Well...it will be either by making the graphics themselves available to those of us that create the extras for the skins or by releasing them unencrypted to those of us who still just use WindowBlinds. MyColors I'm sure is a great app...this isn't about that...but I personally seen no need for it since I already have WindowBlinds...plus I simply can't afford to keep updating things. But yeah...it does put a crimp in customizing. (

I think if they feel they need to be encrypted then giving the original graphics to a select few senior members who regularly make skins to go along with released blinds would be a good idea.

Why to a select few senior members ? Anyone who buy the suites may want to do/begin themselves some ports   

BTW, still no reaction from Stardock ...

Saling encrypted things    ... it's just like if you buy a car, then you note the seats, the rear view mirrors, the wheel are fixed down and that you can't access the motor   

I'm just saying if they aren't going to make them accessible to everyone then at least doing that would make it so that people could still end up with skins for the other programs.

 

You will need to contact [email protected] to try and resolve that issue.  I am not able to replicate what is happening on your machine.

 

WC gets 12 SKINS not MyColors themes.  They aren't delivered through MyColors.

I think you're being a bit impatient.  This is a news item, not a support forum.

 

 

I thougt so, sorry



Of course i'm impatient to know what will be the future and specially WHY Stardock is using now encrypted files in WB. That's not something relative to support but really something which would have been announced as a main news ...

Neophil: You can guess why graphics would be encrypted.  MyColors delivers licensed images and images designed by and being sold by Stardock Designs . . and needs to be protected. 

As all this evolves there may be work-arounds or processes to have "authorized" community skins . .or . . it may be like any other content that you buy like Office.  You can't edit too much about that either. 

Time will tell.  In any case, Stardock is aware of the concern by a few members of the community around encrypted images.  Now we wait.  

As far as i know, i think all the premium suites i bought till "Camouflage" (and i bought quiet a lot ...) were also sold by Stardock and were not encrypted ... I don't understand why suddenly they should become ... If the reason is that they are avaible through MyColors and that MyColors delivers encrypted images, there is a very simple solution that will please a significant part of consumers knowing about consequences: just sale them as they were, in a .suite format   

Two things... (1) if you do not like the policy, do not buy it and (2) if you will note, the majority of the MyColors suites are licensed. The NHL suites are licensed by NHL... the Mustang suite is licensed by Ford... so I would image the other MyColor suites like "Camouflage" are licensed as well but by the creator of the suite... you are purchasing a license to use their artwork... seems fair to me

You're right, but as said, untill now all the premium suites did not have WB encrypted, and as far as i know, it's nowhere noticed that for the first time premium suite will be like that ...


You are perfectly also right (and that's why once have to ask permission to the author/sailor before uploading any ports), and also, the previous premium suites with WB not encrypted were licensed and copyrighted the same way. Though nothing is changing with that point.

Except now Stardock has a technology that restricts it better and protects them more without impacting their clients (excepting a few that have posted here).

Again . . it's a bit early to be accusing Stardock of malicious intent or abusing their clients.

But . . and I'll say it again and again . . the user has never been promised the use of the graphics when they bought a skin.  they Bought a skin and the graphics were available.  We, the users were "lucky" in this regard.  At the moment, when you buy a theme through MyColors, you get the theme, not the images.

ZubaZ waits and enjoys the themes and uses WB and IP to recolour as needed

... or exepting others who don't really understand or even know what's changing, or don't know about this topic, or don't want to expose themselves too much, or ... (a lot of possibilities in fact)


I hope so but perhaps, perhaps not ...
When you add that Important point to another one, relative as well to MyColors and avaible suites:
what about consumers who have bought premiums suites when they were just been on sold in past by Stardock, and which are being ported now to MyColors suites ? Will they get those MyColors suites for free ? the answer is just NO, they'll have to re buy each of them $4.95 (i know i've just had an exhange with [email protected] because i was surprised to haven't received my download links for Omega & Liquidox MyColors suites ...   )
I can remember some words writen over there in forums and/or in announced news in the past: "you buy and that way you support Stardock" (or something meaning same). Sure we supported Stardock, and what's the giving back ? having to re pay (whatever the price in fact) for something which didn't change apart the way to be sold. It's nearlly laughable for how it's just ridiculous.

