Working with a modified WordPress & Theme and updating WordPress
<p>I just inherited a site where the creator installed the <a href="http://www.paddsolutions.com/wordpress-theme-copperific/" rel="nofollow">Copperific Theme</a> and then modified the source files to achieve customizations.</p>

<p>My understanding of custom themes was that, in order to protect your modifications, you cloned the original theme and re-named it, housed it in its own theme folder etc.  Is that correct?</p>

<p>My concern is that when WordPress updates are available that customizations might be wiped out by the update process. </p>

<p>Additionally looking at the mod dates of the core WP files shows a variety of dates leading me to assume the original developer edited these as well.  Is that a reasonable assumption?</p>

<p>Do I have to upload a copy of WP from that version and diff them to know?  </p>

<p>What would best practice dictate for this situation.</p>

<p>No code comments, docs, or notes were left for me...</p>

<p><img src="http://i.stack.imgur.com/ohkCA.jpg" alt="enter image description here"></p>
