2007 in Review: What Were Your "Firsts" This Year?

Tuesday, December 18, 2007 by Zoomba | Discussion: WinCustomize News

As 2007 winds down, it's time to look back on the year that was and chat about all the great things that have happened.  To start this off, I'd love to hear from people in the community for whom 2007 was a year for some kind of skinning "first".

Was 2007 the year you finally registered on the site?  Was it the year you started skinning (either for the first time, or picked up a new tool)?  How about the year you finally subscribed to WinCustomize, or bought your first skinning product?

Share your story in the comments below.

19 Reply 4 Referrals
Xiandi
Reply #1 Tuesday, December 18, 2007 10:59 AM
Everything in my skinning world was new this year!

This time last year I was making new icons on my first computer (I got it for free with Windows95 on it). I didn't like the ones that came with it, so I downloaded an icon making program. I would occasionly send them to my brother to show them off...(as I look back at them...they were not so good). He was encouraging, told me they were nice. He also told me I should stop by this site called WinCustomize. I didn't at first.

Then my computer crashed. I took it to my boss, he fixed it and gave me WindowsXP and more memory. That opened up a whole new world. I could use .png files!! Woo hoo!! I could download all that cool stuff on the internet I've been seeing!! My brother told me again that I should go see that site called WinCustomize. This time I did....

I registered and downloaded a few wallpapers and icons...(I'm sure you know where this is going). I decided to try my hand at creating things to UPLOAD. So, I made a couple walls and I was so suprised at how well things went. This is where the addiction started.

I bought a subscription, started to make comments in the forums, downloaded another program to play with, uploaded...and so on.

So, here I am now..I've done wallpapers, icons, Rainlendars, Sysmetrix, Docks, and Cursors. It's hard to believe that all that happened this year. I'm kinda stunned and proud of my progress so far.

I'm looking forward to next year. I'm going make the leap into Windowblinds. I know I'll be asking for help every now and then, and what's nice is, I know I'll get it here.  




rustysam
Reply #2 Tuesday, December 18, 2007 12:50 PM
I subscribed to wincustomize and purchased object desktop, but have steered away from skinning as of yet. I guess I think it is too difficult.

Duke261
Reply #3 Tuesday, December 18, 2007 2:18 PM
This was the year that started it all for me. It began by attempting to find some high resoultion wallpapers to dress up my dull and sloppy looking desktop. That quest led me to Wincustomize on a referral, like Xiandi's, from my brother. I got plenty of top quality wallpapers.

The first program I experimented with was objectdock & was amazed at what a differece that made to my desktop. Then I purchased Icon Packager and WB, afterwhich, I was completly addicted. I became a subscriber and set up my personal site. I began uploading and so far have uploaded only screenshots which I very much enjoy doing and approach it as an art form. I want to test the waters of "skinning" but find the process overwhelming. I hope over the coming year to upload some projects other than screenshots...but one thing I know for sure is that this time next year I will still be a member of the WinCustomize family.

theAVMAN
Reply #4 Tuesday, December 18, 2007 2:35 PM
but one thing I know for sure is that this time next year I will still be a member of the WinCustomize family



I think that pretty much says it all!!

Whooo! What a year for me , I have to say it has been wonderful and I have had too many first to list from sheer number of downloads 237,953 all but 10,000 came this year(kinda proud of that) to 2 great community projects(Easter & Halloween),but I guess subscribing and then making wonderful friends online here at my home W.C. would be #1

Looking forward to 2008
Harley


JymmyS
Reply #5 Tuesday, December 18, 2007 3:04 PM
I've been a Stardock patron since 1999, but this year I finally subscribed to WinCustomize. Gee, if I'd known how much I'd enjoy it, I would have done it a lot sooner! Still too cowardly to try making skins with no instructions from someone who knows how, though, but maybe this next year I'll see if the Wizard will give me a brain....
Jymmy (citizen)

mrSkope
Reply #6 Tuesday, December 18, 2007 3:41 PM
This year i took the plunge and made a few icons for the first time. After watching mormegil's tuts on icons i decided "hmm interesting" So i created SE Files, mainly an assortment of file type icons, then i created SE Interface for iconpackager..Geez, some nights i was up to 4am workin on them, while my girlfriend shouting "GET TO BED!"   
I really enjoyed making them so i guess i was hooked. So really i havent looked back since...Im eagerly awaiting SS6, so i can get into windowblinds  

2of3
Reply #7 Tuesday, December 18, 2007 3:53 PM
I joined in Oct. 06.

