Hello,
in one of there recent upgrades to the Essential theme, a line has appeared in the footer saying:
"The Essential theme is developed, enhanced and maintained by Gareth J Barnard"
This line hadn't appeared in previous versions.
While i do fully understand and acknowledge the work gone into the theme and supporting it, i really do need to delete that line from our site. In our environment, we cannot have that line on our site.
So how can we remove it?
Thanks
Graham
Are you sure it is hard coded? I added the same sort of thing in my themes for years. In some cases my name is still retained in some Moodle 1.9 themes online.
There is nothing stopping you from removing that footnote in fact if you look it may well be in the settings page as a way of showing you where to add something similar about your organisation in the footer.
This is the place it has been added to.
https://github.com/gjb2048/moodle-theme_essential/blob/master/layout/includes/footer.php#L61-L63
Cheers
Mary
Thanks for your tips Mary!
It's really easy to delete or change these 3 lines
Hope the developper will integrate an option to enable/disable this line, it may be more confortable for many of us:!
Cheers
I don't know about that...we all like to see our name in lights!
Either I'm starting to lose it or this thread has been ... "sanitised".
Why?
Perhaps a useful compromise is to show the credit to the developers in edit mode or on the teacher's page(s) rather than the students' pages.
Students may not financially support the theme but organizations or administrators might.
Just a thought....
Hi Peter,
Interesting thought and one I'll consider. There is an issue over roles though as teachers can be teachers in one place and students in another.... humm....
And there is only one developer at the moment = me. The credit is there in a portfolio manner as a means of gaining exposure just like any other 'free' piece of software has. Actually, there's a thought, in that model, there are often two versions, the free version with the credit and the paid version without and with a bit more functionality. Humm, food for thought.
So therefore perhaps when a user is not logged in, guests and admins see the credit but every other type of authenticated user does not.
Kind regards,
Gareth
hi all,
since being the OP for this thread, i thought i better to come back in and add some more comments.
I fully appreciate the work Gareth has put into the theme. It is an amazing theme and arguably one of the best themes for Moodle.
I know plugins/themes from other applications, i.e. WordPress, support a Pro version, and i don't know if this goes against Moodle policy, but I'd be happy to see a Pro version of the theme where I'd donate something like $20 to have the credit info removed.
I know Gareth has put in a lot of work into this theme and by all means I don't want to discourage him - but if moodle policy allows the difference between a normal and Pro version of a theme (the Pro version being about $20 and the has the credit info removed) then that may solve this issue. I'd support it.
Just a thought.
Graham
Hi Graham,
Interesting words.
Any such 'pro version' would not be hosted on moodle.org, please read: https://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=314916. Which I interpret to be fine with Moodle policy (and would have certainly been stated given the length of the thread) as long as there is not a trademark infringement with the site.
G
I too am extremely grateful for the work Gareth puts in to maintain and enhance not only Essential but his other contributions too (as I am to all that contribute to Moodle and various other open source projects).
If anyone is in the position to be able to financially help there is no reason to wait for a "Pro version", ways to donate are available and explained in the plugin
Howdy - here's my 2c worth...
I think that it's important for the developer to be able to get credit on a theme for which they are not being paid. It's a question of providing some form of "give-back" to someone who has spent a lot of time creating, editing, supporting and generally improving a theme for next to nothing in return. I don't think it's a big deal to support a developer that way. If you don't want the credit, then I think we should have to pay for the theme. Fair is fair.
Also, as an educator, one of the bugbears we have with our students is getting them to reference their work. To me, the credit in the footer (which is tiny), is a similar issue... demonstrating who has had the 'idea' and referencing it. I assume that's not going to change in academia, so again I don't see an issue with a credit. It's not limiting the functionality of the theme, and it's providing kudos to the person/people who work on a theme. Personally, I reckon every free theme should have a credit line with only premium (paid-for) themes not.
Quite proud to let people know that there is someone (not me) who has put the time and effort into maintaining the theme. If it kills an area of functionality then I might consider removing it.
Our install - if you want to see the tiny credit at the bottom is at: https://my.coct.qld.edu.au and we're loving Essential. Well done Gareth!
Hi Richard,
Thank you so much for your kind and thoughtful words, really appreciated.
I should add that in the readme file and elsewhere there are references to Julian and David too.
