The end of WinCustomize
...as we know it...
Tuesday, January 6, 2009 by Frogboy | Discussion: WinCustomize Talk
The new subsription drive has started...
This is a site that gets 90,000 visitors a day. And today it's gotten 9 subscriptions or renewals during the subscription drive. $260 down, $49,740 to go in about a month to re-do the site.
There are two different visions for the site. Let's call them the community versus commercial views. I'm on the commercial side. Zoomba/ID/jafo are likely on the community side.
We've estimated that the new site is going to cost around $50k to make. Stardock is going to pay for anything that the community doesn't come up with. But in return, the more Stardock pays into it, the more say it's going to have on the design.
I'm pretty sure that the core skinning community is no longer big enough to pay the bills and that's fine. Skinning has become one of those ominipresent things that, because it's not a niche, doesn't really have a strong core following like it used to. It has millions of users but relatively few who really care about a "skinning community" any more than people really care about a core World of Warcraft community. Skinning is everywhere these days.
The new WC, the commercial one, will be radically different than the WC we have today. First, the S-corporation that runs WinCustomize will get disolved and become part of Stardock Software (which makes WindowBlinds, Object Desktop, etc.).
Second, WC will be funded out of Stardock Software's marketing budget.
Now this may sound bad but let's face it, most people come here for Stardock related content. When this site started, programs like Winamp, Hoverdesk, WinStep, ICQ Plus and others were pretty significant. Today, it's pretty much all about WindowBlinds, DeskScapes, IconPackager, wallpapers and a that's about it.
The community won't disappear but obviously the site will become much more Stardock oriented and the days of WinCustomize as a quasi-independent entity will come to an end.
See what we have in mind: https://forums.wincustomize.com/335824
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Reply #182 Thursday, January 8, 2009 6:46 AM
Just one reason of many to not quit. 
Reply #183 Thursday, January 8, 2009 7:00 AM
Wincustomize.com has no connection/relevance to Steam.
The comment has about as much bearing as "the US [and world] automobile industry is in a bit of a hole...so why spend money on a Skinning site?"
As long as computers [of any flavour] have a GUI ...there will be skinners.
Fact of life...
Reply #184 Thursday, January 8, 2009 8:07 AM
@ Concepts! Your post is negative from beginning to end (despite your not wanting to sound negative).... and wrong from beginning to end...
Firstly; the comparison of WC to Steam is redundant... WC is NOT a games distribution platform...
Secondly; the quality of content/master skins is a matter of opinion... given download counts and millions of satisfied customers, yours seems to be out of place.. at best.
Thirdly; there is NO sinking ship... just a few dissenting bilge rats jumping ship... *shark bait*
Fourthly; the popularity/success of WC is not dependent on the success of XP orthe 'supposed' failure of Vista.
And lastly; who are all these smart people switching to Macs in droves? Last I saw, Apple computer sales had not risen past the 11% market share.
Good advice.... take it.
Reply #188 Thursday, January 8, 2009 8:51 AM
The lack of content and master skins has dropped off the chart, quality wise and with Windows 7 right around the corner whats the point of staying here and sinking money into a sinking ship. This place has little to offer now days and it wasnt the same as it was back when XP was on the market for years. The smart people are switching to Macs. PC is the thing of the past. It's time for change!
As Jafo said, comparing WC to Steam is totally off base.
Skinning isn't a failing market, sales would say otherwise, but the direction of content creation and things of that sort has. With coming of Windows 7 will actually be a good thing for skinning in my opinion, just for the simple reason that I think more people are going to switch to Win7 then they did with Vista. This is something I will blog about later though.
Reply #189 Thursday, January 8, 2009 8:56 AM
ROFL and then some LMAO!
Reply #190 Thursday, January 8, 2009 9:11 AM
a quote from the the band(one of my personal favs) The Kinks "paranoia will destroy ya"
Reply #191 Thursday, January 8, 2009 9:14 AM
I am almost as well known as Dr Phil as being a "pessismistic optimist" guess my kinda twisted sense of humor is coming out in all this gloom and doom, hopefully somebody laughed
Reply #192 Thursday, January 8, 2009 9:14 AM
Great band indeed! Ray Davies forever!
Reply #193 Thursday, January 8, 2009 9:17 AM
Hey Doc, you should know this medical question, it is true that laughter is the best medicine yes?? pharmaceutical companies are trying to figure out how to put it in a bottle
Reply #194 Thursday, January 8, 2009 9:19 AM
correction.... it's .... paranoia, the destroyer 
Reply #195 Thursday, January 8, 2009 9:19 AM
I entered those two choices into my shopping cart.
Next page, I entered my personal information.
Next page, I entered my credit card information.
Next page, it said 'Sorry, you can not complete your order until you have added something to your shopping cart.'
Then I go 'shopping' again, I have to go to different webpages to find the two subscription links.
Then when I try to checkout, the page wants me to type in my personal info and credit card info all over again.
It just seems like the transaction is still open, but at the same time, I don't want to go any further because I don't want to purchase twice.
Dr. JBHL - I'll look into lIfe Lock - thanks for the suggestion.
Doc, I can't believe you're recommending Life-Lock to folks. You do know they've been sued several times, don't you? If not, see the linked article.
Reply #196 Thursday, January 8, 2009 9:28 AM
Hey NT, you sure about that?? now what am i gonna do?? all these years thinking what i wrote and i have been wrong, well see what i mean about being a pessismistic optimist LOL, but one thing, the end result is the same, guess i really am a dope LOL, OK one of the very many reasons i am a dope, i can take a pc apart, put it back together get it running blindfolded, but i cant copy and paste, see what i mean about being a dope LOL
Reply #197 Thursday, January 8, 2009 9:45 AM
Kinks****ya mean that 60's group? If so, that takes me back some. They were good.
Reply #198 Thursday, January 8, 2009 10:02 AM
Yes that 60's group, great band saw them numerous times in concert, great band to see live, also Ray Davies brother played (plays) in that band Supertramp, on the quote on paranoia, there are 2 versions of the song, the studio one, and which i consider the better, a live version, which i think is far superior to the studio version, plus WOM i did check your profile, and i did check your age, so you better remember the Kinks LOL
Reply #199 Thursday, January 8, 2009 10:24 AM
"Oh demon alcohol, sad memories I can recall!"
Reply #200 Thursday, January 8, 2009 11:13 AM
The lack of content and master skins has dropped off the chart, quality wise and with Windows 7 right around the corner whats the point of staying here and sinking money into a sinking ship. This place has little to offer now days and it wasnt the same as it was back when XP was on the market for years. The smart people are switching to Macs. PC is the thing of the past. It's time for change!
LOL.
Wel yea, you've been here a year, you're an expert no doubt.
Why are you hanging out here at all?
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Reply #181 Thursday, January 8, 2009 6:39 AM
I hate to say this but this is a failing market. Why invest $50,000 into this site now after all this time when times are tough. $50,000 is just rediculous. There is no way this site will ever be able to compete with Steam as far as digital game distrobution goes either. I'm not trying to sound negative but the truth speaks for itself. Quiting while you're ahead isn't the same as quiting!
The lack of content and master skins has dropped off the chart, quality wise and with Windows 7 right around the corner whats the point of staying here and sinking money into a sinking ship. This place has little to offer now days and it wasnt the same as it was back when XP was on the market for years. The smart people are switching to Macs. PC is the thing of the past. It's time for change!