Where is kol_s Vista XP skin??

Published on December 3, 2005 By MADMyKe In Personal Computing

i love kols vista xp skin for windowsblinds but cant seem to find it anywhere. I was using it untill i did a full system restore and lost that file. Can anybody help me?

Comments (Page 3)

Corky_O

on Dec 05, 2005

Credit to Microsoft for making a popular skin

Indeed, they do deserve credit for the shell style.......

Not sure they receive many compliments, so this may be a rarity....

rabidrobot

on Dec 05, 2005

KoL_ said (emphasis mine):

The theme use images from aero.msstyle and a lot of other images are created by me.

I don't question KoL_'s skills as a creator of WindowBlinds and Visual Styles--on the contrary, Sustenance http://kol.wincustomize.com/ViewSkin.aspx?SkinID=4769&LibID=1&comments=1 remains an all time favorite of mine.

BUT, if we weren't dealing with Microsoft, and if people weren't so eager to have this look on their own PC's, I think this particular skin would have been labeled a rip, pure and simple, a long time ago. Images, unaltered, were taken, without permission, from someone else's creation. That is ripping, and that is what would normally upset each and every one of you.

Sure there are other skins which have stolen from the same source, and sure they deserve the same banishment. No argument there. Also, if Microsoft is upset, they should enforce their displeasure equally. But that doesn't change the basic facts which seem to have been overlooked by the community somehow.

Jafo

on Dec 05, 2005

rabidrobot ...Kol's skin was an OS Port, in the same manner that OSX ports and BeOS ports are done. All are accepted under the guise of 'fair use', but, and it's a big 'but', when the 'owner' of the OS requests the port's removal we comply.

Apple has requested things be removed [in the past], and, as you see here so has MS.

There IS no problem with that....none at all [provided it's a unilateral removal request....in other words the owner requests ALL sites comply, to be fair for all]...

rabidrobot

on Dec 05, 2005

Although I've been interested in skinning for several years I am most admittedly ignorant of much of its history. I know, though, that porting of styles is common and generally accepted, but it was my understanding that the proper procedure was to obtain permission first. Not to go ahead and hope you don't get caught.

I certainly have no argument if this tradition has an exception in the case of OS ports. I can't change, and wouldn't presume to, tradition. But if this is the way things work, I think it is a slippery slope that can only lead to confusion and animosity. If operating systems fall under a community accepted concept of fair use, will GUI's in general also fit that bill? If I wanted to cretae a style using images from Nero's Start Smart interface, which was included with my XP installation, would that also be acceptable until they noticed?

At what point does this exception kick in? Does it depend on the amount of power the entity responsible for the original images wields? It is fair to use MS or Apple owned images because no one is going to run tell them when someone does so, and they should be expected to be able to look out for their own? When someone tries to submit only slightly altered TSF images, as an example, the community polices itself.

I am all for the idea of fair use. I think the potential for great art which wears its influence on its sleeve is huge. I myself used pictures of Nikola Tesla in a (I know, not very good) skin recently. The same applies to music which samples other artists, or the work of William S. Burroghs in the area of prose.

I want only to be clear in my own mind where the line is, or barring that, just how blurry the line is. I may be missing the point entirely. Maybe the only issue here is that MS hasn't strong-armed the skin in question off of deviantArt as it did at WC. Who knows, maybe dA got the same email WC did, but simply decided not to respond; they do have a reputation for being unconcerned about rips. Or maybe MS doesn't care about dA, only WC. That would be their perogative, whether we find it fair or not, no?

Finally, I appreciate your quick, polite, and informative response above. I expected to be flamed quite miserably, and I think you may have prevented just that by keeping this on the level of honest and open discussion.

bakerstreet

on Dec 05, 2005

I've mentioned in the past that there is a different standard at WC between "borrowing" graphics from people and borrowing them from commercial entities. Wc tolerates people cherry picking graphics from commercial sources, when if it were another skin, or a website, etc., they wouldn't.

Not trying to start something, I'm just saying that when you leave the "fanart", "fair use" area this grey, you are bound to have some people take issue. To me it would be much easier just to say that if you didn't make it, and you didn't ask permission, don't use it.

We have talented enough artists here that we can make something "feel" like a port when it really isn't. Heck, most times when one of the best artists here decide to emulate something, their version is better than the original.

Jafo

on Dec 05, 2005

No...you won't get flamed...[we try to limit that]...

I know it does look like a double standard...and many disagree with our general approach to this issue.

