like i'm not trying to be rude you have your opinion and i just have a little bit of a hard time understanding your point but the thing is, these people all work hard on themes and we should never tell them that they should stop making them
Ok, im really hoping this is just coming from someone who isnt really 100% educated on what a redux edit really is. which is understandable, as over the years the actual meaning has become pretty vague and many bloggers who have joined within the last year or so dont even know what redux IS, so im going to try and be as detailed as possible.
Before we get into this, a quick note on base codes! base codes are considered open sources. in other words, the creator of the code gave explicit legal permission to anyone who wants to use it to do pretty much almost whatever they want with it (this varies from creator to creator). we will get into this later.
what the hell even is redux??
redux is a theme by jacob bijani, who is believed to have worked for tumblr for a while. redux used to be tumblrs default theme up until i believe around late june/july of 2014(?). for anyone who is a recent tumblr member, the current default theme is optica. many newer bloggers dont even know what redux is (whereas anyone who has been a member for a long time is perfectly familiar with it), which is part of the reason why the meaning of the word “redux edit” has become misconstrued.
ok, thats simple enough. so what does this have to do with redux edits?
good question. as the name implies, redux edits are an “edit” of the theme redux that we just covered. an edit is basically going in and editing the original coding. a couple of years ago, tumblr user kingies (now astrofuturism) released this theme (the one at the top, which i believe is the original but i could be wrong). this pretty much triggered a series of events, like the creation of reduxthemes, and then eventually the “official” redux edit tag. this theme is THE original redux edit. people liked the simplicity, and started making their own!
gotcha. so why is this a problem??
well, editing a theme isnt a problem! but the SECOND you “release” it for public use, thats where it gets messy. do you have permission from the original creator (jacob) himself? if not, thats theft. theres no ifs, ands or buts about it. plain and simple. you can put hours of effort into that theme and it can look AMAZING!!…… but if you made it using redux as a base code, thats a little something called unauthorized distribution.
and heres the kicker: not a single person has gotten permission from the original creator of redux, jacob.
remember at the beginning where i made a brief mention about open sources? redux isnt open sourced. and is also considered tumblr property. you are redistributing a piece of non-open sourced copyrighted content. not to mention half the time, people dont even put in the effort to credit jacob!
ok, but what about redux edits that use other base codes or are original coding instead?
HERE is where it gets really complicated! over the years (yes, theyve been around for that long), the actual meaning behind the term “redux edit” has been seriously changed!
many people make a theme that has a redux edit look to it (very simple usually, and customizable) and call it a redux edit. but is it really a redux edit? no, it may LOOK like one, it may be CALLED one, and it may even be in the redux edit tag, but its technically not. unless its using the theme redux as a base, its just another theme. the term “redux edit” has pretty much become a loosely used adjective to describe the general aesthetic of the simplicity that comes with actual redux edits and the original redux theme itself.
when choosing a theme from the redux edit tag, its really important to pay attention. look in both the caption and the tags. does it say anywhere that the theme was made using a base besides redux? its not a redux edit, youre good to go! does the creator state anywhere that “this is not a redux edit” or “this is original coding”? if so, i hope theyre telling the truth because this is also ok!
ok, but i dont care if its stolen. i just want my blog to look good
a quick note about redux editors vs. theme makers
an excerpt from this post, “theme makers, who make stuff from scratch, tend to put days, even WEEKS into themes, get on average maybe a hundred. if youre EXTREMELY lucky, MAYBE 1000 notes. and in the end redux editors are treated like the holy grail while actual theme makers get the short end of the stick.” this really isnt fair, considering the fact that majority of the time all you have to do is slap the name “REDUX EDIT” on a theme, and its usually instantly successful. theme makers really do get ripped off for their hard work, to the point where many of them put their themes in the redux edit tag just for the publicity. and YES, this is a big deal! coding is just as difficult as drawing or writing, and is considered an art! its literally learning another language!! getting praised and recognized for your work is a HUGE deal, and motivates theme makers to release more great content! yay for more beautiful blogs!!
please treat your local theme makers well!! support those who deserve the publicity!! without us, youd be stuck using tumblrs nasty theme garden (no offense theme garden users). and if you have any questions, id be more than happy to answer them for you to the best of my ability.
so to answer your question….
yes, we should tell them to stop making them. if theyre TRUE redux edits, as in using redux as a base, this PROMOTES THEFT and normalizes it, something this community has enough of already. its not an opinion, its fact. redux edits are unauthorized redistribution of tumblr property, as well as someone elses (jacobs) intellectual property.
