Haven't we "Over Burden" Our Skinners

Just felt that we have

from WinCustomize Forums
Hi folks!!!

Since last few days, I am feeling as we have "Over Burderned" our skinners.
For instance, in good old days of win9x and 2000 era, our skinners just had lesser components to customize. They just had to go for start button, task bar, menu bar, title bar, some buttons, and scrollbars (forgive if I have missed something). But now, just imagine how many components they have for customization.
In the same tredition, there were very few icons which needed to be customized but now a "Good" package should have atleast 50+ icons and bust must have over 70 customized icons.
Needs for customizing DX has increased too. Lots of gedgets, objects, layers, and scripting. Logon Studio, cursorXP, Boot screens, and right click have emerged as well ...

What do you folks say about it. ....
13,778 views 54 replies
Reply #1 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I think you're right. Thats what makes the ones that are coming out special. If someone can't find one they like, then they are just to darn picky, and ought to make their own. I am happy with the supply. I can't keep up with the ones I have now!
Reply #2 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Over Burdened? nah....... sure there's more to be skinned now, but we got what we asked for........ more, more, more.
Sins of a Solar Empire II
Reply #3 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I've been thinking the same thing. But then again it's not mandatory to skin everything. But I think most skinners will, because they can. I made a skin back when version two was comming to an end, it was basicly just the window and the taskbar. I haven't completed another skin after that, but I have several half made. But the thing is that these "half made" skins I got lying around probably allready skins more than my first one. It's the XP taskbar, shellstyles, animations, and makes up for the other half.
I'm wondering how it will all be when Longhorn comes out.
Reply #4 from WinCustomize Forums Top
No Doubt Xero, theres alot of work involved in making the "Complete" WB and if your going for a suite, like Apocaplypse does usually, it is a TON more work...But then, it is something that is a "Hobby" and it is an "avenue of enjoyment" so having more to skin I dont think is perceived as a "bad" thing...
I mean, if it becomes less "Fun" and more "Work" then it's time to perhaps find another hobby that is fun..right?

I think Koasati is right..
Over Burdened? nah....... sure there's more to be skinned now, but we got what we asked for........ more, more, more.


and perhaps more satisfaction when it is finally completed..
but thats just how I see it..
Reply #5 from WinCustomize Forums Top
By Master Apprentice Black Xero

"Good" package should have atleast 50+ icons and bust must have over 70 customized icons.


Thats quite small even though it is very time consuming. Probably 65 - 70 icons for a full system set, thats not counting filetypes add another say 70 - 100 and you'll soon have a very respectable looking icon set which would atleast take a good 8 weeks.

Imagine what a WindowBlind will be like 6 - 12 months after longhorn is in stores, probably would take 2 - 3 weeks to make a full WB after that. After all we do want a stunning useable design don't we!

It's great to have so much to skin, after all its a masterpiece of work if its not rushed!
Reply #6 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Considering it's all voluntary, I don't see how it could possibly be considered a burden. These people do it because they want to.

Posted via WinCustomize Browser/Stardock Central
Reply #7 from WinCustomize Forums Top
after longhorn is in stores, probably would take 2 - 3 weeks to make a full WB after that


You must be kidding. Making a good WB NOW can take much longer than this.
Reply #8 from WinCustomize Forums Top
~I think over-burdened and under-appreciated.
've been thinking the same thing. But then again it's not mandatory to skin everything


~Thats true. I could care less if my log on sceen was skinned or not. I only see it for a few seconds. But read some of the comments . " Nice skin BUT ".......always a but. I try to appreciate all the skins. I made a comment about a skin being for " males " ..which is true...I dont always want space ships and guy things. But the fact is, this site is more men than women. I could take the " Antares " blind into skin studio...tweak it a bit, color it pink and watch the authors cringe. (only kidding )
~What I would like to see is maybe a new catagory. Blinds made by beginners. How can anyone learn unless they try ?...and fail on many occasions. But..to give 1 star or ridicule their effort..that will never encourage anyone. Maybe a catagory that the more experienced skinners could offer a bit of constructive critisizm. " Bet " aka Boopish, has been trying out her blinds on a few of us. The first ones were rough...and they get better and better. I think its a shame noone could watch her progress. But I know that NightTrain was a huge help to her.

