Sliders, whether you love them or hate them are a part of our web economy and the way we deliver valuable information to readers. Personally I’m not sure they are done incredibly well but they do serve a purpose and there are enough positive examples to at least not abandon them wholesale.
But one of the neat things that Soliloquy brings to the table is a responsive slider system that actually works very well – and it keeps getting better. Take for instance the recent update where Thomas Griffin, the founder and creator of Soliloquy, added a neat crop feature for the images that you’re putting in your slider instead of having to do it locally on your own machine.
Not bad – and I can imagine that it’s been a much-requested feature that his customers have been asking for and is something that definitely can increase speed of content publication instead of having to jump in-between apps.
But what caught my attention wasn’t the basic update on a new add-on but rather the last line that Thomas shared with his audience:
Hope you enjoy the new Addon. Next up on the list: White Label.
I can only imagine that he means that he’ll create the ability for users, customers, and perhaps agencies to white label his Soliloquy slider for their own needs.
Interesting, right? I pinged Thomas this morning specifically asking how this white labeling would be any different than someone re-purposing it by themselves as long as they remain compliant with GPL guidelines, since it is GPL per the live FAQ:
Sure. Soliloquy is licensed under the GPL which gives you the ability to use Soliloquy on as many sites as you wish, so you can pre-package with a theme for sale.
Here’s what Thomas had to say:
So by a white labeling addon, I change any and all references to “Soliloquy” and make them into a generic “Slider” term. That way clients who aren’t familiar with Soliloquy or what it does can have a point of reference for making changes.
Slider is a pretty recognizable term, so it’s just to aid those who may think it will better suit their clients workflow. The logo and stuff still stays in tact. 🙂
It’s basically an expansion of this that will cover all Addons that I make as well and not just the main plugin. So yeah, that’s what I mean by “white-labeling”. 😀
In any case, with the GPL, people could do anything they wanted to with the plugin. They could take it and resell it and it would be perfectly legal.
Not moral mind you, but legal. 🙂
Appreciate that clarity Thomas! Love what you’re doing and I wish you the very best of luck this year in 2013!
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