Today I present the final part of our Ask a Moderator series.  For the last four weeks, I've been putting questions, submitted by the community, to the folks who help keep this site humming along day-in and day-out so you could get a better picture of who these people actually are, and why they put so much time and effort into WinCustomize.

With this being the final set, I'd like to thank all of the moderators who participated, and all the users who submitted questions.  I hope everyone's found this series entertaining and informative.  Hopefully we'll be able to do more of these in the future

Question 1 -

How many hours a day do you mod? (HG_Eliminator)

Wizop WOM
	Total, probably 5 hours, at least.  Never really counted.  Am on 16-17 hours a day, even if I'am not in front of the computer, but check things out all the time.
Super Wizop Koasati
	Hard to say. I spend as much time here as possible, but don't know how much time I spend on any one thing.
Wizop starone
	As far as modding, anywhere from 1 to 2 hours, depending.
Sir Zubaz
	I am here all day reading the forums.  I check the queue every five hours or so to see if there is anything that needs my attention
Wizop Quentin94
	When i'm not too sick and i can be in front of my PC?... All the day
Overseer Fuzzy Logic
	Depends. Some days I'm here a couple of hours, other days all day. I usually try to have breaks. The longest I've done in one continuous effort was 4½ hours. Some mental case decided it might be fun to mess with the ratings so I had to do an emergency clean up - took 4½ hours, sigh... only took me 30 seconds to exile him though    Sometimes when you are investigating possible rips you could spend hours looking at other sites. So, how long do I mod? - as long as it takes...
Big Cheese KarmaGirl
	Depends on the day and how many submissions there are.  I like to also keep up on the forums, even if I don't actively comment.
Admin Jafo
	At the moment...about 2 or 3, [house renovations/construction happening].  Normally it's more than 50% of the day, the longest stint was about 30-something hours with 4 off for sleep.
Wizop Erk.
	As soon as I get home from work, I hit the mod queues in the sections I have access to ..the length of time depends on what's waiting. I download and test everything I moderate, so some days take a little longer than others if there's been heavy upload activity.
Super Wizop Snowman
	That very much depends on how many uploads needs to be traken care of.
Snidely Whiplash
	I'm usually in and out of the site numerous times daily. i spend maybe 2 hours a day looking thru the mod queue.
Moderator elvee
	It is hard to say but I try to give myself an hour or two each day, more on weekends.

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Question 2 -

What made you accept the invite/want to be a mod? (Quentin94)

Wizop WOM
	I've been with this site , seems like forever, and as a non skinner I wanted to help in some way.  I subscribed so when I was askeded, I accepted as another way to give back.
Super Wizop Koasati
	Jafo, and DavidK locked me a room with no computer , and refused to let me have any coffee until I accepted the offer. Seriously, I wanted to help in whatever way I could.
Wizop starone
	Enjoy the site, and was glad to be able to contribute.
Sir Zubaz
	I wanted to be able to rub RomanDA's face in the mud that I had a higher rank than him.   Just kidding (sorta)!  I wanted to help Zoomba and Jafo and everyone who makes this place happen.  I thought I had something to add to what they did.
Wizop Quentin94
	I Love this site I wanted to help moderation team and wanted to contribute to the site.
Overseer Fuzzy Logic
	I wanted to help out and do something useful and worthwhile.
Big Cheese KarmaGirl
	I'm not sure either happened.  LOL  When WC started, there weren't many community members that were interested, and there weren't a lot of Stardock employees in general.  So, since I was active in the skinning communities, I started moderating.
Admin Jafo
	As a mod? .... after the ill-fated week I lasted as admin on skinz.org I saw it as a second chance to 'prove' it wasn't me that 'killed' skinz.org...
Wizop Erk.
	I wanted to be able to 'give back' to the site I'd come to know & love, after a few years of mostly 'taking' [downloading] things. It gives me a sense of worth [or value] to be able to help out.
Super Wizop Snowman
	One would be quite a tosser if one did'nt accept.......
Snidely Whiplash
	I had ot be talked into it, honestly. Boxxi and Jafo contacted me regarding it and I asked for specifics. After talking to Brad and Koop, i decided to give it a shot.
Moderator elvee
	I love WC and all the folks here. Not being a skinner, I have always did what I could to help out. When I recieved the invite, I saw it as a chance to help in ways I couldn't before.

