Hey guys. Just sitting here, thinking about you all, my time here, and getting old.
I have been in a lot of pain the last few years, working harder than I did before I "retired". A few health problems.
I miss the everyday goings on here at WC. Seems like there are soooooo many new names (a good thing), yet soooo many of the old timers are gone. ( A bad thing ) Shame... I know a lot of them are alive, just lost interest, lurking, maybe.
I have a very long list of who I miss.
( Boxxi, you are number one in DX, sorry I'm not gonna get to take you down...lol )
I have several skins unreleased due to the original artist fading away. Good skins, it sucks.
Original skins? I have many, and I have 3 unfinished windowblinds just waiting. The urge is gone.
I test a bit for several skinners here. Gives me something to do, I guess....feel a bit useful.
Looking at stats I see I'm still in the top 3 in top skinners for the last 3 months, yet I haven't skinned in a while. (Dunno how that happened)
I wonder if anyone is still interested in anything other than dreams and windowblinds…..
I miss DesktopX badly. But if no one can get it anymore, kinda takes the wind outta your sails.
I have Master status. Why? Who knows? Truly, I never considered myself a master. I just liked doing the "art". But I feel like I lost a bunch of family sometimes. (My best friend Wiz stands out most, but we have lost many others.)
Ahh, getting old sucks.
I want to end this by saying that I appreciate all the support over the years. This is a good place to be, here at WC. I hope many more skinners, enthusiasts, gamers, etc. decide to become members of our clan. I may not be as visible as I used to be, maybe I'm more of a lurker, but I'm still here. I hope some of you still care if I am. Most of you don't even know me. Sometimes, I miss being PuterDudeJim. RedneckDude is ok, but his stats show him being a tad "newer" that the actual truth. Oldies know...
Good friends, good fun, good memories.
I know this is a dirty word to some but you can't deny it works (ugh, I can't believe I said that) advertising does have its place, I think. So...what's to be done? You can't plaster it all over the air waves or billboards hangin' out on the side of highways or even wrapped around a local telephone pole (and yeah, they still exist lol) so, how to get around the conventional. This is the rocky road most don't do, unless they got a rock crawler. and since we can't get one those, very expensive and too much for my piggy bank, we do the next best thing. I propose a contest, not just any kind though.
There are tons of people, up there in age and some just getting started (or doin' the second go round, like me) who love games. Personally I don't do games but those who do might get their brains tickled a bit. Ok, so can certain elements of SD's most popular games (characters, backgrounds or even widgets) be merged with or somehow included in the way of themes. If you look at some of the WBs there have been some and new ones too, that kind of push the envelope. LightStar does them, Don5318 does them too. Kitty and Andrew certainly do. Pirate themes and spacey themes and season themed packs.
Cell phones are all the rage these days (duh). People do play their games on them but those games are somewhat lacking for obvious reasons. Then come the tablets, bigger screens, lots of real estate and more room to do stuff. Can SD do its thing with respect to tablets like they do with a computer? Don't know, I'm not a dev. Maybe a combining of the two and skinners making all the stuff that breathes life into it. So lets get real. I'm grasping at straws here because I haven't got a clue as to what's involved and I'm not quite there with PSP yet. So I guess what I'm trying say is can we as skinners get with those in the know and see where something like this can go. There will always be games of all shapes sizes and what have you and many are rather complex, kind of like a WB. So, can it be done? Or am I whistling dixie?
No offense Ross you asked so just stating my thought. Said most of it above actually. How many new full time skinners have we had this year? A few little things added but only one that makes WB's. To clear that up he isn't new either just a past skinner (Z71 Ross) that decided to skin again. Also makes a great WB to boot. Actual new people "0"
Fact, except for work now many younger people don't sit down at a computer anymore unless they buy them to play hi tech games on such as SD has for example.
I'm sure that SD has looked at every angle for advertising for customization on a computer as possible.
Tablets? People walk with them and some almost get killed crossing roads looking at their tablet. Others might be home, where ever sitting with feet up using their tablet.
Me, you and others can sit back and think about this. Doesn't change the fact there isn't any answer that will get people interest in this type of customization.
