Would you pay for a template?

[SYSMAN_MK]

Just a quick question to those of you who either use the current package or are are thinking about it. If you had the choice of a custom theme that was designed around the package, would you be happy to pay for it?

I know most people are happy with the default style, but I know most people like to tweak it slightly to suite their own school colours etc. Bit if you had a choice of some completely different themes and not just colour changes, would you pay for the privilage?

Cheers

[elsiegee40]

It would very much depend on the cost, but potentially, yes

[j17sparky]

Ive always said that considering Joomla is free, putting the content in is cheap (ie anyone can do it), then paying £25 for a template is nothing. Obviously its going to cost more depending how "custom" you want it.

* I say £25 as last time i looked that was the going rate for a stock template, if i saw template i really liked and was going to be (finacially) benifitial to me then i would pay more...

[mossj]

TBH no (to paying for a template and/or its tweaking)... although it's something i've been wanting to do (selling, not buying). Infact its on my list after the personal project i'm working on atm.

I think an essential part of knowing your site is being able to 'tweak' the template, and if you paid someone to do it. you would deprive yourself of a learning experience. Many extentions need tweaking using your templates css and not knowing how to do this would leave you with a subpar site.

Same with your first move to the live server.. if you do it manually you have a much better understanding of how things work and its put together, whilst if you joompack it you again deprive yourself of learning something which could prove essential later on.

[SYSMAN_MK]

TBH no (to paying for a template and/or its tweaking)... although it's something i've been wanting to do (selling, not buying). Infact its on my list after the personal project i'm working on atm.

I think an essential part of knowing your site is being able to 'tweak' the template, and if you paid someone to do it. you would deprive yourself of a learning experience. Many extentions need tweaking using your templates css and not knowing how to do this would leave you with a subpar site.

Same with your first move to the live server.. if you do it manually you have a much better understanding of how things work and its put together, whilst if you joompack it you again deprive yourself of learning something which could prove essential later on.

The idea is not a tweaking service, just a straight template shop as it were. Once you had your chosen template you're still able to tweak as you normally would, just with a different base. You would also get the package optimised for the chosen template.

It would very much depend on the cost, but potentially, yes

What kind of ceiling would you put on the price?

[mossj]

The idea is not a tweaking service, just a straight template shop as it were. Once you had your chosen template you're still able to tweak as you normally would, just with a different base. You would also get the package optimised for the chosen template.

Well still no, forcing people to pay is something I thought edugeek was against in general. I would however not object to the pressing for donations let the people pay what they think its worth.

I.E on my site when downloading projects (that I will be giving away under OS license), people will pass the donation box at least a couple of times.

Its on every page of the site (bottom left corner) + A checkbox they have to tick to say they don't want to support the site when downloading + actually on the software by default (removable from frontend but built into backend).

[Batman]

Theming is the main challenge of doing a website so personally I'd rather not pay for it unless I'm on a really tight deadline and need something fast (as I'm slow at that sort of thing). I want to do that bit myself. I suppose if someone could take a gimp mockup of a design (which is what I do to start with when I do it) and make a theme from it that would be useful.

I use Drupal anyway.

[SYSMAN_MK]

Well still no, forcing people to pay is something I thought edugeek was against in general

Don't see any mention of forcing people to do anything? Please don't get the wrong idea mossj. This is just a thought I have had and is completely separate for anything I have done for edugeek. Think along the lines of a template shop with the themes suited for schools.

[mossj]

Sorry just assumed as your on the edugeek forums, posting on the edugeek joomla forum, and a edujoomla team member.

"Pay for the privilage" means to me "we will sell you this service". Which is a step towards offering some templates for free and charging for others....

There are sites that already do this in a education specific role... I can't think of the site of the top of my head but I know I bumped into there site fairly often so it can't be that hard to find.

[EduTech]

I think it would be a good service to provide, especially for the schools who dont have staff that know how to modify the templates or create their on template.

Obviously for people who know abit of coding, has the time to learn how to modify the template etc would prefer to do that then pay for something.

But i dont see why not, I suppose really it depends on cost.

we have actually just modified the default template, so its not something i could/would do now.

James.

[DirtySnipe]

Being part of a charity money is tight. That is why we went down the route of an opensource cms. Now to get a basic site up and running then find out it is impossible to get any free templates is driving me nutz. I have spent weeks searching the net for free templates.

So I say no to paying. Whats next having paid support service???

[SYSMAN_MK]

Now to get a basic site up and running then find out it is impossible to get any free templates is driving me nutz. I have spent weeks searching the net for free templates.

Plenty of free templates on show here.

[nephilim]

I have seen some fantastic templates out there, some free, some you have to pay for, but in general its not a bad idea, but they would have to be worth it IMO. Too high a price and it drives people away, to low a price and your under valueing your work.

I would pay for a template if I believed it to be worth it, but no more than £30

[contink]

Erm... can I just ask why the massive issue with paying for something?

Someone puts a lot of time and effort into producing something that you want to use.. Normally this means you trade something of your own to obtain and use that... Why is it that when it comes to open source so many people suddenly decide that it should all be free? I doubt you'd all work at your jobs for nought after all...


Anyway... when it comes to stuff like this you have to figure if your time to learn how to adapt/tweak or design your own termplate vs' having someone else do the bulk of the work for you is worth £10 or whatever, or not..

[nephilim]

If you cant theme Joomla, and want others to do it, would you expect it for free, or would you expect to pay someone? I know which I would expect!