The Community Shrinks: SkinArtistry Closes

Damn hackers

Wednesday, July 2, 2008 by Zoomba | Discussion: WinCustomize News

If you've tried to visit SkinArtistry.com in the last day or so, you've found yourself staring at the following notice:

"Skinartistry.com is now officially closed due to hackers installing a series of php scripts, to send out spam, and other various malware. I am sorry that it had to come to this, but they say the third time is the charm. To all those that made SA what it is today, I thank you. Especially all Admins, thanks for your hard work! I will be talking to some that may want to revive the site, but for now, SA is Closed for business."

SA was one of the older skinning sites out there, with the domain registered all the way back in 2004.  Along with sites like Skinning.net, SkinBase and Skinz.org, it made up a large chunk of the skinning community beyond the walls of sites like WinCustomize and DeviantArt.

The shutdown of SA is a blow to skinning, and to the overall community.  Any time a site goes down, we lose not only the skins and artwork hosted there, but we also lose a unique voice and perspective on the hobby and community we've all come to know and love over the years.  It's especially frustrating when we lose a site not because the owner moves on, or for not being able to pay for the site, but because a bunch of punks with nothing better to do decide to tear down something that others put years of hard work into.  Some in the community lost their virtual home because some losers sitting in their parents basements wanted to send out spam.

To the skinners, moderators and administators of SkinArtistry, and on behalf of everyone here at Stardock/WinCustomize, I'm sorry it had to come to this.  Please let me know if there's anything we at WC can do to help salvage what's left and possibly get things going again.

43 Reply 15 Referrals
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Zoomba
Reply #21 Wednesday, July 2, 2008 4:39 PM

The hackers are from pakistan.

... or they're bouncing through a proxy in pakistan


NightTrainthedark
Reply #22 Wednesday, July 2, 2008 4:53 PM
or they're bouncing through a proxy in pakistan


not in this case.

They haven't tried to hide where they are from.   

J. Aroche
Reply #23 Wednesday, July 2, 2008 6:00 PM
Damn that sucks, SA was a great site full of great people. Damn hackers!!

Stramp
Reply #24 Wednesday, July 2, 2008 6:13 PM
I'm floored! As a member of SA I want to thank Tom from the bottom of my heart as he ans Reppiks were the first to welcome me there. I learned alot and grew alot with the marvelous, kind and sharing community. Everyone was always made to feel welcome! I think of all the works that may not be able to be replaced it's a ceying shame. I want to thank you all across the skining community for your kind heartspoken words, your support, and being there in a time of need! And Pictoratus your right even tho we're stunned we're all still alive and kicking! That you WC and S.n for your support!

Skinhit
Reply #25 Wednesday, July 2, 2008 6:18 PM
Thanks Mike and WC for your heartfelt words. I feel like a part of me died and in the words of Nightrain
The whole thing is the suckiest suck that ever sucked

sb_41
Reply #26 Wednesday, July 2, 2008 6:26 PM
Good site that can't afford a secure Linux-based host... I've seen it before...

Too bad SA went down. N00bish hackers like these are probably just spoiled brats and/or teenagers who just don't know when to stop.

But yeah, it's a total loss. (Maybe Stardock can agree to host the site?)

Pixeleo
Reply #27 Wednesday, July 2, 2008 6:40 PM
This is the kind of thing which makes you mad.
Sure does
N00bish hackers like these are probably just spoiled brats and/or teenagers who just don't know when to stop
And I bet now they're planning to tamper with another good online community.....maybe some [insert swear word here] never learn

Wizard1956
Reply #28 Wednesday, July 2, 2008 7:01 PM
Being new to all this,'SA,I hardly knew ya'. The L.O.E.S. creations that were generously offered to us was the only time I was there.It saddens me to think there will be no more.
SkinArtistry was truly a League Of Extraordinary Skinners. Best of luck to all.

RottGutt
Reply #29 Wednesday, July 2, 2008 7:26 PM
Re-create your site with DragonFly CMS ( www.cpgnuke.com ) and all will be well. RottGutt

zakai1369
Reply #30 Wednesday, July 2, 2008 8:50 PM
Well that just really blows.
Being new to all this,'SA,I hardly knew ya'. The L.O.E.S. creations that were generously offered to us was the only time I was there.
It is definitely a loss. I signed up there awhile back and visited occasionally. When the L.O.E.S. suite came out I took the time to go back through the entire library of Windowblind skins and found alot of older work, that still works great,(that I haven't seen posted here) from some of the great skinners here on Wincustomize. Glad I got to them while I was able.