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Question 3 -

When you begin your WC rounds, what's the first thing you check? (Quentin94)

Wizop WOM
	I check the Q's first, then the admin forum, the libraries and lastly, the forum.
Super Wizop Koasati
	Community forum, Admin/Moderator forums, then the queue.
Wizop starone
	The first thing is what needs to be modded, the second is the admin board, then forums.
Sir Zubaz
	I check the Super-secret moderator forums to see what happened overnight.  That tells me if the spam level is high or if there's a hot topic in the forums or the like.  Then I check the queues I moderate.  Then I head to the forums to see if anything jumps out at me as needing attention.
Wizop Quentin94
	Admin forums, Moderation Queue, My replies, PM, Galleries, News, Articles, Forums, and my skins.
Overseer Fuzzy Logic
	The first thing is the moderator forum so I know if I've missed anything. Next, I get to the skin queues. After that is done, I have a quiet read of the forum.
Big Cheese KarmaGirl
	I first look in the moderator queues to see what is in there.  I then check the Admin and moderator forums to see if there is anything that I need to look into.  Then I go out on the forums to see what is up.
Admin Jafo
	First...the Forums - Recent Posts ...to check for 'wild activity'/multiple responses that could indicate a 'flame'. Second...the Admin/Moderator Forums ...to check if there's been any issues within the past 6 hours since I was last on.
Wizop Erk.
	I check the front page of WC for relevant news, and to see what's been going on, then I hit the moderation queues, then finally the forums. I usually have an idea whats waiting anyway, as I usually have a browser window open to WC and the admin forums whilst at work, to keep an eye on the [WC] forums [for spam, etc].
Super Wizop Snowman
	I check for new (public) uploads in the libraries, then onto the modding queue.
Snidely Whiplash
	I go first to the Windowblinds que to see if there's anything there that blows me away. if there is, i pass it on thru to the public library. the second place i go is the wallpaper que and leave comments regarding those.
Moderator elvee
	Routine...Check the forums, Load up Admin forums, Check Mod Queue, Then back to forums...the recent posts that is. Finally I load up WC Browser for skins.

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Question 4 -

Do you still try to skin?

Wizop WOM
	I can barely use a paint program, so the answer is no, and never have.  Tried one of those canned puch button programs but was to embarrassed to upload it.
Super Wizop Koasati
	Heck yes....... I'm addicted ya know. I do a lot of stuff, experimenting and whatnot, but don't upload as much as I used to.
Wizop starone
	Yes, but....still working on the same blind it seems.
Sir Zubaz
	Have you seen my skins?   In addition to making me more aware of how I state my opinions, being a mod has cut down on my "skinning".  All a part of Zoomba's master plan I think.
Wizop Quentin94
	Are you kidding? YES
Overseer Fuzzy Logic
	I don't really have the time. I'd like to add Vista features to my skins, but I just end up banging the keyboard - SKS6 just gives me pc rage...
Big Cheese KarmaGirl
	Oh, I try....and I fail miserably.  I think I'll stick with my camera for my art and let the more talented people create the skins.
Admin Jafo
	Yes....I do a wee bit...but I don't have the time to devote to it any more [otherwise I'd be doing the Litestep theme/s for the new Community Skin project/s]...but I have been tweaking the odd Winamp skin [quicker to do].
Wizop Erk.
	No ...personally I felt I wasn't that good at it anyway
Super Wizop Snowman
	It's exactly 2 years since I quit skinning, and can't really say I miss it But yes, I have tried picking it up again, but I never get any further than opening up Paintshop Pro.
Snidely Whiplash
	Nope. I was never a skinner to begin with. i leave the skinning to the guys and gals who actually know what they're doing and have the talent to take concepts in their minds and finalize them with skins we are all privileged to use.
Moderator elvee
	I wish I could do it in the first place!  I Have alot of respect to those that can, but I try a little here and there.

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Question 5 -

What does your significant other/friends/pets/family think of the amount of time you spend on the site?

