The undersigned

WordPress theme competition

27/06-2006 | 13:28
92 comments

I know the community might feel it has had enough - but I am working on a new WordPress theme competition anyways. I feel that after a fake competition, and a not-so-organized competition, it is time to give the community a chance to show how good it really is.

The competition will have 5-6 different categories, and every theme author will be able to submit their themes, though there will be some rules, which some people might not be so fond of. Only new themes can be submitted, only themes not based on a previously released themes (K2 mods etc) will be accepted, and semantic code and cross browser capable themes will be weighed a lot to.

As I write this, I have already made sure that there is a great prize pool, prizes for more than $700, and more is coming every day. So if you are interested in joining the pool with some prizes, please don’t hesitate to contact me!

Theme designers, please start sketching and give the community some great new themes, we really need to show the other OSS blogging tools, that WordPress has the best designs. Everyone else, please spread the word and be sure to check back both here and on the theme viewer, ’cause more news will be coming soon.

92 comments

Nuggetbro Says:

Wow, I wish I could design so I could enter. Well maybe I’ll just have to put a prize up to push the competition to do that little bit better. Can’t wait for this to start.

27/06-2006 | 13:40

New WordPress theme competition | Theme viewer Says:

[…] I write at theundersigned.net that a new theme competition is arriving in near future […]

27/06-2006 | 13:41

flipstah.blog » Blog Archive » WordPress Theme Competition Says:

[…] Calling all designers to come up with original designs for the NEW WordPress Theme Competition! This time hosted by Thomas Silkjær. Strict rules this time! Are you up to the challenge? […]

27/06-2006 | 14:51

Steven Says:

Maybe I’ll have to enter. Working on a theme now anyways.

27/06-2006 | 14:52

adam Says:

interesting. considering the sting of the last competition, it’ll be hard to get excited about another one, but you’re one of the few people i would want to trust to handle things better.

27/06-2006 | 16:25

karmatosed Says:

If you need any behind the scenes help just ask.

27/06-2006 | 18:52

Blogalistic » Blog Archive » Another theme competition Says:

[…] Hot on the heels of BloggingPro’s challenge, The Undersigned has launched a new theme competition after the general unsatisfactoriness of the last two. […]

27/06-2006 | 19:17

Joshua Says:

Not sure if it’s a good idea. May be you should poll people in wordpress forum or theme viewer. I don’t wanna see those prizes wasted.

28/06-2006 | 5:56

Fightingfriends » Aside: Theme Competition Says:

[…] There’s a new Wordpress theme competition run by The Undersigned. I am very excited and I am going to create a brand new theme for entry. I know Thomas is going to do a really good job of the competition, there’s already a few prizes worth over $700. […]

28/06-2006 | 7:35

Viita Says:

I’m hoping that this time there will be a rule that recycling a previously released theme doesn’t count? There were way too many of those in the last competition…

28/06-2006 | 18:40

BRAD Says:

I hope that this competition goes better than the last. I offered up three hosting packages (worth $200) and was never taken up on the offer.

So … with that said .. I would like to offer up 3 hosting packages to the Top 3 OVERALL BEST DESIGNS in conjunction with what the existing prize pool.

28/06-2006 | 18:47

The undersigned Says:

Thanks for the responses :)

Viita> no previously released themes will be accepted, neither will themes based on other themes (K2 mods etc)

Brad> Thank you a lot, I will be in contact with you shortly :)

28/06-2006 | 19:17

robert canales blog Archive » WordPress theme competition in the works Says:

[…] I  recieved notice today via 480X that there is a new WordPress design competition in the works.  I couldn’t have been more pleased to find out that it’s being spearheaded by Thomas Silkjær, the fellow who recently revamped the official WordPress Theme Viewer.  We’re all awaiting further information, such as categories, and a time frame.  I must say that I’m very excited to know that somebody who is qualified will be taking the time and putting in the effort to make this competition proper, and I look forward to competing. […]

28/06-2006 | 19:40

monkeypup Says:

Wahoo! Consider my sorry arse entering this thing. It will be my very first wp theme, so I don’t dream of winning, but it’s worth it to me to just participate.

BTW, what’s the deadline?

28/06-2006 | 22:40

The undersigned Says:

Monkeypup> You are more than welcome to join up :)

No deadline is set yet, the competition isnt launched - just mentioning it to prepare the community :)

28/06-2006 | 23:05

Scott Says:

Boy, all these competitions are running me hard. I’m always up to play ball, though.

After reading David’s (BloggingPro.com) challenge, I was initially excited. And then I realized with my 9–5 and a current (and time consuming) freelance job, it would be impossible for me, as a know-nothing, to make something in 5 days. Please allow a reasonable amount of time for us, the technically handicapped.

