A Relevant Upset.
 

ok I'm not sure how I should take this...

Recently, one of the review members gave my skin "Obsidian" (link in my sig) 5 Stars (my first 5 star skin btw) all the way down. Because of this, it has been showing up on the first page of the "Top Staff Rated" catagory since Monday when it was published. I'm very happy about the download count. I'm glad so many people like my skin... unfortunately I keep receiving emails from people wanting to change the colors of the windows. They've gone so far as to say that they will change them no matter what I say, but that they will not post them at winamp (due to the rip thing).

I thanked them profusely for liking my skin, and requested they didn't change it. I tell them all if they have the ability to go in, and change the window colors without messing up the skin, then they should just make their own in the style they want.

They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, I'm just not sure how to feel about it. This is not a bitch, so I didn't put it in the bitchlist... Maybe you have a different view on the issue, I don't know. I just wanted to share the experience, as I've never had this happen to me before.

At the moment, I'm considering changing the window color myself. Even though originally and my entire idea of the skin was to go with Pink and black (80's contrast). Which leads me to fear that the next reviewer wont' give it 5 stars (for whatever reason) and it won't be seen as Obsidian is, and they'll go messing with it anyway...

Blah.. ok I'm done.

Thanks for listening.

Hey, sorry to burst your bubble, but in my opinion, if I download a skin and want to change something about it, I have the right and will do, as long as it's only a local thing (eg, I don't upload it).

You may say you skin only for yourself and therefore, you make the decisions, but if you make it available for public downlaod, you are now also skinning for the user. This, in my opinion, means that the user can change it how they want for their personal use.

I know I've done this to one skin, where the vol/bal bar annoyed me so I got rid of them.

...
If you have added something like: Copyright © to Forevever 2001 they may not edit the skin. (officially)

I think someones having you on, never in my 1,897,476, yus count them, has anyone ever asked to change the colour of one of my skins, take the bars off, provide more of the same , but never change it's colour, that's a fairly unique request, and certainly not one I would expect to recieve several e-mail about on the subject.

Me thinks this furore over the "is this a rip cos it's a different colour" has spilled out into some kind of chain letter style campaign. This is most wierd............., and no it's not me :), got plenty of my own skins that I could change without having to worry bout anyone else's :D

I agree with skinme. Once a piece of digital art, whether a skin, a wallpaper, or whatever, is downloaded, the downloader can do anything they want to it, provided they don't distribute it. Just like how you can copy music you bought onto a tape, in any order you want.

So, if those people who are going to change the colors regardless of your opinion publish them anywhere, it's a violation. If they just use it themselves, it's kosher.

I don't really have a problem with them changing the skin for their own personal use. And I know if it were to get published, someone would notice that its a rip. Mr J, if you want to see the emails, I'll be happy to send them your way. I just wish they wouldn't tell me about it. I don't know to be honest with you. I don't know how to feel about it.

check your private message folder if you please.....;)

Personally. I wouldn't mind too much if someone wanted to change the colors of one of my skins. As long as it's for themselves.
But my latest skin, Lucid Dream, is made up of several layers of slightly different colours (the C buttons aren't actually yellow. It's a layer's blend property that does that). So in that case I'd prefer to change the colours myself (ie. do it properly), and release some colour variations officially.
Than again. I'd only do that if people wanted me tohttp://www.mear.fsnet.co.uk/smilies/wink.gif.