Wizop WOM
	As I'am single and the kids are grown, except for my 5 year old grand daughter, I have no problems in this area.  When she calls, I come running.  She comes first.
Super Wizop Koasati
	My wife, and kids used to think we were all nuts, now they know we are for a fact. It bothered Julie at first, but not anymore. She doesn't get skinning, but she gets that I love it.
Wizop starone
	Well, granddaughter thinks she is the only one entitled to my time (and is constantly talking), so have to be sporadic.  Pet doesn't complain as long as he gets a petting now and then (and gratefully he doesn't talk.)
Sir Zubaz
	My family puts up with it.  The oldest daughter is more interested now that I have the DeskScapes beta installed but otherwise could care less.  My wife is more understanding after a visit to Stardock HQ and the realization that yes, they are real people on the other end of the line.
Wizop Quentin94
	My Family understand it hehe. Friends? hum with the marriage and divorce i lost some many (and my health don't allow me to leave the apart so...), the only best friend i still have in France, well she understand me she's like me . So the only ones to cry about the time i spend on the site and skinning are my cats Well i can understand i often forget to give them food or water thought i often forget to eat too
Overseer Fuzzy Logic
	Friends? Family?
Big Cheese KarmaGirl
	My husband has threatened many times to chuck my laptop out the window.  Need I say more?
Admin Jafo
	Keeps me off the streets and out of the pubs...so not all bad.  My cat usually spits a dummy about 2am and demands I call it a day...
Wizop Erk.
	Most people I talk to about it initially show interest, but when I start getting technical, I see that familiar 'glazed look' in their eyes
Super Wizop Snowman
	Oh boy.... Basically skinning ruined my marriage - or rather, my addiction to skinning did! So I've sure seen the downside of being in this business. Living on my own now (though in a relationship) does give me all the time I need/want to spend on WC, but from past experience, I have "seen the light" and am now able to leave the PC behind and tend to real-life as well.
Snidely Whiplash
	Oh, my pups don't seem to mind very much. as long as i take a break and pet them or take them outside every now and then, they're cool with me being here.
Moderator elvee
	My Wife doesn't mind so much as she used to as long as I make time for her   My Cats? Well as long as I feed them, give them some love and keep the Cat Box clean, They are Happy.

Throughout the past week I have been showing nothing but Valentine's Day skins, but those weren't the only skins submitted this week.  Just a reminder, the WC Community Contest III has started today, so make sure to read the rules and get as many people as you know to participate.

Now for this weeks picks! 

	Anaga for Bootskins by Nimbin This bootskin caught my eye this morning.  A nice, simple scene for getting Windows started.
	Magmar for CursorFX by  TYCUS This cursor has some very smooth animations, and goes well with some darker themes.
	Tri Tip sidebar (mini) in DesktopX Widgets by Richard Mohler A fantastic sidebar with a clock, weather, calendar and more.  Included is sidebars for both sides of the screen.
	WS_Engulf_Blue in Dreams by WS76 This is a very cool .dream.  There are also a couple other colors available, so check the .dream gallery for others.
	Artifice for IconPackager by mkorashy I really like the simple design of these icons.  They go well with a variety of themes, great job.
	Delicate Balance in Wallpapers by MountainHawk Not sure what is was, but this wallpaper immediately got my attention.  Be sure to check it out.
	Innova for Windows Vista in WindowBlinds by Lightstar This skin is for Vista, and it's a very clean and usable design.

Great job to everyone this week.  Lets make the WinCustomize Community Contest the best so far.  See you next week!

 

 

Happy Valentine's Day!  The last couple of days we have highlighted some of the Valentine's Day inspired skins from WindowBlinds to wallpapers.  Being that today is the day, we might as well finish off the list so you can get your desktop finished.

Love Heart Wall in Wallpapers	Pink Rose RC for RightClick
"Royalty Red" Valentine Set for DX Widgets	Shut Up and Kiss Me for IconPackager
Be My Valentine for CursorFX	Valentine for CursorFX
Valentine's Day Pack for CursorFX	Valentine Hearts for CursorFX

Once again, thank you to everyone in the community who posted their favorite Valentine's skins.  I can't post them all, so be sure to visit the thread to get links to more skins.

 

I do a variety of things for work everyday. Whether it's writing articles, creating graphics, screencasting, etc. there are always a few piece of software that always comes in handy. Some are free, and some are paid software, but I can tell you now these are definitely worth the cost.

Here is my top 5 favorite desktop applications to use during a "normal" working day. They are in no special order, just the top 5.

1) Windows Live Writer

One of the main things I do during the day is write. Blogs, news, articles, you name it and I will mostly likely do it. For much of it I use Expression Web, simply because I need the server tools, and it has more formatting options. However, when I need to make a quick blog post, or a post that doesn't require a ton of formatting, Windows Live Writer is what I reach for.

