what happened?

Ad Infinitum!

Stands to reason that with the official release of windows 10 and a stable version of Windowblinds 10, many masterskinners will be updating their skins to be compatible with the new OS.

I happen to know that the majority of these skins are not new ones, merely updates of sometimes 3 year old skins.

With regards to the ratio of free skins vs. pay skins, it's very simple: Not many people are skinning any more, so less free skins are being uploaded!!!   

It's not a conspiracy or evil plot.....it's just plain math.

Oh, and it's idiotic to blame Stardock for the fact that independent artists sometimes charge for their time and effort.

you can do something pro active about it.   -  share your passion and  promote the site and bring in new skinners.  There aren't many of us left. Then you can get more free skins.

With the release of Windowblinds 10 [now compatible with Windows 10] it is normal that EXISTING Windowblinds will be updated, PARTICULARLY the commercial ones.

Simple math...simple explanation.

....and no-one is 'demanding' anything of anyone.

Not this again! 

2of3 is correct, at least 80% of those skins are updates of older skins so that they now function properly on Windows 10.

Now, if I were rich and disabled due to serving my country for 22 years, I would probably do more free skins. But I am not rich, and the income, as small as it is after Stardock taking about 35%, is needed to live on.

So please people, stop posting about things over which you have no control and evidently no understanding, Master Skinner's have earned the right to sell their many hours of work. A single Master Skin can take anywhere from 40-80 hours of work!

But yes, Master Skinner's should also release free skins, as a matter of fact, I am working on one now.

So is there any way of hiding a thread on this site so that one never see's it again? Because I for one am getting tired of the many posts like this on the site. They should automatically be deleted. 

I agree totally with Lightstar on this matter, it is about time it was put to bed. The sad fact is that there are fewer skinners so of course we get less skins offered.

In the past when there were a large number of prolific and capable skinners I was downloading everything, tried it, didn't like it and it was never used again. Now we have less choice but guaranteed quality with the master skins, I am more selective now and will check out the skin closely and see if if it is really to my liking before deciding to purchase, I don't buy many, but when I do it is with the intention of using it and matching it with my walls and icons.People can always try to make their own, but it seems like those that can do, but many who can't or won't. bitch about it.

Thank you mozler. 

It seems that the poster of this thread is merely expressing an opinion that he or she obviously feels very strongly about. Who is so righteous that they get to decide what opinion should or should not be expressed in an open forum? Do we now suspend the Free Speech Amendment to shut down a debate that we may happen to disagree with?  Sad , very sad. Happy Independence Day to my fellow veterans.    --Ace--

Firstly, there are only 5 or 6 windowblinds skinners left still skinning these days. An overwhelming majority of them happen to be masters. Hence the ratio of paid skins VS free skins.

Stacked with that, most non WB skins are dreams anymore.

I think if you want the skin badly enough, pay for it, if you don't wanna pay, get a free skin, or make your own.

No Ace, I don't mind if people express their opinion, but this has already been discussed on the site at least 5 times in the past 6 months. It just gets really, really old. Hope you had a great 4th of July.

I acknowledge your point of view , but may I just add that some visitors to this site may not frequent the Forums and therefore are not always aware of what has or has not been posted from day to day. I happen to be one of those people. I rarely read any of the Forum posts unless something catches my eye that sparks my curiosity, therefore I have very little knowledge of what has or has not been posted in times past. Hope you and your family had a wonderful 4th of July holiday as well.   -- Ace --

A noble idea, but lets get realistic.

When most new people come to the site and consider trying Windowblinds they simply are not going to pay for themes.

Combined with the fact that you cannot get a complete themed experience with it anymore, there just is no incentive. It's a dying art/hobby.

Get off your lazy entitled arse and make some skins or STFU. The choice is yours.

and the name calling begins .. bullshit! I don't give a damn how many times it comes up as long as it isn't the same person bringing it up.

It is an OBVIOUS concern that you would have to be blind to miss.

The fucking high horses around here..

Kudos to Lightstar for at least putting out a free one once in awhile and still keeping his prices reasonable.

Quoting RG-GS, reply 15

1st time post here. Personally for me, I do not see a problem with master skinners charging for files. As mentioned already, skinners are few these days and getting good quality skins now is hard. Not just with WB skins, but ANY skins. Just look around and see what you find.

Honestly, does one expect an author to spend 40-80 hours working on a skin and get nothing out of it? 

I used to do StyleXP skins back in the day and know how much time and effort is made doing skins. I also did winamp skins, rainlender skins, boot screens, login screens, wallpapers, music, system sounds, etc. 

So I know the time and effort involved in skin creation. 

