Matches_Malone Matches_Malone

Where have all the decent skinners and skins gone?

Where have all the decent skinners and skins gone?

First I would like to say this. I'm proud to be a paid subscriber to Stardock and virtually all of it's products even bought some as gifts too family members.
While scrolling the windowblinds section I've seen some ridiculous skins even some by those whose been skinning for awhile. Like i.e. 'Happy Fish c'mon. I think wincustomize is losing it's flair when it comes to high-defintion not too mention quality skins. And us loyal customers has to go elsewhere to find some good skins, like Flux by josephs, before that skin was uploaded here it was on of course on other sites first even though he stated that for his art award.
What happened Tiggz, Mike Brandt, and a host of others, the real skinners who dedicate their entire being, and lots of man hours, not to say those who make general skins don't but not like the professionals that puts true dedication to put forth a high-quality skin and not just downloading skinstudio and putting some bars together.
Please weed out those ridiculous skins, put wincustomize back on the map. I think it should be a skin-law the weeds out the good from the bad skins.

Bad-skin: defined as, too many bugs and have to keep uploading the skin
Good-skin: defined as, not as many bugs and upload twice for update
High-quality-skin: defined as, no bugs every part of the skin is skinned w/periodic updates to add more new tweaks if users ask.

-End of report
53,925 views 132 replies
Reply #51 Top
The comment was aimed at starkers not you   
Reply #53 Top
Please weed out those ridiculous skins


It comes down to ‘different horses for different courses’, ramesese…

This site has a little something for all interests and all age groups and a lot for the most prolific age groups/interests. (the youngest submitter I’ve come across was 12 & the oldest 76!)

To me, what makes a good site great is diversity.

If your idea of different concepts being ‘weeded out’ was adopted across the board by this site and they just allowed “high-definition” ….all of my meagre little logon offerings (which are not, in any way, shape or form, the norm for this site) would have been rejected….and, although I like a sprinkling of the dark themes as well, generally, the site would not be for me.

I think you’ve maybe missed the point of the site….people seem to be here to learn, improve, admire & enjoy others work (or not)....& have some fun, whether you’re creating a simple wallpaper or a complex skin. Sounds like you need to not take life so seriously….enjoy your dark skins….let others enjoy their Happy Fish…..and chill…..I see where you are coming from with your further explanations and hear your apologies, but your first post was a clumsy effort at getting your point across……..obviously, looking above,…..thems was lynchin’ words….

Obviously, what you want from the site and what I want from the site is somewhat different, (as I’m sure there are different expectations from different members)…..but I think both can be accommodated happily and harmoniously here, but it requires a little tolerance……room for all.

Anyway….with all the ‘thumps’ you’ve been getting….hirodoid is really good for bruises…..’nuff said from me…
Reply #54 Top
That was very well put syndeysiders. And nevertheless the truth. I think some of those thumps are healing 'cept for the one on my forehead, I guess I'll try that hirodoid and it should be gone by morning. I looked out my window I did'nt see anybody so I think I'm pretty much in good shape.
Reply #55 Top
well see
Reply #56 Top

Bout post # 50 (batgirl begins)

Why a belly button? 

When they added nipples to Batmans' suits I always saw it as a lame designer without imagination. I am thinking the same thing about the belly button on the Batgirl suit.

Reply #57 Top
Why a belly button?


It doesn't make sense.  Unless maybe her suit consists of hip huggers and a tube top.
Reply #58 Top
The will be no belly button on the costume, I added that part to it so when I goto attach her chest-piece I will know where to angle it at. The V-shaped area surrounding the belly-button will be where the bottom of the chest-piece will be attached to. The statue you see was a mold made of an actual women's waist and bottom area.
Reply #59 Top
The chest-piece is now done. Once my photographer takes the pics I will post it, so that you can see what I'm talking about. I'm just no good at taking pics, it never seems to come out right.
Reply #60 Top
btw starkers, 'he' is a she...


