After they contributed a giant patch, we switched the schema over to a custom post type and taxonomy, rewrote a lot of the code to conform to our coding standards, and started to build out an API. After a round of usability testing, we made some numerous design and UI changes. We also needed no-JavaScript support and RTL support, and our new UI called for new JavaScript, so most of everything ended up being rewritten.

Point is, that’s how it works. It’s called iteration.

It was a very sizable contribution that then drove our stalled development in the direction we were grasping at for some time. But it was also just the first of hundreds of iterations (like any other major feature) — the patch was an early prototype of a feature we wanted to scale to millions.

More here.

For that matter, I think this animous and frankly, nasty tone a lot of community members have had towards Woo’s contribution (fine, try to preface it with “you’re grateful” but if I say, “don’t be offended but you suck” will you not be offended?) hurts having other designer-centric contributions actively reach out. If I’m Obox, why in the hell would I try to actively offer my stuff if the community is just going to take it and then bitch about it and dismiss it after the fact? Why would I even bother?

It’s not about credit, from my view, but respect. And I don’t think Woo has actually been given much respect.

http://weblogtoolscollection.com/archives/2010/06/03/wordpress-and-giving-credit/

* Ptah Dunbar
* Austin Matzko
* Daryl Koopersmith

This is not to knock WooThemes’ contribution at all. I’m grateful for their contribution. But, if we’re going to give some credit, let’s give it where it’s due. Note that this list only recognizes three of the bigger contributors, not everyone else involved in making menus work. This list also doesn’t include all the folks that worked on the post type and taxonomy systems, which is how menus are stored. It also doesn’t include the UI/UX team. In short, there’s a very long list of people that made menus happen for 3.0.

WordPress is a community of people working together. Most of us do it because we want a better platform, not because we want credit.

Kudos to WooThemes for providing the framework. A lot of companies wouldn’t have.

Was the menu system in WordPress 3.0 inspired by WooNav? Of course. Everybody knows that.

There’s a couple of things here. First is the above quote.
Not “everybody” knew that. I didn’t. Who is this “everybody”??

Seriosuly, if you happen to miss a week or two in WordPress land you can miss things like this.

Second of all, I think some continued credit should go to WooThemes because in the past 18 months, theme developers and re-sellers have had quite a bit of stick from the “high and mighty” people that contribute to WordPress. WooThemes, Thesis et all have been villified by a great number of people who made a choicce to give up their work for free. Here they are giving back and when they do and talk about it, they’re smacked down as they’ve “already had their credit”.

But Thirdly, Whats wrong with someone making a bit of noise to make sure they’re getting some credit as WP3 goes to RC. If you don’t want to mention it, then don’t mention it – simple :)

Lastly, I think they should get a bit more credit for the IDEA. We’re quick to praise Jane and Matt when someone else does the code – why not WooThemes too? Code is a large part of any project, so is the IA and UX and testing and…. etc.

@Dan

The link you point to has two real issues:
1) It contains an answer to a question we never get to see. Lawyers answer specific questions, and while the answers seem quite complete and well rounded, without knowing both sides of the conversation, it’s very easy for someone/anyone to make assumptions about the specifics entailed.

2) Matt summarises by saying

Even though graphics and CSS aren’t required to be GPL legally, the lack thereof is pretty limiting

Except the letter from the lawyer states that all graphics, javascript, stylesheets, HTML, static content, comments etc. that isn’t “processed” (i.e. can be called and loaded and included etc – but not actually processed) by WordPress’s PHP code isn’t hit by the GPL.

it might be possible to design a valid WordPress theme that avoids the factors that subject it to WordPress’s copyright

Something Matt didn’t touch upon, but that just because it’s a WordPress theme doesn’t mean it automatically being hit upon by the GPL. Far too many people read the letter withotu asking what the initial question was, and then absolutely accepted Matt’s summary as fact. Really only code that instrinsically interacts with WordPress functions to produce data would do so. Something like WooTheme’s menu didn’t neccessarily need to – though it probably did in practice.

The implementation of the Woo based menu was a win/win situastion for Woo. They got credit and community goodwill, and a better menu system, which makes the theme market Woo operates in larger, and they will have less expenses making Woo themes compatible with latest buids.