Reusing templates

[MightyMidget]

I'm curious, just how much will most LL's actually allow you to reuse from a "template"? Is it acceptable to simply change the title and the content and keep everything else the same (same salestexts, same table layouts, same order etc)? If not, would it be enough just to throw the tables around a little?

I'm asking because I have actually never "reused" any FS and would like to know more specifically what it means. I know that templates are not supposed to be re-used more than once a month, and I actually prefer building new sites anyway, but on certain lazy days it would be neat to know what the standard practice is

[ladydesigner]

I'll give you my 2 cents in two parts.....

As a LL reviewer I only get on submitters about templates if they use the same one (same color scheme, same layout, same banners/text) over and over, one right after the other. Switch up your templates and don't submit the same ones all the time and you'll be fine.

As a free site builder, I went over a year without reusing a template once and realized that was stupid. Now I personally will reuse a template about 3 times. When I reuse them though, I change the background color, background, make a new logo, new enter button, change the recip table color, switch up the placement of the warning, etc. but I use the general layout so it's not too much work for me when I'm being lazy. Sometimes lately I'll even use the same sponsor promos.

Hope that helps!

[Greenguy]

I think the rule of thumb is once every 30 days.

[MightyMidget]

ladydesigner, thanks for the input! Seems like you're doing quite a lot to change stuff around anyway then, but yeah, it would still be less work than doing it from scratch.

Greenie, yeah I know that, but the question was "how much of the original site is it OK to use", i.e. would you accept it if all I did was change the logo/title + pics/movies/thumbnails on the gallery pages and leave everything else as is, or does one need to throw stuff around a bit more than that (how much)?

[Greenguy]

Originally Posted by MightyMidget

...Greenie, yeah I know that, but the question was "how much of the original site is it OK to use", i.e. would you accept it if all I did was change the logo/title + pics/movies/thumbnails on the gallery pages and leave everything else as is, or does one need to throw stuff around a bit more than that (how much)?

That'd be fine by me.

[MightyMidget]

Originally Posted by Greenie

That'd be fine by me.

Cool, that's good to know.

[japamor]

Originally Posted by MightyMidget

I'm curious, just how much will most LL's actually allow you to reuse from a "template"? Is it acceptable to simply change the title and the content and keep everything else the same (same salestexts, same table layouts, same order etc)?

The only time I start rejecting is when I think the submitter is taking the piss. Site after site absolutely identical apart from the title and content is too much IMHO.
Templates used with common sense is the answer.

[SheepGuy]

Sounds like Ladydesigner and I do things pretty much the same. I've never turned down a site for over using templates but I've warned a couple of people that they were overdoing it.