Seriously how does it work? I never paid for a plugin or theme simply because the distribution process is what I dont understand yet.
Yes I get it that some (or all?) pro plugins give you a zip file for you to install in the “upload plugins” section BUT:
1. What is stopping me from using the same plugin “licence” over and over again for multiple sites? Example: Buy the cheap pro plan for a plugin that says “for 1 site”. Import on more than 1 site.
2. Most plugins I see are payed annually. What happens when you deploy a pro plugin on your site and the plugin expires?
3. Can you install these multi site license plugins anywhere? Do they have to be interconnected with an account like the amazon or google model? or coul me, bob and john share the multisite plugin installs?
WordPress and I have an anniversary now and this whole pro culture you get stuck in your face really isnt appealing.
<rant>
>! Overtakes site. I say to myself: “Hey I can wrap my head around wordpress!”!<
>!Hey these are cool themes. Hey what you want to change the color of the links? you can only do that in the pro version (even though you just have to change the color value which you could even do in the inspector of the browser)!<
>!Hey you want to do any basic task that if you had the HTML docs you could just hand code it yourself? Like margins of the top menu etc? Nope cant do that. buy the PRO VERSION.!<
>!But there are themes that can give you that functionality. I miss like 10 features and one plugin claims to fix them all. TOO BAD YOU HAVE TO BUY THE PRO VERSION OF THAT PLUGIN. It only does one of the desired features half as good as you with to. You decide to go look for other plugins that are covering the rest of the 9 features that you need. !<
</rant>
Maybe you know whats going on and can help me understand how all this works. also if the plugin maker gives you a zip file of their plugin – arent there any concerns about “sharing your company assets”. Is no one afraid of copycats? Or is the wordpress community just an honest bunch
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Every creator has their own rules and guidelines as to how they want you to use their theme or plugin that they selling but the usually goes like this:
1. When you activate that theme or plugin it connects your license code to the (single) domain and site admin email that activates it.
2. The plugin/theme usually works just the same after the license period expires. The only thing is that you no longer receive security patches and feature updates.
3. That depends on what exactly the license’s terms of use says in that regards.
In regards to the rest of your post, never for get that WordPress is free (as in beer), open-source software that is distributed under the GPL license. So, you can change any color or add any margin you want (via code) to any theme or plugin you use.
Also, it is generally considered a best practice to pay professionals what they ask, for the time and effort they put into their professional creations.
I’m with you on the rant. I LOATHE commercial plugins. They all want money somehow and hence design their product with the primary intent of generating money.
This could either be either a free plugin which is tracking you and selling your and/or your visitors/users data or a paid plugin. There’s nothing wrong with being compensated for your time developing a product. But it has to be good and fulfil its purpose. And I’m seeing that less in commercial plugins.
This is why I only use free and open source software (FOSS). I mean actively hosted and maintained on a collaboration platform such as GitHub or GitLab. These products are non-commercial and primarily designed to be good instead of designed to generate as much money as possible.
Capitalism is ruining the web and it’s only going to get worse. I highly recommend only using FOSS.