Let me clarify a lil: If it was done right, ppl who buy it could have personal comunitty sites. CutTheRedWire.skinbase.org could be where I have all mystuff, and you could comment on it all. A user system would already be in place. Might even be a way to get domain forwarding or something. Something like a personal cobrand at deskmod, only with a journel, new, miniforum, etc. Catch my drift?
Well, the T-shirt contest may be on hold, but if I get an idea, I´m not waiting for a contest... {:p
I like reds idea of paid hosting by skinbase..and since I am looking for a home for my gallery and this site already has all the coding that I want...I would definately purchase space here....
It also has most you skins up already, so that a lot less up loading to do. Easier to up date php page too. I know several ppl who have community site more up to date then thier own simply because of how easiy it is. Main thing is that if you offer a product, money is easier to part with.
Some very interesting ideas.... <BR> <BR>/me points /grave: to this thread :)
ummmmm correct me if I´m wrong, but anything that was made for skinbase and has skinbase name on it, belongs to skinbase....... the author owns the skin but skinbase owns the graphics? no? yes? Speak to me LOL
Guys, I got to share this with you. <BR>Hopefully gRAVE won´t be mad for me sharing this... :) <BR>I was talking with gRAVE this morning on ICQ, and I mentioned CafePress to him. Evidently he had never heard of it, so I explained to him what it was and how it worked. <BR>He went nuts when he figured out what it could do! <BR>I was laughing my butt off, because while I didn´t mention it or point it out, the first thing he said to me after checking out the site was how he just had to get his girlfriend one of those thongs!!! <BR>LOL <BR> <BR>{:p
You see, where I live, a thong goes on your foot. So I have no interest in buying my wife one of those ;)
Does gRAVE actually knows what´s happening on his site? :)
ROTFLMAO @ /elwin: /Scarebear: and /BruB:
What´s REALLY funny is that I actually have never met gRAVE. :P Isn´t that just sad?
gRAVE is Fictitious he´s a bot :)
and he uses energizer batteries and keeps on going and going LOL
I think he uses the batteries with the bunny!
Speaking of revenue (because we are now)..... <br /> <br />Who would purchase skinnable software from Skinbase if it gave the site a % of the profits?
Software for sale would have to be a "must have" if I were to buy it... but I dunno...I don´t really wanna see skinbase go down that road....maybe it´s just me...
The T-shirt contest concept waits until the NEXT competition starts and ends ;) We have another contest ready to go with prizes waiting and everything :D <BR> <BR>And in response to Red´s idea, my wife might even pay to have me out of the house on a date :)
/me is from The Netherlands, and has no credit card :-(
Um, you know I´d like to help out, but Bugz is right. To place the full responsibility of handling this on one or 2 ´volunteers´ isn´t really fair. <BR>That, and using volunteers could lead to being left ´high and dry´ in they were to leave the scene for one reason or another. <BR> <BR>So for the time being, a company more along the lines that BruB first suggested (Cafepress) is more in line with our needs - and abilities.
I agree. I contacted the place Elwin gave us earlier in this forum and they can only really produce the number that we require and shipping etc is up to us. <BR> <BR>If we sacrifice the black shirts for the standard white or grey, we can allow ourselves the opportunity to also produce mugs, mousepads etc. It depends on what site members actually want to purchase as to which way we should go. <BR> <BR>I´ve not been able to find branded moustache combs or peter warmers though :( <BR> <BR>;)
LOL! <BR>Well, A gray T with the Skinbase logo would kind of match the default site theme... <BR>
I know of a local car dealer that has black T Shirts made up with their logo. I am in the process of getting the name of the place that made them up... Won´t be until Monday though.. :)
We should just get gRAVE to whip up a simple image of a window using the default site skin and the word skinbase for a grey shirt then :)
I agree, every one needs to pay the merchant themselves, not fair for one to take on such a responsibility or carry that expense themsevels....... or as /Elwin: puts it :-) we are happy to "help" Hopefully this company also has a place up here on the Net that /hobnobber: is talking about......... <BR> <BR>I also like the latest color gray T-shirt and saying for the front that /Elwin: did, but the back should have something........ even, how does that saying go??? something belongs to something LOL I can;t remember how that saying goes LOL
Well, one thing about CafePress: They have Boxers and Thongs... :p <BR> <BR>Oh, and Chichi? <BR>That phrase I put on the gray T is copyrighted by someone else. <BR>We´ll have to get his permission before we put that on there... <BR>;) <BR>
Hopefully a really small logo... :devil
Maybe a skinbase trampeleen to go with the skinbase thong. >:]
The way I see it, we would run a competition asking Skinbase members to create a logo and/or mascot. The winning entries would then be used by Skinbase for promotional materials (like shirts, mugs and peter warmers :D). <BR> <BR>By uploading to the competition you grant Skinbase the right to use the graphics but you retain copyright over them. So only enter if you love Skinbase and want to become a legend ;)
What about auctioning off dates with the admins? ^.~
Red: Sure... Like that would help. <BR>Heck I can´t even give me away, let alone auction me... <BR>LOL
Lets finish the actual contest that we have going on right now.