Many kind regards,
Gareth
Very noble outlook, but where do you draw the line?
A typical site will have a handful of 3rd party plugins installed (we have 60+), would you be happy to display a credit line in every block, report, question type, activity that isn't in core?
What about core itself, I see you have retained the Moodle favicon but what about adding a "Powered by Moodle" credit line? (In some themes there is/was the option to include the Moodle logo with the link to moodle.org).
Actually, I hadn't noticed the Moodle favicon. As to the powered by Moodle credit - I hadn't even noticed that it wasn't there. It used to be on other themes, so when I installed Essential, it may have changed? I'll see what I can do to get it back.
No problem giving credit to Moodle. In terms of the 3rd Party plugins... that's very good point. I think there should be a way of demonstrating credit to those who created and maintained the plugins. Not 100% sure how that would work. I remember in the days I was working with Joomla, some of the extensions actually did put a credit line on the user-facing display - and you could remove it (for most) by going 'Pro'.
Anyway, I think my point still stands - for something that significantly alters the way the site functions (like most plugins, I guess), if it's possible to include a credit line without affecting the functionality, then so-be-it.
Good to see some discussion going on though - this is one of the age-old questions when it comes to FOSS.
Part of the credit, by the way, is so that I can say "No, that's a 'feature' of the theme... and I didn't make it!"
Thanks!
Richard.
Hi Gareth,
I too just wanted to add my thanks for the support that you provide for this great Theme.
The only reason I started hiding the credit line in the Footer was that when I set up a site using Essential it didn't have it. So when it did appear after an update some time ago I felt that I needed to hide it in order that the clients site stayed looking the same. If it had been there from day one then that would have been different as they would have given the ok for it.
I realise I could have downgraded the Theme version but didn't want to loose out on any new features.
If you decide to do a "pro" version of Essential then I'd certainly consider it, especially if there were even more features and customisation available.
All the best,
Steve
Hi Steve,
Thank you for your reply. I'm still 'gob smacked' over the need to remove such a tiny element. Would the clients have even noticed?
Kind regards,
Gareth
Good evening Gareth,
To be honest I don't know. Anyway, its there now so lets see how long it takes for them to notice
- Steve
Gareth, as mentioned on previous occasions, I love your work and am extremely grateful for the time and effort you put into not only Essential but also your other plugins.
There are various valid reasons (how valid is debatable granted) why people would prefer not to have credit lines and links on their sites such as aesthetics, security concerns, organisational policies etc.
Perhaps adding a theme setting would be better than "hiding" the code.
Regards
H
Hi H,
Ok, you have to be kidding right? To clarify, you want me to spend time and effort "implementing a method in the user interface that removes my credit" on Open Source software where the user can alter the code as they want? Does this sound crazy? Should I also ask '1st Lt. Milo Minderbinder' to help me in this 'M & M Enterprises' operation?
Would my time be better spent fixing the FitVids issue or raising / checking Moodle Tracker for the stealth resources problem?
Or could I write a letter to James Dyson complaining about his logo all over the vacuum cleaner and asking him to remove it because it doesn't fit in with the feng-shui of the house? Or perhaps I've adapted a new model of a go-kart and I don't want people to know its made of Lego, so would they kindly make it such that you could peel the logo off?
More nuts than a Snickers bar, or should I provide tape to put over that logo before its eaten in public?
See what I mean?
Gareth
This is so funny...I am in tears laughing at what you have written...just loved the bit about Dyson...so funny...and the Lego...and the Snicker Bar!
I've just tried to reply to a few posts that were in my feed to find they have been removed from this thread. Have they been deleted or moved?
What is going on?
-Derek
We would never delete your posts Derek! Whatever made you think that?
No posts have arrived from you for ages...so not sure what you have been doing. Perhaps you sent them to yourself as I often find myself doing...
If you are sending them by email then you have to strip the email of all the discussion message and just add your answer...if not then I think they are dumped into Cyberspace!
Thanks Mary.
That worked perfectly.
The developer, in this case, has not provided any form of option in the settings to remove this - so, I've followed your advice and removed it from the code. Just have to be mindful to keep doing this in upgrades.
Unfortunately, in our private commercial environment we cannot show or highlight any "comments" like this in our work.
