I understand where you're coming from, however that's the beauty of the present version of Windowblinds...you can make it a different color (if it's blue...those black ones really don't allow for a lot of personalization).

You know, it's really just the push some of us need to start learning how to skin, ourselves!  My first skin attempt was mediocre, but it was my first skin attempt, and my ideas are rarely mainstream, especially with the mostly male demographic here at Wincustomize.  But the homogenous uploads lately has pushed me to try again, this time with a little more knowledge and a little more courage to ask questions (I'm a sucker for a fancy start button and some terrific skinners pointed me in the right direction when I got brave enough to ask the right questions) -- Here's a preview of my new start button which is working for me this time!   (it's for a Mardi Gras Windowblind I'm working on, slowly and carefully this time, giving myself enough time to work the bugs out).

I will admit, creating a Windowblind is intimidating, and asking for help here...it's sometimes frightening.  Sometimes seasoned skinners are very helpful and understanding, and sometimes others...they will post kind of dickish responses, which if you're like me, and a bit intimidated to begin with, can send me right back to my own personal creations just for me with no intentions of sharing (so as not to experience the humiliation of rejection).

I loves me some Wraith skin, oh yes!

I think also we must take into consideration what is pleasing on the eye - i primarily skin for myself with a view to also releasing it to the community - i dont want to skin in bright colours because i llike dark colours (particularly black and blue)

I too love the really fancy and completely different skins - but do i use them on a day to day basis - no - i always go back to skins like stealth for my main op skin.

There does also happen to be a most useable award category which would seem to fit more standard colour skins

I think the real issue showing up is that back when people were skinning over windows classic it was easy to make something stunning, and now... it's alot harder... with Windows trying to compete by being more stunning from the start... but Kudos to everyone... I hope to see more skins for Vista in the future...

I am almost finished with my first WB. It is teal, black, and silver.

I'm kicking around the idea of doing either a cyan/lime green gridwork-type skin for my second, or perhaps a red, black and silver--just cuz I'd kinda like a red one.

The only red skin I've seen recently is Thundera. It is a great skin, I just am not into the whole Thundercats thing.

You are so right about this. Some time ago I started deleting some black skins cuz after a while they all start to look the same. Yes black might be sexy but they are other sexy colors too. For exemple I would love to see a gold, transparent and elegant skin. Or cyan. And let's not forget that not all the skins can be recolored. Some might look pretty bad after being recolored cuz some elements like toolbar icons, shellstyle etc look horible after doing that.

It's a competition and if you've skinned much you know that blue/black/gray skins get 5 times as many downloads as an equivalent brown/red/green skin

So it makes sense to go blue.......nice thing about Windowblinds is you can now adjust the colors thru the config panel to fit your own tastes.

I've been paying more and more attention to your posts: They are well reasoned and this one, in particular is quite insightful:

The text I emphasized I've found to be true, but I feel the vast majority (my impression only) of the folks here jump at the chance to help someone. Don't ever retreat into a shell...everyone has the right to feel good about what he/she is asking and creating. That's a given, and not open to refutation. It's hard to feel confidence when one doesn't know "the answer", but rest assured: None of us know it all the time and didn't when we started with this.

But apart from all that, The color bias in skins exists...as it does in life in general: icecream flavor, car color, etc. I say if you can skin, create for yourself. If others like it, they'll download it. If not, not. Create happiness for yourself, first.

Doc

So you are afraid to show off your work because people on the internet can be cruel?

Grow a pair and share! That's my new catch phrase.

Well, I can say, what I'm working on is 1. not blue and 2. not black..3. not black and blue and 4. not typical.

Humm....

I've been here for years and have never see any one flaming someones work (there were 2-3 guy's a copple of years back that use to but thay seam to have gone..) and i think the standerd of the skins you see now are realy good...... but i do think it's alot harder to make a skin that going to work well on Xp-Vista cos theres allways something that just wont go right.......on one or the other.....

well i'm stil plodding away on my skin for the GUIC Sorry to say is Black, Silver and green...... but i'm not shure i'm going to get it finnished in time.....

but even if i don't it will be up on the wincustomize website as soon as i can....

Happy skinning everyone... Keep up the great work......

I do understand the point the first poster made and i kinda agree up to a certain point - for me personally i have submitted a blue black one but this as stated was made primarily for myself as my main skin that ill be using so was kinda selfish in that respect.

Now i am getting to grips with animated start menus and skiining everything i will be a lot more adventurous in my next skin - actually if i could only skin what i have pictured in my head right now it will be very very nice and totally different - in fact it'll be the most awesome windowblind ever.... joke

I cant type very nice without thinking of borat...

casualtraveller I don't think that you being selfish..... cos unless your thinking of selling them, you have to make them for your self first (cos only you knows the power of you own imagination)  just keeping in mind what you have heard others say that they would like to see in a skin.

and don't let anyone say that your work is no good cos there normaly the ones that can't do it for them selves.... or wont even try.....

I expect that we'll see more unique skins as teh deadline for WBs gets closer.   I can't wait!

Cheers Robbie Boy!   Sad to read you might not get submitted in time - hope you manage!