Wait a sec? So you authorised the use of spyware in your app?
Unless I missed something, that´s how a lot of shareware skinnable software works. Except for time limited shareware of course, but RadLight you can have for free forever and if you want more features you pay. Media Jukebox is the same as is a lot of Stardock stuff I´m pretty sure. I think WinStep is free all the time if you don´t mind the occasional popup. If you want it popup free, you pay for the registered version. <br /> <br />Plenty of different options for shareware creators, and the choice is theirs. Your choice is to use it or not and then to buy it or not :)
I have always said, if a skinnable program is making money, then they should have to pay a site to have a catagory for their program and in return they are getting free skins made and are getting their program advertised at the same time..... If its a program that´s freeware then their catagory is free to have here....... :-) <br /> <br />BTW what has any program that has a catagory here have done for skinbase to help the bandwidth that is used for the FREE skins that are made for them, and being downloaded that continually sells their program???
I like the idea of skinnable creators giving registered versions of software to those that contribute skins (if it´s a shareware application). Audio Sliders used to do it (I´m not sure if they still do) and I was recently told of another application that did the same thing - I forget it´s name right now though. D´oh! <br /> <br />I´d skin plenty of new applications if that was the case (applications I´ve tried and liked but couldn´t afford at the time) :) <br /> <br />I think if a skin site charged for a category, skinnable software would either host it´s own skins or simply stop making their software skinnable. I just can´t see that sort of thing ever being accepted - anywhere. <br /> <br />Or they´d start charging for skin packs after you bought the application. Basically, if skinnable creators have to spend more, they have to get it back somewhere else :(
Companies do like 50% freeware with 10% adds, 10% pay, %10 spywhere, 10% demos, 10% cripleware. You get the idea. I think they should have atleast one app that is totally free. HvD does this. The news, EzPop, et al are 100% freeware. It doesn´t have to be spectaculare, just stable, neeto, and 100% free. <br /> <br />Trillian I have mixed feelings on. They are still offering the same product for free, continuing development, and it´s a good app. They do have shareware version though. It does have features more useful to a business though. They do have to pay for bandwidth. I think they did it right over all. The app we know and love if still free, and you can support them by getting the shareware. Also like how they handled donations, giving anyone who donated a copy. <br /> <br />I agree 100% with ChiChi. Would be nice if they chipped in for the owners helping the apps. Not charge. Donate. <br /> <br />Aston shell is the other one you´re thinking of, bud. ^.~ Koasati and I are hoping to talk screen caliber makers into the same deal. <br /> <br />As for skinners charging, stardoc is encouraging this by making their app skinner itself not 100% freeware. <br /> <br />I aslo don´t like this $20 an app thing. That´s $100 dollars for 5 apps and only for a year usually. If I want 10, that´s $200 a year for as long as I use them. It hink it should be $10 or even $5 depending on the app. Then I could buy more. This is from a consumers perspective. I know the busness perspective on this, but I´m not on the buisness side. <br /> <br />Another thing, sometimes I swear they go shareware so they can give it out like it´s a big deal. A freeware/opensource advocate might think that though. <br /> <br />Ug... I´m ranting. My gothness is showing. Better shut up before it pokes someones eye out. >;]
Well, if I was Bill Gates I could afford to give away plenty of software for free because I would have been backed up by Windows, Office and other hundreds of $ worth software but unfortunatelly WE are not. <br /> <br />If you ask for freeware ... yes, there is the standard version of RadLight which IS freeware (means you can opt-out the adware if you do not want/like it). This version will always remain free, it will however be only a sort of lite version without some advanced features. <br /> <br />As for donations ... from my own experience donate-system doesn´t work :( <br /> <br />"if a big company needs more specialzed options ..." yes, we do the same but there are only a few such companies / year. <br /> <br />There is nothing bad about adware. In my opinion it´s actually a gift from heavens for us, software developers. Do you have an idea how much does it cost to run whole RadLight business, and do you know how many people donated or purchased the Pro version? We do not have any other job to cover the costs, and frankly I do not want to do anything else than RadLight business. <br /> <br />I like freeware software, but unfortunatelly nothing is free ... maybe for you, the user but not for the actual author :(
Aston Shell is the one! Thanks red :) <br /> <br />I think most people understand that shareware generally is not evil. I wish most things in life had such a trial period before buying. I´m sure my household furnishings would be different today if there was shareware in the real world ;) <br /> <br />The next version of my site will be supporting both freeware and shareware. I use both :)
This is a ungoing war between creators and Skinners. I have seen this debate time and time again over the same thing at Stardock. DAvenger is right thought, It´s not cheap to create a well running softwares. You can not name that many apps that are as well done then RadLight and are free, Trillian, Sysmetrix maybe, in the worst case Winamp. Some apps are so freekin´ ugly they could not give it away for free (Fighter clock :) ) <br /> <br />All and all, this debate will never find a winner or a loser. It will go one for as long as some friendly people give the same thing for free!
