I love the products Wiz, I couldn't live without that Hammerhead shark on my desktop , but that's not what I mean.. I don't know what I'm talking about anymore I just keep seeing the demise of WC, and I can't seem to look past that   I love the place too damn much!

TG....relax...it's ok...no need to panic.

After all, it's not like Brad is taking your PS7 away....

And there's NO WAY your friends are going anywhere nor can you lose us...OK?

I know, I worry too much  I'm scared it will turn into a Nazi camp or something

Doc, you know you're addicted to ps7

Don't fear change.

Ok folks, over the years WC's userbase has grown to massive proportions, WC has never been able to fully support its self thru subscriptions.

As the user base has grown so has the costs to run it, unfortunately the subscriber base has not grown in exacting proportions. No one is saying the community has not done it's best, but really the drive will tell how much or how much less, the community can support the ever growing user base, and where to go accordingly.

I for one Hope the Community can bring enough to the table to keep things as they are. Only time will tell. But it is only logical that with a user base of 3mil+ users and less than half that in subscribers, something has to give.* hopefully it will be some of the inactive user base helping cover thier costs*.

From what Brad has posted It looks like WC would get a redesign and focus more on the SD applications than being a neutral entity. Not that it would cease to exist.

I also believe any subscriber dollars would not be wasted as any help WC can get to keep afloat is always beneficial,  the more funds raised, the less WC changes. As well as I believe you would still get the subscriber benefits.

I take brads post as informative as well as an invitation to prove him wrong by hopefully pulling more subscribers in .

hehe NT,  Can't help it, I'm a Taurus

HG, Okay, I'm not gonna panic anymore

It very hard question. now in world that was crashed by crizis, most iprortand thing for all became goods of first need like food, home accesories, etc. so it will be hard to sell stardock products in this year. all marketing of the world must changing.

Yeah...I kind of thought this was a bit premature as well...announcing the possible end just after announcing the drive. Makes ya wonder...kind of like shooting yourself in the foot.

Both inevitable and understandable. Times have changed and everything must pay its way. I don't see a subscriptipn drive geeting the required cash so Stardock must do what it has to do

I dont think so.. the more people stay home and not spend money...out... the more they are at their PC's.

Seems to me even a recession wont stop SD from doing well.

Home entertainment can do do very well while spending elswhere decreases.

I'll probably be in the minority here but I believe this is probably the best thing to do. I can't see any benefit for Stardock in doing away with the forums and I believe that is what concerns most community members. Doing away with some of the non-Stardock items will be a boon to the smaller skinning sites. They will then have something "unique" to offer which will help attract traffic.

I would argue that the community is not "smaller" than years past, but it has remained fairly steady in size. The thing that has grown is the "non-community" part of the site. The main function has become dissimination of skins (mostly Stardock program skins) There's a huge number of "drive by" skin collectors here daily and they rarely participate in the community and never purchase subscriptions. The subscribing community is just too small to carry all the "free loaders" (may be a poor choice of words)

The more I think about this the more I'm bothered...Here we are a day or so into a subscription drive and the owner of the website comes to the forums and speaks of the end of WC due to lack of subscriptions the first day?...I'm sorry but this seems like a scare tactic to me...Not to mention a poorly played one

I'm trying hard to not be bothered, but it's not working

Are all you Mods, all the ones we love that are here all the time, you guys aren't going anywhere..... are you?

The other thing is . . if you are lookign for community . . there is always JoeUser.com (for now at least).

I doubt that thsi is a scare-tactic Jack.  It's more like Brad being typically direct.  If this, then that.  No more, no less.  You don't see it often and almsot never in corporate America.

Fair enough Zu...I appreciate that. I like direction, yet more than that, I admire optimism...

It does seem IMO, rather premature to be end-of-life issues on a drive that just began (during a recession).  It would remove pretty much the only thing I have left that brings me enjoyment if this site went down, but, shoot...I'm having to give up a whole bunch of stuff lately.  I guess if I can switch from animal protein to lentils and beans, I can just deal with whatever happens here.

Same scenario, Different scale. Same @ Skinartistry2.com, or skinnalicious,net, or etc...

I was a skinner and skinning community member many years before WC was formed, and was a WC subscriber long before becoming a mod. if it ever came down to me not being a mod I will still always be a member of the WC and skinning community.

I Know others would feel the same way.