Oooops, there I go again....cross dressing people without their knowledge or consent. Please accept my apologies, ramesese, I did'nt mean to re-assign your gender, have you in boxers, a beard and mans business suit.

you are so bent with emotion,


No, not really, though I can become quite passionate about things at times. However, my comments were not to criticise or attack you, but rather to suggest choosing your words more wisely when expressing thoughts and opinions....to save yourself negative feedback, the misunderstanding of others. Tact and diplomacy, well it's not always what you say but how you say it, and to be honest, your comments could have been more sensitively worded.

As for my 'open mind being flexible' comment, trying to embrace alternatives to usual preferences, well I was so set in my ways at one time in my life that I denied myself a wealth of enjoyable experiences...I'd only wear certain types of clothes, listen only to certain types of music, eat only certain foods, etc, etc. Fortunately, I was introduced to and influenced by the preferences of others I became close to, and now I'm thankful for the wider spectrum of things I can embrace/enjoy as a result. So, I was not trying to say what you should or should not like, but that variety is the spice of life and your horizons are broadened by it.

Oh, and BTW, I think your Batgirl suit it very good indeed. It'll be interesting to see the completed product....and I don't have a problem with the belly button, either. In the real world, skin tight clothing would show an indentation of where it is, so why not!
Reply #61 Top

Oh good grief (pulls hair out). By he being a she I was referring to sternengalaxy, Sabine, who is a she not a he (I hope...)   

Confused? You will be.... tune in to the next episode of Soap...

Reply #62 Top
i think the "he thats a she" is referring to STERNENGALAXY...
Reply #63 Top
my the miscommunication eh fuzzy?
Reply #64 Top
I agree with the person that made this thread... I have been wondering where all the great skins are. Ever since I started paying Wincustomize, I have seen nothing but garbage on here! Then only response idiot people have is "why don't you make your own skins then" or "why don't you do better". For one thing, I have no time to waste on that. Also, I am paying to use this and to be able to download skins, but there is limited skins to download. There use to be a time where this site was great and everyday new skins would come out. Now, maybe once a week there is a new WB skin and maybe every 3 weeks some new icons come out. I am not paying for this crap! Someone is getting rich of this Wincustomize site.

If people don't think that the decent skinners and skins have gone from this site, then they are probably just as stupid as they look!
Reply #65 Top
Someone is getting rich of this Wincustomize site.


That sir, is a rubbish statement. Since the very beginning Stardock had and still has to push out more dollars for the site than subscriptions bring in. Note that only 2 % (last figure I know) of actual users have subscriptions.

And You and the thread starter have to be aware that skinning ist mostly not about pleasing people with the next uber-skin but to share what someone has done for his own needings. Sometimes this sharing ends up in popularity simply because a huge amount of people like the skin, too (Sometime that is different with purchase-suites, but that is a different story). And most of the big names are busy with projects that pay their bills, so that is one reason they don't put out one free skin after another anymore as it was at the beginning.

And again : You are not paying for the skins You download here, but for servers, bandwidth and site maintenance being able to allow hundreds of thousands accesses per day.
Reply #66 Top
Another point : With every new feature of windowblinds it also takes more time to skin al l aspects that are possible. Making a good skin nowadays can take up to three-four times more than it used to maybe 2 years ago...
Reply #67 Top
To sum this up:

* Skins on this site are not here to please anybody, but are a freely shared ressource, made by dedicted people who are willing to invest a lot (a whole lot!!!) of their free-time to make something for the community for free!!

* What is "good or bad" depends on ones individual taste and is therefore subjectiv

* Absolutely no one gets rich of Wincustomize. The little income from the subscribers donsn't cover the bandwith cost.

* Its summer and people will spend more time outdoors instead of making skins, hence the slowdown in releasing new skins (actually, that on is new)

* Sternengalaxy is female

* ramese and Starkers are male

* shrrhhhh,crackle.....Jafo has always been here...shhhhhhhrr,cchrrs.....

Happy Tuesday everyone.
Reply #68 Top
For every one goood skinner that runs into real life and has to take time away from skinning, there are 10+ new assholes that come and never leave.
Reply #69 Top
For every one goood skinner that runs into real life and has to take time away from skinning, there are 10+ new assholes that come and never leave.


