Ever since Thesis 2 was finally released by DIYthemes aka Chris Pearson in early October 2012, customers have been waiting for the release of the promised, supposed-to-be-bundled, Thesis 2 skins. Namely the Pearsonified skin, and the Social Triggers skin.
But these two Thesis 2 skins… Still aren’t available!
In my popular (and quite frank) Thesis 2 review I concluded that I’d probably never write about Thesis 2 again.
As you may know, I’m a much bigger fan of Headway 3 than Thesis 2.
But, I realise many of you are still looking for Thesis 2 skins. Especially because Chris Pearson has such apparant problems getting his long promised Thesis 2 skins finished and available, to all the DIYthemes customers who’ve purchased Thesis 2 on the expectation of those two skins being included in the deal!
Truth is, I’m immensely flabbergasted that DIYthemes aka Chris Pearson, STILL hasn’t released any of the skins promised for Thesis 2.
Thesis deadlines are slippery deadlines
Or so it seems. Here’s screenshot from the DIYthemes member area, grabbed on November 30’th 2012. Almost 2 months (!) after Thesis 2 was released! Note that the deadline had already been passed two days earlier…
Today, January 4’th 2013 it still says:
On Twitter, Chris Pearson has repeatedly touted Thesis 2 as being sooo easy to use, and accordinly, that porting almost any web design to Thesis 2 is easy as pie.
If it’s so easy, how come it takes so long to finish and release these two skins to his loyal (and paying!) customers? It isn’t because he’s busy supporting Thesis customers, since he’s rarely seen in the DIYthemes support forums.
The official DIYthemes forums are shock full of complaints about these missing Thesis 2 skins.
The promised Thesis 2 skins remain, well, promises… Click to see the larger version of this screenshot I grabbed today, January 4’th 2013:
What’s even worse, is that the skins are *still* marketed as if they’re bundled with the purchase for instant gratification. This is further emphasized by denoting other parts of the deal as available “when complete” indicating that the rest of the deal, including the skins, are bundled, and ready for download.
That pricing table will make pretty much any potential customer believe that the skins are available and bundled with Thesis 2 upon purchase. The fact that they then aren’t – is despicable and dishonest!
What makes Chris Pearson feel he can treat his future and current, loyal customers that way?
Will the “Social Triggers” and “Pearsonified” Thesis 2 skins be responsive?
Who knows? But my guess is they won’t. Neither pearsonified.com nor socialtriggers.com are responsive sites (as of this writing).
So why would any of them result in a responsive skin?
All the above said, I don’t see why its such a problem to release a skin as simple as the Social Triggers skin, which plainly looks like a mildly customized Thesis 1.8.5 Classic skin. It’s my guess most customers are interested in the skin, not because of its visual appeal (which it’s lacking imho) but more to use it as a foundation to help make sense of Thesis 2.
The Pearsonified skin would be more interesting to see, but that one is currently scheduled for release “after the Social Triggers skin…”
And what about the DIYthemes website itself? Is it responsive? Nope. Check for yourself. Try resizing your browser window and scroll around a bit;-)
What to do?
If you are looking for a viable and flexible Thesis 2 alternative – I warm-heartedly recommend you check out the Headway theme framework. I use it every day, professionally, for my clients and my own websites. Headway Themes recently introduced their take on a skin solution, and it is ultra elegant!
If you are looking for a Thesis 2 tutorial – check out Amelia Smith’s Thesis 2.0 video tutorials. Though they can also serve to show you how unnecessarily complex Thesis 2 is.
I hope this blog post was useful to you? Let me know in the comments below – and please help me share it!
Benny says
This is bizarre. I’m a little confused. It’s the end of February 2014 and I can’t really find any info about the Social Triggers skin despite us being paying Thesis customers. Currently running the Classic skin on a client’s site which is sorta pointless bc I can create a similar-looking site in WP without Thesis. Argh. Why am I wasting my time on this Thesis thing?
Jurgen Braungardt says
Hello,
I agree with the above comments; I have the same experience. I purchased Thesis 1.85, and worked hard to build my website. Then I bought the upgrade to 2.0 before it even came out, because they sent an email offering discounts for early adopters. I actually never upgraded my website, because I would more or less have to recreate my site. Too much work. There is no migration tool from 1.85 to 2.1. They just abandoned their customers. Their technical support is also not very helpful: they seem to be ignorant of the fact that I am an end-user, not a developer. It is as if I am just not good enough for them.
