A comment caught my eye. . . .and a proposal for the benefit of the community

I also saw that statement and was at a lose for what to say in the previous thread. To me the incorporation of themes and skinz, for other apps is a benefit to all, for even if a theme or skin is generated/created for a competative app, it draws attention to the app, the site, and inturn the stardock apps. Well that is my thought. An open forum and gallery of moderated and high quality skins, themes, and walls is beneficial for all and draws more attention to the part companies involvement. Oh enough babbling

hegramet, you're probably new around here, or you missed out one thread or two...
We've had this discussion before... Just to put you up to date: while this is indeed a Stardock web site mainly featuring its own products, some people will say that it doesn't make it less a community web site, while other people argue that a true community site should not favour one product over another. With some huge amount of people visiting, it is argued by some that this fact alone should make it a community site, since the people are the one forming a community not a company.
I encourage you to read the thread "Register your software", where the hot of this topic is discussed towards the middle of that thread.

Oh, and I will also let you in on a secret: TomCruise is not really a user, but the alter ego of a more active member of this web site. Somebody made that post in the thread you refered to out of anonymous humour.
Oh, and no it wasn't me.
There is also NicoleKidman serving as the alter eog of another member of this website...

Just so you know my backround, I've been into skinning since the days of custo, and through the death of skins. . .This site has always bugged me somewhat, so I haven't followed the message board (ok, I admit it, I don't like Brad Wardell for personal reasons, and I don't expect anyone to believe me, as they haven't before). I just finished reading the Register your software thread, and I understand that this has been discussed. . . However, Brad Wardell refuses to acknowledge that if his company has veto power over the content of the site, no matter the content of the site (as in lack of large stardock ads) the site is corporate and for the benefit of the company before it is for the benefit of the community. . .I'm not saying that he has no right to make it a company site, but he should be honest that though there is a community of people who use company's software here, this is not the skinning community itself. I repeat, as long as stardock has veto power, this is not the skinning community. I just want honesty here, I refuse to participate in a lie. . . .Brad, simply change the about section.

Oh god, not this again...

Hmm, paxxy let me in on the secret...

creaonics - shut up you insolent piece of anti-intellectual trash!!!!! This issue is not resolved by your stupid comments. . . back to the issue. . .I think that maybe there should be a vote on what should be hosted on the site (if this is a community site), and then the content could be decided from there. . .surely democracy is a better measure of a free community than capitalism.

Temper temper... That post of mine was being typed while you were typing yours. so I missed out on that one. You must be misconceived that this site is a democracy. The admins decide what happen, no matter how hard we might disagree.

Listen to craeonics!

it's not a democracy. . .no shit!! Could it be? Not if it's owned by stardock as opposed to being ostensibly a skinning community. How could variety and competition be bad for anyone but stardock in this case. . .Are they acting in your best interests by not allowing it? NO! So don't defend them or their decisions; you don't get paid to. . .they do. . .I would like to hear from Brad on this topic. And so you know my position, I would like to have this not be a stardock controlled site, but if that is the way they want it, then they should be honest.

And china, plz, stay on topic. This is a fairly serious issue.

That's a great idea for a vote! I think everyone should be able to vote, with their financial contribution correlating directly with the power of their vote.

Whattaya think, Frogboy?

I think hegramet should buy himself a room full of servers and host his own little corner of the universe. Really though, getting this worked up over something so silly makes no sense. It's the weekend, go out have a few drinks, direct your anger somewhere else...

Skinz.org was the ideal site. In our mind, it was the perfect skin site.
by Admin Frogboy - 8/12/2001 10:44:22 PM

and so some of us "thought" wincustomize would follow skinz.org's example and list "all" skinnable apps, as was assumed by wincusto being referred to as a kinda skinz.org forever.org thingy! hehe

however "most" members caught on quickly that was not the case and realized this is a different site called wincustomize.com not skinz.org

Brad should reword the mission statement to:
WinCustomize, however, strives to contain most of the very popular ones but not too competing apps cuz he said so himself "why should he?"

yes I agree w/ hegramet the mission statment maybe should be more clear to stop these agruments! (however that need be to stop the confusion here)

oh and....