Since I see this as an area of no return I say this. Those of us that enjoy our computers looking cool need to continue that. At least we will continue to have new WB's, Icons, Wallpaper, etc. to enjoy.
Don't know what year but it will be gone at some point as we know customization now and enjoy.
No offense taken. I was just rambling on. But ya know, when you come right down to it, we can petition the government for a subsidy because we're almost but not quite an endangered species.
So nice to see the peeps replying to this thread. I go back so far with you too. Have definatly had some sad moments but we are all plugging away. Sharing.
good luck with that Ross.
You're looking at this backwards. When 'we' started there was no previous generation to set the example or tell us what to do. We did it because we liked to do it and applications in general and the OS itself were pretty basic in terms of aesthetics.
The problem is not the 'older generation', it's that everything these days looks 'good enough', is professionally made, and the newer generation is no longer interested in skinning it because the results will be, more often that not, WORSE than what is already there by default.
That's also the reason why shells like Litestep, etc, died and are no longer relevant. Their reason to exist no longer holds true.
Anyway, no amount of discussion on figuring out WHY people these days are no longer interested in skinning is going to change the fact that people these days are no longer interested in skinning. Utilities in general have also taken a dive - years ago there were whole sites dedicated to reviewing applications and software utilities, now all you hear about is games.
Things change. Old things die down and new things appear to take their place. Sad, sure, but it's the nature of the beast.
I think mobile was the next frontier for skinning that never materialized. It could have happened though. Sony created a "theme creator" for Android and then open sourced the framework. I think it was adopted by LG and some other big handset maker. So we had a universal way of creating Android themes that could be adopted by any handset maker.
Then came Android 8 and Google took this possibility away. Maybe it's still possible to use this if you root your phone, but no regular users are willing to to that so skinning on Android is practically dead.
This video shows what was possible before Android 8 lock-down.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6oH6BojrcM
Looks a bit like SkinStudio, doesn't it?
Hiya Jim. Hi all. I get nostalgic about this place and all y'all rom time to time. Sometimes I get an itch to DX again, but i was always trying to one-up myself and I have already done everything I wanted to do with the program. Plus, the program is no longer available so it is what it is.
I think Jorge and DaveBax have it right, re skinning. Things change, the user experience is much different now. If Apple/MS could find a way to make a profit from skinning, sure it could make a comeback (likely in the vein of SD's MyColors exclusive brand deals) but I don't see it. The desktop is pretty much a static home base to the constantly changing web and mobile interfaces, not to mention the ever-updating OSes themselves.
Skinning is a niche, always has been. You either love it enough to be dedicated at it or it has no bearing on your computing experience at all.
Yeah, skinning and desktop customisation is what brought us all here, but at the end of the day it became a whole lot more than that... much, much more. We became a community, a group of people who became friends and people who are there for each other.
That is what matters most here, the people who come together to create a community of like-minded individuals who share not just love of skinning but of life and the appreciation of art as a whole.
Yes, skinning has taken a hit for the worst in recent times, and that is sad to say the least, but if we are to survive as a community, we need to embrace each other, regardless of who skins or not.
Having said that, however, we need to support those who still skin and encourage those beginners who would like to have a try at it. I mean, what's a community if we don't pull together as a team?
Well said Starkers
Well that is correct. However it's a very short list compared to what it use to be. You tell me how we are going to make it long again? You can't Mark, no one can. You or any of us can say how maybe it can be done but it will end with that.
As far as any beginners needing help. I'm not giving myself a pat on the back however. No one has any idea of the hours I have spent helping people skin. Using PM then email. I don't need a star for that because I enjoy helping. No names mentioned but a couple here were ready to give it up except for me. SOO the help is here and if anyone what to learn to make a Windowblind look me up. Also there is someone still active I made a Startmenu template and had the slice lines on it. also included other things. This person changed their mind but it wasn't from lack of trying here.
So words can say a lot. Said it before and now again. Skinning is dying and when you or anyone figures out how to save it let me know. I will help with making WB's for anyone.
Another big problem is this thread. Straight up. Only a few have actually looked at it or care about it. Make no mistake about it. There are old time sand baggers here all the time. They no longer wish to be part of anything. That is there right and we can't do anything about it.