It has an easy to use interface, and can integrate with many blogging platforms like WordPress and JoeUser. One of my favorite features is the ability to download plugins to enhance WLW. There are many to choose from, but you can find plugins that can add Flickr photos to your posts, videos, etc.

Download: Windows Live Writer (free)

2) SnagIt 8.2

SnagIt from Techsmith is what I mainly use to create screenshots. While there are a few free alternatives which I have tried, the features and ease of use that SnagIt offers makes this application worth every cent. It has a variety of ways to capture screenshots whether it's a simple full screen image, or a scrolling web page. It also has a integrated editor which can do basic image editing and the ability to add a wide range of graphics such as arrows, callout boxes, and text.

Download: SnagIt 8.2 ($39.95)

3) ObjectDock Plus 1.9

Having a big list of applications that you use often means you need an easy way to access them. I personally can't stand going through the Windows start menu, and I do not like my desktop cluttered with a bunch of icons. Stardock's ObjectDock has been one of the most valuable time savers I have ever worked with.

There is a free version of ObjectDock available, but the Plus version is highly recommended. One of the biggest features of ObjectDock Plus is the tabbed docks. With this you can add a dock that has tabs which you can label which gives you easy access to applications, shortcuts, web links, etc.

Download: ObjectDock Plus (free version, Plus version $19.95)

4.)Witty

I am a big social networking user. One of my favorite sites to keep up with is Twitter. Twitter allows you to post messages to the public, or a group of friends. It's a great way to keep up with your friends and contacts, and also a good way to network.

You can use Twitter through its website, by sending text messages, but I don't want to stay logged into the website all day just to see what's going on. Witty solves that problem as it's a Twitter client that is powered by the Windows Presentation Foundation. It's still in its early stages, but the developer, Alan Le, is working hard on making Witty the best Twitter client out there.

Download: Witty (free)

5) Flickr Uploadr 3.0

Flickr is one of my favorite sites. Not only is it a great place to upload your photos, but it's also a perfect way to share photos with friends and family, and form groups with people of similar interests. There are many way to upload your photos. You can upload them through the Flickr website, through Windows Live Photo Gallery, and plenty more. My favorite is the "official" Flickr upload tool. It has a simple interface that allows you to upload multiple images, tag them, put them in sets and more.

Download: Flickr Uploadr (free)

Skinning first started getting popular around 1999. Back then, it was mostly about skinning Winamp and WindowBlinds.  Today, people expect to be able to customize virtually every aspect of their PC experience. From the moment someone boots to the time they shut down, everything a user sees they now anticipate the ability to personalize somehow if they choose to.

In the beginning, the content came from the community. The software itself was developed within the community as well. A given program would go through many beta iterations and technically savvy users would report problems they had, post their system info, and work with the developers to fix the problems. 

Because the community was essentially a partner in the production of the software, the software was relatively cheap. $10 to $20 was the typical price for any customization program. After all, if the user base was actively part of the development process and they were the ones providing the bulk of the content, how could anyone justify charging more than that?  And, as a practical matter, community participation drastically lowered the cost to develop skinning software which in turn opened the door to lots of freeware and shareware developers, working out of their houses, to create cool stuff.

When Windows XP came along in 2001, things began to change. Skinning became much more mainstream. The ratio between consumers of software/content to producers of software/content changed dramatically.  Once skinning went mainstream, users expectations began to change.  The number of people willing to create content dramatically decreased as a % of the user base.

In addition, the community that once would provide in-depth reports on bugs evolved into a community that increasingly would provide reports like "This is broke, it don't work on my computer. How could you release this buggy mess????" The same community that produced incredibly talented skinners increasingly became a community of consumers waiting for someone else to make things for them.

As the skinning community became more consumer-centric, the costs of providing software and content for that community increased. In many respects, the "community" of year year is long. Now it's a "market". Increasingly, unconsciously, even internally the word "market" has begun replacing the term "community".  The "skinning market" differs from the "skinning community" in that the former expects the software developers to do it all while the latter sees themselves as part of a team with the developers.

The net result is that most users simply want to buy a product and get really high quality content and not mess around with "community" content. Which, naturally, means that fewer people, as a % are willing to use the various editors and tools to create community content.

Similarly, today's users often become irate at the notion of running into bugs in software marked as betas. Very few users are willing to even try out betas and give feedback. Moreover, some people who do try out betas and do post expect that every issue they consider important will be quickly addressed and will stop contributing feedback if their particular issues aren't responded to in a timely way.

