"proudly powered" is too much, really. And the link to XFN, too.

[dllmain]

Please take a minute to think about this:

By default any Wordpress installation comes with:

1. the footer saying "proudly powered by WordPress"
2. the sidebar linking to the Xhtml Friends Network.

Both is bad and here is why:

1.) WordPress is great but not because you say so but because it is.
People use WordPress, people like it but they sure are not proud
of it. I guess the devs are and have reason to but not the users.
You put that in their mouth and you should not do that!

2.) Same here again: Do not put words in the mouth of your users.
If you want to promot XFN do it on your site. This is abusing the
user - don't do this.

Linking back to WordPress itself is fine but these two are
way too much. Please think about this. XFN has enough links now:
please remove it. I have two fix these two by hand each update
and I'm sick of it. Now is the time to do the right thing.

[rob1n]

I agree. XFN may be a project related to Matt, but WordPress is completely independent (apart from the fact that XFN tools are in the admin). Also with the "proudly powered" part. I think we can reduce that to "powered by."

Also, maybe it's time to question filling the bookmarks table up with links to WordPress' favorite people. Maybe links to WordPress.org, WordPress Codex, Planet, etc are understandable, but most of those people don't even do anything related to WordPress anymore.

[dllmain]

Yes, "powered by" would be good. Should have written that.
Great to find open ears on this.

[dllmain]

I also agree on what you said about the "links to WordPress' favorite people".

[johnbillion]

+1 for removing the link to XFN and toning down the link text to WordPress.

Also I agree with rob1n and dllmain that the current default links are unecessary and (trying to put this in the nicest possible way) gratuitous. I'd like for there to be no default links at all in the links table.

[markjaquith]

I'm ambivalent about the "proudly" part.

XFN link should go. It's enough that WordPress supports it.

XHTML Valid link could go too... it's seldom true, after people are given 10 minutes to screw with their templates.

The issue of the default blogroll might be sensitive. I don't know if it would cause offense to the people on there.

[ryan]

I don't care if we remove the current blogroll links. We should have something in the blogroll by default, though, just as we have a default post, page, and comment.

[Linusmartensson]

If something is needed by default, there's always example.com. I can hardly say the current links bother me, however.

[rob1n]

Second patch changes the default links to WordPress.org, the Codex, the WordPress Blog and Automattic. The XFN link in the default+classic themes is removed, as is the "Proudly" in the default theme.

In the first patch I forgot about the classic theme (whoops).

[markjaquith]

I like the idea of linking to useful WP resources. Not sure that Automattic is such a useful link for WP users, though. How about WordPress.org, Codex, WP Development Blog, and WP.org support forums?

[majelbstoat]

Just to play Devil's advocate - it's the default theme, you can change it for any one of thousands of themes out there. If you change your theme, you won't have to "have two fix these two by hand each update and get sick of it". For my reading, the 'proudly' means WordPress is proud to run the blog, not that the blog is proud to be running WordPress. That's neither here nor there though. The XFN link was how I found out about XFN. As regards the blogroll, the people on there (whether they are currently active or not) have put in large amounts of time to make a product that you're using for free. An easily-removed link isn't too much to ask. Never mind that most of them are WordPress-centric anyway and are potentially useful sources of information on your new install. If you don't want them there, remove them and they won't show up again. I'd also argue that it encourages people to investigate the blogroll system. Adding links to help is a good idea though.

Personally, I have no preference on all of this, I just think that both sides of the argument should be heard before any changes are made.

[dllmain]

Please keep in mind that

• links and "proudly" have to be removed for each update
• helpful links in my eyes should be inside the admin panel
• everything visible on a blog looks like the view of the blogholder

[rob1n]

Replying to markjaquith:

I like the idea of linking to useful WP resources. Not sure that Automattic is such a useful link for WP users, though. How about WordPress.org, Codex, WP Development Blog, and WP.org support forums?

Agreed. I'll change the patch.

[rob1n]

Third patch swaps out Automattic for WP Support Forums, per MarkJaquith's suggestions.

[matt]

Not particularly inclined.

[rob1n]

Do you mind sharing a little bit more on why not? I can't really present an argument without knowing what you don't agree with...

[johnbillion]

There's a typo in that patch. In 3931.3.diff on line 5 of wp-content/themes/default/footer.php the word 'someone' should say 'somewhere'.

[johnbillion]

Another typo, there's no space between 'powered by' and the word 'WordPress'.

[andy]

I appreciate the links and the pride. WordPress is something to be proud of.

"...hubristically powered by WordPress..."

[rob1n]

Some typos (one not mine!! ;) ) fixed.

[rob1n]

Left to die, unless some dev chooses to commit it.

[technosailor]

I agree with removing the blogroll entries and leaving one as, say, google.com. The reason is unproven but there's strong suspicion among some in the SEO community that static links _hurt_ rankings rather than help. My experimenting with removing links that are simply static links seem to be helping me, particularly as my PR is bumping up now and the last time it was bumping down when I was having this conversation.

I also wonder if almighty google might be downgrading rankings on sites that are being linked to statically as well, but that argument is far from sustainable at this point.

[andy]

In case I forgot to weigh in already, I say leave it alone. These are good relics.

[foolswisdom]

Closing bug as INVALID. If quorum is reached among developers please create one issue / ticket.

[sabernhardt]

#52270 was marked as a duplicate.