I’m writing this as feedback to the WordPress Plugin Review Team’s blog post on September 10. In it, they point out there are plugins in the plugin directory that install other plugins to the user site. In this feedback, I’ll take a plugin called “Redirection for Contact Form 7” (I refer to it as “wpcf7-redirect”) for example, look closely at where problems lie, and express my opinions.
Problems in wpcf7-redirect
The wpcf7-redirect plugin works as an add-on for the Contact Form 7 plugin. It was originally created for the single purpose of redirecting the form submitter to another location. However, the ownership has moved multiple times, and the new owners have ruined its simplicity by reshaping it to a catalog of misc paid modules.
The following is an admin screen of wpcf7-redirect:
First, look at the sidebar. The “Contact” menu and top three submenus are created by Contact Form 7. The remaining submenus are added by wpcf7-redirect. Can you distinguish them? Many users would believe all under Contact are related to Contact Form 7.
Next, look at the top of the screen. It adds a promotion banner there. The problem is that this banner is added on literally every page. This is nothing other than an abuse of notification.
Lastly, look at the main part of the screen. There are many buttons labeled “Get Addon”, but there is no information that explains what these buttons mean.
Conclusion
Apparently, wpcf7-redirect attempts to camouflage itself as part of Contact Form 7 and mislead Contact Form 7 users to buy paid modules. The plugin directory guidelines should explicitly prohibit this kind of abuse.
The use of trademarks is another concern. The current guidelines permit a plugin name that includes trademarks of others as long as the name doesn’t start with the trademark. So, “Redirection for Contact Form 7” is not a problem. However, it is obvious this naming confuses Contact Form 7 users. Stricter regulations should be applied to the use of trademarks, especially if it is a commercial plugin.