So what does this mean?

I predict we'll see the following trends:

1. Content will begin to be provided as an additional optional service. For example, a user might buy WindowBlinds for $20 OR have the option to buy WindowBlinds Plus for $40 which includes a 1-year subscription to WinCustomize.com.
2. WinCustomize.com subscriptions will continue to evolve to where content becomes increasingly the value-add users get.  Discounts on "Master Skins" and free content from Stardock Design will become the norm.
3. Users who contribute help in testing betas, giving feedback, generating content, helping in the community will get free subscriptions.

That's the 3 thigns I think will happen in the future as the skinning world adapts to becoming mainstream. In my mind, that's the best way for skinning to grow while saving its own soul.

Hopefully, people aren't taking what I'm writing as "complaining".  What I am doing is making observations about how the skinning world is evolving over time. The mainstreaming of it is altering the perceived relationship between the people who make stuff and the people who use stuff. The unspoken social contract between the two was traditionally that we developers make our stuff cheap and in return the users make the content and help us track down problems in an open and symbiotic way.  But that relationship has changed to being more akin to a traditional producer/consumer relationship. Which is fine if that's what the...market has chosen.

Another Friday, another series of questions from the community answered by our moderation staff!

This week, we hear from WOM, Koasati, Starone, Zubaz, Quentin94, Fuzzy Logic, Hankers, Jafo, Erk and Snowman.

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Question 1 -

Is there anything you miss about not being a moderator (i.e. a regular user) (HG_Eliminator)

Wizop WOM
	Yes, not having to watch what you say when people piss you off.
Super Wizop Koasati
	No, not really.
Wizop starone
	no.
Sir Zubaz
	Believe it or not, but I actually edit my thought (if not my spelling) when dealing with the jerks that crop up once in a while here.  I sometimes wish I could say what I wanted.
Wizop Quentin94
	Miss? definitively not
Overseer Fuzzy Logic
	Yes, skinning. Since becoming a mod I just don't seem to have the time.
Moderator Hankers
	Nope, nothing at all.
Admin Jafo
	Being [relatively] able to call someone an arse publicly and have it only reflect poorly upon myself [and not the site as well].
Wizop Erk.
	I kinda miss being able to fire up Photoshop anytime I want to, but thats also due to my real life work commitments as well.
Super Wizop Snowman
	No, not really. I'm still the same

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Question 2 -

What do you like the most about the community?  (CarGuy1)

Wizop WOM
	For the most part, how people interact with each other.  How you can develope friendships without even seeing one another.
Super Wizop Koasati
	The friendly folks.
Wizop starone
	Kinship.
Sir Zubaz
	I'm an Army brat and we have a tendency to create "family" where we can.  This place is my family.  Thankfully, when compared to RomanDA, Island Dog, Jafo, and Zoomba, I'm the good-looking, smart one.
Wizop Quentin94
	The community itself, the friendship and the fact every people (or close ) try to help everyone in needed, regarding softwares, skinning or personal issues.  When you are in need here there are always someone to help you.
Overseer Fuzzy Logic
	The way people come to each other's assistance. It's great to see that kind of support here and I don't think I'm going OTT to say WinCustomize has the very best people. Someone is always there for you when you need them.
Moderator Hankers
	The friendship and willingness of members to assit each other in a myriad of ways (skinning, computer setup) and most importantly the caring for our fellow man/woman when they are in need (due to some medical or personal reason).
Admin Jafo
	The sense of 'community' itself.  Very few people have met others in person [real life - tm] yet create genuine lasting friendships through the common interest/s of skinning, etc.
Wizop Erk.
	The kinship ... plain & simple. We have a rockin' bunch of people, and I think there's not a bettter place on the net  to be.
Super Wizop Snowman
	The concept of "the community" has changed with the disappearance of more and more skin-sites.  In the "old days" The Community were the interaction between uses on different sites.  Today any one site is considered a 'community'.  To me "the community" died along side the original Skinz.org.

