My thoughts on this...
When I first came to this site [and joined] I downloaded like mad - 99% of it wallpapers as I didn''t even know what WindowBlinds, ObjectDock and others were. I too silently complained about having to pay for these things that I downloaded all the time. I, too, was highly offended at having to fork out cash to download unlimited wallpapers that I could get elsewhere for free [not the same ones, of course
].
It was only after meeting people like Jafo and other great admins/mods here and reading countless other threads started by "disgruntled" people like myself just how much it costs to keep a site of this magnitude afloat. It was only after dozens of threads and late-nite chats with Jafo that I realized just how EXPENSIVE a site like this costs to maintain, month to month, year by year. Just the bandwidth prices alone would sink me.
What I''m getting at here, is knowledge. More knowledge about this stuff decreases ignorance [if you have willing recipients to that information, of course..]. I was blindly ignorant in the beginning to the entire workings of a high-traffic site such as this nor was I very familiar with the concept of a "community", especially online. The more I returned month after month I realized just how "closely knit" these people are, how dedicated the great skinners are and how friendly everyone can be around here,
if you''re polite when being inquisitive. Last winter I finally purchased a subscription to WinCustomize.com because the dedication alone inspires me to do so... I''m only a "wallpaper artist" and barely that, but I still get a sense of how closely knit this community is, from new users to the Administrators and other Mods/Wizops/Journeymen, etc.
I''m not as involved as I could be, but I hope that my purchase [more to come] will aid this community somewhat. I want it around for a long time.
What I *have* noticed, however, is the general intolerance for those who come to the message boards with "angst" in their words. People [sometimes] *do* seem to lash out rather quickly and rather defensively. I can understand WHY the lashing out happens, but I do think if we were just more tolerant and understanding of the "noob" frame of mind things would be a lot easier for all of us. We should be teachers and informers, not flamers and instant haters. If you recall my previous paragraphs I stated that I was JUST LIKE ''Decayed'' but the reality is I was just ignorant all it took to make me "see the light" was a few nice words [in his always eloquent nature] from Jafo on just what makes this site tick: the high costs: the wonderful people and the dedication to their art.
I''m thankful for every chat like this because it all served to inform me as well as alleviate my ignorance, blatant as it was.
Perhaps if all of these other people who are disgruntled were treated as I was, things would improve for everyone: new or not. As much as I understand the skinner''s frustrations with person after person coming to the boards to "whine", I don''t think lashing back, in any form helps things. Don''t think of them as "whiners" and "leeches" but rather people who just need a friendly, casual reminder of just what this site is, what it does and what it offers people: worldwide.
Thanks for reading.
[Message Edited]
WinCustomize Forums
Just for the record DK, I don't work for WC or Stardock....I belong by choice to a community of fellow enthusiasts, artists and skinners. I support this community by subscribing to this site, by trying to help out others on the messageboards and by creating WB skins that others can download. Join the party, we have great fun here. Have a Nice Day