E T(heme) phone home – Wordpress Themes monitors secretely?
August 8th, 2006
I was pretty surprised when I found Google Analytics tracking code in the footer of a free Wordpress theme.
When installing Wordpress via my hosting provider (Dreamhost), they install a lot of themes to. When trying out these, I found the tracking code. Adding the code make it possible to monitor a site’s traffic in detail. For example who visits, for how long and who referred them. For my website these information is not that sensitive, but I still like to be in control.
Don’t get me wrong I respect the people who provide themes for the rest of us deeply, and I would find it okay if it was a condition for using the theme, which I was informed on beforehand. I just find that it a bit too much if this code is put in there on purpose without informing the user.
I’m still pretty new to blogging, and I’m just wondering if this is a common accepted way to go? And what is when it comes to themes, I have not found any information of licenses in the themes I have downloaded? Is it okay to modify and put in ads?
1 Comment Add your own
1. engtech | August 9th, 2006 at 9:07 am
Feel free to modify themes once they are installed on your own server.
As long as you leave credit to the original theme author, all is good.
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