2 articulate spokespeople put their visions of what skinning is all about on the table in an argument on a third site called customize. here is a summary blow by blow in how i read it.


there is no homogenous community. each site contains different pieces of it. but stardock is evil because it is commercializing it and pushing perfectly good free stuff into obscurity. it's lackey site, wincustomize serves as its front line and is nothing more but a portal to their stuff.


objects to that saying that all parts are equally valued and that wincustomize has put public criteria on what sections it has and has the top freeware programs already listed on wc. wc is also the place where more users of said freeware go to get skins than anywhere else. and why is it acceptable to you that websites get to make money off of skin authors work but skin authors and developers aren't allowed to make money off their work?


only having the top apps is paying lip service. the guys who set up the sites are the most important because they decide what content is allowed. websites are just recouping bandwidth costs with their ads.


skin authors are more important to a websites success than moderators. people come for the skins.


without the admins there is no site. we hope websites make money. custo's admins might drive away some skin authors with their attitude but only the ones not under stardock's wing. skinz doesn't have a financial stake in its app selection, wincusto does. so we can show the entire playing field.

QUOTE: WINCUSOTMIZE ISN'T A SKINNING COMMUNITY SITE. IT'S A STARDOCK SITE WHERE THE FAITHFUL DON'T HAVE TO DIRTY THEIR FEET ELSEWHERE. THEY CAN GET THEIR CHURCH FOOD DELIVERED RIGHT TO THEIR DOORS...


winCustomize gets over 700,000 unique people visiting per month. how can they all be stardock people? on 12-6-2001 custo's submissions were all either wallpaper or screenshots with 2 exceptions, a windowblinds skin and an icon package. both stardock apps.


as for bringing sd into it, that's on me; and i stand by it. I felt is was worth noting that the majority of those decrying miriku's actions came from offsite, and had sd affiliation.'

summary: those who disagree with the terrible treatment of treetog are 'off site and sd affiliation'.


takes shoggots charge as a complement. if the people standing up for decency are seen by you and others as 'sd affiliated' then he'll take that as a complement.


the defenders here are the same people on wincustomize's contact list.




what does stardock have to do with this? off site? very interesting way of putting it. i'm defending my friends. i'm a volunteer.


my defense of pixtudio is based on principle. i have no stake in pixtudio. treetog is a respected contributing member of the community. he doesn't deserve to be treated badly.


treetog shouldn't be treated any differently. rules should be applied equally.




stardock kids, you run your site how you want, i'll run mine how i want.



why is it whenever there's a bunch of angry people that it's always traced back to the sd/wc? i affiliate sd/wc with rampaging mobs.


notes that the 'rampaging mob' shoggot alludes to includes dangeruss, grimspoon, paxx, jafo, alexandrie, treetog, david.

also notes that it was shoggot who was the one who brought stardock up in the first place.

also notes that if he had behaved the way miriku had that the same 'rampaging mob' would say he was behaving poorly too. they don't have a double standard.


"Wincust (fools are ripping off our name, at least wincustO dammit) are sell out bitches, and are too reppy for my taste"




makes many points mainly that sites can do whatever they want.

also says stardock is evil but brad is 'good at heart'.

the full crapload is at
http://www.customize.org/forum/973

the sides in this debate interesting. the guys who make stuff like skins or software are on one side and the guys who don't are on the other.