DAvenger: You work for RadLight? >;]
With the little money we earn we can further support the developement ... and that´s how it should be. Year ago someone complained about several incompatibilities with Matrox cards. What should I have done? Should I buy this card even if I do not need it just to please one so called "customer" (we are talking about freeware here)? <br /> <br />Now, I can do that and I have no doubt it is good for our users and in the end even for us.
Hello Mister Radlight. <br /> <br />Radlight is good software, no argue about that. And i dont care about a little advertising, but isn´t it possible to use other methods of advertising (instead of spyware, cause that is why i removed it..)?
CutTheRedWire is right, <br />i mean just look at 545 , they have all freeware software, and if a big company needs more specialzed options for that software, they have to pay! <br />that´s a great idea! <br /> <br />
/me thinks red is on a crusade here
PK : Other methods of advertising? Like video-streamed ad every 30 minutes while watching a movie? :) No, seriously ... the other methods are not applicable in this case :( <br /> <br />CTRW/PK : Spyware? No spyware! The definition of spyware (btw. haven´t seen any real spyware in my life) says that it is a PC software which : <br /> <br />1. does not adequately disclose its presence to users during the installation process <br />2. is extremely difficult for the average user to identify. If it shows ads, they are not branded and origins are unclear. <br />3. tracks user clickstream and surfing habits, and reports them to a central server. where they are stored. <br />4. is difficult to uninstall, and the average user will not know how to do it. <br /> <br />Have you noticed those new "Spyware" removers for only $19.95 (including the well known ad-aware) ? Well, their goal is to scare you and push you to purchase their software at all costs which is actually based on destroying other companies´ legitimate business plans, nothing more, nothing less ... $19.95 bucks worth feeling of fake safety. Your choice, your responsibility.
1. legal mumbo jumbo is not adiquit disclosure. That´s why there was such a big deal when it was found. <br />2. A lot of ppl didn´t "identify it" until it was made public on DA. <br />3. If it monitors activety (esp if I don´t know about it), it´s spying on me. <br />4. You´re unstall didn´t remove it I bet. <br /> <br />As for Ad-aware, it works for free, and I know of no one who bought it out of fear. Support maybe, but not fear. It does the same thing you do only better: free to use with a better version to buy but with no ads. <br /> <br />You´re spyware practises piss off everyone who finds out about them. They should be illegal imo, and most ppl asked for it not to be there. Listen to your customers. Oh wait, you have, and now that it´s public, there is an option to not install it. It´s default is yes. If you were so confident in its lagitament use, why was is only in the legal speal? <br /> <br />Ad-aware is a savior to me, and others. Spyware also is known to cause instability and other errors. I´ve seen if first hand, and used ad-aware to slove the problem. Example: when hotbar was forcably dialing-up on a friends PC, only ad-aware could remove the spyware causng it easily. I learnd of this from my boss, who knows his stuff, and he first demostrated it´s stability affects when the desk computer was crashing a lot. He ran ad-aware, and it ran three times as stably. <br /> <br />Most ppl here like and use ad-aware. Insults from the person who made a app with spyware and that deletes ad-aware aren´t going to sway many. "Syware? No spyware!" ha... that´s what they all say. <br /> <br />This it for me. I´m done with this thread. I apologise for my lil rant, but won´t continue it. Anyone who wants to get a response can do so in private. <br /> <br />Crae: Oh I´ld like to. Trust me. I wouldn´t just rant in a lil thread to start a crusade, though. That´s just not effective.
1. Have you ever seen RL SE installation process? <br />2. Have you ever seen SaveNow´s popup ad? <br />3. Have you ever used SaveNow? <br />4. Are you from the planet Earth? <br /> <br />Congratulations, you are now exactly where they want you to have ;)
M$ got slaped with stiff fines for bundeling unwanted software...a case will come up eventually for bundeling unwanted advertisesrs software in with an app.
wowowow,.. 1) about the differnen´t kind of advertising was a question. 2) about the spyware,.. maybe I rushed true the installation, but I didn´t see the option to ENABLE the advertisent software installation.. 3) when i uninstalled radlight (some ad program loaded on windows startup (and thats what i call spyware) and it could not be removed by itself). The adsoftware stayed on my computer after the uninstallation of radlight.
