It’s been a long time since I’ve really put any deep thought into a post here on my blog, but today I’m feeling the love, and wanted to spread it around. I apologize in advance if this post causes you to grab a tissue, I just couldn’t refuse to write it.
For those of you who follow me on Twitter this won’t come as a surprise to you – but for those who don’t, this morning I discovered a major premium theme affiliate program fraud ring.
I hate to say that it’s been happening for months – I won’t go into all of the details regarding the situation, but what I can say is that I’m glad I found it. This really isn’t the reason why I’m writing the post, so please let’s keep any discussion to what you read below.
Within seconds after realizing what was going on, my reaction wasn’t to contact my wife, my son, my parents or any of my local friends – I contacted a few other people first.
It was Cory from iThemes, Jason from Press75, Adii from Woo Themes and Brian & Chris from Thesis.
While chatting with Jason this morning about the ordeal, we started talking about feeling the “WordPress love” we have for each other, and that inspired this tweet of mine:
True community amongst WordPress theme competitors isn’t cut throat – it’s sharing the wealth of info even if it helps out the “other guy”.
You might think my reaction towards the discovery of the fraud ring and how my instinct to immediately contact my competitors as being strange, but I don’t. And I truly believe that if any of the others listed above found the same thing I did, they’d be contacting me too.
That’s just how it goes… and although we might disagree with certain things or choose different business models (although not so much anymore) we have a mutual respect for each other that I think is pretty awesome. I think it shows quite a bit, because I’ve seen a number of times other folks seen as leaders in the WordPress community compliment each other on Twitter, jump to the defense of each other when we’re being attacked, and so on.
One of my favorite movies of all time is Remember the Titans – the true story of a newly appointed African-American coach and his high school team on their first season as a racially integrated unit.
Even though the premium theme designers in the WordPress community aren’t racially integrated, there’s a part in that movie that I can’t help but think as being relevant to the way I feel about the 5 guys I mentioned above.
It’s about leadership – in Remember the Titans it was referring to the team. In our world, it’s referring to the WordPress community as a whole. We are seen by many as leaders, and I find it vitally important we take that seriously. We can be in it for ourselves, or for our team.
To my friends Cory, Jason, Adii, Brian and Chris: “Strong side, left side…….”
Well said Brian!
Thanks Adii, I couldn’t help writing the post.
Well said. I know the feeling considering when I launched WPTavern.com in a sea of other sites that write about WordPress, I was welcomed into the community instead of shunned away as a competitor. Made a surprising impact on me and that is when I decided that I won’t refrain from linking to competitive blogs because were all in this thing called a community centered around the software we seemingly love.
Thanks Jeff – great comment, and I’m so glad that you decided to purchase the domain and develop it. I remember our phone conversation when we were talking about WPTavern, and I think that you are making a bigger impact in the WP world that you give yourself credit for.
I’ve found a very similar ethos amongst not just WordPress theme designers, but designers in general online, and it’s particularly evident with those who author blogs. There’s a lot to be said for the online design community, and it’s a real pleasure to be a part of it.
Hey David – you bet man, I certainly agree with you on that one!
wow. this is great. thanks for sharing it.
will you be letting the others in the community know about the “ring”?
Only those premium designers who contact me and have an affiliate program – no need to go into details in a public setting.
Brian,
One of the “Titans” here was involved with one of the shabbiest treatments I ever received on the Internet.
No reason to call him out, as it was serve no purpose, but it’s only now that I’ve begun to look at premium themes again.
Steve – sorry to hear about that. While I cannot defend whoever it is, I will say that it all of these “Titans” are stand up people, and you may have been the recipient of a bad day, or just a bad decision they made at the time.
Brain, why have you chosen not to shame the ring in public since they’re defrauding you?
Because the person/group of people are using fake Paypal email addresses and there’s really no way to tell who they are. I just know what they are doing and will not be paying out the affiliate commissions they are expecting to receive.
Very well said. Now we if we could all pass that infection on so that mankind as a whole becomes lifted up to what he is called to be…..
Great post Brian,
I’m sorry to hear about the fraud, and I’m glad you discovered it. You are handling it like a professional.
When I came to the WP community, (sometime in ‘08) I quickly learned about StudioiPress (revolution), those you mentioned above and the communities surrounding them. I have done business with you and several of your recommended designers/developers and have nothing but good things to say.
Thank You!
Steve
Brian –
Thanks for sharing. Your leadership and integrity are deeply appreciated. I really respect your professionalism in not going down the road of naming the ring. Not that that I think doing so would be wrong, mind you. However, I appreciate your taking the high road–not stooping to their lousy levels. Good for you!
Once again, Brian, you demonstrate the character that has built you a faithful following.
You said, in part:
“You might think my reaction towards the discovery of the fraud ring and how my instinct to immediately contact my competitors as being strange, but I don’t. And I truly believe that if any of the others listed above found the same thing I did, they’d be contacting me too.”
At the risk of showing my age (who cares?), I respond that your reaction is a contemporary reflection of a widespread spirit online in BBSes during the early 1980s that carried over into the Internet through the early and mid 1990s. All of us were reveling in the joy of discovery and freely helping each other solve problems. That spirit still abounds in your forums, despite a few ungrateful wretches occasionally posting.
You know, it’s part of what makes living worthwhile.
Thanks Brian, Craig, Paul, et. al. and the whole StudioPress, Revolution community.
Co-opetition rules!
Thanks again for the heads up Brian. Anyone who goes after one of us or all of us is in for a rude surprise.
Well said Brian. I respect your professionalism to approach that situation, and taking the necessary steps.
I do as well run an affiliate program on my site using e-junkie/2checkout. Would you let me to know as well what the ring is?
Hi. Great post.
Is there a way to contact you at all. I have a question I wanted to ask you.
Brian, to widen the lens a bit, your reaction is one we should see throughout the business world and the larger general society. Too often the reaction to similar news is protect yourself and let others fend for themselves, for, after all, this is a ‘dog-eat-dog’ world, after all. But we need to remember, even dogs have a community – and without community we are just ships set adrift on a storm-tossed sea.
The real benefit of your action is that not only did it alert your competitors to a threat, but it helped identify yourself as a member of the community – and that will reap rewards for you long after this single act is forgotten.
I’ve known Brian for some time – back when we both were 9-to-5ers testing the waters of self-employment. The decision to alert his competitors – and the community – doesn’t surprise me at all.
Well put Brian – I love looking at you all together. I hope to join you anytime soon.
Brian’s view on WordPress themes is refreshing in this day of fraud, spam, pirating, and the like. WordPress themes, like any other creative work, belong in the public domain where other creative people can add to and enhance them. Collaboration between businesses and between people is essential for the progress of art and technology.
Hi Sir, Please tell me more about this fraud ring. I am set to launch an affiliate program on my upcoming theme site using e-junkie/2checkout. Looking forward to your reply.
Thank you for your time.