Remove this Plugin from WordPress respository

well, that’s a bit unfair to ask for a removal of the CGMP plugin from the repository. Yes, the development and support of the plugin has been discontinued by the original developer Alex. Nevertheless v9.1.1 is compatible with WP 4.0 again (I helped fix it) and allows you to add maps just like before. Existing users can still use it as before, for new users it might be better to look for alternative in the long run as no further updates are planned. All notices in the admin area recommending a switch to another plugin in the long run can be hidden too BTW.

Not really harsh at all, I think it undermines the spirit of WordPress because it just acts as a hook to a commercial product.

If it were supported but had a few less features then fine but this is a blatant abuse of the repository.

WordPress is an Open Source product and all plugins including the commercial ones are subject to GNU licence and have to provide source on request.

Building a website on the back of a product with no support is just a waste of time and money.

As you say best to look for alternative rather than invest your time in an unsupported product. The fact that WordPress auto updates between revisions means that your site could be killed by this plugin if there was an incompatibility.

Hi RickC4,

please have a closer look at the current CGMP release: as said before, it is working fully functional and fixes a severe incompatibility with WordPress 4.0. Also as stated in the message from Alex, an update to Maps Marker Pro is completely optional – the CGMP plugin will continue to work as before v9.1.1, Alex just said that he will not release any more future updates due to limited ressources and changes in his professional life. It is the decision of the user, if they give Maps Marker Pro a try or are looking for another (free or premium) plugin. My approach was to support users willing to switch to my plugin with an automated transfer function, I see this as an optional service – anyway this process is very transparent and no one is forced to switch. In addition all admin notices can be disabled, so I do not quite understand your criticism here.

What you are actually requesting is that plugins that havent been updated for a longer time, should be removed from the repository – which I guess is not in the sense of the WordPress spirit as there are many plugins in the repository which havent been updated for years. The CGMP plugin itself is fully open source software and licensed under the GPL, so every interested developer can take the source code and build a new plugin based on that codebase – deleting it would eliminate the chance for other developers to build a new plugin based on the current one.
best,

Robert

Brilliant or sneaky … or both ?

Although I disagree with most of RickC4’s argumentation, I think this has to be considered as an abuse of the repository.

I put myself in the shoes of most users:
1/ Search for a google map plugin
2/ Find this plugin
3/ Because of the number of downloads, I trust and install the plugin
4/ There is an advice from the author (or ex author) that I should try your plugin … why not.
5/ The plugin I install comes directly from your site (not from the repository) and is a premium plugin …

I think your explanation about the spirit of WordPress and keeping the code for hypothetical developers to fork is a bit lame; we both know that the value of a plugin in the repository is essentially its popularity (most people don’t look at the code inside).

I observed that the number of downloads of abandoned plugins does not go down until the message ‘This plugin hasn’t been updated in over 2 years.’ appears.

So you got yourself 2 years advertisement for your plugin … which I find brilliant.

However, it’s also depriving a motivated developer to adopt a successful plugin to make it live properly.

All the best.