Title: What to do with commercial plugin/theme topics? Author: Drew Jaynes Published: December 28, 2012 --- [ ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/drewapicture/) [Drew Jaynes](https://profiles.wordpress.org/drewapicture/) 5:05 pm _on_ December 28, 2012 Tags: commercial support, [plugins ( 2 )](https://make.wordpress.org/support/tag/plugins/), [Themes ( 3 )](https://make.wordpress.org/support/tag/themes/)    # What to do with commercial plugin/theme topics? On the wp-forums mailing list this morning, there spawned [a good conversation](http://lists.automattic.com/pipermail/wp-forums/2012-December/008793.html) about how commercial pluginPlugin A plugin is a piece of software containing a group of functions that can be added to a WordPress website. They can extend functionality or add new features to your WordPress websites. WordPress plugins are written in the PHP programming language and integrate seamlessly with WordPress. These can be free in the WordPress.org Plugin Directory [https://wordpress.org/plugins/](https://wordpress.org/plugins/) or can be cost-based plugin from a third-party./theme support threads should be handled in the forums. There were several good questions raised including: * Should there be a better way to segregate commercial plugin/theme support topics? * How can we better organize said topics into one place? Should we? The conversation spawned from [this thread](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/worst-support-i-ever-got-can-someone-else-help?replies=15) and how these situations should be handled. Jan summed it up pretty well with: > I was going to reply along the lines of “Please be nice to the plugin > author, > they are providing support for free and on their own time” when I realized wlbryan > was their customer. > Given that we routinely tell people that commercial code is not supported > here, > why is WOWsliders.com using the forums like this? Is that really permitted or > even a good idea? As [@jane](https://profiles.wordpress.org/jane/) pointed out, make:support might be a more apt venue for the conversation, so here we go. [#commercial-support](https://make.wordpress.org/support/tag/commercial-support/), [#plugins](https://make.wordpress.org/support/tag/plugins/), [#themes](https://make.wordpress.org/support/tag/themes/) ### Share this: * [ Threads ](https://make.wordpress.org/support/2012/12/what-to-do-with-commercial-plugintheme-topics/?share=threads) * [ Mastodon ](https://make.wordpress.org/support/2012/12/what-to-do-with-commercial-plugintheme-topics/?share=mastodon) * [ Bluesky ](https://make.wordpress.org/support/2012/12/what-to-do-with-commercial-plugintheme-topics/?share=bluesky) * [ Facebook ](https://make.wordpress.org/support/2012/12/what-to-do-with-commercial-plugintheme-topics/?share=facebook) * [ X ](https://make.wordpress.org/support/2012/12/what-to-do-with-commercial-plugintheme-topics/?share=x) * [ LinkedIn ](https://make.wordpress.org/support/2012/12/what-to-do-with-commercial-plugintheme-topics/?share=linkedin) 1. ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/27180c82524020e7339e2b30818b6d8ab004c54f730f12b1434b1e365be0e175? s=32&d=mm&r=g) 2. [Ipstenu (Mika Epstein)](https://profiles.wordpress.org/ipstenu/) 5:22 pm _on_ December 28, 2012 3. Obviously we have to permit them to be able to reply to people 😉 Personally once it’s been explained that commercial support happens on commercial sites (i.e. if you pay for it, go over to where you paid for help please), we should close the topic. If people come back and act like entitled children, it’s on them and we can (and will) flag them for that behavior. 4. (If you represent your company/code/whatever, it behooves you to act like a mature adult. If you shout at your customers, free or paid, you’ve become your own worst advertising. Stop it 😉 I won’t delete posts where you act like an idiot just because you got into an argument on the internet.) 5. * ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/7d256f7b605361e4dc402138e2896ff727d2a13d669f1420a8644d12a90bb7af? s=32&d=mm&r=g) * [Chip Bennett](https://profiles.wordpress.org/chipbennett/) 5:26 pm _on_ December 28, 2012 * Or, if the forums had a way to identify a topic asked about a specific Theme/ PluginPlugin A plugin is a piece of software containing a group of functions that can be added to a WordPress website. They can extend functionality or add new features to your WordPress websites. WordPress plugins are written in the PHP programming language and integrate seamlessly with WordPress. These can be free in the WordPress.org Plugin Directory [https://wordpress.org/plugins/](https://wordpress.org/plugins/) or can be cost-based plugin from a third-party., if that specific Theme/Plugin is commercial (or otherwise not-WPORG-hosted), we could auto-respond with “ this isn’t the right place to seek support for this Plugin/Theme. (Here’s why….) Go here for this Plugin/Theme’s support.” - ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/d106e3b5d594070e2328a00b9c1cea892806a1fe239d58c65150190b555e1f88? s=32&d=mm&r=g) - [Jan Dembowski](https://profiles.wordpress.org/jdembowski/) 5:33 pm _on_ December 28, 2012 - Geez, I was half way done when Chip’s reply popped up. 😉 - A boiler plate reply with an option link to the commercial support forums gets my vote. - The bolier plate doesn’t need to be chapter and verse just something along the lines of “We don’t support those here, see vendor’s support link instead” just like we currently do for commercial themes. - I’m thinking of what Japh replies with as a model. - > Should there be a better way to segregate commercial pluginPlugin A plugin > is a piece of software containing a group of functions that can be added > to a WordPress website. They can extend functionality or add new features > to your WordPress websites. WordPress plugins are written in the PHP programming > language and integrate seamlessly with WordPress. These can be free in > the WordPress.org Plugin Directory [https://wordpress.org/plugins/](https://wordpress.org/plugins/) > or can be cost-based plugin from a third-party./theme support topics? - But what about a scenario where someone has code hosted on WordPress, get’s a donate link or more openly has a site to make a “purchase” but _uses the WordPress support forums as the support venue for their paying customers?_ - I’m hard pressed to find such an example exactly but that list thread I started is pretty darn close. * ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/0af6cab2f43104364d5bd824e79b310f6abd4a101680976cb88829dee434aa8e? s=32&d=mm&r=g) * [Andrea Rennick](https://profiles.wordpress.org/andrea_r/) 7:34 pm _on_ December 28, 2012 * A donate link is different than paid support. 🙂 I don’t think paid support should happen on dot org. * #canofworms - ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/d106e3b5d594070e2328a00b9c1cea892806a1fe239d58c65150190b555e1f88? s=32&d=mm&r=g) - [Jan Dembowski](https://profiles.wordpress.org/jdembowski/) 7:46 pm _on_ December 28, 2012 - Yep, I should have excluded donate links, I really did mean paid support. Donations are perfectly fine. 🙂 6. ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/0af6cab2f43104364d5bd824e79b310f6abd4a101680976cb88829dee434aa8e? s=32&d=mm&r=g) 7. [Andrea Rennick](https://profiles.wordpress.org/andrea_r/) 5:30 pm _on_ December 28, 2012 8. As noted on the mailing list from Japh – some people post in all the places they can find, hoping to get an answer sooner. 9. If we send the same message from all places, diverting to one official spot, then that’s better all around. 10. I say this with either hat on here. 😉 11. From a support perspective, all questions should be funnelled through to one spot. It’s exhausting to check multiple places. 12. From a forum mod point of view – commercial places should not be expected to be allowed to support their pluginPlugin A plugin is a piece of software containing a group of functions that can be added to a WordPress website. They can extend functionality or add new features to your WordPress websites. WordPress plugins are written in the PHP programming language and integrate seamlessly with WordPress. These can be free in the WordPress.org Plugin Directory [https://wordpress.org/plugins/](https://wordpress.org/plugins/) or can be cost-based plugin from a third-party. in the wp.org forums. If it’s a free one hosted here, fine. If there’s a commercial version – it should be bumped over to their commercial spot. 13. * ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/27180c82524020e7339e2b30818b6d8ab004c54f730f12b1434b1e365be0e175? s=32&d=mm&r=g) * [Ipstenu (Mika Epstein)](https://profiles.wordpress.org/ipstenu/) 9:10 pm _on_ December 28, 2012 * > commercial places should not be expected to be allowed to support their pluginPlugin > A plugin is a piece of software containing a group of functions that can > be added to a WordPress website. They can extend functionality or add new > features to your WordPress websites. WordPress plugins are written in the > PHP programming language and integrate seamlessly with WordPress. These can > be free in the WordPress.org Plugin Directory [https://wordpress.org/plugins/](https://wordpress.org/plugins/) > or can be cost-based plugin from a third-party. in the wp.org forums. * Caveat: If the commercial theme/plugin is hosted on the repository (see Disqus), their readme better damn well say that. Otherwise it’s open season 😉 14. ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/84f604fca55be7b0d7ceb08d513bdf304c56ae2b2e45a322cd15fe42598e9419? s=32&d=mm&r=g) 15. [masonjames](https://profiles.wordpress.org/masonjames/) 5:33 pm _on_ December 28, 2012 16. If it’s a premium (paid) product then the vendor should be supporting it on their own site right along with the download. No reason to add to the load on wp.org. 17. That being said there are some (ahem) premium providers that ALSO provide free products hosted in the repository. We watch for new posts on these plugins and provide free support for them as much as possible and we encourage staff to pitch in on “regular” WP support as well. 18. If it helps make the support more efficient somehow by putting things in once place then cool, but like Andrea said, some folks will post everywhere they can find 🙂 19. * ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/27180c82524020e7339e2b30818b6d8ab004c54f730f12b1434b1e365be0e175? s=32&d=mm&r=g) * [Ipstenu (Mika Epstein)](https://profiles.wordpress.org/ipstenu/) 5:40 pm _on_ December 28, 2012 * Mason, I actually feel strongly about it for another reason 😉 If a premium( paid) product is purchased, going to the forums for free support undercuts the paid product and makes it nigh impossible for them to make a living 😉 I personally want everyone who offers support on their products to make a living, durn it! (also, I don’t have access to your paid code). * The crossover of free to paid products is where we get the angry emails about review, I find. “Hey, so and so was really mean to me on the forums about my paid product, and when I called him a doody head, he got worse! Delete these posts! It makes me look bad!” (ans: No, stop calling people doody heads.) * if people post ‘everywhere’ just delete the extra posts, and reply once in the first topic posted (or the one in the right place) to explain. * “Hi, posting all over the place actually doesn’t help at all. If you post once, in the [pluginPlugin A plugin is a piece of software containing a group of functions that can be added to a WordPress website. They can extend functionality or add new features to your WordPress websites. WordPress plugins are written in the PHP programming language and integrate seamlessly with WordPress. These can be free in the WordPress.org Plugin Directory [https://wordpress.org/plugins/](https://wordpress.org/plugins/) or can be cost-based plugin from a third-party./theme] support forumSupport Forum WordPress Support Forums is a place to go for help and conversations around using WordPress. Also the place to go to report issues that are caused by errors with the WordPress code and implementations., the developer will see it much faster, and everyone will know that’s the help you need. I’ve deleted your extra posts, so we don’t have the same conversation going on in multiple places.” 20. ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/94477a3ba21086a381cbfd63a26be8742a9ab0c4d3a211d13b2ced66c96c23c7? s=32&d=mm&r=g) 21. [Andrew Nevins](https://profiles.wordpress.org/anevins/) 5:46 pm _on_ December 28, 2012 22. When there’s talk of a separate section just for commercial themes, will this still be within WordPress.orgWordPress.org The community site where WordPress code is created and shared by the users. This is where you can download the source code for WordPress core, plugins and themes as well as the central location for community conversations and organization. [https://wordpress.org/](https://wordpress.org/) forums? If so, how will forum users be persuaded and informed to post on the segregated commercial-only section, and not where they’ve been posting before? 23. ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/d106e3b5d594070e2328a00b9c1cea892806a1fe239d58c65150190b555e1f88? s=32&d=mm&r=g) 24. [Jan Dembowski](https://profiles.wordpress.org/jdembowski/) 5:57 pm _on_ December 28, 2012 25. > When there’s talk of a separate section just for commercial themes, will this > still be within WordPress.orgWordPress.org The community site where WordPress > code is created and shared by the users. This is where you can download the > source code for WordPress core, plugins and themes as well as the central location > for community conversations and organization. [https://wordpress.org/](https://wordpress.org/) > forums? 