I hope many people read your article before they buy Thesis. Thank you for writing it.
nyletterpress2Earl Kallemeyn says
Thank You!
PuppetMaster says
YOU SAVED ME!!! Thank you so much! I have been struggling with making the decision to buy or not buy Thesis 2 and this article was the clincher. I am trying to get AWAY from time consuming learning curves – and get into really simply frameworks so I can focus on CONTENT – not trouble shooting. thanks a million. keep up the good work!
Oliver Nielsen says
Thanks! Glad you find it useful!
Tonya Schulte says
We bought Thesis 1 a couple of years ago. I’ve been afraid to upgrade to 2. Now I’m even more scared! I’m a total dweeb when it comes to website design. I just want to have a simple enter it and go system. Do you know of any third party skins that are available for Thesis 2 that are set up for online retail stores (ecommerce?)
Oliver Nielsen says
I’m not aware of any e-commerce centric Thesis 2 skins.
But check out KolaKube.com – best place to go for quality Thesis 2 skins – including Thesis 2.1.
Maximilan says
After waiting 6 months i gave up with thesis and purchased genesis. Thesis has always problem with plugins, hard to design and they never follow their promises. Those free skins were going to be ready by last christmas. Where are they why they don`t give us some information? PLEASE STAY AWAY FROM THESIS!!!
boris says
This is what I posted on the DIY forum to indicate how ridiculous DIY handles its costumers. I now use genesis and are very happy with is.
Headline: promises, promises……..For sale: Thesis 2.0, easy to use, with manual and 2 skins
Well, it is not easy to use nor does it come with two skins or a manual, but they will be ready very soon! Promised!
How do I know, you ask? I read it on the twatterfeed of the great Chris Pearson.
It could take a while ofcourse, because the great Chris Pearson is very busy doing ‘cool things’. Yes, with my money but that does not matter. I am now part of a community and I will pray to my DIY shrine for fast delivery……
Chris Pearson, you broke your promise, give me my money back!
Samuel says
If you’re unsure why Thesis 2 is launched the way it’s launched, I’ve written this : http://bit.ly/11MHkr4
The product is a commercial exploitation and shouldn’t have made its place to the market to begin with. I’ve switched to Headway 3 and I’m contended sinc then.
Oliver Nielsen says
Glad you’re satisfied with Headway. Gonna go read your link now!
Thanks
Oliver Nielsen says
Ahh, can see I already read that article Samuel. A good read though;)
Samuel Chan says
Thesis 2 feels and acts likes an arrogant product that has no respect whatsoever to user experience and support. It’s pure commercial exploitation right from the very beginning — the launch, down to its response to user feedback or the lack thereof. It’s just frustrating on many level.
via: http://bit.ly/11MHkr4
“Thesis 2 Review: Frustrating user experience, commercial exploitation and more.”
Oliver Nielsen says
That blog post is amazing Samuel – thanks for linking to it – a good read!
Have a nice weekend:)
Michael Wilson says
I currently have Genesis for one of my websites. My most successful website still has a ‘free’ theme and I’ve been very carefully trying to select a great premium theme. Whilst I like Genesis I don’t like how its customisation options are fairly limited to a non-designer like me. So I’ve been looking at both Thesis and Headway. I think your post may have just given me the answer I’ve been looking for.
Is there anything else I should consider other than Headway?
Cheers,
Michael
Oliver Nielsen says
Hey Michael
Headway is great! For both coders and non-coders alike.
You could also check out WooThemes Canvas. It’s a bit like Thesis 1.8.x was. Design controls, flexible, etc. It has all the woo of WooThemes: Shortcodes, good documentation, etc.
Will write a comprehensive review of Canvas within the next couple of weeks. Look out for it;)
Michael Wilson says
Hey Oliver,
I’ll definitely check out WooThemes Canvas, but it certainly sounds like getting au fait with Headway is a good long-term strategy. I’ve just subscribed to your blog and am checking out the Headway Tutorial Videos.
Keep up the great work!
Cheers,
Michael
Oliver Nielsen says
Thanks Michael!
