Category: Musings

Ponderings, reflections, thoughts, and other observations.

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No Charge

I write WordPress Themes and Plugins and often contribute them to the WordPress community by submitting them to the relevant WordPress Extend repository. This provides an extensive distribution venue and allows these themes and plugins to be available to millions of users all over the world … all at no charge. Let me repeat that, with emphasis, no charge!

Now, let’s have a look at that idea. I have spent in some cases quite a bit of time developing a theme or plugin; and, I take pride in the work I do. I have spent many hours debugging and improving my themes and plugins with every intent to make sure they are of the best quality every time I release a new version. So, if an end-user points out something I’ve missed then by all means I note the issue and address it at no charge. Let me repeat that, again with emphasis, no charge!

Also, if an end-user of one of my themes or plugins offers an idea I feel would provide “greater good” benefit I make note of it; I review what would be involved to implement the idea; and more often than not I add it to the theme or plugin; and, yes, I do it at no charge. Let’s repeat that one more time, with feeling … no charge!

So, when someone expects me to provide “free support” for one of my contributions to the WordPress community I look at what I already offer and weigh if what the end-user is asking fits into the above ideals, or is more suitable to a chargeable customization … or if it’s just a Five-Minute-Fix:

The five minutes is purely subjective and completely based on my personal opinion. If I believe a project should take five minutes then that is how long the project will take. If it takes five hours, or five days, the cost will still be the same: free!

Be that as it may, I fully understand if an end-user expects “free support” for a “free product” downloaded from a “free source” and in many cases I also agree with their “reasonable” expectations as I still to this day have not been able to assign a value to the free advertising and exposure provided by the WordPress repositories.

Even though I agree with providing free support on items with “reasonable” expectations, I do not agree with nor do I offer support for unreasonable requests or outlandish ideas. If an end-user wants a specific customization, or requests a specific feature, that is not currently scheduled or under consideration to be added the end-user can just as reasonably expect their request to not be no charge.

If the end-user has modified the code in the theme or plugin; finds it no longer works as expected; and, then requests free support … really? seriously?! Why would that be no charge?

What support do you offer at no charge?

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Going Forward

A philosophy of enjoying oneself first, and foremost, will provide the greatest encouragement to continue going forward.

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The Macy’s-Gimbels Approach

I often describe things as Mallory-Everest, and along those same lines I also use the descriptor Macy’s-Gimbels. Feel free to follow the link back to my explanation of Mallory-Everest … or continue reading to better understand what I am referring to when I say something is Macy’s-Gimbels.

This all started after my umpteenth watching of one of my all-time favorite Christmas movies: Miracle on 34th Street, (the original 1947 release in black and white … the colorized version is nice but I digress). There is a wonderful scene in the movie where Kris Kringle (portrayed by Edmund Gwenn) recommends a lady shopper go to the competition (Gimbels) for a gift the store (Macy’s) did not have in stock … and thus providing the impetus to coin the phrase, “The Macy’s-Gimbels Approach”; and in this case how it applies to real customer service.

To see the Movie click here.To hide the Movie click here.

Here is a link to the movie online (although noted on the site you can download the DivX Plus Web Player for Windows or for Mac from these links).

The scene I noted above can be found at … um, well … I’m going to watch the movie (again); I’ll try to remember to note the time and add it later šŸ™‚

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Multitasking = Bad

Multitasking is one of the worst ideas ever to be conceived … do one thing at a time; do it well; do it right; then, move on.

Perhaps the above is overly simplified, but the idea behind it is really simple. Trying to do more than one thing at a time is simply asking to be interrupted at any conceivable moment; and, what’s worse about the situation is the one that will be generally interrupting you is yourself.

If you really need to get something done, then focus on that particular item and get it done.
If you have a list of items that need to be accomplished, prioritize them first; then get them done … one at a time.

You’ll thank yourself for doing this, twice. First for not interrupting yourself, and second for doing the job well and getting it right.

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Getting the Lead Out

It seems I have been stumbling through another writer’s block, again … and I love to write.

I’ve often thought about, and even talked with others about, writing a book. Well, as fate would have it, I am in the initial stages of doing exactly that. Although the book in question is being described as a “micro-book” by the publishing house that approached me, I am very much interested in going forward with this idea (the details of which will be made known at a later date).

I’m looking forward to this project; and, even more so, I’m looking forward to pushing my digital pencil right through my electronic paper and busting up this writer’s block.

 

 

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Common Inspiration

With the recent release of my BNS Add Style plugin and the latest “enhanced” version of Automattic’s Jetpack plugin that includes a new feature to add custom CSS to a theme brought to mind the saying:

There are no original ideas. There are only original people.
Barbara Grizzuti Harrison

… and seeing the implementation of this new custom style sheet functionality in both of these plugins also brought to mind the old proverb:

Great minds think alike, but fools seldom differ
anonymous

… which still leaves me inspired to continue taking original approaches to ideas without regard to what others may think.