Is TSF "Special"

No special treatment is extended to any author in particular.
As a matter of fact I can easily create a skin theme to let's say, promote my own website and link it our of the WC library.
Judging by your comments on TSF latest theme, I can only assume that you have started this thread out of disgust due to the fact that you have to download a theme pack out of another site rather than individual downloads of each skin on this site. Further more, what you fail to see is that the theme you are complaining about is a commercial theme of Alienware by TSF; therefore Alienware has total control and saying on where and how the theme is distributed.
Now if you like the theme, download it and be happy, if you don’t want to go thru all the hoops, then don’t download it and enjoy the screenshots.

Has anybody else ever done the "link to another page" thing?

Has anybody else ever done the "link to another page" thing?

I use it all the time to display screenshots uploaded at imageshack. Or would that be considered different?
Personally, I don't chase after his stuff. To commercial for my tastes.

Not in the gallery section generally.

TSF isn't the only member linking to works offsite.  As much as is physically possible it's nice to see the works hosted here on WC rather than offlinked....but particularly in the case of commercial skinners, eg TSF, they are often 'limited' as to where their works are allowed to be hosted, but as a benefit to the community they DO provide links to the works on the community sites....

Jafo - Show me one other skin that when I hit the "download" link on WC it takes you to another site for a download. It might be here somewhere but I have never seen it. I would love to know what other authors have been granted this privilege. I really would like to be proven wrong, as it would show a fair approach to submissions. Thanks, kith

I'm pretty sure some of the Pixtudio works were/are like that, not to mention all the related works by people for proggies without a section here that are linked to places like Devart, etc.....and there are thousands of those...

Jafo,

I just clicked a lot of download links for Pix skins and they all seem to be hosted on this server.... even the Zippo and nVidia stuff in the proper formats at that!!!

If you have a link please post it, or any other admin for that reason, I mean how many exceptions could there be, outside of TSF Skins that is!

I am not sure where the without a section gallery is, here is a link to the gallery list, where are these thousands of skins?

https://www.wincustomize.com/LibraryList.aspx

thanks,
kith

What is your rant going to do, kith? Sorry for the lack of tact, but you are getting a quality skin for free. What is your complaint?

nVidia stuff in the proper formats at that!!!

If you look again the nvidia reactor for Win Media links to a different site.
On the other hand WHO CARES?

Kith, Im gonna add a download link to another site for my skins from now on. Maybe that will calm you down.
I mean, who the hell (besides you) cares how TSF links their skins. Just be glad you can get them for free. Jeesh, you are really dragind this thing way out of proportion. In all the time you have wasted ranting about this issue you could've download all the free themes from the Alienware site. You could've also installed them and delete the ones you didnt like.
A million plus users on this site and you're the only one having a heart attack over this.

The complaint is the title of the thread, Is TSF given special consideration that other members/customers/authors/subscribers are not given?

This has nothing to do with the free nature of the skin.

I do not know why you feel the need to chime in on every post I make Mr. 500 thousand and change, is there something here that you feel relates to you or is this just another WC pile on... So be it, I have been here long enough I think I can ask a few questions of staff/admins if I feel it necessary.

thanks,
kith

As a side note the Reactor skin was done by TSF also.

Mr 500 thou' and change?
That must be moi.
Well for someone that has been here that much longer than me you really make too much of a fuzz over some meaningless, irrelevant thing. And it really doesnt relate to me at all, but the question is. How does it relate to YOU?? Or better yet, how does TSF or any author outlinking their skins damages or alters the WC community or the skinning community in general?
Authors will promote/distribute their work any way they possibly can or any way they are instructed to, and as long as they dont break any rules or laws I really dont see why anyone would make such a big fuzz.

If you check the skin page(Link) then you at the bottum you can find logos of stardock and TSF ... means this is a joint venture of stardock, TSF, and Alienware. Alienware has selected TSF to create exclusive windows skins by using stardock's applications. This is a marketing strategy nothing else.

I suggest you to make TSF level skins ... beat them out and then complaint ... it is their matter, their strategies ... and their systems. If you want to complaint then you SHOULD discuss with higher authorities privately not publicaly.

have a nice day

There are several gallery/skin sections on WC...however there are hundreds of skinnable programs in the wild.  When someone posts a wall [for example] here he will often post direct links to his other related skins which are NOT hosted here simply because we do not have a section for them.

That is off-site linking.  The Galleries listed on this site are very definitely NOT all that are available elsewhere...so if a person has a whole suite of skins they may be sourced all over the place if you need to find them all.

Now, to re-iterate...TSF has commercial clients who own copyright [distribution rights] to those works.  They 'allow' on occasion other avenues of access...eg from here...but due to corporate ownership/control they may [and do] prefer to be in full control by hosting them on their own servers....if/when they 'need' to withdraw them from public access they can do so with one click....and not be at the mercy of publc 'lethargy' [perhaps]....having to request their removal from a site outside their immediate control.

If and/or when you personally have a similar legal/commercial situation your works can/will be treated equally.....in other words....NO preferential treatment.

Perhaps people need to look more closely into the mechanics and machinations of property copyright and how it affects them and their distribution.

I remember one work where TSF did a private, commercial project....not to be publicly accessed...but the 'owner'...the person who commissioned the work subsequently allowed its public distribution....and Pixtudio has had similar, as I recall.

Such public distribution should be seen as a bonus....as the owner/purchaser bought sole rights to its use.....yet then allows Joe-Public to have it freely.....I see that as a plus....free yet commercial-quality works....

Thanks Jafo,

So I am clear on this, any author who makes a case, can have his/her skins download link on WC direct to another site?

I appreciate the post, and I can't wait to see who the next author will be!

thnanks,
kith

You know....the only 'problem' with these works is the size of the download.  As skins they are arguably better than most, so it's 'amusing' to see quite disparate rating 'opinions' on them.

My personal thoughts would be...eg the WMP skin 'Invader'...10 out of 10 for 'skin/style/execution'....maybe lose a point for bundled size.....dial-up is a bitch.

So it seems there are people out there that really need to rethink their rating methodology.  I don't think "1 meg = 10 points and 66 meg = 1 point" is a sound basis for rating anything much at all [except your ISP access speed]....

I would love to know what other authors have been granted this privilege.

I'd call it a more of a restriction than a privilege. But personally I'd consider "them" special.

If I can ever get it to download, I'm sure I'll love it. At least the WMP.

From reading the question, I think what Kith is trying to say is:

He doesn't mean those people who put links to their work that isn't hosted on WC in the discription area.

I think what he means is: Who else is is putting the link in the download button other than TSF!

I could be wrong, just my guess.

Got it. The WMP is incredible. Well worth the size of the download.

If and/or when you personally have a similar legal/commercial situation your works can/will be treated equally.....in other words....NO preferential treatment.

That answers the question. As I read it, that option (download button linking to another site for download) is open to anyone with equivalent circumstances.

In the long run, considering how popular TSF's skins are, the external linking helps save some of WC's bandwidth too. So it's not a bad thing.

For all I care, TSF could use off world links and get 'Scotty' to beam them down to my puter.