Tag: Theme Review

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One Theme Per Author? No!

Back on August 23 there was a WordPress theme review meeting that included a discussion (and vote?!) about restricting the number of new themes an author can submit to the WordPress theme repository. Current guidelines/rules make that a limit of one. Yes, a single theme (although supposedly updates to approved themes do not count)!!

I apparently missed that meeting (although I did go back and “vote” against the rule earlier today); and, I opened a discussion related to it on the WordPress #themereview Slack channel (it’s a long read now).

Hopefully I got my point across about it not being a good idea but there does not seem to be many, if any, supporters for changing it now (even if it was meant as a three month trial); although the idea to remove it when the queue is only a couple of weeks long was suggested. Unfortunately my schedule does not readily allow for midday meetings when the theme review team meets to discuss their latest ideas, or review past decisions … and using the rule as a queue shortener?! Really?

Little did I know all those years ago when a friend expressed his concerns for creating guidelines related to theme submissions that they would come to fruition. Even though I am no longer directly involved with the theme review team admins (or whatever appeasement title they choose to be known as) I can only hope that finding the time today to start the discussion will keep it fresh enough for the next theme review team meeting.

In the meantime, I am going back to developing my “new” theme; and, wondering where to publish it. Since the WordPress theme directory/repository and its myriad guidelines/rules may be making it not the best place to do so anymore (again?!!) I will have to start looking elsewhere.

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WPTRT Permission Sets

Another new development with the WordPress Theme Review Team (WPTRT) is the additional responsibility of managing the Theme Trac system. Below are the basic permission sets, with links to the Trac wiki for additional details. Currently there are four basic sets in the following top-down order:

  • reviewer-manager

    • PERMISSION_ADMIN – All PERMISSION_* permissions

  • reviewers

    • TICKET_CREATE – Create new tickets

       (also allows for the re-opening of tickets)

      TICKET_MODIFY – Includes both TICKET_APPEND and TICKET_CHGPROP, and in addition allows resolving tickets. Tickets can be assigned to users through a drop-down list when the list of possible owners has been restricted.

      • TICKET_APPEND – Add comments or attachments to tickets

        TICKET_CHGPROP – Modify ticket properties (priority, assignment, keywords, etc.) with the following exceptions: edit description field, add/remove other users from cc field when logged in, and set email to pref

  • authenticated

    • TICKET_APPEND – Add comments or attachments to tickets

      TICKET_EDIT_CC – Full modify cc field

      WIKI_CREATE – Create new wiki pages

      WIKI_MODIFY – Change wiki pages

  • anonymous

    • MILESTONE_VIEW – View milestones and assign tickets to milestones.

      REPORT_SQL_VIEW – View the underlying SQL query of a report

      REPORT_VIEW – View reports, i.e. the "view tickets" link.

      ROADMAP_VIEW – View the roadmap page, is not (yet) the same as MILESTONE_VIEW, see #4292

      SEARCH_VIEW – View and execute search queries

      TICKET_VIEW – View existing tickets and perform ticket queries

      TIMELINE_VIEW – View the timeline page

      WIKI_VIEW – View existing wiki pages

      Repository Browser – ALL Views

The above permissions are based on a standard installation of Trac with the addition of the user groups: reviewer-manager and reviewers. The reviewer-manage group consists of Simon Prosser and myself. The reviewers group will consist of those users who have been actively participating in Theme reviews and consistently following the Theme Review page guidelines and standards as the basis for their review comments.

The authenticated group is all users who are logged in. To log in just use your WordPress.org username and password. This is essentially the default group and will allow logged in users to make comments on tickets. This provides authors and other interested individuals the ability to use the Trac system to communicate their concerns, questions, or complaints in regards to their relevant ticket(s). This will also allow for new users to become involved with the Theme Review Team as well. Although this group does not have permission to resolve tickets they are more than able to do a full review and participate in the process.

The anonymous group simply allows for all the relevant viewing permissions so you can look around and read without having to log in.

As an aside, I developed the above list with the help of the Mindmap software Freeplane, if you are interested in a copy of the mindmap download this file. (You may have to right-click and Save Link As … with a .mm extension.)

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Featured Themes

Hard work and keeping focused on the potential benefits of the tasks at hand can bring unexpected rewards.

It’s been three months since I joined the WordPress Theme Review Team (WPTRT). Today, Simon Prosser and I were granted moderator privileges to the Extend/Themes forum at WordPress.org.

Our privileges at WordPress.org allow us to: take a theme submitted for review “live” if it passes all of the Theme Review criteria; “mark as old” if it does not; or, suspend the theme, if necessary or requested.

Our latest bump allows us to now be directly involved in selecting which themes are listed under the Featured Themes heading on the main page of the Extend Themes repository page.

The Theme Reviewers intent is to involve the community as much as possible in the selection process. There are currently no set guidelines we will be using, aside from the requirement that themes being considered will need to meet current Theme Review guidelines and standards … with the emphasis being on currently released themes.

Now, as community members ask how are Featured Themes chosen I would like to extend to the community the opportunity to recommend the general guidelines for choosing the themes to be shortlisted … perhaps additional related criteria the WPTRT should consider … or maybe even who should be choosing the actual themes to be featured?

As the WPTRT Lead I am not looking for which theme you want to recommend, yet, but I am looking for why any particular theme should be recommended. What criteria would you use?

Take advantage of this opportunity and leave a comment. Share your thoughts and ideas on choosing Featured Themes.

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WPCandy Interview Posted

Take a surf over to Ryan Imel’s WPCandy.com and watch the interview I wrote about earlier.

I watched the interview earlier today; and, as Ryan said he was planning, it is presented in a “natural” format. Although there are a few spliced in video sequences showing various related web sites to the interview, the audio sounds fully intact.

Have a look and a listen; and, if Ryan wants to interview you say: Yes. It’s an enjoyable experience, even for someone like myself who is not too keen on public speaking most days.

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WPCandy Interview

I was the subject of an interesting interview by Ryan Imel of WPCandy.com tonight that mostly focused on the WordPress Theme Review team and its work.

I say interesting as it was done via Skype with video. I use Skype often for many things such as instant messaging and VoIP calls but I had never actually put to use a web-cam. Setting my newness jitters aside as I had agreed to the interview a few days earlier and while I stumbled about with a few settings, Ryan patiently waited. A few minutes later he “pinged” me and we began …

We chatted for about 30 minutes. I talked a bit about myself but mostly I wanted to focus on what the WordPress Theme Review team is doing and this was made easy by the questions Ryan posed as this was his goal as well. I’ll not go into any more details as this interview was Ryan’s idea and I believe his upcoming post with the footage will be very interesting. Look for it soon on WPCandy.com

I am often very self-critical so I believe I could have been better prepared and spoken more eloquently. Ultimately I wanted to make sure everyone of the team members were given credit for all the hard work they have done and continue to do …

… for the Team!

If I have missed anyone, my sincerest apologies … just drop me a note and I will update this post.