The new subsription drive has started...
This is a site that gets 90,000 visitors a day. And today it's gotten 9 subscriptions or renewals during the subscription drive. $260 down, $49,740 to go in about a month to re-do the site.
There are two different visions for the site. Let's call them the community versus commercial views. I'm on the commercial side. Zoomba/ID/jafo are likely on the community side.
We've estimated that the new site is going to cost around $50k to make. Stardock is going to pay for anything that the community doesn't come up with. But in return, the more Stardock pays into it, the more say it's going to have on the design.
I'm pretty sure that the core skinning community is no longer big enough to pay the bills and that's fine. Skinning has become one of those ominipresent things that, because it's not a niche, doesn't really have a strong core following like it used to. It has millions of users but relatively few who really care about a "skinning community" any more than people really care about a core World of Warcraft community. Skinning is everywhere these days.
The new WC, the commercial one, will be radically different than the WC we have today. First, the S-corporation that runs WinCustomize will get disolved and become part of Stardock Software (which makes WindowBlinds, Object Desktop, etc.).
Second, WC will be funded out of Stardock Software's marketing budget.
Now this may sound bad but let's face it, most people come here for Stardock related content. When this site started, programs like Winamp, Hoverdesk, WinStep, ICQ Plus and others were pretty significant. Today, it's pretty much all about WindowBlinds, DeskScapes, IconPackager, wallpapers and a that's about it.
The community won't disappear but obviously the site will become much more Stardock oriented and the days of WinCustomize as a quasi-independent entity will come to an end.
See what we have in mind: https://forums.wincustomize.com/335824
That's good, but I have to ask, where to do you get this stuff? Do you have a book? LOL!!
I can tell you this, If I couldn't get, and make, skins for Xion, I wouldn't be using it. And it's free. If that has any relevance...lol.
I don't see why it would stop people from skinning, since it would be entirely optional... And it's not supposed to promote skinning, it should be there to promote subscription.
That was me ID, the reason I bought it up, was when I wanted to Subscribe ages ago, I posted if I could send a money order, and somebody said no, and I kept on asking about 'snail mail' and nobody answered my question, so I took it as a 'no'.
TG,Zubaz provided a link for snailmail service in this thread,you may want to save it. LINK
Thanks Wiz, but no, it's ok now.
I've been thinking about this again since the advent of the 'Server Error' problems lately. And, though I realize Wincustomize may be the 'ugly red-haired step-sister' in some people eyes, I think it should really be thought of as an 'advertising' expense rather than viewed as pay-for-itself web-site.
I'm sure Stardock maintains advertising through many sources that it can not directly discern its sales return from. But think I can readily say Wincustomize more than pays for itself via sales revenues if not in out-right renewal subscription fees.
Oh well, just my opinion...
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