New Community Skin project anyone?
Friday, May 16, 2003 by Sylva | Discussion: WinCustomize Talk
Ok, it's been a very long time since we all got together and did a community skin project. The two that we did were great. It brought us all together to work toward a common goal. Egos were put aside. We were all equal.
For those of you who are too new to know what Community Skin was here is an explanation. Crumbut came up with the base design for both of the projects we all did together. Then he posted on the skinz.org message board for people to come and port the design to other apps. It was open to anyone who wanted to skin something. We all signed up for the skins we wanted to make and Chad and whoever was helping keep up the comm skin web site kept a list of who was doing what so noone would end up doubling up on skinning on app. After a couple months or so the skins were all released under the community skin name.
I loved it. It brought new skinners and veteran skinners together for the skinning part. It produced the two most comprehensive (free) skin suites that I know of. And it brought the "general public" (skin users) together in a way I could never understand. On the comments I saw people who would normally slit eachother's throats on the message boards jump up and say "I agree with -----" and actually mean it.
I look at the way things are turning out right now and see how negative things are starting to get right now, and I miss those old days more and more. I think we all need to get together and do something positive. And, I think that a community skin project may be just what we need.
If you are interested in participating in a community skin project, post it here, and also post the programs you would like to skin (don;t worry if more than one persons mentions the same app at this point, I just want to get an idea of how many people are willing to get into it this time).
I already have a windowblinds skin mostly complete that would be great for a comm skin project. Of course, in keeping with tradition, it has yellow in it *s*. But it's only an accent color this time.
For those of you who are too new to know what Community Skin was here is an explanation. Crumbut came up with the base design for both of the projects we all did together. Then he posted on the skinz.org message board for people to come and port the design to other apps. It was open to anyone who wanted to skin something. We all signed up for the skins we wanted to make and Chad and whoever was helping keep up the comm skin web site kept a list of who was doing what so noone would end up doubling up on skinning on app. After a couple months or so the skins were all released under the community skin name.
I loved it. It brought new skinners and veteran skinners together for the skinning part. It produced the two most comprehensive (free) skin suites that I know of. And it brought the "general public" (skin users) together in a way I could never understand. On the comments I saw people who would normally slit eachother's throats on the message boards jump up and say "I agree with -----" and actually mean it.
I look at the way things are turning out right now and see how negative things are starting to get right now, and I miss those old days more and more. I think we all need to get together and do something positive. And, I think that a community skin project may be just what we need.
If you are interested in participating in a community skin project, post it here, and also post the programs you would like to skin (don;t worry if more than one persons mentions the same app at this point, I just want to get an idea of how many people are willing to get into it this time).
I already have a windowblinds skin mostly complete that would be great for a comm skin project. Of course, in keeping with tradition, it has yellow in it *s*. But it's only an accent color this time.
Jafo
Reply #2 Friday, May 16, 2003 11:35 PM
Reply #2 Friday, May 16, 2003 11:35 PM
Crazy Girl....yes, it's about time we did another one.
All we need is some graphics to start with...and 'concept' to follow......and some form of 'private' board to communicate on during development/creation...
All we need is some graphics to start with...and 'concept' to follow......and some form of 'private' board to communicate on during development/creation...
I'll volunteer to be a cheerleader
Angel_Wings
Reply #4 Friday, May 16, 2003 11:44 PM
Reply #4 Friday, May 16, 2003 11:44 PM
Donna, I think that's a lovely idea. I know I've struggled a lot learning everything pretty much on my own but I suppose it has really sunk in DEEP that way but I love to help where I can.
I dunno how much good I'd be to anyone at this newbie of a stage but if you ever need someone to work on a fun project with folks like yourself I'm all for it...
-AngEla
I dunno how much good I'd be to anyone at this newbie of a stage but if you ever need someone to work on a fun project with folks like yourself I'm all for it...
-AngEla
Styl-X Design
Reply #5 Saturday, May 17, 2003 12:19 AM
Reply #5 Saturday, May 17, 2003 12:19 AM
Private board jafo? what about we going to hijack the admin board 
I think its a great idea! The problem is we have too much members and too less apps.
I would love to skin cursor xp, but I am sure also ingui would like to....
To fix the problem of that, you could say: evrybody make the skin you want, en then we will watch witch is rated the highest.
But there again:
in that case, not anymore
I think its a great idea! The problem is we have too much members and too less apps.
I would love to skin cursor xp, but I am sure also ingui would like to....
To fix the problem of that, you could say: evrybody make the skin you want, en then we will watch witch is rated the highest.
But there again:
| We were all equal. |
in that case, not anymore
knatzz
Reply #6 Saturday, May 17, 2003 1:02 AM
Reply #6 Saturday, May 17, 2003 1:02 AM
Hey, Sign me up! I'm a newbie to this, but I'd love to help out! Or just to listen in would be a great learning experience and a chance to get to know you all better! 
[email protected]
[Message Edited]
[email protected]
[Message Edited]
Sylva
Reply #7 Saturday, May 17, 2003 4:17 AM
Reply #7 Saturday, May 17, 2003 4:17 AM
I'm glad to see some people are interested. *s*
Styl, there's really no need to worry about too few people and too many apps. It usually works out just right in the end. Have you ever been to http://www.skinbase.org ? They have a section for every skinnable app available. If you look at their skin section list you'll see there's plenty *s*. Also, the smaller freeware apps that are freeform skinnable can have two skins with the same base graphics that come out completely differently, so I don't think it would be too much of a problem if there are two versions of a skin for an app (as long as there are no more than two for one specific app and it's only the smaller apps that have doubles).
