Automattic (via Code Poet) promotes Envato properties. Should they?

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Written By Travis Northcutt

4 thoughts on “Automattic (via Code Poet) promotes Envato properties. Should they?”

  1. Travis,

    I tend to think this is a major stretch. I think linking to an article is the tiniest form of promotion. But that’s me.

  2. Fair enough. I’m certainly not out to incite anything :). By that same token, though, isn’t speaking at a WordCamp – not about a product you sell on ThemeForest, e.g. not mentioning TF at all – even less of a promotion?

  3. I’ve been reluctant to wade into this issue, but I don’t think the position held by Matt and the WordPress Foundation regarding the GPL guidelines is tenable.

    As an example, the recently launched jQuery redesign was based on a rather impressive effort that included contributions from Audrey Capital and Automattic employees, as well as core contributors. However, taking a look at the license, it’s no different than the one used by Envato. Both are perfectly in line with the GPL. Yet they both fail the “community” guidelines, which appear to have been immaculately conceived, falling in line with troubling decision to frame this conversation in terms of morality.

    Are the companies behind WordPress promoting and contributing to software that doesn’t meet the guidelines? Will the contributors to that jQuery project be banned from participating in WordCamps? If so, it would be a tremendous loss to the community.

    Considering these guidelines are being attributed to the “community,” how exactly do we go about changing them? I haven’t exactly seen strong support for them over the past week from the actual community.

  4. It wasn’t a major stretch for WP to punish people for as little as having banner to “bad” theme on their site.

    Scrutiny goes both ways and asymmetrical attitude (we will take you apart web presence and business apart, but whatever issues we have are of no concern) is part of issue.

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