~Sorry if I strayed from the topic. im a woman...we do that....
Reply #9 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Making a good WB NOW can take much longer than this.


Yes it can. But that's not always how it is. I managed to make a semi decent skin in a week. Minus toolbar icons and progress animations though. But they don't have to take long to make.

I don't think of it as a burden. The more we're able to change the better.
Reply #10 from WinCustomize Forums Top
~ Fairyy,yes there are more men skinners than women, but it does seem that there have been a few more women submitting skins. There are only 2 women in the in the top ten and from what I know, only 3 in the top 50. Man woman, doesn't matter to me, if I like it, I'll download it.
Reply #11 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Really.. what is the deal all of the sudden with this "Women vs Men" garbage. Doesn't the community have enough problems without a new one being unjustly fabricated.

It went from essentially " Gosh, there is a bunch of stuff to skin now" to " Gosh, it's all done by men.. for men...".

I could hurl...
Reply #12 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Considering it's all voluntary, I don't see how it could possibly be considered a burden. These people do it because they want to

Spot on, matey!

Reply #13 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Hey, Snowman, I'm just glad you're one of the people who want to skin!
Reply #14 from WinCustomize Forums Top
There is more to do, because more things can be skinned. As a result it is perhaps harder to make a good WB skin in a reasonable amount of time. This is unfortunate, but unavoidable if more things need skinning now then they used to. I would say that the overall expectation of quality has also risen, although there have always been good skins and not so good skins.

Fortunately better tools have helped with this slightly, but there is no denying that there is still a lot of work involved in making a good skin. This is one of the reasons I support skiners who wish to sell their work; it is indeed work now, in some areas.
Reply #15 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Over Burden. Yes, I think it has become that way, but it's up to the skinner/author to step up to the new challenges. No one is obligated to skin a certain way.
Two years ago there were fewer images in a skin compare to what a full skin has now. My 1st skin had a total of 86 images. My latest skin has a total of 164 images. Almost twice as much, and lets not forget that most of these images are composed of several images.
A full skin usually takes me 1-2 weeks to complete, but since I often create mini-suites (I like everything to match ) the whole project can take me up to a month to complete.
Regardless of how much I love to skin or how much fun it can be, it still is a very long tiring process. I have a few unfinished projects pending, and every time I load them up on PS and stare at them for 5 mins, I close them back down thinking how much work I have to do on them.
I often get requests or read comments about the type of predominant skins at the site (too manly, not enough kids theme, not enough girls themes, etc) but keep in mind that most (if not all) authors skin for themselves and choose to share their work with others. When I design a skin I don’t think about who is going to like it at the skinning sites, I only think how much I like the design on my desktop.
Reply #16 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Alright everyone, Fairyy has figured it all out, No use trying to fool her anymore,,just simply ignore her from this point on..we HATE women..remember??

Sarcasm is just one of the many services I provide for free..

Sheeeezus! Fairyy..get over it already! Phoon is 100% correct on this one Im afraid... It's a classic form of denial, place the blame on everything and anything you can, other than yourself..in this case, to the point of charging everyone to be prejudice..Give me a freakin BREAK!
Personally I "Like" women, I have nothing against anyone based on their Gender,Race, Color, where they live, what they eat, what they like..etc,etc.. No, there are to many other reasons not to like someone..::laughs::

I have trained women to be carpenters and have dealt with the whole "But she's a chic" attitude personally...Those "Chics" never once blamed anything on their gender, and a few of them are making more money per hour in the trades than some of the morons that laughed at them for even considering the idea of becoming carpenters

Get over the "Im just a female" *CRP you are breaking my heart with it..::just shakes his head::
Reply #17 from WinCustomize Forums Top
It seems like many of the modifications or advances have come with the input of the skinners and those who use them (speaking about wblinds). There was always a wish list floating around or requests on the forum that the developers were trying to repsond to with each upgrade. No one to blame but themselves.

