This time of year is typically quiet...

Reality is highly over-rated imo.

It's winter in the USA, time to hibernate. It's summertime down under, time to hit the beach. 

It's post-holiday everywhere, time to add up the bills.

First Happy New Year to all.

as far as your question

"Is it due to the time of year, or is there another reason, such as people staying away because of the cross forum activity?"

At least for me I will say this and not trying to sound like I'm bitiching about it, but maybe a little. I have WB ready to upload but with so many of SD people off and people in general not being around right now I'm waiting a bit till all the Holidays are over. I'm retired and have hte computer on all the time. Also I'm checking the forums on a regular basis. An example would be the post about your new tablet. In my opinion it would have a lot more responses if it was visable on the fromt page with the top five listed. I enjoyed reading what people had to say for learning reasons. However when all you basically see for 24 hours a day are the same 3 or 4 threads showing it means you always have to view more and then look and look through. It doesn't appear these 4 threads are ever going to go away so I guess we will all have to do the search thing to see what is really going on. One last good example would be the Monthly Desktop screen shots thread. I didn't post on it but sure enjoyed looking at all the great setups. To be honest I forget about it never seeing it on the front page unless I see it within a few minutes after someone posted otherwise it is bumped off in a few minutes by one of these other 4 or even 5 threads that are useless as far as any information.

We all know that is something is visable it will get much more attention. Here is a perfect example. Look at the 5 windowblind skins on the front page. Now based on the reason tha5t was given for why they are there I accept it 100% and the people that made these skins deserve to be there. On the other side take any well made skin and place it there for a week and the downloads would be in the thousands. So something that is visable will receive more comments then something that has to be searched for. It's all good just saying as it was asked.

So, a little from column A, a little from column B. Fairy nuff

for me it does. I. like Dave, am retired and check the forums frequently. If I see something about skinning that I can help with I'll post but otherwise forget it. right now I think the forums suck.

I also have a skin completed but am screwing around with some substyles just for the heck of it, I may not even upload, I don't know.

anyhow, happy new year everyone.

Agreed!. Walking away isn't going to bring about change. If you think change needs to happen, fight for it!

Well, let me just say from a learned point of view and PM's from varied members here, some of us have contemplated posting for skinning purposes, but have decided  we aren't really that motivated to do so considering the fact that it usually ends up getting buried by the more important and pressing threads concerning "Last Person to Post" & the ever so important...."Forum Ban Game".....wouldn't want to divert any attention from those would we !!!!

me and neone are cosy in our little unit, baking cakes, quietly working on our new skins.... doing naughty things... and tomorrow night we are probably going to drink too much pommac (non alcoholic champagne) and celebrate new years with one hell of a smooch.!!!

 i invented a new game show called "Julie Funi Chocolat" (jolly fun chocolate)   and mr neone has some time off work and is forced to play "Julie Funi Chocolat" at dessert  time....

edit ***love that pic starcandy!!

Folks, what it all boils down to is............do what you want to. 

Some folks have walked away from the community, others take a break from the community for awhile, lots of others in the community just smile and treat each day as a new day, which it is, and don't let the small stuff bother them.

I too am retired so I have a lot of time to just sit around and click through the forums or IRC, if you want to see a place that's dead check out the IRC channels for SD and WC.  It has it peaks and valleys as I said in my other reply. 

The WC community and it's forum will always be what the members of the community want it to be, all it takes is some effort. 

It has been a very, very long time since I've had the "Jolly fun chocolate" or similar excitement going on in my private life, doubt that is going to change anytime soon.....or ever, for that matter.  Have a great New Years celebration and make it a memory you will never forget!!         -- Ace ---

Starcandy!!!!!!!!!!!! how much have you had to drink? You look really bad in that pic.

Come on Kitty give us old single guys a break. You are really making it HARD for us thinking about it.

Agreed!