Yeah I have read that, but this part: "Save! will be uninstalled automatically after ALL Save! supported programs have been removed." is a bit not-true. Save! wasn´t removed from my PC after I removed Radlight, and since Radlight was installed on a (almost) clean winXp installation im sure its the only program that comes with Save!
ALL means ALL, in this case there is also the WeatherCast application.
No other apps (i checked it again) <br /> <br />I had it installed on my PC (clean install, only winXP, msOffice, Visual Basic and Radlight) and when RL was uninstalled Save! remained on my PC. <br /> <br />Then when i wanted to uninstall Save! (manually) it said that radlight was still installed (the following programs may stop working if you uninstall save!: Radlight). <br /> <br />Im sure the average user doesn´t remove it manually.. (But maybe im the only one with this problem.) <br /> <br />PS,. email? (instead of using this board.. )
I can´t enter the competition since i´m judging, (so far not much) but I would not skin radlight probably, I have no use for it really and it´s not a freeware which I tend use more to help these creators.
I agree with cut... and won´t support any appz with spyware.... and a good place to go for a cheap domain is godaddy.com... that´s where I got both of mine... 7 and change per year... <br /> <br />Good Idea cut!
Cut bad. :( <br />Red good. :) <br />/red checks out site...
And don´t get me wrong. If it´s _good_ shareware, like HvD, then it´s worth skinning/supporting. Radlite is... (shuts up before he gets banned). Other thing you run into is that mediaplayers encounter very stiff competion. Nearly everyone uses and evelopes plugins for winamp. If they don´t then it´s sonique (my fav actually), coolplayer, WiMP (spyware! eew!), or even like RealPlayer (controlware! eww!). Heck, k-jofol isn´t even a player anymore (ok, so winamp3 IS k-jofol 2... they snagged the coder). It think NestStart of something similare might do the trick. <br /> <br />What about a contest for a company skin (or eve mini suite)? They go for a few hundred bucks sometimes. This could be more cost effective to them.
Red - Giving away hosting would be a good idea, but we don´t know any skinnable creators who can give that away :) We provide prizes given to us by the skinnable makers themselves. <br /> <br />WinStep gave away their products, PixelPrints gave away tangible products of theirs and RadLight are doing the same. I could contact hosting companies but they have nothing to skin ;) <br /> <br />I can understand what everybody has said though and appreciate your input. I guess I´m surprised so far that for an application that gets so many downloads here, nobody so far is skinning it. Newbies I´m talking about.
I must be the only person with multiple media players on my Hard Drive. Well, except /snowman: I´m sure ;) <br /> <br />I have Winamp 2, Winamp 3, Sonique 1, Sonique 2, Media Jukebox, Box MP3, CDrun, RadLight and XMPlay. I like variety :)
If I look properly, most ofthe skinner that uploaded Radlight skins here are not really part of the community. Except for DigitalSpyder, no skinners in there are actually active. They probably upload here just to get a place to store their skins and hot link to the page right away.
I have sonique, winamp, and coolplayer all custom entered in the registry. I use others too, but not really often (wa3 - s2). I hate to put it like htis, but I was kinda angry you guys even had a section for it after what they pulled, then a contest just threw me off. If it didn´t have teh spyware, I would have skinned it. Has nothing to do with multiple media players. However, it does seem like I´m the only one who didn´t enter for this reason. That does leave the question open, doesn´t it? <br /> <br />/red is proccupied with the spyware thing :P <br /> <br />What about screen calipers, aston shell, or even our buddies at 545 will have subscriptions soon. Ultraplayer maybe. Trillian has a pro version now too. Just as long as it isn´t spyware. <br /> <br />It is odd that existing skinners of the app haven´t entered. Maybe try personal invitations. Contact the ppl who create skins and see if they are aware of the contest. There has to be a way to do a mass list too, so it would be easier on you. Has it been in the news of the other skin sites too? <br /> <br />As for hot linking. If you really htink that´s what´s going on, maybe check the skin info, then the site, and see if that´s whats happening. <br /> <br />Btw, does this raise funds for the site? I think it should a lil (it is shareware), but that´s just me.