As mentioned, have a problem paying for skins? Get friends interested in skinning and bring people here and get them making skins. 

Just my 2 cents worth.  

 

Well said Phil! 

GEE WIZ!!! I didn't mean to start world war 3. In order to clarify my previous post ! I was not aware of the scarcity of skinners AND I did acknowledge the time and work  you guys do and I really mean that. I wasn't smart enough to figure out that most of the posts were updated posts to 10, sorry my bad.. However nobody even addressed my real question and that is why doesn't Stardock pay you guys more or hire there own skinners. I will once more repeat Stardock is not a not for profit business it is run to make a profit. If the very reason they are here is is due to free services offered up by the skinners and artists and a community, somewhere the fun ran out, and Stardock sits there and watches it's self sink into the sunset. As for the only unkind poster so far "I fart in your general direction"   

To all others I thank you for your input and time  -jeff green

It's long been a prerequisite for working for Stardock to understand Python....;)

Stardock does 'hire skinners' for their own specific needs, and no, Stardock doesn't 'pay skinners' via The Master Skin process.  What Stardock does is provide an opportunity for skinners to charge [and be paid] for their work, without each individual skinner having to create, host and commercially manage/supervise their own sites.

This is ALL self-evident, however there's always someone who is yet to have it explained.

Yes, MOST Master skinners [and others] are thoroughly 'over' this whole "why-does-it-cost-so-much-you-thieving-bastards"- type threads that pop up with monotonous regularity.

It really costs NOTHING AT ALL  if you choose not to purchase.

That's called Commerce 101.

You should also note jefeverde that the service provided by Stardock to Master Skinner's is not free, a Master Skinner pays about a 35% fee back to them for providing that service.

Question (and I beg for pardon when this has been anwered already) : I purchased many vStyler skins on the old site. Does that mean I have to purchase them all again on WC ?

If you mean you bought them on MaxStyles.com, just PM me with the skin names and your email address and I will send them to you. I keep all the skins from MaxStyles (including all updates) as I owned the site, along with LightStar Technologies. I trust you'll be honest. 

Thanks, although we may have different opinions at times, I appreciate You are a person that is able to differ between 'discussion' and 'fight'. Will do as You suggested.

I don't feel that I have the talent to create a full WB skin. Maybe I should say the artistry. I like to make the rainys and widgets for WB skins though. I know photoshop and have basic a understanding of how WB skins are put together. That's where I'm at.

Let me say that the reality of the situation is that as mentioned before there aren't a lot of people making WB skins anymore. That's number 1. Number 2 is a simple fact that everything from mixed nuts to automobiles have risen in price. I remember when getting a college degree was practically free. Do I like the world as it is? Hell no I don't but there it is. Deal with it.

If I had any money for luxuries buying WB skins would be right up there. So I am happy and grateful when Lightstar, Dave Bax and Starone put free skins out there. If I had extra cash I'd buy from those folks and vStyler and Adni18. To me they are what skinning is all about. Mike B and  Danny were also off the chain but it doesn't appear they are skinning anymore.

It's the way of the world but I still love Windowblinds and WC.

I love master skins. Most are quality work.

As of today just go back 10 pages and 9 per page. Out of 90, 67 will cost you. Now talk about TRUE friends.. you know how many are just .. should have been not sold.. yet its "awesome, best work yet, cant wait to get it". Wow.. really true honest friends. If you really been around here for many years .. skins are not made like they use to be. 

Your shotting your self in the foot here. You want people to WANT Windowblinds. Yet there are not tons of sites anymore about Windowblinds. I dont know any one other then HERE that still use it. Updates from StarDock are nothing like they use to be. I still pay each year.

You can do what ever you wish.. but if they are NOT selling.. cut the price.. sell none.. or sell some. Go for it.. search and search and search. LOL man trying to help ya. Keep going this way and its just faster to the end. Less people are using it yet MORE are charging for skins.

I dont suck up kiss up.. dont like agree with me great. Like ANYTHING in life.. you dont keep charging and then MORE when sales are down. You want them to pick back up. But when Windowblinds alone will cost you $10 ooh but you got have the Start.. like $5.. and then want any kind of good skin.. cost you more then 1/2 you just paid. No one wants that. No one talks about WindowBlinds.. and you are helping that. I am not like most.. never in my life charged a dime.. 

Please forgive me if you thought I was bashing or what ever.. speaker talker I am not. 

Did you even read the other comments in the thread? A ton of those for sale skins are updates to operate correctly on Windows 10. There are not actually that many new for sale skins going up on the site, and some Master Skinner's like my self are still submitting free skins also.