29/06-2006 | 3:06

Vidar Says:

Fake and badly organized… I wonder which was which? :P

29/06-2006 | 4:41

adam Says:

ooooo, and vidar says it first.

nice.

i’m with scott. make sure we have 2 weekends ;)

29/06-2006 | 4:51

The undersigned Says:

From the launch, the competition will run between 4 and 6 weeks :) More information is coming :0)

29/06-2006 | 6:23

sunburntkamel » Kyacp 2.0 Says:

[…] TheUndersigned is throwing another theme competition. I’m trying to get excited, really.  he says he’s got $700 in prizes already.  being that he’s an organized kinda guy, I’ll assume he has those prizes in hand. […]

29/06-2006 | 14:50

The Sunday Slice: Freedom is Never Free. at Low End Theory Says:

[…] New Wordpress Theme Competition. […]

02/07-2006 | 22:28

plaintxt.org Says:

Theme Competition…

I’d like to briefly put forth my support for the theundersigned.net theme competition that has been announced last week. While I can’t help but feel a bit discouraged since I’ve done this twice before, I did enjoy participating in the…

03/07-2006 | 15:55

Explaining the New Theme · plaintxt.org Says:

[…] Some readers may remember my occasional threats to release this theme. Well, I have. And for good reason, really. First of all, after the announcement of a new theme competition (link) I realized I wouldn’t be releasing any themes until after that finished. […]

04/07-2006 | 5:04

didats Says:

i hope, the competition is more organized than the last competition. no more bad news when the competition have to show the winners…

i will prepare for this competition… :D

05/07-2006 | 4:47

Kaushal Sheth » Blog Archive » Wordpress Theme Competition Says:

[…] Related Post: Wordpress Theme Competition Share and Enjoy:These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages. […]

07/07-2006 | 8:42

Derek Says:

Wow, this just sounds awesome and like a lot of fun. I haven’t mastered my Wordpress theme skills but I think I know enough to get something going. Consider me a contestant if and when it gets underway. Thanks for this great opportunity!

07/07-2006 | 14:45

wordpress™ wank » more pagerankchasing idiocy Says:

[…] via sunburntkamel, I learn that they are having yet another bloody theme competition. […]

07/07-2006 | 16:24

coyotes » Customizing Templates: Where’s the functionality? Says:

[…] What’s more? Well, unbelievably there’s another “theme competition” afoot. And yet only a teeny tiny number of the themes already being offered are fully functional. One might well ask: What on earth can account for this weirdness in priority setting? […]

07/07-2006 | 19:28

blake Says:

I need updates on this — therefore, posting!

08/07-2006 | 14:28

Andreas Says:

I was invited to judge both the previous competitions, but ended up judging none. I was also going to sponsor an own contest category - but that didn’t happen either. If you launch a new contest, I’d be happy to join it as a judge and as a sponsor.

09/07-2006 | 1:49

Peter Mucha Says:

I’d like to see a category for the most customizable theme. It’s frustrating to find themes and, not being adept at reworking code, to face a take it or leave it situation.
I mean, it is possible to create a new or updated theme that does all this:
1. has sidebar widgets
2. has a width that can change, or an option to fix or float the width
3. has an option or instructions for how to change the height of the header color area / art and place the name left, right or center.
4. has art that’s easily replaced via options or instructions
5. has option (or downloads B & C) for placing sidebar at right or left, or even having both
6. has options or instructions for customizing all the colors: fonts, rules, etc.
Nobody’s going to like everything about a theme … everybody wants to make changes.

If there was such a competition, please do include upgrades of old themes … or could even be won by an existing theme, which sure deserves some special recognition (so I can find it).

I’d contribute to the prize pool for this.

09/07-2006 | 15:52

The undersigned Says:

Blake> A lot is happening behind the scenes, so just be patient :) Wanna get everything in place before launching the thing.

Andreas> I will be in touch with you soon :)

Peter> As the plans are now, the competition will not be open for pre-released themes no matter what. We have to draw the line somewhere. But i can share, that its already planned to reward forward compatible themes with extended functionality :) You are still very welcome to donate :)

10/07-2006 | 2:17

jimmitchell.org » Archive » Wordpress Theme Competition Says:

[…] I found my way over to theundersigned.net yesterday by following a series of links starting from Photo Matt and was stoked to learn that Thomas is in the planning stages of kicking off a Wordpress Theme contest. […]

11/07-2006 | 15:21

Jim Says:

Thomas,

Count me in! I look forward to the details and rules once you have them ready to share. Any idea of when you’re planning to start the contest yet? Just so I know my time frame & all…

J.