I tried a couple of WBs in early 07 and boy did I screw those up! Finally released my first window blind this summer (I'm either gonna delete the ugly thing or rebuild it from the bottom up). The next 2 weren't so bad. As of today, I have about 33,400 downloads, so I guess I don't suck too badly

Recently I've been learning to do splash logons. That's a first for me I've also been allowed to contribute to the coolest community suite (everyone knows which one I refer too). It's really exiting to produce something out of the ordinary and I'm honored to be a part of it

Goal for next year: Get promoted! (oops did I say that out loud?)
Looking forward to 2008 with new challenges and good times

Cerebus1970
Reply #8 Tuesday, December 18, 2007 7:43 PM
i finally bought a sub this year and bought skinstudio,bought windowblinds,iconpackager and cursor xp last year.
attempting a skin when sstudio6 is final

vStyler
Reply #9 Tuesday, December 18, 2007 7:51 PM
Haven't done much, maybe I'll get off my ass in 08!   

2of3
Reply #10 Tuesday, December 18, 2007 7:52 PM
Haven't done much, maybe I'll get off my ass in 08!


Yeah you're useless!

basj
Reply #11 Tuesday, December 18, 2007 8:03 PM
Haven't done much, maybe I'll get off my ass in 08!


Ha ha

Frankief
Reply #12 Tuesday, December 18, 2007 9:31 PM
I bought my first subscription to Object Desktop back in 2003 and have been coming here for great downloads every since. For many years I made wallpapers for myself, friends and family. Last year on New Years Eve, I sat down and made a wallpaper for my stepson, with him watching over my shoulder. He encouraged me to upload it here and that was the start of my obsession! I have enjoyed almost 38,000 dowloads over the past year and am thrilled everytime I make something that others find good enough to want on their desktop. I love working with graphics and look forward to the day I can retire my aging computer and get enough RAM to run Photoshop without constant freezes! I bought my first subscription to Wincustomize this year and plan to hang around as long as you guys make me fell all warm and fuzzy! Thanks for a great year and Happy Holidays to all.
Frankie

GH33DA
Reply #13 Tuesday, December 18, 2007 9:45 PM
First year for Dreams.
First Cursor XP skin.

desii3D
Reply #14 Wednesday, December 19, 2007 12:44 AM
Been lurking here for years, this year I not only bought a subscription, I also renewed it to help a cause and purchased windowsblinds 5, then later purchased OD. I even tried my hand at a wallpaper, some bootskins and jumped head first into a WB which turned out to be much more than I can handle at this time,but I'm not giving up! There will be a Kylie theme WB, it just may have to wait a bit.

Dave

winstar4
Reply #15 Wednesday, December 19, 2007 4:58 AM
This year I bought Windowblinds, then Object Desktop, then ObjectDock Plus. I have enjoyed all three immensely. I have not tried skinning yet, but I did create 29 screenshots https://www.wincustomize.com/skins.aspx?acid=2847002

It was great fun doing them, as is being a part of this community. I hope to learn skinning next year. I wish for everyone a happy, healthy, prosperous, successful new year

JewelCG
Reply #16 Tuesday, December 25, 2007 12:24 AM
Since I've only been here a few days, I can't really say much about the last year. There have been many firsts, just not in the skinning department.

I suppose the real first is that I gave myself Object Desktop for Christmas and have been enjoying playing with my new 'toy'. I love it so far. I'm still trying to figure out everything but am having a great time of it.

I'm interested in the creative side of things but it's a little overwhelming at this early stage. I'm not a graphics novice, know my way around Adobe Photoshop CS2 pretty well. Can make all these nifty things like buttons, my own styles and shapes, but it's going to take a while to sort out this Studio. Even then I'm not sure I'll do WB. My interest is really in the DesktopX section.

My next gift to myself will be a subscription here.   

HG_Eliminator
Reply #17 Tuesday, December 25, 2007 12:33 AM
This is the first year I won a skin competition here at WC... ok .. ok..so it was a "find the image's within the skin" contest but still...

yeh im pathetic.. but lovable

jamespaulp
Reply #18 Tuesday, December 25, 2007 1:18 AM
My first skin published on WC. Took a long time to get that done.

killajosh
Reply #19 Tuesday, December 25, 2007 1:46 AM
This year I won a sub to WC, then purchased ODNT, CXP Plus and ObjectDock Plus. Renewed a 2-year sub to WC for a good cause. Trying to make a skin (makes me respect skinners that much more!).

Love this site and plan to stay here awhile.

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