One Woman's Style (@OneWomansStyle) says
I am so glad that I found this post. I’ve tweeted several complaints since I downloaded 2.03 and installed it last Monday. Now I am looking at the available 6 skins (there are probably more, but…) to purchase to use as a fix for my site. This has been beyond frustrating and I am so disappointed that they didn’t consider their non-technical users with this new upgrade.
zimbrul (@zimbrul) says
Lucky me I did not upgrade to Developer’s license ;). I was smart. Regarding Thesis 2.0 what can I say: disappointed. I’ve been told I don’t understand the way Thesis works and how revolutionary it was. Man, Thesis 2.0 is not WordPress, it looks completely different.
Oliver Nielsen says
Chris Pearson seems to think most people are just to dumb to “get” his paradigm-changing masterpiece.
He also seems to have nothing but disdain for the WordPress community: GPL, best coding practices etc.
I understand where he’s coming from though. I think of him as a highly original thinker. Not always right, but nevertheless clever.
His Typography Calculator is simple and incredibly useful. Also interesting from a mathematical standpoint. But Thesis 2 is crap. He forgot to ask anyone for an opinion during the looooooong development process, and got derailed early on. That’s my guess.
Zach says
Hi Oliver,
I just want to say thank you for documenting the deceptive advertising. I purchased the “Thesis Professional” package back in early December and asked for my money back January 16th since the Skins still hadn’t been delivered. Liana at DIY Themes refused to refund my purchase by lamely responding that I was beyond the 30 day period and that I should have gone to the technical support board and asked when they would be delivered! Yes, ironically she said it was up to me to ask them to communicate to their customers about their false, I mean ever-changing delivery promises. I responded that their advertising was deceptive under the FTC rules http://business.ftc.gov/documents/bus35-advertising-faqs-guide-small-business, that the skin hasn’t been delivered so how can I be held to a 30 day refund period, and that it was incumbent on them to honor their promises or make it right with a refund. DIYthemes never responded to that last email.
Since they’ve decided they are going to keep my money and not talk to me, I feel it is my duty to try to get justice for myself and others who were also deceived. I want no relationship with them and refuse to use their products which you so aptly point out are sub-par. I only wish this post was available before I purchased.
So while I suggest any DIY themes customer who is unhappy with their ever changing delivery promises after they accepted payment contact them directly at [email protected] and ask for a refund, if they refuse to refund your money you have options. This is what I am doing to help resolve me complaint: I’ve filed a complaints with PayPal.com, the Better Business Bureau https://www.bbb.org/consumer-complaints/file-a-complaint/nature-of-complaint/, the Texas Attorney General (DIYthemes is in Texas) https://www.oag.state.tx.us/consumer/complain.shtml, and the FTC https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/.
Regardless of how this turns out for me, I hope I can make someone else think twice before handing their money over to DIYthemes.
Zach
Oliver Nielsen says
Thanks for sharing your story Zach.
Good you’re doing something concrete (ie. file complaints to relevant instances) to rectify the situation. Sad how Chris Pearson slowly but surely burns down his business and personal brand.
Today, january 24’th 2013, customers are still waiting for those two long-promised skins.
At least they’ve changed the pricing table on DIYthemes.com, so that it no longer suggests that those skins are instantly available upon purchase. I have good reason to believe Chris Pearson read this very blog post and figured he should change it.
An idea: You should put up a simple site Zach, tell this story, and urge other unhappy Thesis 2 users to join by filing their complaints as well. Ask for refunds, and notify relevant authorities. I’m sure it would take off, judging by the traffic on this and my previous Thesis 2 post.
I still can’t believe I waited eagerly for Thesis 2 since early 2011…
Zach says
Hi Oliver,
As an update to my previous comment, the Better Business Bureau gave DIYthemes.com an F rating (the lowest rating a business can get) after they failed to even respond to my complaint. The rating can be viewed at the following link:
http://www.bbb.org/central-texas/business-reviews/not-elsewhere-classified/diy-themes-in-austin-tx-1000100254
I recommend other people file complaints at the link above so that the pattern of abuse is documented for all to see.
And as a warning to consumers who still think they want to try the Thesis theme from DIYthemes.com, the only payment method DIYthemes.com offers is PayPal. If you ask for a refund and the DIY Themes refuses, your next course of action would be to file a complaint at Paypal. But the game is rigged. Consumers cannot win a dispute on PayPal for a digital/intangible good. The details may be found at the following link:
http://www.astigtayo.com/Thread-Winning-the-Paypal-Dispute-War-digital-intangible-goods
I’ll let you all draw your own conclusions why DIYThemes.com, which has been operating for years, offers PayPal as the only method of payment on their site.
