That really is disappointing...I've found that the social media (used correctly) have allowed me to get to know folks from here (and others) a good deal better.

Spreading the word about WC would be something I'd hope everyone would want to do.

Not sure where you get your "large numbers" from, but the type of advertising your speaking of gets people to buy the products.  Recruiting skinners is whole different matter.

I don't know that we need to recruit more skinners, given how many are on the books already.  What I think needs to happen is to give skinners who have stopped/quit/given up more incentive to want to skin again.  I was rather hoping something would come of the suite suggestion in the 'Where's Hippy' thread, but nobody has taken up the cause as yet.  I mean, if we could get some of those guys and gals interested in a suite, then maybe another, and another, just maybe the skins will start flowing again.

Now I know that Stardock is a business designed to make money, otherwise it wouldn't exist, but I wonder if making the tools to skin just that bit more affordable in these harder economic times might actually get more people into doing WBs and Icon packages, etc.  I'm not suggesting to just give them away or anything like that, but maybe apply a handsome discount to SkinStudio and IconDeveloper now and then to those customers who only have one or two standalone programs to jazz up their desktops.

Another thought comes to mind, and I know that it may be contentious to some, given it has been a touchy subject in the past, but maybe master skinners could do 4 or 5 master skins and then have to do one free before their next pay-for skin.  The reason I suggest this is that the majority of WBs going up in the gallery these days are master skins, and given so many are still experiencing economic difficulties/hardship, I wonder if things might pick up more if there were more free WBs and IconPackager skins available? 

I'm hoping that I don't get crucified for having suggested it, because master skinners should be compensated for their hard work and achievement, but I just feel that making things a bit easier financially could help lift WC as a whole, and that, my friends, benefits us all.  Yes, perhaps a bit of advertising could bring more members, but making it attractive when they get here is the key to greater participation and turn over.

Orright, come hail or shine, I'm pressing the 'post reply' button now... hopefully my suggestions don't create me any emenies.

I don't think that'd make any difference at all....most Masters tend to upload 'freebies' anyway...and others redefine them...ie...release Master skins from 'Master' status - free to all....

Generally I find that skinning is a product of necessity.  When the OS is a 'dog' people will explore ways to improve it...either function and/or appearance.

Like it or not, 7 was sufficiently 'OK' that more people just left it 'as is'....and then when MS buggered 8 all of a sudden there was a REAL need for developments such as Start8 and ModernMix [and other people's options] and a rediscovering of 'modding'.

Historically, the MS OS was a bit 'clunky' and others investigated 'drastic' alternatives such as 3rd party shells - doing away with Explorer entirely [one of the reasons still that so many users here run Powerdesk or Dopus, etc. just to get away from explorer, even file-wise].

The current spate of MS trying to find itself is a real dampener on new development [of existing programs] as no-one is sure whether the next MS about-face will be good or bad for whatever is on the books....

As the Buddhist monk cashier once said, "Change comes from within."

Okay, so maybe I was a bit out there with regard to master skins, and it's not that I don't want masters to earn something for their time and effort.  I was just putting out some thoughts that may boost user participation, which in turn could inspire skinners to up the ante and enjoy their work more.  I think what prompted the idea were the various complaints from people who resented having to pay more to use skins after purchasing the software.

So it wasn't the best idea I've ever had, and the response tells me not to have it again. 

Let's just hope my memory holds up better than my... uh.... my... uh... my.  Oh what was it again?

Is that anything like the constipated mathematician... who worked it out with his pencil?

Well, against my new found better judgement, I will suggest, at risk of laughter, a new project, community based, but this time we upload to a few sites to advertise it, promoting the Stardock name throughout. Post a little info at a few sites with links to the project, offering previews of progress,then offer the final work at WC first, see who comes for it, then maybe share elsewhere.

Or, just sit back and hope people find us. I know where I work, and it is a large place, a thousand people at least, and Windowblinds is not very well known, I have yet to find a fellow user, very sad.

Well, up for any thing I could contribute , so, I will wait to see if we get a brainstorm going.

Lack of new downloads aside, I am very much skinning still, just doing so many apps now, it takes longer, work coming soon.

Would previews draw attention, I usually do not preview because I like to  finish first, cause I change things so much while making a skin, but would post some screens.

FYI: my newest skin has a xion, rainlendar, docks , tabs, tiles and the main skin, Callled, "Tactical".Mesh textures, ammo clips, utility pack, bowie knife, some time soon, I may get it done. Cheers all.