My bottom line: Just do our best to enjoy what we still have and be thankful for it. Nothing we do will bring it back to where it was 6 to 10 years ago. People got tired of it and moved on. New people don't give a damn about buying a graphic program, learning it and skinning. To much time taken from them for Facebook, Snapchat. Twitter and all the rest. That is where most of the World is. Hell can't even watch the news around here without one or more of the social sites being mentioned.
My rant is over.
Well said Starkers, couldn't have said it better myself Mate!
yeah.... it's been quite a ride over the years... great fun...
I miss the days of a new vSkin on the way and all the Maxstylers waiting for graphics to start all the accessories... getting the first glimpse and starting the search for matching wallpapers and the first work in progress to do tease screenies along the way... then watch it all come together with all the accessories in all its splendor... and I add my little matching bootscreen and logon offerings... *sigh... miss it all... but wouldn't have the time to do it all over again now... real life catches up with us all... but lovely to have the fond memories to look back on.
So many talented skinners I've enjoyed works from over the last 14 years... (ye gads!.. has it really been 14 yrs!) and great fun with silly threads and fun antics between some fabulous people here. Still, we get to drop back from time to time to see how people are going and check out new skins and wallpapers... and give a thought to the wonderful people we have lost forever too.... only not completely lost... they live on in the pages here... forums and galleries... they're like a walk down memory lane...
And Jimbo... you are the definition of a Master.... I'm kinda fond of that PuterDudeJim dude too....
Yes Jim what Syd said. No more talk about why you even made Master.
All the work you did and uploaded for so many to enjoy. All the support and help you have given. You already made Master 10 times over.
Skinning evolved through necessity and was sustained by critical mass.
If you remember what the 'default' skin/look was for Winamp you can understand the 'necessity' .... and same applied to Win 95/98/2000/XP [in particular]. Their 'default' was utter crap, too.
It's fair to say Windows 7 was a big reason for skinning becoming far less relevant.... and a big part of its fading, that. and the increasing scope/complexity of the OS Shell and thus such critters as Windowblinds becoming less newbie-friendly.
Actually, Winamp was the public face of main-stream skinnables .. probably more people knew/used it than just about any other skinned app. And then it too went 'complicated' [and buggy] and people began to avoid it.
Me being a skinner for 'a fair while' I still use the old Winamp ver [2.9x] for which just about everyone did skins at one time or other.
There's always going to be die-hard devotees of skinning ... those with a critical eye on design and human interface, but by and large the hey-day is now a time in history...
And let us all be thankful to those die-hard skinners who are still plying their trade. Sadly, the hey-day for skinning is a time since gone, but there are a few reasons for that, and not because we've lost interest.
Some skinners rode off into the sunset to pursue other aspects of their lives, but thankfully their skins are still here in the libraries.
Others sadly passed, but thankfully they left us great legacies and live on in the WC libraries.
Another reason skinning took a big hit is because Microsoft messed with Windows and made it more difficult to customise. However, that is just one of the modern reasons skinning took the hit. Damned mobile devices can be attributed for a large chunk of it.
My sister does just about all of her computing on her phone these days, as do many others I know, and regular PCs sit idle. In fact, my nephew is friends with a bloke who manages the resale section at his local refuse tip, and he reckons that working PCs get dumped there every day but he can't give them away, such is the demand... or should I say lack of it for used PCs.
I'm the complete opposite, however. My phone and tablets sit idle and my PC is running. Quite frankly, I can't see how anybody would prefer to do their computing on a piddly little phone screen: make a call take a call, but I have no fascination to sit there twiddling my thumbs on a piddly phone with eff all screen real estate.
Yup, fechen mobile phones oughta be banned.
Anyhow, I used to make icons, but my reason for stopping making them is arthritis, and to some extent vertigo. I found that I couldn't sit at the PC for long periods making them, and getting up and coming back to them didn't work for me, so I had to stop. It's a pity because I enjoyed making them, but I can't force the body what it doesn't want to do, especially now that my mouse hand is buggered up with arthritis.
PeterDudeJim?
Thanks, Syd. Means a lot to me that you said that.