I am considering throwing up the site you suggested. I’ll let you know if I do it.
Zach
Oliver Nielsen says
Hey Zach
Thanks for getting in touch with an update! So cool that you actually got him a well-deserved, though sad, F rating.
=)
Oliver
Serge Liatko says
Hi,
great post. Totally agree about the skins… As a developer who built his business on thesis I’m in a sort of back end … I’m about to release a responsive skin (when I will finish to negociate the bug fixes in thesis core…) so you see the situation.
Well, knowing thesis I do say you can do whatever with it but you need to know how. There are few people who do. How difficult is to create a skin? As difficult as riding a moto in the dark and blinded. That will be an experiance.
After that challenge, I think i will move away. After all, I had many of the thesis 2 features under Thesis 1.8 so I do not worry for me but for the clients who bought thesis as “no code needed” theme.
Blue Volcano Media says
Hi there! Great post. You know, I first stumbled across Thesis back in 2009, when I was revamping a then-Blogspot-hosted blog that I wanted to move to a self-hosted WordPress site. The marketing pitch made it sound like a non-tech like me (a then-freelance writer) would be able to get it up and running in no time. Ha! I spent about six solid weeks learning Thesis development from scratch after forking over the fee for a developer’s license of Thesis. Seriously, I think I ruined my eyesight a bit staring at long lines of CSS coding (which I’d never heard of at the time) trying to decipher it all.
I finally got to the point where I understood it enough to create a decent site and even make some changes. At the time, DIYThemes had very little in the way of tutorials, so just about all of the knowledge I obtained I gleaned from scouring the site forums for little bits of information and code I could copy and paste. It was excruciating.
Still, I was able to learn enough to be able to build more relatively simple Thesis sites as I expanded my company’s business, and when I partnered with a “real” website developer with an expert knowledge of CSS and PHP, we did even better. And as DIYThemes finally woke up to the realization that a LOT of their customers were very much like me — i.e., non-techies who had no intention of learning more website programming than was absolutely necessary — their tutorials improved and I could do away with relying so much on the whole “hooks” thing (which I never really did fully grasp).
So imagine my shock and dismay when I downloaded Thesis 2.0 at last after hearing about it for so long, only to find that it will require ANOTHER long slog at the computer staring at completely alien elements. I’m disappointed that after all the investment I’ve put into learning and getting to know Thesis and WordPress, DIYThemes puts out such a half-ass product with almost no support, not to mention tutorials. I’ve since gradually migrated to Genesis and will likely stick with them for the time being. At least their support is much more consistent and robust, not to mention the fact that they don’t appear to want to take that let’s-throw-the-baby-out-with-the-bathwater approach that has bedeviled Thesis 2’s launch.
I’ve tried Headway in the past (two years ago) but wasn’t impressed with it, but since I have that developer license as well I’ll give it another try with a test site.
Thanks for a great post!
Cheers,
Marjorie
Oliver Nielsen says
Well, thank you too for a great comment Marjorie. Made me smile a few times:-)
Genesis is an ok theme framework. Version 1.9 that was released recently offers lots of improvements, and they’re working hard on Genesis 2.0, which I’m sure will rock da house.
See also some comments on Genesis here!
Kucing says
Thanks for the writing.
I have been using thesis on my blog since 2011 and waiting for the more user-friendly interface for non coder guy like me. Thesis 2.0 Thesis 2.0 really good to make greater distance between this framework with me. Many people don’t have enough time to learn from scratch. I tried to follow the instruction in a website to use thesis blank skins. Now I can not click the post without find blank page. Just like the name. Good job. 🙁
Chris says
Hi Oliver,
Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts, and confirm for the rest of us that we’re not alone in the baffling experience that Thesis 2 has become.
Both of your posts on Thesis 2 echo my sentiments exactly. I’m disappointed by the way DIYThemes is treating loyal, and new customers with such disregard.
On a positive note: Thesis 2 has served to highlight just how cool Headway 3.4 is. In fact, Thesis 2 – in many ways – is like a failed attempt to do what Headway already does very well.
Thesis 2 has also made me more grateful and respectful of the integrity of other developers like Brian Gardner (StudioPress), and WooThemes who, in my experience, consistently demonstrate a very healthy and professional balance between great products and customer-focused service.
Chris
Oliver Nielsen says
Hi Chris
Couldn’t have said it better myself. I agree 100% with everything you’ve written:)