Yeah, me too....in fact, I care more about a .00002 cent piece of toilet paper than I do about any politician. (don't blame me....you're the one who started the "I don't respect" politicians stuff )



Now that, I think, is taking it a bit too far....why bother with the election bit - let's just install them.

Didn't sleep a wink last night...in fact, I've slept very little since this thread went up. Why? I'll tell you why, it's a conspiracy I tell ya, a conspiracy.....

Picture this...a young Frogboy, messing around with his boring old Windows 3.1, comes up with a snazzy way to make it look so much prettier....with coloured taskbars, pretty icons and a sweet looking cursor. Frogboy then sat back and cast his eyes upon what he had made....and he saw it was good.

On the second day, Frogboy showed his snazzy new desktop to his friends and colleagues at work, and they too saw it was good. Seeing that his friends were impressed, Frogboy let them have it on their PC's.....and he sat back and saw it was good

On the third day, Frogboy decided he was sick of working for a boss and opened his own company to make customisation software....knowing in his heart that desktop themes would flourish around the world and over the internet. How did Frogboy know he would succeed? Well, because he saw that his friends had become addicted to their newly skinned desktops and saw that they wanted more, more, more.....

On the fourth day, Frogboy gathered together some of his colleagues and closest friends to inform them of his decision and invite them on board, and they too knew it was good.
At their first board meeting, they developed a business plan and a strategy to market this new fangled software....something to ensure they would never ever fail.

This, folks, is where you come in! Ever wonder why you're so addicted to skinning and customising your desktop? Well I'll tell ya....subliminal messages....little cues and prompts to keep you subscribing to Stardock software. Yes folks, that's what keeps you coming back over and over again....subliminal messages. They're on your monitor screen and in your PC speakers...but don't bother looking for them because they're inaudible and invisible ordinarily to the naked eye. You don't think Frogboy was going to use technology that's easily detectable, do you? To see the subliminal messages on your screen, you must be able to sit in an air tight room for 15 minutes under ultra violet lighting....and that is not recommended. And there's no point in turning off your speakers, either....the subliminal sounds also permeate through the screen. You may not be able to see or hear these subliminal messages, your not supposed to, but believe me, they're there.

So there you have it, folks, it was more by design than accident that you've become hooked on skinning and customisation....it's sort of like a mass hypnosis and totally unavoidable. Mind you, it's not such a bad thing, so let's have three cheers for Frogboy and Stardock for this wonderful technology which delivers countless hours of PC pleasure to countless people all around the world. Hip hip.......

Oh dear, another soothsayer...prophet of doom...the end is nigh type....God shalt smite thee down if thouest doth not repent.

I remember one of those sandwich board types when I was a kid, pounding the pavement with his imminent doom message to all us sinners....yep, the world was going to end in 1968 and we were all going to perish in a modern day Sodom and Gomorrah.

Well, it obviously didn't happen then, nor did it on numerous other dates they proclaimed to be the end of the world, so why should we believe it now....but just in case, I've stocked up on extra food and dozens of candles....you know, to try riding it out in the basement.

This post was moved from another forum. Here are some of my responses. As I can see I have upset many Stardock users and actually I am on your side. I understand you all enjoy Stardock products, but to blindly defend a corporation you don't work for, own, or have any deep knowledge about would seem less wise then my unpopular opinion. Here's the rest of my rant, flame me if you like, but it's the fans that make this site, not Stardock.

Some Responses.......

"I can't really say whether the free submissions are the "real reason" people come here." - That I find the biggest insult, not only Dreams, but Wallpapers and the other user contributed creations. Stardock's users are the real reason the hit count is good around here. Customers usually don't hang around a vendor's site just because they like their product and want to hang around and watch the home page. Stardock's users, from wallpaper creators to full fledged artists, make 95% of the total contribultions for content on this site. Using Deskscapes for example, Stardock provided the software and about 10-15 dreams to wet the appetite. The users in return came up with the other 200+ dreams helping Stardock to "have" a product. Had the artists not made those 200+ dream contributions, users would have been gone a long time ago because nobody hangs around a forum talking about the same old 10 dreams forever, do they?

"There's a lot of erroneous statements in what you say above. First off, I am not aware of a single feature of Object Desktop that is in Windows Vista." - exactly my point; Microsoft's improvements in Vista's GUI have put Stardock in an uncomfortable position. Microsoft threw Stardock a bone with Dreamscene's since Microsoft totally screwed Stardock's niche market all up on Vista. Like I said, Object Desktop on Vista IS BLOATWARE!!! In Stardock's heyday in the XP-era, Stardock had something unique to bring, today OS's bring it natively withhout 3rd Party intervention.

The other primary mistake you make has to do with what you consider "bloatware". - again, you stated that Vista and Object Desktop are kind of useless together so you've answered your own question.

"WindowBlinds, for instance, not only is faster than Aero, but it vastly reduces the power consumption." - So your saying that Vista Ultimate users are going to actually disable Aero in favor of WindowBlinds? You've definitely lost it now!! The dream customer is an Ultimate customer, the user who want's all of Microsoft's features and is willing to pay a premium for it. For that same user to disable Aero in favor of Windowblinds, why buy Ultimate then? Why not buy Vista Basic and save yourself the $200 or even stick with XP! So the Ultimate user is in essence paying $200 more for Dreamscenes, and Hold em' Poker. Again, most customers I know don't like throwing money away, your plan is insane!