11/07-2006 | 15:27

Newcybertech Weblog » Blog Archive » The WordPress Podcast Says:

[…] Undersigned theme competition. […]

11/07-2006 | 17:42

Sreejith Says:

I would love to enter but I still have not recieved my prize money of last competion at arenawp :( .

11/07-2006 | 20:31

adam Says:

neither has anyone else, sreejith.
at least you and i got bragging rights. theundersigned’s ajax and option-panel powered themes didn’t even get recognized.

ultimately, this competition is intended to undo the damage to the community done by the last two farces.

11/07-2006 | 22:26

Weblog Tools Collection » WordPress Theme Competition Says:

[…] WordPress Theme Competition Only new themes can be submitted, only themes not based on a previously released themes (K2 mods etc) will be accepted, and semantic code and cross browser capable themes will be weighed a lot to. I feel much better about this competition than the pervious one and I like Thomas’ work. I will definitely be keeping an eye out and I really like the “New Themes only” idea. Thomas, please let me know where I should send my share of the prize money. Also, I would suggest choosing a unique and small(ish) name for the competition to keep things fresh.   Related Posts from the Past: […]

11/07-2006 | 22:59

Shane Says:

I wish I understood Wordpress more so I could enter.

11/07-2006 | 23:15

Shawna Says:

Unless some big money is offered like in the MT Styles Contest, don’t expect anything better than what we got out of the last 2 WP Competitions.Plus the people who develope WP themes are sadly addicted to Kubrick and can’t seem to break free.The last thing anything wants or needs is another Kubrick with a different header and different background.

12/07-2006 | 1:48

Jenny Says:

totally go for it man. id love to see some new shit.

12/07-2006 | 3:13

monkeypup Says:

Shawna-
I don’t know where you’ve been looking, but there are literally hundreds of great looking themes for wordpress that are, in no way, based on or inspired by Kubrick. Not that there’s anything wrong with Kubrick.

Plus, it’s bullshit to insult people who put their hard work into creating something that they then share with the wordpress community. Have you ever worked on something really hard, and were later hurt when someone insulted it?

I think some great themes came out of the last two wp contests, and to insult the people who entered is a pretty crappy thing to do.

12/07-2006 | 3:54

Joshua Says:

Sreejith,

Did you email Terry? How long ago? What did he say? I will paypal you directly if he still won’t give you the prize since I sponsored your category. Let me know.

12/07-2006 | 4:18

Sreejith Says:

I paypal’d him about three times since the winners were anounced.

12/07-2006 | 4:32

Ajay Says:

What is the deadline for submitting a theme?

12/07-2006 | 4:51

Sreejith Says:

yay ! The orignal donor, Joshua sent me the prize money :)

12/07-2006 | 4:58

Dhanit Says:

Sounds great. I was dissapointed with the last competition.

12/07-2006 | 6:10

smackfoo › WordPress theme competition | The undersigned Says:

[…] WordPress theme competition | The undersigned […]

12/07-2006 | 7:40

33′ Rockers | Theme Competition Says:

[…] theundersigned.net is in the process of organising a new theme competition. for more details please visit theundersigned.net/2006/06/wordpress-theme-competition/ .. With the existing rules I can’t submit my Fauxed theme into the participants list.. […]

12/07-2006 | 9:06

Oh My Pod! Le blog des actualites du podcast Says:

Le podcast de WordPress…

Voila une news qui va faire plaisir a Matthieu. Je viens en effet d’apprendre de la part de Matt Mullenweg qu’un podcast en anglais enregistre par des utilisateurs etait disponible pour faire le point sur……

12/07-2006 | 14:15

Scott McDaniel » Blog Archive » New WordPress Theme Competition at TheUnderSigned.com Says:

[…] There is a new WordPress Theme competition shaping up at theundersigned.net. And there are prises on the table - woo hoo! This could be exciting with so much happening in the WordPress theme world with Widgets and Ajax working there way in left and right. I’ve been meaning to update my own theme run here and open it up public consumption. Now might be just the time! […]

12/07-2006 | 20:35

Shawna Says:

Dry your eyes Monkeypoop.If the public was satidfied with the submissions of the last competitions they wouldn’t keep having more of them.And I don’t remember insulting anyone.What is it about these competitions that seem to bring out the whiney baby is people?

12/07-2006 | 21:13

Shawna Says:

Btw, I would LOVE to be a judge and have excellent qualifications.What are they you ask? I can spot a winner a mile away.I did it with the Arenawp competition and just recently my top 2 picks for best styles came out on top over at the Mt Styles competition.

These WP competitions need some fresh judges and not the same old people with the same old ideas of what makes a great theme.