(Note for myself: don't forget to set the list of all stuff/subscriptions bought to Stardock and how many $ it represents since 1999 ...)

neophil waits and enjoys past themes and past version of IP & Icondevelopper to build recolored pack as needed   
WWW Link

Well, that is the way it works now... We have seen great ports (with permission of course) for purchase themes and people like me were learning from them a great deal. It was a long time ago when I began to port the great Pixtudio Suites like Universe Metal or Logika, which I have purchased from day 1 they were sold. After some time I found myself purchasing them again from Stardock, as Pixtudio handed the rights over and there was no opportunity for customers already owning the suites. Same happens now for all the older suites that were or are redone by Stardock Design and that I bought before eben twice(and those are plenty in my case). And : Most of the purchase suites are just not complete without all the ports good willing people have done ! Maybe Joe User is okay with having to use different and mostly not fitting skins in adition to that, but I bet there are plenty of us that won't. Being unable to even do a private port is just, well, crap.

Let's face it, the so called community now is treated as dumb Joe user customers, not community anymore.

Great example is the Apogee Icon Suite, I have purchased it and updates and addons were promised for YEARS now, without anything happening (except for ridiculous excuses for why the update still isn't up). Last thing I saw was that an eventual update will cost again, which would be alright for me, but I BET, there will be no discount for people that purchased it when it came out.

Face it, this is the way Stardock is run now. There nearly is nothing left of the company I loved so much for years (and I still haven't given up upon), which makes me really sad. Great skinners were bought in and rarely do any free skins nowadays anymore (in opposite to what was told us when that all began). The last big thing by Mormegil for example was the the free Icon-A-Day project which was 3 years ago. MikeB ? Updates, last new free skin 2 years ago. Treetog ? Updates, last new free skin 2 years ago. Alexandrie ? 2 or 3 years ? And i am sure I forgot someone on the list. Of course I can imagine, they are all busy with purchase suites, but please give them some time to do free skins also, as that is also a good promotion for You and for the software and subscriptions we also pay for.

Brad, You may demote me for these open words (again), but I still hope You rethink the business model Stardock is run a bit. You do great software and Stardock Design does great skins and I defend it where I can, but some things aren't just right IMHO and are getting worse every month.

Reason for this long sermaon : Encrypted graphics just fit that picture perfectly.

not a big fan of camo gear...but it's a good skin.

Oh please, You nearly sound like a DRM and/or crippled CDs advocate on music. What is next ? Rootkits to protect all the Stardock content (I know that is a bit over the top, and with pure intention, but still...) ?

And regarding the "few" clients that are posting their opinion about this : We all know what can happen : Either one is demoted or in the best case accused a wanting freeloader or a whiner...

To Treetog : This is a great and good looking skin, but the way it is offered is just not right IMHO. I even was thinking of purchasing it, but not if I cannot do any ports for my own privat use to fit my 'consistent desktop' needs...

Let me respond to some of the points raised here:

1) Why are the graphics encrypted? Because when we did MyColors themes with licensed content, the license holders required it.  However, on OUR stuff, we don't have to encrypt (just that MyColors doesn't currently support non-encrypted skins).  Therefore, we are going to look at allowing Object Desktop users to get .suite files.

2) Why doesn't make skins anymore?  First off, skinners aren't slaves. The community has no right to demand that individuals labor for them. 

3)

No, the community is being treated precisely as it now asks: like customers.  The fact is, the vocal majority of the so-called "community" are purely consumers now.  The days where "the community" rolled up their sleaves and wrote software, made lots of skins and themes, and so forth has long gone.

Nowadays, the "community" (and I'm not speaking about WinCustomize users but the entire skinning community) basically just sits back and waits for Stardock to solve all their problems while complaining the whole time about everything we do.

And the cold hard reality is that there is very very little incentive to keep being the baby daddy for the do-nothing elements of "the community". 

In the PC gaming world, people love Stardock.  Our games get great reviews, have huge loyal fan bases and make millions in sales and these are on things that are sold for $50 a piece.

Meanwhile, in the "skinning community" we spend months making a kick ass theme for $10 and all we get is grief.

Stardock didn't change. The community did. It moved from being a symbiotic relationship between users, skinners, and developers (remember all those times I used to say that?) to one where the users basically take on the role of entitlement. They just want to be consumers but not take on the consequences of being consumers - having to pay money to other people to make things for them.