The admins decide what happen, no matter how hard we might disagree.
by craeonics - 8/18/2001 6:41:08 PM

Listen to crae & China

I agree that their is no sense in getting worked up over it. They probably should add a disclaimer along the lines of "this site is primarily supported through a grant provided by Stardock, blah blah, and so on", but other than that, no big deal. I primarily use Stardocks stuff, as it is well written, well supported, and will probably be around for awhile. I also use Nextstart and lots of other small apps. When I want litestep themes, I go to ls.com, and make the rounds of several other sites as well. They all have their own sets of rules, and different admins, and NO ONE site has skins for all of the products that I use.
I figure that if SD does not want to host skins for certain programs, that is their business, those that disagree can go elsewhere and find a site that they DO like.
One of the things that might make this less SD dependent (or "owned") is for more people to financially support it. If you haven't bought a CD or shirt, or created skins, themes, etc, you have no right to bitch about the content that is on the site.
Sorry about the rambling post, just finished moving furniture all day, almost time to sleep.

Hegramet, I Never stay on topic!

me either China
did you say you never stay on top or topic?
hehe

okay where is Jafo he should be here soon?
hehe China

Man, I feel like I'm in one of those group therapies. Except here I'm the assigned enabler.

I don't know what you really want from us. No, we're not going to change the mission statement. I am part of the skin community. Stardock has been part of the skin community from the beginning. Even if this site only had Stardock sections, it would still be a community site in my view. Someone may disagree but that's how we see it. WinCustomize strives to contain MOST of the popular ones. And it does.

Other than creating a heated, debate, I'm not sure what constructive end one is hoping for. We all have differing views on what "the community" is.

BTW, anyone caught creating alias users (such as "Tom Cruise") will be exiled.

well there ya go hegramet!

To be strictly accurate, WinCustomize is just like skinz.org when the latter first started....namely, just a skinning site created, owned and run by people who are enthusiastic about skinning. Neither had/have ALL available skin proggy sections supported.

The difference now is that skinz.org died a death due to the hard working efforts of eFront, a company with ABSOLUTELY NO interest in skinning, hence the outcome of the site.

Now, the strange thing is, I'm not the one-eyed user of Stardock's products that PPL might imagine - thus colouring my judgement.....
I'm a LiteSTEP user/themer and even only just yesterday actually installed DesktopX [crashing LiteSTEP, BTW...but I'll sort that].

I couldn't, however be MORE supportive of Stardock's involvement in this site. I see it as a true 'PLUS', not a detriment.
The financial viability/stability far and away outstrips the concerns of lack of product diversity...[really we are all talking Hoverdesk, now aren't we?].

As has been said many times before, hosting a competitor's product, if it endangers the commercial success/viability of the host/site is a 'Bad Thing' [tm]. [ I'm off to the Coke factory to buy some Pepsi].

Finally.....
There really is no reason to complain about craeonics or China being on/off topic, whatever.
This is a forum, open to all to comment with impunity...

Hmm? Why? No pun intended and not to start a flame, but you run around as Frogboy and Draginol. What's the harm in having aliases or multiple accounts?

/me gets caguht with an in-between post again...

Effusive and ebullient am I...

Me, too...

"BTW, anyone caught creating alias users (such as "Tom Cruise") will be exiled."
Frogboy

How many do you have Brad?
Three I think.

Alias'es can be tailered, to the Users Mood, the want for Anonymity, or reasons you do not need, be concerned, with.

I stand behind my Nym, and have no need for another, but others may not feel that way.

"Do as I say, not as I do!"

I have enough of a hard time getting my Daughter, to swallow, that line. Let alone, have you try to dictate it to me. You are not my Father, Mentor, nor my Idol, and have no influence over, what I choose to say, do, or infer.

The rest of this thread is a been there, done that, and the originator, will discover, that there isn't a chance in Hell, to resolve it, or even get some kind of closure, other than, the Company Line.

hegramet, just listen to everyone, and get on with$¥]tever, you choose, to do.