I know for me it's a little daunting since version 3.5, but that's because I just don't have free time in chunks large enough to accomplish anything, and like A67 mentioned, I've made the skin I want for myself and I'm still happy with it. I decided I'd do another for fun and after 18 months it's still a work in progress.
I glad there are those who still skin for the joy of it, I hope they don't feel overburdened or unappreciated. I don't want to take anything away from those who have gone "commercial". If I had the talent, I probably would too.
Reply #18 from WinCustomize Forums Top
WOM wonders if double zero is a nick or IQ! I also think Phoon over reacted.

Oh well.
Reply #19 from WinCustomize Forums Top

It 'would' be nice if there were a better balance of the sexes in skinning.  Most times if inything is dominated by one or the other it can be restrictive and insular.

Anyway....it's all very well somehow equating 'skinning' with 'Windowblinds' and ignoring all those other apps that can be as taxing as YOU wont them to be. Eg. Sysmetrix can [if you want] be as simple as a Beatnik or as complex as any WB skin.

Simply choose your poison....

Reply #20 from WinCustomize Forums Top
[Phoon]
Really.. what is the deal all of the sudden with this "Women vs Men" garbage. Doesn't the community have enough problems without a new one being unjustly fabricated.

It went from essentially " Gosh, there is a bunch of stuff to skin now" to " Gosh, it's all done by men.. for men...".

I could hurl...


~Make sure you hurl towards double ZERO ...I don't want my purty dress all messy. < batting eyelashes and fanning myself >

~You missed the whole point...which doesn't surprize me at all..your still whining from the other thread cos I said your the biggest offender of critisizing others work..you cried till you got your comment removed...now who's the girly girl here ?
Reply #21 from WinCustomize Forums Top

I don't see any reason for 'sarcasm'.  Every site member has a right to reasonable input...

I think ~Fairyy had a good point about male-domination.  It would be nice to see more female input in skinning.

As to 'that' comment-deleted thread....it had nothing to do with content, other than being allegedly 'off-topic in a site-issue forum'.

Reply #22 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Aaaaand..... I hope this topic doesn't derail as we are discussing how much 'busy' the skinners are with all the new features on the skins and not how many blue or pink skins are been uploaded.
Reply #23 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I think ~Fairyy had a good point about male-domination. It would be nice to see more female input in skinning.

As to 'that' comment-deleted thread....it had nothing to do with content, other than being allegedly 'off-topic in a site-issue forum'.


~Glad you saw my point. I doubt he read past the first line.
I know the comments were removed for being " off topic " on site issues - even yours was..
Reply #24 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Every site member has a right to reasonable input


Ok, ok..you got me..I was off topic and really, there was no need for the post other than expressing my opinion about another "off topic" remark, and perhaps just as "unreasonable"( and I dont mean Phoons )
I apologize only for that..

But yeah, everyone has an opinion and they arent always accepted by everyone..sometimes not anyone. Also no one says they have to be..

If I misunderstood the whole "Because I am a woman" remarks (I really have no idea how that could happen, they are pretty self explanatory)
Then of course I would apologize..

Anyway, back on topic.. Im done, there isnt anything else really worth commenting or apologizing about....
Reply #25 from WinCustomize Forums Top
[Apocalypse_67]
Aaaaand..... I hope this topic doesn't derail as we are discussing how much 'busy' the skinners are with all the new features on the skins and not how many blue or pink skins are been uploaded


~My first comment was on topic..I said overburdened and underappreciated...