I posted the news on all other skin site Red. So people know about it, but, like you said, the spyware thing could be one of the reasons people don,t want to deal with it in the community that probably as more freeware available per members :)
Radlite shot themselves in the foot on that one. I hope they bleed... (shuts up before he "gets all goth" on radlite). >:]
I get the impression Red doesn´t care for Radlight. LOL <br /> <br />A Screen Calipers skinning contest gets my vote. A free registration would nifty. <br /> <br />I guess it doesn´t really matter what people want for prizes, if all that can be offered is what the skinnable makers provide. ;) <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />
No offense, but radllite lost me forever when they added the spyware and delete ad-aware thing. I won´t give them any kind of support. I´m putting that mildly. You don´t my honest opinion of them. <br /> <br />I dose pose a problem skinning an app you won´t install. :evil <br /> <br />The other contests I didn´t finish my skins in time, and run into skill level problems. I do it for fun, and a featured skin is all it takes to entice. <br /> <br />An idea might be domain registration. Some companies will give them to get some free advertising. Most ppl here have a personal site, so tehy sertainly could use it. I´ve also seen them for as little as 8 bucks. I´ll have to get you a link. <br /> <br />Actually, a pop3 skinbase e-mail account would be sweet. You do that already, but that is something I go for.
Without taking sides (or saying what happened was right - because we know it wasn´t :)), everybody makes mistakes. I remember skin sites that started by posting skins without prior approval and now they´re loved by all. Having said that, your reasons given do make sense to me. I asked about the ads in the software before the competition started :) <br /> <br />You can download an ad-free version of RadLight (well one where you get to say ´No!´ to the advertising add-ons). But with the downloads this software and its skins gets, I thought the competition might be a popular one. <br /> <br />Next months comp is already setup and we need to setup a comp for the Skinbase Tshirts (so we can get that happening) too. But after that, I´ll have to contact all those people Red mentioned :) <br /> <br />Then he better enter if we get those comps happening ;)
How long does the competion last? How about I contact some of the radlite skinners, and maybe see if an extended dead line might entice them. I´ll help out. I know what a pain (and joy) a contest can be to coordinate. A lil hand might be all you really need. That would also be a dirrect answer to why they didn´t enter. I think it would be inappropriate to do this without your approval though, so until then, it´s just an idea. <br /> <br />Btw, you should have advertised that "No!" feature. That knowledge can protect users, and could have softened a few ppl.
You know....now that I think of it...I missed the competition post...so my first reaction when reading this thread was ´what competition´...but oh well....I know now...
Ok. I thought for a sec the contest was mid or almost over. I´ll wait a lil bit, and if we don´t see anyone joining in the fun, I´ll start knocking on doors. <br /> <br />I can hear it now: "Why is a vela admin bug´n me about a skinbase contest?" :P
I´ve always held the personal stance that Skinbase is the skin site for "Second Chances". <br />Lots of skinners here will know what I´m talking about. <br />;) <br />So I quess that should go for skinnable software, too... <br /> <br />{:p
I was going to enter that RadLight competition but I honestly wasn´t to impressed with the software and I´m a little busy as of late. If you guys do a sonique 2 competition i may have a couple entries for ya. ;) <br /> <br />Btw if you don´t remember a site i´m with did give away free hosting if you remember the SX awards :) So there is "someone" here who could possably hook that up. <br /> <br />
Ads, ads, ads ... why do you people hate ads? Without them there would be no RadLight and most probably even no SkinBase. Feel free to use so called "spyware" removers or popup killers etc. but don´t ask for something free then. <br /> <br />Those 72 RadLight skins didn´t came here just out of blue ... but if you people do not want to win the registered version .... well .... it´s not my problem :)
hmmm , i want , i use radlight daily. , and i got a skin in project :) <br />so yeah the ads are a little problem ,but hey everyone wants to earn soemthing. <br />we gotta gree on that one.
I just wanna eat. Money is a means to eat (survive). I skin and admin for free. I´ve even coded a lil for free. Ppl want to make a living out of it, then they have realize what the competion is. <br /> <br />I´d also rather not have the software, then have spyware (forgive me if I value my privacy). I think it violate privacy laws and should be illegal. Ads I don´t like (they are annoying and ugly), but could deal with (on webpages). I don´t have much of a prob with shareware (which is evil >:b) but might make some someday. How a company goes about it is anothering. <br /> <br />I think companies should have some 100% pure freeware too. I like how 545 is doing it. I like how devart and artuproar are doing it (though that´s a lil different). <br /> <br />Presonaly, I use nearly all freeware. It´s out there; you can ask for it. If you want to use share/ad/spyware, cool.
