They'd be better off advertising in other ways. The
featured themes area is not how most people find themes.


> In other words: why is it acceptable for commercial Theme shops to engage in
> this sort of financial transaction to gain a benefit from WordPress.org, but
> not for non-commercial developers?

There is a difference between paying somebody for their work vs.
paying them to exploit one of our programs.

If everybody really thinks that this is acceptable, then the incentive
program has ultimately failed and should be replaced with one that is
not subject to being gamed like this.

-Otto