Mark, I just found out today that I have bone spurs in my neck and shoulder. Along with Brachial Plexus injuries. Whatever the hell that is. Also there is the arthralgia in the right hand, diabetes, bulging discs, etc.
No wonder my right arm is almost unuseable. And wouldn't you know I'm right handed.
When I get moved to Alabama, I plan to try to get back into skinning, maybe even windowblinds. I miss it, lost the fire, but I think I can get it back. I plan to get out of the PC sales/repair business and back to skinning.
I am happy with the progress of this thread. It has shown me that the "family" concept is still here.
I love all you guys. WC is home.
I hardly even use DX anymore myself, but that may change soon.
Someone wise here once said "skin for yourself, share if you want, pay no attention to download counts and ratings. Make YOU happy". Well, I must agree. And I will likely get back to DX, and share. If I get 8 downloads, so be it. As long as I enjoy making and sharing.
You can expect Winstep skins and WB skins from me as well. Probably around December. Once I move to Bama and settle in.
.... yeah... your twin Dude Peter as well...
(typo...sorry..)
I have no idea what Brachial Plexus injuries are, but I'm familiar with bone spurs. I have one in my right wrist, which causes my hand to ache after longer periods of use, so with the arthritis and issues with my thumb, my right hand isn't up for much mouse work.
Oh, and I'm left-handed, BTW. However, I'm right-handed when using scissors, screwdrivers and a mouse. Go figure, but it just felt comfortable to me. I thought about retraining myself to use the mouse in my left hand, but it's a bit like how they say about old dogs and new tricks. While I can control a pen perfectly well in my left hand, I don't have that much control over a mouse.
Perhaps with practice I may learn to master it, but I now also have arthritis in my left hand, though not as bad... and then it's finding the time when I have so much else to do. Thing is I can still use a mouse in my right hand, just not for long periods or for anything intensive, such as painting or drawing in the various art programs.
Oh yeah, I also have bone spurs on both heels, which can make it quite painful to walk at times. I also have a bone spur on my right hip and the inner side of my right knee... and in my neck I have 4 discs completely missing, with C3 and C4 vertebrae now totally fused together, so yeah, with all the cracking and grinding I do sympathise with you regarding neck pain.
It's a pain in the neck... pun intended.
Yup, it's a bastard getting old, but then I don't know that I'd want to be starting out as a youngster in this day and age. For mine, the world is not a better place than when I grew up during the 50's, 60's and 70's. The technology may have advanced in leaps and bounds, but I recall doing real things in the real world. Kids these days are too often nose down in their phones or other devices and miss so much of what I enjoyed doing as a lad... like walking in the countryside; fishing; playing cricket and/or rugby; going camping.
They're becoming fat bastards before their time, and parents seem to be too busy and simply ignore this.
Yes Jim what Syd said. No more talk about why you even made Master. All the work you did and uploaded for so many to enjoy. All the support and help you have given. You already made Master 10 times over.
Hello Guys and Gals. It has been a long time since I have been active here. I do miss being an active member and chatting with everyone. I was even a Mod at one point, regrettably that was also when changes in life happened.
I started day one here. This place was jumping! I couldn't wait to get off work to hang out here! Getting on the forums and chatting it up with friends, waiting to see what skinners had up their sleeves to share for all! WC was a big buzz, couldn't get enough.
Things started to changed after I got Married in '07 and a new job too, pretty much a new life. Eventually my son came along and well, I didn't have much time on the computer anymore. I was switching to the mobile world. I am still into customization but primarily on Android devices where I change my homescreen all the time the way I used to on my desktop.
I come here and look around once in a while and remember all the good times I had. I still have my subscriptions to WC and OD, (might have slipped a year or two ) I still use WB , Start 10, Winamp, ETC..on my laptop.
Well anyway I just wanted to say I do miss being and being with everyone. It is/was truly like a family here. Lots of interesting people have come and gone, still some oldtimers. Miss my talks with WOM in particular. You have helped me more than you will ever know Mike. Thank you.
elvee
elvee ..... member number 91 ... that'll be day one....
Long time no see/hear ....
Good to see you here Lavant!!!
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