New Default WordPress Theme?

Since WPMU is merging with regular WordPress in 3.0 there should probably be one or two other themes included alongside the default theme. Some possibilities include a basic magazine type theme that can pull site wide WPMU data to the front page and a basic BuddyPress theme.

I’m with those who say the default theme should be well documented and demonstrate some of the newer WordPress features. There should examples for all the files listed in the template hierarchy.

The default post should demonstrate more of the styling (lists, blockquotes, images, etc.). Maybe there should be more than one default post at this point. And the default theme should definitely include some home page layout options that are much more CMS oriented and look less blog-like.

I would like to see a basic options page for the default theme on the admin side so that new developers can see how they work in an MU environment with each blog setting their own options.

There should also be a clearer explanation of how child themes work (perhaps in the readme file?) Child themes have been around for over a year now (since 2.7) and I’m still seeing lots of folks who don’t understand how they work and how much they simplify theme customization.

Good in line documentation of the new default theme combined with a clear explanation of child themes would help folks new to WordPress dig into customizing their themes right away.

All of the people pumping eighteen sidebars, 9 on each side, you are out to lunch. One sidebar. Read, one sidebar.

+1 Lockheed

STOP BLOATING WORDPRESS AND FOCUS ON PERFORMANCE, PLEASE.

The default theme should be something that anyone can start writing stuff with (this completely excludes complex magazine layouts). Not something overly complex that try to satisfy everyone and suits every possible site.

Furthermore it would be quite stupid to have it showcase EVERYTHING WordPress can do as some people here suggest. A single theme can never showcase everything and be scalable enough to allow exactly everything yet be slim enough to not be over bloated with crap people actually won’t need. Or maybe the new theme should be created with the use of magic?

People that want something complex won’t use the default theme anyway.

To summarize. An updated version of Kubrick would be just fine. People that have a demand for more will surely find more themes anyway.

I think the most important feature of an example theme should be relative font sizes. When I was making my own theme based on Kubrik I was seriously disappointed in the 10px font size. If somebody sets up his/her browser to use 50px fonts, it’s because that person wants or needs big fonts; there’s no reason to override this setting.

When kingjeffrey says “Georgia, when sized at 15-16px is just beautiful (and ubiquitously available)”, he means that it looks beautiful on his monitor (or maybe on the standard Windows monitor). 15px is certainly smallish on my monitor, and there’s no Georgia on my computer.

All I’m saying is, a good example theme needs to have a fallback to “serif” and use the default font size for the body text.

All typesetting should be based on em or ex units, not on px. 1px is very, very small on my monitor, and quite big on some other monitors. How did that ever become a unit for size?

I think changing the packaged theme is well overdue but I don’t think too much time should be spent on the debate about what the new theme will be.

Honestly, 99% of WordPress users will immediately upload a custom theme of their liking and won’t ever activate Kubrick. The same will happen with whichever new theme is packaged with WP simply because people want to choose the theme themselves.

Cracking our heads over what to include in the new package theme is a waste because it’ll be replaced by the user anyway.

Difficult to suggest something without thinking about a theme framework. I use the “Options Theme” so remember the Hybrid, both of Justin Tadlock.
But I think the theme for 2010 could be one that shows the usefulness of each page of the possible structure of WordPress and including the various possible options, without exaggeration.
A theme with default format, but it is well documented in your code for easy modification and use by beginners.

[signature moderated Please read the Forum Rules]

PS: sorry my bad English (by Google) ??

I didn’t know exactly where I should post this comment, but I just wanted to thank everyone who contributes to the development and improvement of WordPress. I just finished creating my new website in WordPress, something I said I would absolutely never, ever do; and well, there you have it, the Never Angels made me do it. I don’t know when I’ve felt such a great sense of achievement and success. Of course I have to thank Christina Hills for her Website Creation Workshop, but the bigger sense is that the web has become somewhat demystified for me and more accessible, understandable and friendlier.
So thank you all very much. Kathy Kirk

ps any comments or suggestions you might have for my site are welcome!

Hey! Add the”elastic” theme to wordpress default themes!!!! YES!!! That would be the ultimate way to start your own themes!

It’s Amazing!!!! WordPress needs this amazing functionality!

Who else agrees to have elastic as a default wordpress theme? Make sure you watch the video on what it can do!

I think filosofo has a great point.

First, you need to figure out what the purpose of the default theme is. Then we can talk about what features best further that purpose.

Seems like we are jumping the ship a little bit in determining what to put into a theme when we don’t know what the purpose of the theme will be. For instance, if the purpose of the theme is to teach, then load it up with tons of documentation. If the theme is meant to show off WordPress, not so much documentation is needed but it needs to be polished with a good design and show off many of the features built into the software.

I’m of the opinion that since themes can be installed from the backend of WordPress and the default theme will most likely be replaced with something else, I think the default theme should focus on teaching up and comers.

Of course, we could argue how successful this technique has been with regards to including Hello Dolly with WordPress to learn plugin development ??

I’ve seen a few mentions of HTML5 above. That seems like a moot point since the specs are not even out yet. However it wouldn’t hurt to switch to a standard doctype like that anyway since it’s a valid doctype already. That is more of a question of the wysiwyg development though as it currently spits out some code which is invalid with strict doctypes.

I think filosofo has a great point.

I agree.

Of course, we could argue how successful this technique has been with regards to including Hello Dolly with WordPress to learn plugin development ??

Lol.

I think filosofo has a great point.

I disagree.

Whatever else it is decided the new theme should be, it should be first of all this: A theme that teaches.

That’s for two simple factual reasons:

First, the default theme is the de facto reference implementation of WordPress core functionality.

Second, the default theme is where most people start from to make something of their own.

(Even now, Kubrick, with all its shortcomings—it doesn’t even support child themes—, servers that role because it is available everywhere and because the third-party good themes one might be tempted to look at for guidance are sometimes too complex for a beginner; even their file structures can be intimidating to a beginner.)

Regarding the doctype…

As I was the first to bring it up in this thread, I would like to make clear that I did not mean introducing HTML5-only elements in the default theme. (Far too early for that.) I meant just the doctype.

I think there is no reason to insist on XHTML any more and also no reason not to swith to the HTML5 doctype. And, for what is worth, I find the simplicity of the HTML5 doctype, and the brevity it allows, irresistible:

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html dir="ltr" lang="en-US">
<head>
<meta charset="utf-8">
<title>Blah blah blah</title>

I use the above exactly like that (without the Blahs of course! ?? ) and it validates already. The W3 validator throws a warning because it does not recognize the short charset declaration, but see about that: https://oli-studio.com/bugs/validator/html5-charset/

By the way, the Tarski theme made the switch already — as far as I know, the first prominent WordPress theme to do so.

+1 elastic

Seems like we are jumping the ship a little bit in determining what to put into a theme when we don’t know what the purpose of the theme will be. For instance, if the purpose of the theme is to teach, then load it up with tons of documentation. If the theme is meant to show off WordPress, not so much documentation is needed but it needs to be polished with a good design and show off many of the features built into the software.

Another reason for having more than one default theme. One theme for learning(full of documentation. One theme for showing off typography. One theme for showing how plugins hook in. And One Theme To Rule Them All …

=P

Elastic anyone? c’mon! This is the sort of thing newbs need. A way to make themes without actually making a theme. ??

-1 for Elastic unless someone can point me to some useful documentation.