26. If that _does_ happen then I hope not. I also hope that doesn’t happen in case that’s not clear. 😉 27. There are commercial WordPress related marketplaces already and I think they do an admirable job. Mostly, folks like Japh make those better all the time. 28. If someone is going to sell something then they ought to also support it by their own means too. The unpaid volunteer supported community forums shouldn’t be that place and I think having that there would be inappropriate. 29. I think you can still volunteer at those commercial forums but their ought to be a separation. 30. * ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/27180c82524020e7339e2b30818b6d8ab004c54f730f12b1434b1e365be0e175? s=32&d=mm&r=g) * [Ipstenu (Mika Epstein)](https://profiles.wordpress.org/ipstenu/) 9:07 pm _on_ December 28, 2012 * Won’t happen. * We’re talking about commercial sites that offer their own forums. And we just tell them to go there, and close the posts. 31. ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/19064ed4f839086c8fd557e5d00c62cdb52cdba868e6bf100a64d8a4f0974aed? s=32&d=mm&r=g) 32. [Mike Schinkel](https://profiles.wordpress.org/mikeschinkel/) 2:56 am _on_ December 29, 2012 33. It would be really helpful if we could add an optional “Support URLURL A specific web address of a website or web page on the Internet, such as a website’s URL www.wordpress.org:” entry for the WordPress pluginPlugin A plugin is a piece of software containing a group of functions that can be added to a WordPress website. They can extend functionality or add new features to your WordPress websites. WordPress plugins are written in the PHP programming language and integrate seamlessly with WordPress. These can be free in the WordPress.org Plugin Directory [https://wordpress.org/plugins/](https://wordpress.org/plugins/) or can be cost-based plugin from a third-party. comment headerHeader The header of your site is typically the first thing people will experience. The masthead or header art located across the top of your page is part of the look and feel of your website. It can influence a visitor’s opinion about your content and you/ your organization’s brand. It may also look different on different screen sizes. so that we can explicitly identify where they will get their best support and having this will allow some of the use-cases mentioned above, i.e. for wordpress. orgWordPress.org The community site where WordPress code is created and shared by the users. This is where you can download the source code for WordPress core, plugins and themes as well as the central location for community conversations and organization. [https://wordpress.org/](https://wordpress.org/) to indicate to the user that commercial support should happen elsewhere. 34. ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/6e16a3d7ac5001ad793ff7e8bc0cc7d0b57be117a933e2a42a1c13ed7b344427? s=32&d=mm&r=g) 35. [jcartland](https://profiles.wordpress.org/jcartland/) 12:28 am _on_ January 1, 2013 36. Just looking at WordPress again, first time in years, and I’m blown away. I do wish, though, that I could search .org without having to sift through references to commercial products. 37. When learning Nodejs, even Drupal, search engines were my friend. Maybe I haven’t learned enough yet to craft my queries, but with WordPress the results seem to be mostly advertisement and self-promotion. It’s kind of annoying and off-putting, I’m hoping that the forums prove to be a refuge. 38. Another wish– that license information be required in pluginPlugin A plugin is a piece of software containing a group of functions that can be added to a WordPress website. They can extend functionality or add new features to your WordPress websites. WordPress plugins are written in the PHP programming language and integrate seamlessly with WordPress. These can be free in the WordPress.org Plugin Directory [https://wordpress.org/plugins/](https://wordpress.org/plugins/) or can be cost-based plugin from a third-party. and stylesheet headers, rather than optional. 39. * ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/27180c82524020e7339e2b30818b6d8ab004c54f730f12b1434b1e365be0e175? s=32&d=mm&r=g) * [Ipstenu (Mika Epstein)](https://profiles.wordpress.org/ipstenu/) 2:24 am _on_ January 1, 2013 * By default, if no license is specified, then the license is GPLv2. This is actually how license inheritance works for all GPLv2 derivative software, so the explicit statement isn’t required 🙂 if we had to state it, believe me, we would. So amusingly enough, if a commercial shop doesn’t specify a license, they’re GPLv2 by default. Technically they have to be GPLv2 compatible anyway, but you can read more about that here: [https://make.wordpress.org/plugins/2012/12/20/gpl-and-the-repository/](https://make.wordpress.org/plugins/2012/12/20/gpl-and-the-repository/) - ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/94477a3ba21086a381cbfd63a26be8742a9ab0c4d3a211d13b2ced66c96c23c7? s=32&d=mm&r=g) - [Andrew Nevins](https://profiles.wordpress.org/anevins/) 3:10 am _on_ January 3, 2013 - I’ve seen themes that state certain technologies are released in GPLGPL GPL is an acronym for GNU Public License. It is the standard license WordPress uses for Open Source licensing [https://wordpress.org/about/license/](https://wordpress.org/about/license/). The GPL is a ‘copyleft’ license [https://www.gnu.org/licenses/copyleft.en.html](https://www.gnu.org/licenses/copyleft.en.html). This means that derivative work can only be distributed under the same license terms. This is in distinction to permissive free software licenses, of which the BSD license and the MIT License are widely used examples. but not others, e.g ” HTMLHTML HTML is an acronym for Hyper Text Markup Language. It is a markup language that is used in the development of web pages and websites.& Design released under GPL “. Does this mean any other technologies not stated are not released under GPL? * ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/27180c82524020e7339e2b30818b6d8ab004c54f730f12b1434b1e365be0e175? s=32&d=mm&r=g) * [Ipstenu (Mika Epstein)](https://profiles.wordpress.org/ipstenu/) 2: 47 pm _on_ January 3, 2013 * The basic rule is this: unless otherwise stated, your theme and pluginPlugin A plugin is a piece of software containing a group of functions that can be added to a WordPress website. They can extend functionality or add new features to your WordPress websites. WordPress plugins are written in the PHP programming language and integrate seamlessly with WordPress. These can be free in the WordPress.org Plugin Directory [https://wordpress.org/plugins/](https://wordpress.org/plugins/) or can be cost-based plugin from a third-party. code is GPLv2. * IF otherwise stated, then… It’s whatever they say it is 🙂 not too complicated, you don’t have to overthink that one. 40. ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/213ffa27eb35ac4a16040157d8d9d8c9a1be19971a387774a8891893215ed084? s=32&d=mm&r=g) 41. [Emil Uzelac](https://profiles.wordpress.org/emiluzelac/) 6:46 am _on_ January 13, 2013 42. We just started something similar here: [https://make.wordpress.org/themes/2013/01/13/theme-support-link/](https://make.wordpress.org/themes/2013/01/13/theme-support-link/) please input if you can. 43. Thanks! 44. ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/94477a3ba21086a381cbfd63a26be8742a9ab0c4d3a211d13b2ced66c96c23c7? s=32&d=mm&r=g) 45. [Andrew Nevins](https://profiles.wordpress.org/anevins/) 5:15 pm _on_ February 4, 2013 46. Where has this progressed to? I keep seeing Gamepress Pro threads started on the Themes forums and not knowing whether I should forward the user somewhere else. 47. * ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/27180c82524020e7339e2b30818b6d8ab004c54f730f12b1434b1e365be0e175? s=32&d=mm&r=g) * [Ipstenu (Mika Epstein)](https://profiles.wordpress.org/ipstenu/) 7:17 pm _on_ February 4, 2013 * Gamepress Pro is hosted on .org, so it’s up to Alex to redirect people. Mods aren’t responsible to keep track of all that (sorry, Alex, it’s just not realistic for us to keep up with who’s supporting where). * When the code is hosted OFF .org, then we send ’em there. 48. ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/1759fc6c15c17e58f06aeab9da1011edb6d3052c6fbca4ffd27f311fb407cf99? s=32&d=mm&r=g) 49. [alex27](https://profiles.wordpress.org/alex27/) 6:03 pm _on_ February 4, 2013 50. I’m sorry about this. I’ll try to direct all support questions to my website and communicate more clearly where to get support on my pages. Hopefully that will solve the problem. Comments are closed. # Post navigation [← Support Stats](https://make.wordpress.org/support/2012/12/support-stats/) [Open Issues from 3.5? →](https://make.wordpress.org/support/2012/12/open-issues-from-3-5/)