Consider this an 'FYI' to people out there thinking about buying this theme. 

While the demo is AMAZING and the theme looks better than most out there…it is most certainly NOT a simple install.  I have been working on this for the better part of a day and I don't feel I'm any closer to having it done than I was when I started.  I know that good things take time – but I just want people to know this theme doesn't function exactly like the demo without some serious time and work.

I previously used Woo themes exclusively, and when I saw the 'woo' reference on the home page of Zidalgo, I figured this would be as simple and user-friendly.  Trust me, it is not.  Woo themes look just like the demo the second you install them…and they use zero plugins.  This theme has over 25 plug-ins that all need to be configured. 

Don't get me wrong – I LOVE the theme and will try to stick with it in an effort to make my site look like the demo – but I am currently EXTREMELY frustrated.  I will be finalizing my long list of issues in hopes that someone will assist me in figuring them out.

So in the end, if you want a simple 'out-of-the-box' theme for your blog, this is not it.  But if you want to work at it and spend the time to have a great looking site, this might be the one for you.

Well let me first start off by apologizing if I struck a nerve.  I can see you are defensive and you have every right to be.  You guys have obviously worked hard on your product and you should be able to stick up for them when someone says things against them.

That being said – please re-read my post where I state I love the theme and am willing to work at it to make it my own.  I can say that I have honestly spent over 6 hours trying to get this theme to work like the demo – and the fact you state 5 to 10 minutes just gets on my nerves.  While in no means an expert, I do not consider myself a novice at this stuff.  I have customized a number of different themes to suit my needs.  So I obviously must be missing some simple steps that might lead to this being a more succesful transition.

The problems I'm having stem from the plug-ins.  For starters, I cannot get all of them to install without getting errors…and when I install them one at a time, I realize that I do in fact need ALL of them for the theme to function.  And as for sending you support requests…I guess I felt like I was by posting to the forums.  I have not directly reached out via email because I thought others might be having the same issues and benefit from having it discussed in the open.

Lastly, you reference the documentation that comes with the theme.  I am assuming you are referring to the 30+ reademe.txt files?  I have scrubbed through a number of them, and nowhere did I see that you guys would set up the theme with purchase.  That is a FANTASTIC OFFER and needs to be published a little more clearly.  I have been crawling all over your site all week and haven't seen any mention of it whatsoever.  And all I can find amongst the dozens of readme files is "Basic Install & Setup questions are supported" – which reads to me like you answer questions, not set up the blog.  Personally I get satisfaction from figuring things out myself, but I feel you guys are offering something rare by offering setup – and you might want to broadcast it a little more.  Just an FYI.

Again, I apologize if I came off as a jerk – as my only intention was to give a bit of warning to some of those users out there.  I mainly wanted to state it was a 'plug-in-heavy' theme as opposed to a 'custom-widget-theme'.  If it is as easy to setup as you state, then perhaps the problems are unique to me as I am not overly familiar with plug-ins. 

I have gone ahead and created a new db and started from scratch.  I will attempt to load the plug-ins again.  Once I have a list of the ones that aren't installing correctly, I will notify you for your assistance.  I appreciate your responses and look forward to seeing my site in all it's glory using PersonalPress by Zidalgo.

Sincerely – Matt

(current site that I will be migrating over:  http://oldweiler.com)

Thanks again

Thank you so much for the offer to set it up…and you know what?  I think I'll take you up on it. 

I would much rather spend the time making the subtle adjustments and stuff, than struggling with getting the initial setup going.

I will get everything uploaded and send you my ftp/login information via email.  I will try to get everything to you by the end of the day today, in hopes of having it ready to roll mid-week.

Thanks in advance.

Just thought I should update this post and share my feelings about Zidalgo and their customer support.  You can read the issues above to get a history as to what this thread is about…but let me tell you that I am now pleased as punch with my new site.

The admin here worked tirelessly over getting my site up and running…even researching issues associated to my hosting service.  And while I feel a little better that even he had some issues getting mine set up (at least it wasn't ALL me!), I am glad he was able to finally resolve most of those issues.

So to put a bow on this topic – even if it can be frustrating – don't fret…these guys will help you out!

Fantastic service.  A+

Thanks again!

~Matt