BONEHEADdb
Reply #31 Wednesday, July 2, 2008 10:07 PM
This sucks, I was getting to like that place. Slow torture! That would be a fitting punishment for this crime, and not that tame stuff like water boarding. The cursor I made for the L.O.E.S. suite was to be an SA exclusive, but now I guess I'll upload it here.

Cerebus1970
Reply #32 Wednesday, July 2, 2008 10:30 PM
My sympathy to SA,i joined a while ago and generally looked in everyday,just to see whats new.Its never good to see any site going down to hackers,b!#&%#@s And Drill give the em' the rack.

Phoon
Reply #33 Wednesday, July 2, 2008 10:38 PM
Good site that can't afford a secure Linux-based host... I've seen it before...
Ummm, I believe it was on a linux host. Please don't turn this into something it isn't ok.   

Leo the Lion
Reply #34 Wednesday, July 2, 2008 10:40 PM
Sad, very sad. I guess a lot of work went into the site and bonesee must be really devastated. Sorry guys........Still I'm a firm believer in 'What goes around, comes around' and whoever did this will get their justice at some time or other

ShelbyGT_The_Car
Reply #35 Wednesday, July 2, 2008 11:14 PM
Smack a Hacker well - I feel that Skin Artistry will return !
When and how I'm not sure? But Tom has left the door open for someone to take things to the next reopening of the site.



Here is to a new start and to even more art sites!


Jafo
Reply #36 Thursday, July 3, 2008 1:08 AM

Nothing 'sucks' more [to peeps who have been in the skinning community for eons] than to see any site disappear, no matter what the reason.

There have been several over the years....and some managed to return, others failed to adopt [or find] a viable business-model [financial sustainability].  All, bar none were heart-felt losses, particularly Customize.org [I think they were gone for well over a year - but returned], Deskmod [never recovered from a critical database loss], and Skinz.org [was definitely not-quite-the-same thanks to Efront].  These guys were 'the big boys' [of their time]...before the genesis of Devart and Wincustomize....[Custo was the first skinning site of them all].

When one goes, no matter what the reason...or even how big/active its loss dilutes the animal.  It's not about maybe ending up with all the eggs in one basket....it's actually about diversity...so that it's not down to one person or group of people to decide what eggs are in that basket.

Multiple sites means multiple admins....multiple choices of galleries....multiple archives...multiple philosophies.

Skinning MUST be bigger than one part of its community.

It cannot be allowed to dissolve into just one or two sites dominated/directed by only a handful of people.

Think of it this way.....the Louvre [in Paris] is a quite significant art gallery [one any 'serious' artist really NEEDS to see], but if it were the ONLY gallery the world's entirety of 'art' would probably be diminished by what.....99%?

None of it is dispensible...


RadialFX
Reply #37 Thursday, July 3, 2008 1:18 AM
I'm just plain ol wantin some ass. That just sucks. I mean how can that much effort be infiltrated by these idiots. I mean....what's their point? Just to do it I guess. I'm sorry I'm venting but I would really feel so much better if I JUST HAD THEIR ASSES! Their just punks and whatever else you wanna call them. Again I aplogize, I'm just really angry over not their ability but their DESIRE to pick on Skinartistry. I want some ASS!! Ok, I feel a little better now. BUT I AM OFFICIALLY ASS HUNTIN. Remember, I'm a pure bred okie and sometimes down here we get alot of things worked out that way! he,he RAD

Wet Monkey
Reply #38 Thursday, July 3, 2008 2:20 AM
Really, very sad news indeed. I have to agree with Jafo on his comments about it being about diversity augmented by differing view points and philosophies. It's a shame that there is no recourse to make this a much less viable venture for those with way to much time on their hands. I doubt that anyone will be "brought to justice" for this but hopefully those with much more technical expertise than I will take notice and make it much more difficult for those pathetic, sad, and small minded souls again in the future.

SKoriginals
Reply #39 Thursday, July 3, 2008 3:36 AM
 Such a sad day and for such a useless meaningless purpose.

As an long time member (though I didn't get around to SA as much as I would have liked) and knowing alot of the people there I feel your pain. As an Admin at Skinning.net I know just how much time and effort can go into maintaining such a community site and the bonds formed at places like SA. SA was not only a partner to us but a friend as well.

Hopefully in some fashion or another we will see the site again

NightTrainthedark
Reply #40 Thursday, July 3, 2008 5:32 AM
Maybe we can get Brad to finance a seek and destroy mission.

Like the movie "Let's Get Harry".

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