Plugin closed??

Curious at what happened as well. HappyFiles is still being actively developed.

Just spotted this as well – it would be good to get an update?

It appears the plugin has been temporarily removed for a guideline violation in how the free version is limited. So nothing to worry about on the security front by the sounds of it, which is a relief!

The developer explained the situation in a FB post

View post on imgur.com

Couldn’t find the actual Facebook Post.

After reading the guidelines it does sound like the folder limitation is the issue. I guess the easier rout for the developer to go is to just restrict post types like others do.

Not sure why the guidelines require the extra functionality in a separate plugin. I don’t like the fact that I have to have 2 plugins installed for Elementor etc…

Also do not like the fact that developers do not get any warning, explanation nor a grace period to fix the issue. Sure some may be violating the guidelines on purpose but I bet most are not.

@esilverstrike — here’s a link to the dev’s Facebook post (you’ll need to join the WordPress For Non-Techies by WPCrafter group to view it, though).

The guideline that “Plugins may not contain functionality that is restricted or locked, only to be made available by payment or upgrade” seems a bit surprising–all the free versions of plugins work this way here, don’t they?

I will submit an updated version to the repository soon. The explanation of violating the guidelines leave some room for interpretation. So I am not sure how long it’ll take until HappyFiles will be listed again. Rest assured, I am trying my best, friends! Huge thanks to everyone for providing some more context on the issue.

Ah, “they” do not let you limit the number of “folders” (groups) or they do not let you keep that number “small”? And importantly is that the case with few other similar plugins?

I am glad to see AUTOMATTIC takes care of users’ aka customers, but I am sure they take care of developers too. Do they?

If I may intrude completely ?? Give “them” as many “folders” as they want but implement an image insert block (HappyBlock) specific to your plugin concepts, and charge for that.

• This reply was modified 3 years, 10 months ago by DBJ.
• This reply was modified 3 years, 10 months ago by DBJ.

If the plugins’ review team applies this specific “trialware” rule to all the repo plugins, with the same strictness applied here, I’d guess most of them need to be closed immediately.

Guidelines were made to protect the WP community, they should serve the community, including the plugins’ developers. In this specific case, the HappyFiles plugin, a 5-star plugin, states from day one that it is a 10-folders plugin. If people want more than that, there are other solutions in the market.

Shutting down HappyFiles leaves 3000+ active users without any other solution, without automatic updates, without security patches. In the end, no one wins.

I hope the review team reconsiders.

Totally agree with @luistinygod.

Nobody wins here …
I, as an enthusiastic user of the “basic” version, now I really feel on the high seas with this news … and to think that the 10 folders were fine for me …

Also I don’t understand how it can be considered Trialware … am I wrong or only software that interrupts some functions at the end of a trial period expressed in terms of time is considered trialware? like days or months .. for example photoshop … which has a 30 day trial and then no longer allows you to use the software …

Here nothing expires after a period of time. There is a limit on folders, but you can very well delete old folders and make new ones .. as long as they are 10 maximum … at this point all competitor plugins should be considered the same and closed …
Furthermore, compared to the others, the Pro plan of this plugin costs even less, since it offers a lifetime plan …
(and from my experience I can say that it works much better than others)

Really very embittered by the whole affair .. I hope that the wordpress team will understand the situation soon and solve it …

I wish HappyFiles to be back online as soon as possible, for developers and for us users!

Well following up my last comment, and as stated by @roccocontillo, I confirm that multiple other WordPress media folder plugins in the repository, which target the same features like HappyFiles, have the same limitation (up to 10 folders). They are all still listed.

I found out as well that plugins like Jetpack and Yoast SEO, to just mention some of the most popular plugins, all infringe the same guideline:

“Plugins may not contain functionality that is restricted or locked, only to be made available by payment or upgrade.”

For example, Jetpack locks the feature of adding the tracking id of Google Analytics needed to generate the script inside the website. It’s locked with a green button saying “upgrade”. Although Google Analytics is a service, the feature of adding the tracking id on a text field inside the WP dashboard which automatically generates the script tag on the frontend is code in the Jetpack plugin and it is locked by one upgrade. This is a direct infringement of the guideline 5, copied above.

Yoast has the same kind of infringement with the feature called “Multiple Keyphrases”.

So, unless plugins’ team will start shutting down the entire repository, they are being completely unfair here, and by persisting in this decision while keeping all these cases listed, I can only assume they are acting on bad faith.

Also for discussion, what trialware is?
According to dictionary.com it defines as “computer software that can be used free of charge for a limited evaluation period”. Not the case here.

Trials usually refer to time limits but I do see how limiting functionality like with the 10 limit folder could be considered a trial.

If you read the Guidelines, how some of these plugins get around these limits is by having the free plugin with less features built into them. Therefore they are not limiting the functionality of the plugin. To get the advertised upgraded features customers then buy the pro version which is another plugin that enhances the free version. This is what Elementor does and a pile of other plugins.

Seems like splitting hairs to me and I rather have less plugins installed. They must have set it up for some reason this way…

Seems like splitting hairs to me and I rather have less plugins installed. They must have set it up for some reason this way…

Yeah, I agree–that just sounds like semantics.

The WP admins are being disingeneous and discriminatory regarding Happy Files. I just did a quick check on Filebird, Folders, and Real Media Library, which are listed here on WP.org as free plugins.

All three have a ten-folder limit on their free versions.

Other media library plugins have free versions that offer basic features and upgrading gets the full Monte.

Ten folders may well satisfy some users who have limited needs for organizing images. I am one such user, and I am disappointed to see the ten-folder limit used to force the developer into putting substantial time and resources into their product to keep a free version available.

I am considering paying for the pro version to show support for this developer. The Developer’s page is here

Tod

• This reply was modified 3 years, 10 months ago by todindiana. Reason: added link

A 10 folder tier should be considered as quantity limit, never to be a time limit like in ‘trialware’.

Not sure why and based on which criteria that WP admins decide which plugins to close first. However, HappyFiles is not the only media library folder plugin that has been closed at the moment, there are some others. Looks like the WP admins are tackling one by one?

I have followed the WP authors who make UI/UX-driven products for a while. And actually, FileBird is the first one to commit a drag and drop UI to the repo. HappyFIles is no earlier, not better, nor cheaper.
Just look into their release date of Drag and drop UI — FileBird since 2018-06-15, Premio’s Folders since 2019-02-08 while Happyfiles since 2020-02-04. All of them come with a limit of folder quantity from the release date of drag n drop functionality.

Perhaps other folder plugins will also take turns being reviewed. Anyway, I hope the WP Team is doing this in an attempt to make the community better, not poorer.

I hope they come to their senses on this one. Really cool plugin that IMO doesn’t violate any rules.