Within recent months, I’ve finally spent a lot of time to get a better grasp of CSS and WordPress themes. It really excites me because I feel like the freedom to create and modify my own themes as I want to allows more room for creativity. I also feel a sense of pride when my site or blog can wear a theme without a credit link.

Since becoming more comfortable with creating my own themes from scratch, I’ve developed a new pet peeve and that is when people use a free premade WordPress theme, modify it, and remove the link back to the original creator.

I understand you put a lot of work into the presentation of your blog, I’ve been there. I’ve created graphics and sought out a WP theme that I thought would be easiest to edit because there were times when making a theme from scratch seemed impossible. However, just because you’ve edited something, doesn’t make it entirely yours–regardless.

What should you do if you’ve chosen to edit a previously made WordPress theme?
1. Before you do ANYTHING, if you have found a theme that you think would easily incorporate the graphics you have made/envision to make EMAIL THE AUTHOR!!
2. Ask for permission to edit their theme if it is not clearly stated anywhere that you are free to do so!
3. Once you have permission to edit the theme, do so without deleting the original credit link.
4. Finally, you’ve created a look for your blog yet nowhere on our website is there notification that you did so. My answer to this is to add your own link to the footer that designates that you edited the original theme, eg:

So many times I have seen a blogger edit an original theme, remove the credit link located in the footer, followed by a blog that says “I used so and so’s theme.” I’m sorry! That is not practicing proper nettiquite! If you can’t create your own theme do not remove the credit of someone who can!