Was checking out a theme today, which led me to the GNU GPL page. I decided to refresh my memory and found this useful nugget:

Does the GPL allow me to require that anyone who receives the software must pay me a fee and/or notify me?

No. In fact, a requirement like that would make the program non-free. If people have to pay when they get a copy of a program, or if they have to notify anyone in particular, then the program is not free. See the definition of free software.

The GPL is a free software license, and therefore it permits people to use and even redistribute the software without being required to pay anyone a fee for doing so.

So, this means I can legally say “no” to any attempts at free promotion by unscrupulous theme authors by removing unrelated business links from their themes, if they are GPL’d.

About a week ago Weblog Tools Collection posted one of its lists of themes. There was one, Inksplash, that I was considering — until I discovered that, in addition to putting a link to their theme site in the theme’s footer, the author had also included a link to their unrelated, cosmetics business site.

Now, I have no problem promoting the work of a designer whose theme I’m using. It’s like a sign posted outside a house that’s just had some work done to it, promoting the company that did the work.  However I refuse to advertise their irrelevant endeavors for free. So I pointed out this link in the WTC post.

A few days later, the theme’s author puts in an appearance, insisting that the second footer link isn’t to a business site but to her cosmetics tips blog. Yeah. There is a link on that blog’s homepage, nestled within the other “Pages” links (which implies it is part of the blog), that takes you to a page where you can purchase cosmetics. Furthermore, the page shares the same domain as the blog (it isn’t a subdomain). So yeah, it’s a business with a blog front. She also offered to create link-free themes for those who, like me, didn’t like being taken for saps. For a fee, of course. Naturally, I called her on it.

She again replied, cleverly avoiding my allegations and instead discussed my lack of morals. Um, pot, meet kettle. I think a theme author slipping an unrelated site link into their theme, assuming its users will blindly promote that site, lying about the contents of said site, and then trying to divert attention from themselves by playing the morals card has a lot more to answer for than someone who suggested that users remove the second link before using the theme (me).

Needless to say, I won’t be using Inksplash or any other theme she creates — so long as she assumes people are that stupid.

Bitch! Where my money at?

Dear American auto companies,

One would think you had learned your lesson during the oil crisis of the 70’s, when Toyota kicked your collective asses by making cheaper, more fuel efficient vehicles available to American consumers.

Obviously not.

Suck it up and deal.

Babs, a Ford Taurus flexible fuel owner with no ethanol available to her.

There’s an organization going from supermarket to supermarket collecting food donations to ship to the troops overseas. I’ve been accosted twice by them at two separate stores. Both times I was essentially told that I did not support the troops because I refused to make a donation.

Excuse me?

While I do not come from a military family per se, I do have a number of family members and friends who have been or currently are in the service. I thank them whenever I can. I have occasionally voiced my opinions on the need to provide these protectors of our freedoms with better pay and benefits. But the last time I checked those in the military still got fed, courtesy of my tax dollars. It may not be the best food, but it’s certainly better than what many of us are eating.

At a time when food pantries across the country are seeing a sharp decrease in food donations just as they are seeing an equally sharp increase in those that need these services (including many military familes), I think anyone who has the nerve to tell me I don’t support the military because I choose to spend my whopping $60 a week food budget on my family of four (and the occasional dollar donation to the local food pantry, which I use) instead of buying TP for the troops needs to shut the fuck up.

There’s an organizition going from supermarket to supermarket collecting food donations to ship to the troops overseas. I’ve been accosted twice by them at two seperate stores. Both times I was essentially told that I did not support the troops because I refused to make a donation.

Excuse me?

While I do not come from a military family per se, I do have a mumber of family members and friends who have been or currenlty are in the service. I thank them whenever I can. I have ocasionally voiced my opinions on the need to provide these protectors of our freedoms with better pay and benefits. But the last time I checked those in the miltary still got fed, courtesy of my tax dollars. It may not be the best food, but it’s certainly better than what many of us are eating.

At a time when food pantries across the country are seeing a sharp decrease in food donations just as they are seeing an equally sharp increase in those that need these services (including many military familes), I think anyone who has the nerve to tell me I don’t support the military because I choose to spend my whopping $60 a week food budget on my family of four (and the occasional dollar donation to the local food pantry, which I use) instead of buying TP for the troops needs to shut the fuck up.