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Question 3 -

If you could change one thing for the betterment of the community, what would it be? (CarGuy1)

Wizop WOM
	Instantly vaporize the Rippers.  Hehe.
Super Wizop Koasati
	That's a tough one...... I'm afraid if I answered this one, I'd open a can o' worms.
Wizop starone
	Hum, well, no strife, no rips, no porn coming up for moderation (instant wipe out, so to speak).
Sir Zubaz
	I wouldn't change much.  We really are a self-policing bunch.  I'd like to find a way to get more lurkers involved more.  We have a ton of members but there are probably less than 30 "regulars" in the forums, IRC, and galleries.  I know they have something to offer . . we just need to get them out there.
Wizop Quentin94
	See more people come here and make their place in. In few wordsl: See More of the currents members talking in forums and Get some new blood.
Overseer Fuzzy Logic
	More support for some of the smaller sites. I would hate to think the community would end up being just one or two large sites.
Moderator Hankers
	I'd like to see more participation in the forums from a greater number of members/subscribers.
Admin Jafo
	There are many...but one of them would be to wave a magic wand and have all countries world-wide respect, adhere-to and enforce Artists' copyright to the point of pulling the pins of sites which fail to comply. [would save Koop a lot of heartache].
Wizop Erk.
	I'd like to see more interaction from folks who are members/subscribers, as I think ALL input is valuable and everyone's opinions/thoughts/ideas are welcome ...[so c'mon all you lurkers ...get to it!]
Super Wizop Snowman
	See #2

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Question 4 -

Are you a mod at more than one site? (w4xpl4y3r)

Wizop WOM
	Yes, Skinning Dot Net.
Super Wizop Koasati
	Nope, just here.
Wizop starone
	No, just mod here.
Sir Zubaz
	I used to mod elsewhere but this place gradually has taken over my on-line life.
Wizop Quentin94
	Nop here only.
Overseer Fuzzy Logic
	No. WinCustomize is quite enough of a handful!
Moderator Hankers
	Yes, Skinning,net
Admin Jafo
	No, not as such, though was an admin at skinz.org many years ago...and am still a 'senior member' at Deviantart [though that's more about age, really]...
Wizop Erk.
	Nope... just here.
Super Wizop Snowman
	Yep.  Wincustomize, Skinz.org, LotsOfSkins.com I used to be admin on Skinbase too, but the management of the site went in a direction I just couldn't accept, so I desided to leave.

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Question 5 -

Have you met any other mods, or even community members, in person? (Ranger375)

Wizop WOM
	Yes, 1 mod and 1 community member
Super Wizop Koasati
	Not yet. Hope to meet Zubaz someday, since he frequently drives within a mile of my house. Pictoratus lives about an hour away, maybe we'll get together someday.
Wizop starone
	Met one.  Wish I could meet them all.
Sir Zubaz
	I've been lucky enough to get a bit drunk with Zoomba.  (well . . maybe more than a bit) but that's the closest I've gotten.  I drive through the town Koasati lives in a few times a year but never get a chance to stop (or make the effort ).  If anyone in the community is in Houston give me a PM, maybe we can hook up for lunch or dinner or maybe a drink.
Wizop Quentin94
	Unfortunately not.
Overseer Fuzzy Logic
	Not met anyone. I have had a phone conversation with BoXXi a few years ago (um, five years...). I was in hospital for an operation and Bryan was kind enough to phone to see how I was doing.
Moderator Hankers
	Not as yet but there are a few that would be great to meet.
Admin Jafo
	Not mods, no.  Closest I'd have come to that was talking directly with Alexandrie once.  One skinner I did 'hang out' with...a bit....was Grimspoon ...fellow Melbournian.  He was into Litestep, Winamp, etc...and [though they are unlikely to admit it] started Devart's involvement into commercial prints. [I saw some commercial/professional grade prints of Nuvem's artwork at Grim's place once.....brilliant stuff].
Wizop Erk.
	Not yet, but I have family who live just oustside Melbourne ...and one of these days I'm just gonna drop in on Jafo right at 'beer o'clock' with a nice cold slab of ale..
Super Wizop Snowman
	No, not yet, but Aussie-land and/or USA be warned..... One day I might be knocking on a few mates's doors

The month of February is off to a great start!  Valentines Day is next week and I have gotten a wonderful response from the community.  Keep an eye out for some Valentines features real soon.  Don't forget to check out this months edition of the .dream video, it's really a good one.

Now for this weeks picks! 

