Blank themes

Worker Joined: Jan 18, 2008 Posts: 143

Is there such a thing as a blank theme?

Im in kahoots with a game server reseller, he wants me to make websites and host the websites. Thing I want to do is try and find a blank theme or edit one I am allowed to edit to sell them, also offer free ones. But I dont know the legality to reselling a altered pre-existing theme. But finding a blank theme to add all the images too would be great.

Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 3:05 pm

If I understand correctly, you will not be able to alter an existing theme and then resell it, I believe this is very clear under the terms of the GPL.

....but if you design the graphics for the theme and release them separately to the code then you could sell the images, providing you release placeholders with the code so that the theme works without the images.

There is a detailed description of how the GPL works in the forums here, so I would do a search and read through it.

I don't believe there is a blank theme as such, but there are tutorials on how to create your own theme.

Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 3:44 pm

When I look at multiple themes and look at the themes php file even some of the ones I have purchased in the past 98% of the code is the same.

Some even stip out the original Copyright (c) 2003 by Francisco Burzi

The must that is changed is some table sizing, template name and the bgcolors.

So I should re-submit my question.

If I take a template and change all the images, slice sizes rename the template. changes colors.

Then would it be legal to sell the templates. ?

From what I see this is what most people do. The original copywrites from Copyright (c) 2003 by Francisco Burzi

So I would change the whole template basicly. Just the base code stays the same.
The stuff written by Francisco Burzi.

Is this allowed?

I will look into the gpl to see whats allowed as well.

Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 4:00 pm

So what I have concluded is.

If I seperate the code and allow for free download, then use the images as a seperate download.

I can even go a little further and have the images on another server that links to that server and use a hot link protect that only enables that site to access the images.

But I can use the base code for my designs. So when someone downloads the code they dont get the images.

Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 4:17 pm

That's more or less it I believe. It can be very complex and just because people have done it before it does not mean it is right. Wink

Releasing the images separately means you can copyright the images, but if you release them with the code, or the theme requires them to work then the GPL will come into play.

I guess technically asking people for money for the work you have done on the theme is not illegal, but people could legally pass on your theme for free unless you have taken measures to copyright your images etc.

Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 7:19 pm

I would set up a basic black and white theme with the backgrounds black so everything works right but the image links wont work. But the site will still come up they just wont have any nice graphics.

Posted: Tue Feb 05, 2008 6:58 am

Sounds like a plan. Wink

Posted: Tue Feb 05, 2008 12:52 pm

Just be aware that the so-called "base code" for everything before RN2.10 is riddled with bugs for most themes. Tables are nested incorrectly, attributes aren't quoted properly, images don't have closing tags or alt's, and a million other things. I can't say whether these have been corrected in theme files outside of Ravennuke but I do know that the few themes I've looked at outside of RN have perpetuated the same set of bugs. Imitation may be a form of flattery but be careful what you imitate anyway. And use the w3c validator as you go.

Posted: Tue Feb 05, 2008 1:32 pm

Yup yup, with my business website I ran the w3c 306 image tage errors, I have to clean up. I might use that as the base code since it will be all clean when I am done then with all the aditions I am making to make it complient to ravennuke should be no issues. Im just gonna change around tables as I go for different sites. The only part of my site that gets errors is the forums. But ti will be ship shape. When I am done I will put it up for download and there will be a blank template to work with.

registered · Posted: Tue Feb 05, 2008 9:22 pm

vaudevillian, regarding the forums, the upcoming RavenNuke 2.20.00 release will have a completely compliant fisubice theme, even in the forums... Wink

I can no longer recall if there were core code changes or just within the theme files... But, it might be worth the wait.

Posted: Tue Feb 05, 2008 11:48 pm

I think I can wait, if its gonna have no issues then I can stip out the fisubice theme then offer a blank from that. Maybe Change the header.php table structure and lable it nicely. I was gonna move all the header info to the style sheet. I find it easier to work with like that.

Im actualy trying to move everything to the style sheet. Most themes I have been trying out have crap(sorry) all over the place. So dirty.