Anyone who is interested just let me know what apps you would be willing to skin and I'll send you the base graphics so you can decide if you like them enough to work on it.
The message board and web-space I need to keep looking for, so I'll keep you all up to date on that, and whoever is deffinately going to be working on this project will the get the URLs by e-mail (secrecy on the part of the skinners was a big part of the success of CS last time, I think).
Of course, if anyone can volunteer a little help with organizing everything, or if anyone has any suggestions as to where I can get some space and a message board (free... I'm broke) I'd really appreciate it.
I'm going to post this on a couple other sites too. The community is made up of several skinning sites. We did not exclude them the last time, so I don't believe it would be fair to exclude them this time.
[Message Edited]
Styl, there's really no need to worry about too few people and too many apps. It usually works out just right in the end. Have you ever been to http://www.skinbase.org ? They have a section for every skinnable app available. If you look at their skin section list you'll see there's plenty *s*. Also, the smaller freeware apps that are freeform skinnable can have two skins with the same base graphics that come out completely differently, so I don't think it would be too much of a problem if there are two versions of a skin for an app (as long as there are no more than two for one specific app and it's only the smaller apps that have doubles).
Anyone who is interested just let me know what apps you would be willing to skin and I'll send you the base graphics so you can decide if you like them enough to work on it.
The message board and web-space I need to keep looking for, so I'll keep you all up to date on that, and whoever is deffinately going to be working on this project will the get the URLs by e-mail (secrecy on the part of the skinners was a big part of the success of CS last time, I think).
Of course, if anyone can volunteer a little help with organizing everything, or if anyone has any suggestions as to where I can get some space and a message board (free... I'm broke) I'd really appreciate it.
I'm going to post this on a couple other sites too. The community is made up of several skinning sites. We did not exclude them the last time, so I don't believe it would be fair to exclude them this time.
[Message Edited]
Sylva
Reply #9 Saturday, May 17, 2003 4:32 AM
Reply #9 Saturday, May 17, 2003 4:32 AM
Actually Styl (any anyone else interested) you can go to http://communityskin.deviantart.com/ to see what we all did the last two times. Of course, there are more apps put there now, and someof the old apps probably aren't being used anymore, but this'll give you an idea of how much there really is to skin out there.
BruB
Reply #10 Saturday, May 17, 2003 10:55 AM
Reply #10 Saturday, May 17, 2003 10:55 AM
Like I said on Skinbase, I'm behind this project, I do remember the old time at skinz, but let's give it another try with new guys. I'm certainly skinning Kewlpad and greybooks, Old favorites of mine.
Hus
Reply #12 Saturday, May 17, 2003 3:29 PM
Reply #12 Saturday, May 17, 2003 3:29 PM
I can be the beta-tester!! You really don't want me making any skins...it's not a pretty thing. 
Styl-X Design
Reply #13 Saturday, May 17, 2003 3:59 PM cursor will do for me... lets call treetog or alexandrie to do the main part
Reply #13 Saturday, May 17, 2003 3:59 PM
cursor will do for me... lets call treetog or alexandrie to do the main part
Sylva
Reply #14 Saturday, May 17, 2003 4:17 PM
Reply #14 Saturday, May 17, 2003 4:17 PM
styl, what's the main part? If you mean the WB skin, it's mostly finished already. That's where the base images will come from.
Apocalypse_67
Reply #16 Saturday, May 17, 2003 4:37 PM
Reply #16 Saturday, May 17, 2003 4:37 PM
I think this is a great idea, Just tell me what button I have to skin 
Count me in.
Count me in.
Apocalypse_67
Reply #18 Saturday, May 17, 2003 6:00 PM
Reply #18 Saturday, May 17, 2003 6:00 PM
Sounds good Sylva. Send me the base graphics so I can start working on it
elvee
Reply #19 Saturday, May 17, 2003 7:36 PM
Reply #19 Saturday, May 17, 2003 7:36 PM
New community project sounds like a 'renewal' 
I like it!!!
I like it!!!
Sylva
Reply #20 Sunday, May 18, 2003 10:44 AM
Reply #20 Sunday, May 18, 2003 10:44 AM
I've decided that it might be easier to just have everyone e-mail me what they want to skin. That way I don't have to go through all the profiles to find e-mail addy's to send everything to. [email protected] and for a general list of apps to skin, go to http://commskinproject3.tripod.com/
I'll start keeping a list of who is doing what on the web-site after each person e-mails me to confirm that you're actually going to do it.
I'll start keeping a list of who is doing what on the web-site after each person e-mails me to confirm that you're actually going to do it.
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Reply #1 Friday, May 16, 2003 8:36 PM
I would love to participate. I have done a few sysmetrix and quicknotes. I definitely feel inspiration from the idea. Maybe the package once complete, could be released as a winstyles package for everyone. Of course, there would need to be many parts. And lets not leave out DesktopX. I think there should be many submissions for each part and voted on before the release. Maybe place it as a screenshot for development. Maybe each artist can only do one part. Rainlender, Quicknotes, Winamp, Windowblinds, Wallpaper, Icons, Sysmetrix, CursorXP, and maybe even a Objectdock theme would be great. Sounds like a great idea.