Elwin: Well, if you really think so. What about a two for one then? We woulndn´t have to do tha for brub. You know how chicks dig boney, pale guys in black. =^.^= <BR> <BR>Scarebear: Hey, that could work like a walk-a-thon thing! The longer you are out, the more she pays in. :P That would even more money in. 8) <BR> <BR>I just had the best idea though: a skinbase WET t-shirt contest! Now that we could just sell on infomertials like girls gone wild. :evil <BR> <BR> <BR>Ok, time for a serious answer... otherwsie I´m going to get banned for being useless. :D <BR>What about providing a service? And advanced account. Charge a few bucks a month and give a few things. Pop account, code control over user page, a lil webspace, no adds, larger icon size... stuff like that. Ppl bye stuff like this anyway, so this might entise them into supporting skinbase too. It need tsome tweaking over rules, but it could work.
Oh yeah, right... a Skinbase thong... :) On second thought..it might work if you just put on a small logo lol lol
That sounds good so far scarebear......... I think it would be also helpful and convient for visitors to be able to buy the software right here, their always asking where do I get it.......... For those that are frowning on this idea, look at it as a gain for skinbase and if needed can do other ideas too....... I don´t see where it can hurt, unless you can give reasons for your frowns? I don´t mean to sound snotty, just asking for more then the frown to understand :-)
BTW - I really want the cafepress thing to happen too. I have a funny idea that /elwin: knows about for a thong :D
So far I have two desktop replacements that have an affiliate program, three media players, the Stardock family of programs and possibly some productivity skinnables as well. With more replies to my enquiries expected. <br /> <br />So if we did this, it´s not just pimping one thing as some folks dread.... :)
I have for sometime now been advertising skinbase.org on my site, its a link page..... if skinbase was to start selling application that we skin and can make a profit for skinbase, I would certainly advertise that too, it´s a convient way for me with all the emails I get from my site, where can I go to buy this or that application :-).... I don´t have a problem with your ideas at all, I wish you luck :-) scarebear....... I think their is more monies to be made that way then counting on donations from members, a one time gift does not help a site to pay monthly or yearly bills etc............