@ Scott… you better enter dude :D

12/07-2006 | 21:19

Scott Says:

I won’t be entering a ridiculous four themes like last time. Jeez. But I’ll have something. Something.

12/07-2006 | 21:39

WordPress theme competition update | The undersigned Says:

[…] I am glad to see that the pre-announced theme competition got promoted on the Weblog Tools Collection - but I just have to make clear, that the post quoted only is a pre-announcement. […]

12/07-2006 | 21:55

I ♥ ChrisLegend.net » Blog Archive » links for 2006-07-13 Says:

[…] WordPress Theme Competition (tags: wordpress) […]

13/07-2006 | 3:01

Derek Says:

@Shane - maybe this could be a great opportunity to learn more about the workings of wordpress.. i would extend any help that i could provide and i’m sure the wordpress community could as well.. i say give it a go!

13/07-2006 | 4:14

MHC-in-the-box » A new WordPress theme competition in the works Says:

[…] Previous cogitation on this contest can be read here. […]

14/07-2006 | 14:28

visualweb Says:

I scanned the WtC post looking for submission deadlines (I bonked the last two reboots) and, then reread checking to see if I just missed it. ?

Is there a timeframe?

15/07-2006 | 14:18

Alleba Blog | Wordpress Theme Competition III Says:

[…] The Undersigned decided it was high time for a well-organized, well-sponsored Wordpress Theme Competition and that is why he announced that he is actually planning one. After testing the dark and dreary waters of Wordpress plugins, I guess it’s time I tried delving into Wordpress Themes. I’m definitely in. I’m so ready to hack Wordpress like a madman with a machete. Hopefully Gail will be joining again and so will other Pinoys. […]

15/07-2006 | 18:21

aseed Says:

Good luck for all!
et merci beaucoup pour le travail!
Thank you for the great work!

regards,

31/07-2006 | 7:08

Sara Says:

Hi There
I Have found your url on my Friend’s (Nick) blog. Congratulations!

31/07-2006 | 9:47

WordPress Community · Episode 4: WordCamp, changes at wordpress.com, more… Says:

[…] Redeigned login page, coupled with an argument for Sandbox over Kubrick. Will the winner of Undersigned’s theme competition end up as the default? […]

13/08-2006 | 1:40

Phoebus Osuns » Blog Archive » New WP Theme Competition Says:

[…] Wordpress Theme Competition is held by The Undersigned. […]

20/11-2006 | 15:23

Roman Says:

$700 - Good price for theme! I would join your competition!

18/12-2006 | 7:09

Brad Says:

Offer still is on the table for this competition.

I made an earlier offer on Jun 28, and still want the community to know that intend to deliver on my offer with 3 COMMERCIAL WEB HOSTING PACKAGES ($300 worth). Also, I am willing to offer discounts to anyone that visits the website (www.hyperactive-media.com) and mentions they saw this post on “theundersigned.net”; I will give them an exclusive WordPress user discount on hosting services.

Undersgined, do you have an idea of when this competition will be updated and maybe indicate where “we” are? It is now working on 6 months from the original announcement.

Take Care

18/12-2006 | 16:02

Bigs Says:

Also wondering when this competition will commence. I’m very interested in this as well.

26/12-2006 | 3:29

Jay Says:

Got started in blogging recently and set up my blog. Just learning as much as I can… could do with some useful links.

Jay

25/01-2007 | 13:58

Geoff Canada Says:

Is this competition happening?

22/02-2007 | 15:23

Videos Caseros Gratis Says:

yeah I want to know if this is still going on.. big WP fan! :)

28/02-2007 | 16:26

Brad Says:

Is this thing ever going to come to a close? Seriously, I have offered up at least two (2) 1 GIG web hosting packages to this thing, but I am coming to determine that this is NEVER GOING TO HAPPEN.

It is a sad thing to offer up a competition and never follow through with it. The least that can be done is to update the WP community.

With that said, my offer is still on the table … Two (2) 1 GIG web hosting solution accounts for FREE!!

05/03-2007 | 20:35

Bourse Says:

I would like to know if this competition is still going? I am developing one theme right now anyway so I might enter this thing if it is still on…

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06/05-2007 | 5:28

Jay Says:

Great post - just got started in blogging recently.

23/05-2007 | 20:25

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30/05-2007 | 7:38

Mark87 Says:

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07/07-2007 | 20:49

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17/07-2007 | 15:46

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20/07-2007 | 16:58

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23/07-2007 | 14:37

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09/08-2007 | 7:44

Kristina Fey Says:

What is the deadline for submitting?

21/08-2007 | 17:43

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19/10-2007 | 0:52

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