	Floristic for CursorFX by TOMPCpl With the release of CursorFX this week, I hope to see more fantastic submissions such as this one.  Great work.
	Quest SysInfo in DesktopX widgets by  RomanDA Made to match the free Quest MyColors theme, this gadget displays various system info with a nice touch of animation.
	Solar Flare in Dreams by TheMasterBaron This .dream is just spectacular.  Not much to say, just be sure this one is on your download list.
	Parisienne in IconPackager by BoXXi This is a very unique and beautifully designed icon pack that will go with a wide variety of skins.
	K-TEK 4D Email in ObjectDock icons by Tiggz Another great set of icons n the K-TEK series.  This is perfect to use for e-mail in ObjectDock.
	Softness in Wallpapers by jazzilady The colors in this wallpaper are very nice, and I really like the design in this one.  Nice work.
	Ergo for WindowBlinds by navigatsio This WindowBlinds skin has some smoothness and an easy to use design.  Very nice.

Congrats and thanks to all the skinners featured this week.  Always check their personal pages for more works, and lets get some more Valentines Day skins coming in.  See you next week!

 

Tools of the Dream Trade

Over the past year I've gotten many inquiries about what tools I use to make my dreams.  So I've finally decided to write something describing how I ended up using the tools I do and hopefully help others get started making there own creations.

The first dreams I did were done using HD video found on the internet that I simply looped.  Under Water is an example of one of my looped dreams.  Looping video dreams require you slowly fade the beginning of the video onto the end of the video or adding the reverse of the video at the end.  In both cases, the last frame of the video is also the first frame so that it loops.  While I never used Vista's Movie Maker, I believe you can do the video fade technique using it, and the best part is that it's free with Vista.  The tool that I personally would use for this, however, is Adobe's After Effects. 

After doing a few HD video dreams, I started using After Effects to create more abstract dreams using particles and fractal noise.  I found many tutorials for After Effects that quickly got me up to speed on using it.  My favorite being Andrew Kramer's Video Copilot tutorials.  You can do a lot with After Effects right out of the box.  I created the Apollo dream using only After Effects, and without any plug-ins.  I now use After Effects for all my video editing needs and it is by far the best tool in my arsenal.  I can do all sorts of final touchups, including color adjustments and light ray effects.  I can't say enough about how great After Effects is and how it got me interested in graphic design.

After doing a few dreams in After Effects, I decided to take a leap into the wondrous world of 3d modeling using Autodesk's 3ds Max.  At first it was a bit intimidating as there where so many more options, menus, controls and terminology.  Again, I searched the internet for tutorials and slowly pieced together my first master skin; Good Night Earth.  Having done the Earth before in my Apollo dreams, it was a great place to start.  Not to mention, the Earth is a simple 3d shape to create.

Lately, I discovered fractal flames using Apophysis and found a way to animate them (Check out my Spiral Ghost dream to see what I'm talking about).  This really caught my eye and some of the fractals (called flames) out there look amazing.  Again, I'm searching the internet again for more tutorials on creating flames.  However, as I found out, creating a cool flame doesn't always translate into cool animations.  It requires trial and error to create a flame that looks cool as a single image and also animates well.

The final tool I use and is also the final step in the dream creating process is TMPGEnc 4 XPress.  After outputting my dream video from After Effects as an uncompressed video, I use TMPGEnc 4 XPress to convert my video into a MPEG-2 video for packaging up into my .dream file using DreamMaker.  I found this tool to do a very good job at encoding once I found/understood what the options do.

Well, that about sums it up.  I hope you enjoyed this brief autobiography of the Master Baron.

This is the first edition of "This Month in Dreams" for 2008!  The year has kicked off well with a bunch, and I mean a bunch of submissions for January.  Just wait until until DeskScapes 2.0 is released, I think we are going to see a big increase in high-quality animated wallpapers.

Now for this months .dreams!

All the .dreams featured in the video can be downloaded from the links below.  To use .dreams you will need Vista Ultimate, and Stardock DeskScapes installed.

• Surfs Up by CarGuy1
• EarthAndMoon by stephenvw
• Angel Wings by MalleyWowwy
• Spirit Dance by TheMasterBaron
• Summer Breeze by CarGuy1
• Tunnel of Love by TheMasterBaron
• Poubel Coconuts by brenopoubel

 

Well another holiday of sorts is coming, and it seems to be a mildly popular holiday with skinners.  Taking a quick browse through the galleries there is quite a number of wallpapers and WindowBlinds skins themed for Valentines Day.

I have also noticed quite a few being submitted from the past week, so I thought a nice compilation of Valentines Day skins is in order.  As usual, I'm calling for the communities help with this.  If you have some favorite Valentines Day skins you would like to recommend for featuring, leave the link in the comments of this thread.