"Why should you care if you activate a $10 wallpaper? The benefit is that activation makes it much easier for users to re-download in the future." - I don't care personally, however I was speaking for the customer who does care. Microsoft always talks about the "benefits" of activation and I haven't seen it yet. At least Microsoft is protecting a $400 product with activation like Windows Vista for an example, Stardock is making the customer inconvenienced by protecting their $10 wallpaper. Greater software has been offered with less headaches.

Even better, if your system should fail and you are reinstalling Windows and you don't take backup images like a friend of mine who purchased one, then chances are your going to have to call/e-mail Stardock to reactivate your Premium Dream; This is completely untrue. - untrue? So your saying if I reinstall Windows and attempt to reinstall my Premium Dream, no re-activation will be required as my Premium Dream will recognize that I have already registered and that even though my computer's Windows installation is now entirely different, highly unlikely. If this is true, try to pass on one of your premium dreams to a friend as a test and give your friend your registration info and see if he can install the Dream, how's it going?

Stardock has no intention of being bought out by Microsoft or anyone else. - Neither did PeopleSoft, Enron, Worldcomm or anyone else out there but guess what! Whether Stardock will be acquired by another company hinges solely on Stardocks' financials and their future viability. Stardock only has as much control as their business practices dictate. Bigger companies have talked your talk and 10 years later, found themselves eating those words. When people get bought out, it's usually not by choice, remember that!!

I understand that you have to show your vendor loyalty being that your working for Stardock, however your points were weak at best. As I said, I'm not anti-Stardock! I just don't like the direction on the Deskscapes\Dreamscenes pricing scheme simply put. Like I also said, I credit Stardock with many of Vista's native GUI featureset so actually I have given Stardock a compliment. All businesses aren't perfect, I'm simply pointing to an area that Stardock needs to work on. Thanks again for your time.

LINK TO ENTIRE POST
WWW Link

CATMANDU21 ...your last comment [#83] is merely an opinion, none of which is based in any semblance of reality.  At best it simply does not apply [bears no relevance].

It's all based on a claim that commenters here have no 'deep knowledge about [Stardock]' which would presuppose you do and thus your comments bear more weight?

Let's just suppose no-one here has a 'deep knowledge', ergo any and all opinions are equally invalid, being based on speculation.

Some here have an extensive history/association with Stardock and its products, not merely in the current Vista age...or prior...XP, but perhaps all the way back before the Windows OS itself.

Hypotheticals are good....we all enjoy Fantasy/S-F, too, but in any situation such as relative knowledge and historical understanding, some of the opinions expressed here will have more pith/substance, being based in fact...

Nope...to upset a Stardock user you'd actually have to say something (sensible) regarding its imminent closure....then back it up with fact. Other than that, we're pretty much unflappable and implicitly trusting of Stardock.

So, as another wise Stardock customer/WC member said......

I think he's gone,I heard a faint 'pop' as he disappeared up his own backside.    

Oh I'm so glad you found a priest who'd come n' give his blessing. Was worried after all that blasphemy agin Stardock n' its customers that we'd all end up going to HELL.

I haven't been around Srardock/WC as long as you, only around 4 years, but I feel pretty much the same way....and certainly there is nothing here over-priced, it's all good value for money/worth every penny.



I wondered what that noise was....followed by that rather pungent smell. Thanks for solving the mystery....now I'll be able to apologise to the person who was standing next to me at the time....vehement protests of innocence did not deter my finger pointing that they'd let rip a colon cough.



Think Bobby answered that one....as to why not. If somehow he manages to extricate himself from that dark orifice (and thoroughy showers first) its probable he'll turn up over a TGT Soft after the reception he got here.

Its very simple, no one is going to get excited over a $10 wallpaper, $50 maybe, but not the former. Dont like it? Live with it.

In a way you do deserve some thanks - I wasnt a full blown Blinds yaddie yadda user, but having had the mind focused on it by this thread, its likely I'll go for it at those low prices.

They say all publicity is good publicity - do you work for Stardock by any chance ?   

You are not only wrong but you insult people without know them
Not cause you talk about something that unfortunately you seem don't know at all but cause you Attack others users, and that it's forbidden
Now for information this is a forum where people can dialog together not a Bash area.
Arguments yes insults not.
Again own opinion

ioniangod21 .... Stardock is actually NOT a product, it's a company, and for many of us [if not all] that company is comprised of people we know and respect ['buddies', even] and we're currently here 'hanging out' with them...

Actually, Starkers....we [Australia] don't have 'freedom of speech' at all.  Generally people think we are like the US, but we ain't.

Instead, what you find there with your comment as quoted is a bloody long, hard search on yer hands if you want to find anyone who does NOT agree with it....

Wincustomize.com [and Stardock] are US-based so in that regard 'FOS' does apply.

However, being privately-owned entities they can addend to 'FOS' with.....'personal attack of your fellow site member is not acceptable', etc. ....

You know, I'm quite certain Mitsubishi could have thrown in a DVD/navigation system "and still made a profit" on the vehicle I bought last month. So what's your friggin' point? Does that mean they've "missed a golden marketing opportunity" & are therefore doomed? Make your own cost/value decision & be done with it.