One possibility that could work for software that would have an affiliate system, is that we could provide a link to purchase the shareware skinnable software directly from the software section. <br /> <br />e.g. <br /> <br />You are perusing the site and looking at HoverDesk themes. You think "That looks cool. I´d like to try that!" So on the page where you are looking at these themes there is a link amongst the other links already there that allows you to purchase from Skinbase. <br /> <br />So you´d only see these links if you were already looking at that section. You don´t like HoverDesk? ...You won´t see the links because you´d have no reason to be perusing the HoverDesk section! :) <br /> <br />And I love and own HoverDesk. I was just using a non-Stardock example :)
I think I would rather pay for an advanced membership if anything because I´m a dedicated member and this site has helped me a lot... <br /> <br />I don´t think there are enough sites like skinnables.org on the net and if this site were to become an advertiser/supporter of skinnable appz, than I think an incorportation of their site type would be cool...It is often easy to find skins in this community, but to find the applications the skins belong too is often another task...Sometimes sites just disappear because the owner just didn´t have time to keep it updated and or could not afford to host it themselves...On top of that , there are plenty of appDevelopers out there looking for a home and maybe even a little spotlight for their creations....So why not be the first to provide it? <br /> <br />The next time someone askes where to go to download an application or where they find a long list of old and new skinnable appz....The answer wont be go to skinnables.org...it will be (( goto skinbase.org because they have "everything" from skinz to the kitchen sink....oh..and there´s skinnables.org too...but skinbase gets the new stuff first ))... <br /> <br />This could be the one place where you find all your favorite skinners as well as all your favorite skin developers and I´m pretty sure there can be a revenue scheme implemented in that as well...which would in turn allow for the sale of software via a refferal program because people found it here first! Cheap site hosting for application developers...All new skinz for the appz hosted here found on skinbase first...Members with websites can give back by advertising for skinbase on their sites....there´s just an ass load of possibilities....anyhow...this is just me throwing most of your thoughts together with touch of my own...if that doesn´t work...we can always just donate money and bicker about t-shirts.... <br />
make the idea work togethers the t-shirt and the cafe press
The hardest thing is that gRAVE does not live in a country where he can use PayPal etc. gRAVE can´t on his own accept contributions. So a membership system where paying members get the site ad free can´t work at the moment. gRAVE could code it, he just can´t take payment for it at the moment :) <br /> <br />We´ll only do this if we can get several different software developers into the scheme. We are not going to become an advertising board for one software house. We want to be able to sell as many different things as possible if this can be pulled off. I am emailing different places to see if they have such schemes etc. <br /> <br />So far, the cafepress place does look like the best idea that could work for gRAVE though. I´m just trying to create as many different working ideas that I can to help gRAVE. I owe the guy heaps :)
I have mixed feelings on this, but.......... as long as gRAVE gets a kick back for what he sells or referrers on any program, then I say go for it, after all you have skin categories for applications that are making monies, besides I said this some time ago and it would be cool to help support a site............. Just don´t sell out this site :-) <br /> <br />It just seems to me one way or another a green grog has a way of getting his hands on sites or runs them out........ now it sounds like TeK is going under too, according to the last comment made by craeonics :-( Please just watch what you sign your John Henry on.............. by no means am I trying to start a flame, just my feelings here.
i´ll buy a T-Shirt of course, I´ll even give money away with nothing in exchange, I did it with ArtUproar. I would buy somehting in general, but not a Software, espacially not a stardock software since I don´t use them. <br /> <br />I´m not a fan of the idea of software selling. Lets look at what other have done. ArtUproar, is actually asking for support money in exchange for an icon that say you are a supporter and the removal of ads it seems to be working. <br /> <br />WinCusto, offers of course stardocks software to buy. end of that story <br /> <br />DeviantArt, sells prints and sells DA membership with no ads. <br /> <br />Now what can skinbase do? <br />
<br />I see no problems with what you´re proposing, Scare. <br />But then, I don´t have a problem with buying software either - I just like to have CHOICES. <br /> <br />( I only try to promote free programs because for the most part, they get less exposure. They don´t have what you would call a big marketing budget... {:p ) <br /> <br />But a software referral system sounds good to me. As long as we aren´t forced to promote one product over another, I say go for it. <br />
I have several apps in mind :) I´m not talking about putting big ´BUY THIS HERE BECAUSE WE SAY SO´ links and stuff.... Nor am I saying that we become ´supporters´ or ´flag-bearers´ for any one software comapny. <br /> <br />Lots of people say they want to support their favourite skin sites. Lots of people then do nothing. We would just make it possible to buy software (skinnable) from this site if you wanted to buy it. <br /> <br />New site members come here and say "How do I view this WindowBlinds skin I just downloaded from here!?!" We can point them to our ´Support Skinbase´ page where you can purchase WindowBlinds. We´ve helped them and they´ve helped gRAVE. <br /> <br />And in preparation for all the anti-Stardock replies this will possibly get, this idea has come about because a DIFFERENT piece of software has approached <b>us</b> in regards to selling their software here. Whether we do it or not depends on gRAVE and the general feelings of Skinbase members I´m guessing. <br /> <br />Just remember how much effort gRAVE has put into this site for nothing. <br /> <br />My feelings anyhow.....
Dunno. What kinda app did you have in mind?
Buying software, who doea that anyway? I have to agree with Bugz here. I think it´s not the way to go.