No.  Great skinners faded away and STARDOCK brought them back into skinning by hiring them full time to get back into skinning.  If you think Treetog or MikeB or Alexandrie or whoever would be cranking out great free skins still after 9 years you're kidding yourself.  People's interests change over time and skinning is very laborous. Skinning is supposed to be fun. It's a hobby for people and people come and go.  When "the community" stopped coming forward with great new skinners, we had start doing that too.  Luckily, there's still some fantastic community skinners out there but it's nothing like it used to be.

Actually, the argument is the other way around.  Consumers need to make the case as to why Stardock should continue supporting "the community" at all.  The ONLY reason MyColors themes are still being focused towards "the community" at all is because of Karmagirl and the skinners who still want to support the community. 

Me? I'm too disgusted with the constant bitching and whining from a group that used to be self-sustaining but now sits back waiting for Stardock to give them everything.

"The community" has ceded the entire skinning world to us and we never asked for that burden.  Hell, even TGT Soft is dead.  The closest thing "the community" has to an alternative to Stardock at this point is The Skins Factory who make us look like bloody hippies in comparison.

Where's the next Hoverdesk or Rocketdock update or Litestep or whatever?

You talk about how it used to be. Let's talk about how it used to be.  At the start of this, the community made its own skins, themes, icons, etc.  There were developers making things like eFX and Chroma and Litestep and Hoverdesk and on and on.  Now look at it. The so-called "community" basically just sits on their butts waiting for us to release a new program and now we're stuck making the skins and icons and themes too.  Heck, we have to make the freaking tutorials and writeups ourselves now too. 

At least in gaming there's modders and such.  The customization community used to be like that too.  But not anymore, now it's the equivalent of people wanting us to make the software and make the mods too and complain about the way we do the mods for them.

If it weren't for a handful of generous, talented, wonderful artists who still share their awesome skins, themes, and icons, we'd be carrying the whole burden.  Remember the original unspoken social contract? We make the software. The community makes the skins.  Not anymore though.

So here's my answer to those complaining about encrypted graphics or the whopping $9.95 price tag or whatever: Make your own damn stuff.  Start skinning. Support people who are making skins and themes. Pick up a book and start writing some software.  But until then, get off our asses and quit acting like a bunch of welfare cases.  We'll bend over backwards to help people.  But it gets hard to have sympathy for groups of people who a) resent having to pay $10 for a massive artwork undertaking and think they are entitled to to do whatever they want with our artwork. 

If people want to do stuff with our skins and themes (modify them or make ports or whatever) that's fine. Just ask or tell us what you want.  But what we don't like is the air of entitlement.  We're willing to help you make ports and such. But don't act like you're entitled to our artwork or us jumping through special hoops.  Treat us with the same level of respect you expect to be treated with.

Because at the end of the day, Stardock is a business. We are in this to make a profit. We have always been in this to make a profit.  And if the community isn't going to get off its ass and start making stuff, then you force us to make it for you and we're not going to do it for free because we have to pay people to do it.  The "good will" of the community has long long been squandered by whiney unsupportive posts.

Now, for most people reading this, we thank you for your support. When I tar "the community" the people who I'm aiming it at know what I speak of.  There's a long history that those of you newer to skinning are probably not aware of. We're talking about the old guard who were around back in the early days of skinning who want the benefits of those days without the responsibility.  That community, as far as I can tell, is long gone.  What we have today is a different type of community of more casual, mainstream users who simply want to get a thing that works and don't care if the images are encrypted or if they require a slick, easy to use client to apply the skins.  Those in old guard community who have a problem with that know what they need to do.

Wow.  

helluva response.

Wow is right. I completely understand where Brad's coming from as far as the whining and complaining, and I understand the reasons for the encrypted skin files. If thats how it has to be, then so be it.

I am rather sad though that the "community" spirit has apparently taken a hike. I rather enjoyed seeing people come together and bang out "extras" for the skins being offered...paid for skin or free...and have enjoyed being a part of that.

My only concern is whether I will still be able to do that or not. If the encrypted skin files are made available for ports that would be great...if not then they simply won't have all the extras which would be sad. But as long as I can buy or download skins I can make docks for I'll be a happy camper. I've always loved OD and this site and thats why I've continued to make docks for as many skins as I can and support OD the site as much as I can.

But aside of creating docks for skins...the one other thing that has kept me here has been the community spirit...and it would really be sad to see that disappear...if it hasn't already. I really don't know what else to say at this point. I guess its wait and see.