This is a touchy situation. I don't skin; tried it but I could not grasp much of the terminology, thus not understanding the relationships. I certainly applaud the skinners who put so much effort into their creations. I agree the man was rude but that may be a cultural thing rather than a problem with translations.  I do think the greatness of a skin creation lies in the detail. A wonderful looking skin can sink to the bottom of a collection of skins if the detail is not "skin deep". For example a significant number of skins, docks, gadgets and Widgets I have collected are collecting dust due to PMOs like drop down menus that are unreadable, ObjectDock animations once added cannot be removed,  WBs that don't exit properly and one has to reboot to load a different WB, Widgets that work for a while, then won't load properly or don't load at all, etc.

I don't agree that Master skins are largely minimalistic. Most of the ones I have purchased exhibit masterly attention to detail. They run so well it looks effortless leading some to comment "simplistic" or "minimalist". The real beauty is under the hood.

As a consumer rather than a provider, I have experienced several rude rebuffs by artists when I pointed out what I thought was an error. We all can be touchy about something we value through "ownership". The artist owns the creation and the collector owns the download. Yes, this is a touchy situation.

Ron

I Liked everything I saw here & I wasn't a skinner @ first. But I said to myself- I wanted to do that and knuckeled down & learned (still learning!) lol But I am told I am getting better. Yes and even tho I am guilty of being a little intricut, I see marvelous work that is minimalistic & is very functional if @ that time you don't need distractions while you work. I support both but I will still get carried away on ocasion!

I look at it this way, if he don't like it move on.  as it was said  by someone on here, we skin  they way we like it and if others like it too then its a bonus, there is no need to be rude and say things like that

It should be pointed out that sometimes a technical error is more of a judgement call by the skinner due to the limitation of the program than an actual error. For example, if you find a place with text that is hard to read, that could be because that text is also being used in another area that must have it that color....or it could be a color that is not changeable at all..the skinner has to make a judgement on which area will be used more, which one is more important.

Having said that, in this post, the OP is not pointing out technical errors. He is basically complaining that he does not like certain skins.

What I find interesting about this post is this:

OK....then why did you download it it the first place if you didnt like it? Why did you apply it if you didn't like it? Why did you leave it on there "every day" if it made your head hurt? Inquiring minds want to know.

In addition to that...what are these taskbar effects you spoke of? My taskbar is pretty boring...in that it really doesn't do anything. I can think of maybe 2 or 3 skins that have any animation in them that are actually old skins. The only effect I see is when I click on that little arrow to the right or the button to the left. Are you referring to the flashing taskbar buttons maybe? And what's wrong with a cowboy/western theme? If you don't like it just don't use it...problem solved! Damn...now I'm getting a headache!

I happen to love that theme! Xiandi spent a lot of time, effort and a wonderful talent to bring that free gift to me.

I'm damned grateful for everything that's put up here, whether it's my 'incredible taste' or not.

My thanks to every artist, whether I downloaded your work or not, for the time, effort and caring you put into your work. There just aren't enough words to express my gratitude (which I'm forced to admit isn't expressed nearly enough nor well enough).

Divisive threads, while freely expressed, give me this opportunity to make my view known and my gratitude to the OP for giving me this opportunity to extract the silver lining from this somewhat less than perfect cloud.

And to Xiandi: Thank you for a great theme! Think I'll head out to the corral and saddle up old Silver and head out to the range once again!

You sound foreign with that one. Indiana is an American State isn't it?

You're such a suck up.....    welcome back Du...er Doc!

I have seen the error of my ways del78. From now on I shall only create skin that suit you. Please PM me your criteria.

Hey, man... let's face it, not everything will be fit for one's taste. But no one's taste can speak for everybody else, man. I like minimalistic skins as much as the next guy, but sometimes, you need something a little more interesting that a dark grey start menu to stare at for a while.

But see, there was this time when I would download a bunch of skins... and apply them, and think they were great. But after a while, a certain design choice would start to bug me a bit. So I removed it. And then I got this GREAT idea.

I decided to download SkinStudio... and start making them myself.

Ditto. I'm happy if my circles come out round or my squares got four sides. If I could skin like the masters here I'd rule the world. Whoever this guy is in real life he needs to get one. My three pennies.

I must have missed something.

Create a theme to your own taste

All you require is a Photo Editing program eg. Adobe Photoshop or Paint Shop Pro, And Stardock Skin Studio to create the WB

And let others enjoy whatever they want to 

Scratch one rock. Sending it back now.

I'm just wondering if del78 will post a reply to his own thread and give the rest of the community more of an idea or example of what they would like to see.

Hmmm, seems like del78  is too chicken to come in and see what we are talking about in case he/she  might cop a gob full or maybe  he/she  just wanted to see a reaction on this thread   .... Oh well either way their loss .. me I have been busy working on a new wallpaper  something simple not too  extreme, I hope people will like it . I never claim to be  an experienced skinner  at least I give it a go. so maybe del78 should  try his/her hand at  making their skins to suit their  own taste  rather come here and making a  scene.

Do you suspicion that you missed something? 

Brian, I think he means that most people would say I suspect, rather than I suspicion.

I say either one, depending on whether I suspicion or suspect!

sounds like you just need to get Naked and go off and lead a long and happy life...  

That's funny right there....I don't care who you are!