Let's hope that you are wrong about this NT. Such a progression portends a bleak future indeed.
Reply #70 Top
everyone is misconstrueing my words, I pointed out one skin that I personally did'nt like to make an example of what I was explaining, however that was my opinion. My kids liked it so I downloaded the skin and put it on my children's computer, also my wife's system too, it just did'nt meet my expectations. Even what I consider good some may consider it too be bad, like you and everyone else said it is a matter of opinion and I stated that from the beginning. I'm not making any personal attacks as some of you in this thread are doing to me. And, if it is a matter of my opinion why am I getting all these personal attacks. Or, it may just be an ounce of truth in what I aforementioned and some just can't handle the truth.


Its too bad you didnt say this in your initial post. It would have made a huge difference in the tone of the thread in the beginning. You must realise that a lot of people miss the " old timers " that made great skins. But I suppose most just do not have the time anymore or have moved on in life. Skinning has become more time consuming. I myself prefer the older skins. Maybe in the future some will return - maybe we all might have to pay for the " different " skins ( I have no problem with that ) But for now - I appreciate all skins that are given freely - but everyone has a right to their own personal taste.
Reply #71 Top

Let's hope that you are wrong about this NT. Such a progression portends a bleak future indeed.

I hope I am wrong also Kenwas but unfortunately as WC grows it is inevitable that the assholes scare away some newcomers.

 

 

 

Reply #72 Top
It is my view that newcomers should be encouraged and nutured so that they have a good environment to develop skills and self confidence. It is the job of us all to help create such an environment. It is also my view however, that once that skill level is raised and developed, there should be compensation ($) for the effort that is currently required to make a good skin. I refer to technical quality not subjective artistic quality which is always a matter of taste. Without this, we, by defintion, rely on the participation of those that can somehow find the time to do this as a hobby. Each new version of Windows will increase the bar for time needed and skill levels to create excellent work.
Reply #73 Top

Part of this 'nurturing' [not 'nuturing'...  Spell checker ] that kenwas alludes to in #73 pertains to telling some people to take their abject negativity and just 'bugger off' elsewhere.

How can you equate healthy 'support' for new skinners with 'all the new stuff lately is just crap'?

Since skinning began there was 'good' and there was 'less good' skins made.....nothing has changed.

Actually, that's wrong.

What HAS changed is people's expectations/demands that quality/product MUST be made to suit THEM.

Pigs' bloody arse.  It MUST do nothing of the sort.

The first rule of skinning is...

It is meant to be FUN.

Second rule....[not too many may remember it these days] was/is...

If you don't like what you see being freely offered then MAKE IT YOURSELF.

I know we are now in the 'ME Generation'....Instead of Generation 'X'....or 'Y'... but this is just ridiculous.

 

What the online skinning sites provides are avenues/outlets/stages for skinners of all 'capabilities' to interact with each other to further their know-how, not just to be repositories for every mal-content to bitch and moan over perceptions of diminishing standards/whatever.

Some make such a career out of it that I personally would pay them NOT to be 'members' [for want of a better word].

Skinners are constantly being told if you can't stand the heat [with criticism] keep out of the kitchen...

Well the same goes for the critics....if you can bring absolutely NOTHING positive to this 'kitchen' then you can get out of it sooner, rather than later.  The 'community' won't rue your departure.

Reply #74 Top
Oh good grief (pulls hair out). By he being a she I was referring to sternengalaxy, Sabine, who is a she not a he (I hope...)

Confused?


Oh bugger it....suppose though, I'm gonna make a twerp of myself after 4 or 5 days of little or no sleep (about 3 hours...not having kids in the next life ).

Confused? You betcha I'm confused....could put me in a 44 gallon drum and tell me to pee in the corner, right now I'd get dizzy looking for it.

My apologies to Sternengalaxy...ramesese again.
Reply #75 Top
Thanks for the spelling pickup Jafo !