The idea of 'fair-use' is applied also to, for example, creating a Litestep shortcut to launch Photoshop...by using/altering/adjusting an existing Adobe image to adapt it to something that was not thought of as a needed 'launcher' for Photoshop. Ico files, etc are not often even used in a LS GUI. Skinning a GUI is an extension of the existing OS capabilities...eg MS never had a 'rollup' button in mind when they created the min/max/close ones....so people had to 'extend' the MS style to accommodate the added function.

So....a Photoshop/Adobe - derived image used by a skinner to create a new launcher for that proggy within DX or LS, whatever ....is not a 'problem'....but it may be seen as one if it were advertised/intended as a PSP launcher....because the latter would be seen by Adobe as a mis-use of its image....being associated with a rival product.

The only drama associated with OS Ports is that 2 [or more] individuals may end up using the SAME original source and create virtually identical copies of the same 'ported' OS....then both/all are legitimate...[just some are really redundant]...

Wincustomize.com policy is that OS Ports [emulation of an alternate system to MS but on MS] is OK, as is the extension of use of a product image to new interface/launch opportunities [for that product] is fine....unless or until requested to the contrary by the original copyright holder.

The question/issue of ripping then only comes into play in those instances when it can be shown that the work/adaptation/alteration by one skinner has been used in whole or in part by another.....and without consent....

dj_cityboy

on Dec 06, 2005

can anyone that has the skin tell me how to apply the Horizontal Shellstyle? i have benn trrying to follow the instructions that Kol had giving
Quote
"To install the horizaontal shellstyle go to SkinStudio. Then on the file menu go to Tools > WindowBlinds > Import shell style file"

i have SkinStidio Professional Version4.0.1, Build 839

and windowblinds 5 Full version

if i open skinstudio and go to tools/windowblinds i see:
1.Open Current Skin
2.Launch Windowblinds
3.Shut Down Windowblinds
4.Reload Current Skin

what am i missing here?? um lost!!

help me if you can PLEASE!! if i could help you i gladly would!

peas
cityboy

P.S. this is the 2nd time Kol's skin has been banned from this site and others......i'm sure it will be back!!!!

Corky_O

on Dec 06, 2005

"To install the horizaontal shellstyle go to SkinStudio. Then on the file menu go to Tools > WindowBlinds > Import shell style file"

You will need to open the VistaXP skin first, then the option will become available in the Tools > WindowBlinds menu - at least it is in SkinStudio Pro version 4.99[b].002, which is the current beta that supports the creation of WB5 (per-pixel blended) skins.

Corky_O

on Dec 06, 2005

Note - I meant "You need to open the VistaXP skin inside SkinStudio" first.

Alpha Tellurian

on Dec 06, 2005

This one was forseen. I have a copy of this awesome skin. Made sure to save it

Anyone interested in having a copy can email me and I'll send you one (if Kol OK's it). As one of the best skins ever made, it's a must have.

E-mail removed by moderator

Swansquash

on Dec 06, 2005

Microsoft should've taken it as flattery...

But maybe it's a sign, too. I mean, from the reports I've read about Vista so far, Aero Glass was about the only thing it really had going for it. I've said for quite a while now, that when Vista comes out, people will be buying it on the strength of its' looks alone... and, well... if you can get those looks without having to upgrade your OS, why upgrade?

Methinks MS got scared...

dj_cityboy

on Dec 06, 2005

Hey man thanx a ton for the info........

unfortunatly my version doesnt support it!
anyway at least i know now, maybe i will sleep ok tonight (LOL)

peas
cityboy

LittleBearJason

on Dec 06, 2005

Boy , was I lucky to back it up to CDR in the events of crashes , but im not going to hand it out to anyone

But if you are looking for something similar , I highly reccomend the skin Arrow

Island Dog

on Dec 06, 2005

Buckeye,

If Microsoft requested the skin not be available on this site, then these forums shouldn't be a place to distribute it either.

Frogboy

on Dec 06, 2005

I can tell you we're pretty unhappy about it.

Time and time again Microsoft selectively targets WinCustomize. And it's usually very haphazard. Why VistaXP? Because it's the one they noticed because of its popularity. Why WinCustomize? Because it's the site they noticed because of its popularity.

IF Microsoft does not soon go after other sites, we will be putting VistaXP up. It is not legal to selectively enforce ones perceived intellectual property rights.

Welcome Guest! Please take the time to register with us.
There are many great features available to you once you register, including:

Richer content, access to many features that are disabled for guests like commenting on the forums.
Access to a great community, with a massive database of many, many areas of interest.
Access to contests & subscription offers like exclusive emails.
It's simple, and FREE!