Thanks
Graham
In that case you can hide it with CSS using ...
#page-footer .footercredit { visibility: hidden }
Hi, I tried that, I removed the lines from the file but the footer is still there. also I put the code to the custom.css file and the footer is still there.
Any other help?
the css path was:
/theme/essential/style/custom.css
the footer file path:
/theme/essential/essentials/layout/includes/footer.php
Thanks,
You need to Purge all cache
Mary
Great thank you so much Mary
Hey Guys
Just follow those steps:
1- open footer.php and find this line
<?php echo get_string('credit', 'theme_essential'); ?><a href="//about.me/gjbarnard" target="_blank">Gareth J Barnard</a>
2- Then change it with
<b>the text you want</b><a href="//your site.com" target="_blank"> <b> your site name</b></a>
DONE
custom CSS within the general tab of the theme works just fine. Then it won't get forgotten on an upgrade either. But he did get sneaky and change the class of the credit text.
Just add this to the custom css field provided in the theme. Refresh your browser and it will be hidden.
#page-footer .thecredit { visibility: hidden }
Hi Alexey,
Try:
#page-footer .themecredit{visibility:hidden; }
I have this line in my Custom.css file and I have no credit line appearing.
Q.
And don't forget to Purge Caches, or have theme developer mode enabled when making changes to css
I copied this line
# page-footer .themecredit {visibility: hidden; }
in custom CSS
theme_essential | customcss
Cache cleaned.
Does not work!
Take out the space after the #
#page
I have so:
#page-footer .thecredit { visibility: hidden }
Does not work! I'm desperate!Try this:
The fix is this...
#page-footer .thecredit { visibility: hidden; }
For future reference (mine as much as anyone elses - and with a slap on my own wrist for not checking which version!): Essential2.8 as requested is .thecredit while Essential2.9 (currently in Beta) appears to be .themecredit
Advice for future readers - use a tool such as firebug to determine the class if it gets changed again ;)
@Mary,
just curious to verify what is the real class of the div. I never doubt of your posts but today i used the footercredit class. So I verified some past versions and found:
Version 2.814 and older
In version 2.817 was:
#page-footer .thecredit { visibility: hidden; }
And I don't see the link in version 2.907 Beta (Thanks Gareth )
@Graham,
If you don't know the theme version, apply both or just wait until next update.
in 2.9.0.6 and 2.9.0.7 its .themecredit, but its been coded slightly differently
public function standard_footer_html() {
$output = parent::standard_footer_html();
$output .= html_writer::start_tag('div', array ('class' => 'themecredit')).
get_string('credit', 'theme_essential').
html_writer::link('//about.me/gjbarnard', 'Gareth J Barnard', array('target' => '_blank')).
html_writer::end_tag('div');
return $output;
}
Thank you, but it does not work!
Version theme_essential 2.8.1.8 (Build: 2015061902)
Moodle 2.8.7 (Build: 20150706)
FireBug:
<div id="yui_3_17_2_2_1441347531108_286" class="thecredit row-fluid">
I updated Essential theme to 2.8.1.8 today and I too got the footer message reappear.
I'd previously hidden it with: #page-footer .thecredit { visibility: hidden; }
So it appears something has changed in this latest version.
"If" you still want to remove it, along with your custom CSS, comment out line 234 in Essential's lib.php i.e.
// $customcss = str_replace('thecredit', 'themepagefooter', $customcss);
The dot in front of credit should NOT have a space after it!
Here's a compromise: Pay Gareth to remove the code for you.
Maybe it's the cynic in me but it seems that a few of the people posting in here asking for help and saying "My clients won't like it" are trying really hard not to say "I charged someone a bunch of money and I'm afraid they'll find out they could have had it free of charge." I have two strong opinions on that:
Hi Danny,
Your observation is totally wrong in relation to our reason (and possibly for others too). We need to move the credit line due to commercial requirements (in that we cannot have advertising on the site and this credit is seen to be advertising). I think you will find this is a common requirement / obligation for many commercial instances.
I have already stated that we are happy to pay Gareth to remove it and have also said that we would welcome a Pro type of arrangement. I think others have agreed to this as well.
We don't see it as biting the and that feeds you - as we have stated that we would gladly pay for that removal.
Just want to make that clear.
Thanks
g
