Maybe it's PMS?    [e digicons]:karma:[/e]

As a guy who's turned out some really nice skins (I'm a big fan of ecoLogical), I respect that you hold this opinion and maybe guys like you and vStyler are better qualified to make these kinds of judgments than guys like me who haven't put the time and effort and money into really learning the ins and outs of developing high-quality skins, but I've always felt that it's not really fair to judge any skin (judge to the point that you feel compelled to provide any kind of criticism either by PM or in the comments section, be it constructive, destructive, or somewhere in between) without taking it for a spin, kicking the tires and all other appropriate automobile-related metaphors (where's ShelbyGT and CarGuy when you need 'em?). Like others who have commented in this thread previously, this is one of the main reasons I rarely comment on skins. I've gotten out of the habit of loading up a bunch of new skins, putting them on for a few weeks and seeing what I think. Vista's actually done that to me--I was a pretty regular skin-changer back in my XP days.

For whatever it's worth, and I tend not to stick my nose into these kinds of things, it seems as though comments in this thread at least have been really ugly (or at least unnecessarily harsh) at times. I also see KM's point that merely to state you feel that something is subpar without providing specific areas that you feel need improvement and/or suggestions about how they could be improved is not really in the spirit of this community. While I know I haven't been around here as long as many of you guys, it's been my understanding (and the reason I've hung around for years) that this community is based on the idea of encouraging skinning and promoting and assisting skinners. To my way of thinking, this means that providing criticism is welcome, but only if it is with the genuine desire to help someone improve his/her art.

That's my 2 pennies. Others may feel free to disagree (many already have), but that's what I think.

sorry, but this is an assumption, and is completley wrong. I recently volunteered to help you with zubaz's crayon skin.

Karmagirl, np if its required I will start including xp substyles in my future skins, I am also getting windows 7 next week, so I will have all 3 skins on board for the next master skin. The last thing I want to do is not have my skins up to your guys standards, I will endevour every way I can so that they do.

*huggles treetog* thanks darlin!!!

and yes, the brushes were an issue that has come to light, im glad it has, and have now rectified the error. Im pretty sure everyone else will follow suit.

I'm sorry to dissapoint you Sydney but Karen did not even mention johns name. so Im not sure why you are bringing vstyler into this.

and I still agree with IslandDog, cliches are going on, and so is bullying, and it has to stop.

Ive kept my responses as civil as possible, and I wanted this whole post to be that way and still do.

Heath Ledger as joker was awesome, totally freaky like he was meant to be .. ok sorry for trailing off about movies but im blaming the alzheimers ... where am i again?

@ warreni .. put the spoon down and stop playing with the poo

I'm not sure that there is bullying going on, in order for it to happen you have to accept it.  I haven't seen one person here in the community that is willing to allow thierselves to be bullied.

Cliques on the other hand will always happen, that's life.  Most people won't admit to it but what is commonly called a clique are friends who have similiar likes and dislikes and they provide each other with a safety net when needed.

Well, that's what I think. 

i will be putting out 3 substyles in the future, so that way everybody is a winner.

but as for my personality comments, well they are not accurate, because you dont know me personally messiah, and they have nothing to do with this thread.

too late, you already did...

This whole diatribe is nonsense!

If u can't take ''negative'' opinions and comments into consideration then maybe this isn't for you, expecially when it's about master skins.

When you use the word ''destructive'' it becomes clear, obviusly you cant take negative comments about your skin/s, but you do realize that these kind of comments can help you improve your skins in the future?

But the thing I dont understand is how did u became master so fast?

If anyone ever needs a dose of humble pie...try posting a few screenies over in the windowblinds section of Neowin.

Those guys hate everything...great fun!

I would like to take this opportunity to say one other thing that has been on my mind as of late.

Maybe Stardock should add some sort of "branding" feature in Skinstudio, so when Master Themes are posted, you can have branded theme that users can test out. This way we can test the theme out and come to a conclusion if it is worth our money and/or give feedback to the author on why we decided not to purchase it, without looking like unappreciative assholes.

It could be ridiculously branded with heavy watermarks...something. I just feel that if you buy a theme, you sometimes don't know exactly what you're getting into. Even some of my personal favorite themes just didn't work out in daily use once I played with them fully.

There is no perfect theme.

I've been a Member on here for many years, but I tend not to post anything, unless I have something to say,
which is why I have relatively few posts. But this thread really takes the biscuit.
I may have been the first to actually see this thread when it was started,
as I called it up only a few minutes after it had been posted, and there were not yet any replies.

My very first impression?
Now don't take this personally Vampothika, I don't know you, and am not attacking you,
but my first impression was "what a crybaby post".

Here's my "one person's opinion":

Messiah appears to only spring in and make a comment when Vampothika makes a post in this thread,
as do a couple of other people, including someone with a Stardock tag under their nick.

To them and all the other complainers I say, if you don't like her skin, or the way she does business,
DON'T download whatever it was you didn't like, PM her directly or PM a Mod about it,
take a chill pill, quit yappin' and move the hell along.

HOWEVER,

at the same time, Vampothika, again, I think your original post in this thread was rather sad.
As several people have pointed out, you need to grow a thicker skin.
In that aspect, you need to be a little like Messiah, and not care what anyone says about you.
Do what you do, if people want to post what are in your opinion, distasteful remarks, let 'em.
In one ear, out the other, or in the case of an Internet Forum, in one eye, out the other.

And yes, I DO realize the sheer amount of work that must go into the creation of Blinds,
I don't consider myself to have the talent to do Blinds,
but I DO design Keyboard Overlays for the Users in the Forum I Admin.
Simple as they are, when one is requested, I know I am committing myself to at least 2 hours work,
until I get everything to the point where I am satisfied with the result.
To date, 167 different Overlays, and not a complaint yet.

Please understand, I am not taking sides with this post, just posting my opinion on this thread.

**********************************

Opinion 2:

[/ramble]

PS.  I'm also a bit like Messiah, in that I don't care if the above post doesn't suit somebody,
that's my opinion, and I'm sticking to it!

M-203 out