Just through Google... I even don't see/get/parse any xml files with someone copiright. There are a lot of alternate ways to build weahter widgets.

Unfortunately the WLB-7 will be never uploaded here. Only the screen shots... Why? Because a few lines of code retrieves some data from one "known place" which logo I don't like...

I just had one last thing to say on this. I don't think there is one skinner here that doesn't comprehend the problem is with Weather.com changing their script.  Which they have a right to do. I have read every post and every thread. I see most of the Skinners only agreeing about where the problem lies.  Sure its not Wincustomize/Stardocks problem....but this is where the fine line has been drawn. The Skinners are asking Wincustomize/Stardock to help find a solution.  Telling every member to just " fix it in a week or we will exile all non working Widgets " sounds hostile to most of us....You refer to WC as a Community...then shouldn't the Community be asking you to help ?  Sure a few non skinners are upset and demanding fixes...but most of the skinners were mearly asking you to help out the majority of us that are not coders ...we skin...and without a template I cannot skin. Maybe thats what you prefer? Maybe you just want us all to go away and take our bat and ball with us ? If thats the case then just say so and skip the dance. Anyway, I have deleted all 58 of my Widget Packs.  Even if I understood how to fix them I need more than a week to do so....If someone comes up with a fix.....I might still fix the more popular ones...I never cared about download counts so thats no biggy for me to start at zero.

If you mean for my new blind, I probably will do a DX theme for it, docks, cursor too maybe. Let's see how bad the blind is first...lol.

Karen, we have unlimited time to redo our work. We just have until the 20th to download anything we need from our galleries in order to do so. I think Jafo even said that even when they're gone, they're not really gone and we could request copies of our work and get them. As far as helping us, the authors, I don't really see what Stardock/WC could do to begin with. I don't want them "repairing" my work. I want to do it myself. It would have been nice if Stardock could have somehow made a purchase or deal with weather.com, but I don't think that would be feasible, and if it were, we would still need to update our skins. Then, what happens next time?

Just my 2 cents.

redneckjim, exactly correct.

fairyy~, the moderators and admins at wincustomize, devs and database and legal folks at Stardock have been working all week to find solutions.  Just because you don't see it here on the forums doesn' mean we aren't doing anything.

Skinners and coders here on WC are busting their ass to find solutions from this side of the fence.  They are looking at new feeds and templates.  They are looking at paying for their own feeds.  They are looking for ways to make this work.

As much as Stardock has been a part of and a leader in the community, it depressees me to see it vilified here.

This is something I'd usually leave to Jafo or ID to respond to......but.....much of what goes on is not apparent on the forums. WC/SD is not going to just put out a quick answer without making sure that it's a GOOD answer. I know that Zubaz is in touch with SD staff and the moderators are researching TOS's and TOUs in an effort to find a good permanent solution.

Currently sViz has the most practical solution going and it meets the TOU for Weather.com. METAR is a good source for current weather conditions worldwide but doesn't have good forecast information.

Moderators have emailed Accuweather's developer rep to find out what's possible through their system but have not yet heard back.

It's the weekend so I wouldn't be anticipating any answer in the next 48 hours but know that we are still looking for/supporting the BEST possible solution not just a quick fix.

Having said that, this is still something the community can solve.....the community includes WC & SD. If you're working on a solution....BE SURE that it meets the TOS/TOU of the service from which you obtain the information.....from my reading (half a dozen services so far) I like Wunderground but I still want to see what Accuweather comes back with. Stay tuned....

Yes I'm with you..of course, if we have USABLE , and acceptable templates I'm ready to begin..

sViz working hard ( million thanks for that!!) , some template, and I have one working version... but still waiting for better way..

Im not sure what all the fuss is about..

1: the weather feed is owned by weather.com, they changed the feed and terms to use. for all.

2: it is not stardocks fault. I think many are misconstruing this phrase with *we dont care* which is totally wrong.

3: it is everyones problem including SD in the essence no one can use weather widgets at the moment, we as a community should be working together to fix the issue and research alternative feeds. not sit around placing blame.

4: SD nor WC can alter widgets owned by 3rd parties ( skinners)  and reopload the fixed product. Just like no one can rip skins and repload. its a copyright issue. Master skins ae owned by the skinner thus SD an not repair them and reupload. it has to be done by the skinner who holds the copyright.

5: this has happened many times before, Trillian for example used to change their skinning format constantly rendering the skins already made useless. skinners had to constantly rebuild skins to work with the new version. yes it sucked, but thats the nature of the beast, over coming hurdles was a skinners second pastime.

6: leaving widgets up that no longer work would add to the confusion of those who download them and are not aware of the current issues. Removing then is the responsible thing to do..

Instead of fighting over this and pointing fingers I would have thought this Community would have stepped up and worked together to find a viable solution to the problem at hand.. Reading many of the posts here has really been a let down..

Precisely. sViz and neophil did just that.

There are always going to be two types of people: Those who curse the darkness and those who light a candle.

At last I begin to see a lil light in the tunnel!

And further more! When is Stardock or WinCustomize going to provide health care for us skinners!

Anyway...HG pretty much said it...shit happens! 6 pages for this topic was a bit much.

And the word "exiled" was a bit strong..."removed until updated" would have been more appropriate.

Originally skinning had 2 parts integrated, Graphics design and Code development. We used to have to do both ourselves. LiteStep required tons of lines of code and images to develop one theme. Skin studio for L.S. would have been a dream come true. Being a Developer of the prog at the time I had first hand experience with not only making graphics but pounding out lines of code and pulling hair trying to get the .RC's/commands just right.

With DX in the beginning there were few widgets for DX, skinners like martin/frogboy wrote the scripts/templates and offerd them to the community at large to use. Their kindness allowed non code developers to easily make skins incorporating the templates codes. no one expected SD or any one else to make code for us, if we wanted it we made it and worked to find a way to make it work if it wouldnt work properly.

If sd is taking time and resources to help fix the problem them awesome.. They offer a program with the potential to make custom widgets. I have yet to read any where where they guarantee working scripts for people to use, just a program where one can if they work at it develop their own custom widgets...

so if they go above and beyond that kudos.

I realize it prolly would be in their best interest to help resolve with the issue, as weather widgets have become a beloved part of DX, and the lack of them would hinder it's popularity. But I also have known many SD/WC staff since the beginning and long before WC was concieved, so when I say they are trying to do help just because they care. I know what im talking about..

SD does not need to appoligize for any inconvienence, they didnt break the widgets. But I do know they feel bad that the issue has arised and are working trying to find a legal solution. As are we all..

In times like these in the past, we would all yell OMGWTFBBQPUDDING. then all work together to find a solution. Not demand or expect others to fix it for us. Those who couldnt do much to help sat back and waited for the solution to arise, not add to the stress levels of those working on it..

Patience is a virtue.

6 pages is just this thread, there are 3 or 4 threads on this subject....sheeessh.

EXACTLY!!! I wasn't around back then, and I'm not a skinner or a coder, but as a customization consumer, I'll be waiting patiently! There's lots of talented, bright people here and in other skinning communities that are working on a fix for this.

Poor analogy, actually...

What HG means is that with modern skin applications such as SKS, and existing widget coding around for people to use it's quite apparent that there are skinners who have little or no understanding of the coding requirements of our craft.

That's fine in itself, but it does mean they are left dangling and lost when the code changes...or in this case...is broken [by whom-ever].

That analogy is more correctly worded thus...

We used to have to go to the well with a bucket to get water, too, but through the ingenious hard work of others, we now all have running water (most of us anyway) -- if suddenly there was a drought and the aquifer dried up, the water company would say to its customers, "hey -- don't blame us, the plumbing we laid down still works great. If you want water, it's up to you to find some for us to pump".

...and even then it's not really a good analogy...

actually, yes they would

but in this case it's more like the water company telling you 'we have water for you, but you can only get it through a pipe syste approved by us'

O.K., I stand corrected.  Since DX is pretty much sorcery to me anyway, I'm going to just wait around and hope with time everything gets back to good.