I started coming to the site in Dec 2001 but didn't become a member until July of 2003. At the time you didn't have to sign up to download skins and such. I finally signed up because I wanted to contribute.

I didn't spend much time in the forums until I had "skinning" questions. I'd been on many BBSs, Compuserve forums, and several other websites over the years and I was used to seeing a lot of trolling and assholes pretty much every where I went. It was different here. I ask questions, got help and felt welcome. Then I started to help others and found I enjoyed it. I guess that's why I'm still here. (that and someone has to correct Zu's spelling while Jafo sleeps)

I like sharing my work with others, and it's fun to be here. I subscibe because WC is a great site and offers a lot of things for very little compensation. I'm glad to contribute to something that is fun and helpful.

What is the value of subscription ?

When I bother to overthink it, I realise I have no idea what value the
subscription model represents to Wincustomize and/or Stardock.

As a whole, is it a drop in the ocean, or does is make a substantial
difference to the sites viability?

There's probably all sorts of audits around somewhere, suggesting the ideal
balance of subscriber benefits, versus the bandwidth needed to facilitate
them. I remain blissfully ignorant as to their findings.

I don't even really know why there is a subscription drive at the moment, or
what it is that informs the targets.

As a result, it occurs to me that when I say I subscribe in order to 'support'
the site, I don't really know what that means, not at least in real terms to
Wincustomize/Stardock.

So why subscribe?

If any of the above matters, and I don't lose sleep over it, then I suppose it's safer to say that I choose to subscribe as an 'expression' of my support for this site.

It's not just that I'm happy to do so, it would now probably feel odd not to.

I tend to think of Wincustomize as an unusually structured sort of club. It both encourages and feeds my interest in customisation. It has at it's core, loads of really good folks who freely contribute their time and skills, all of which happens throughout the site on lots of different levels.

There's no pressure to do anything in particular here, folks are just invited to find a level that works for them, and enjoy it. Mostly speaking, it seems to work.

On a personal level, I don't generally worry too much about the subscription package. If pressed, then out of all the subscriber benefits, the personal pages are probably the most appealing to me, although I haven't even begun to explore them properly yet.

Why do I come here and subscribe and contribute? Feels like home! And everything Zubaz said!

You could renew now for then.  You could buy a sub for someone else. . . or go with yoru plan.

so is THANKS giving.......

I subscribe because I like sharing with others, I want to learn to become a skinner, the friends you meet here are very helpful,(as I have learned recently by having a few people who have been here since day one, offer me help.) I think WC and Stardock rock! There are a lot of very nice and very talented people here. All of whom seem to have a common goal, to help the skinning community! I have a lot to learn, and I am sure this is the place to learn and give back. And as I think I once said to Milksama, I don't have a PC, I have a Stardock Box! Windows Vista/XP/Dual-Boot/WC-Stardock Edition!

Nice to see this post is getting some replies.  

hmmmm....
1. I wanted to contribute with more than just bad art.
Why I renewed...
1. When I won the Christmas contest two years ago, I had been out of work from a spinal fusion, so we REALLY needed the money for Christmas. When Sleeping Dragon told me I had won, I thanked him over and over and told him how much we needed it. (I really didn't think it would be a good Christmas for my step-son) He sent me the check AND bought me a subscription to OD.
2. Bichur let's me celebrate a Holiday where I can abuse him.
2a. Bichur gives as good as he gets.
3. Jafo is a gentleman of first class proportions.
4. Fairry 'gets me'.
5. I gave Zubaz my cell phone number and he only made one obscene phone call.
6. Alternate Settings persistence.
7. Great debates.
8. All the really hot chicks here leave comments on my site.
9. Encouragement, support, and prayers.
10. I hate 'skinhit' and must destroy him and all that he represents.

You spelled my name wrong and you forgot my squiggle..

I have no idea why I persist in coming here

Zu says it all for me, Great place, great people and it feeds my thirst for a better looking and more useable computer screen than the one Microsoft provides   

I knew you would notice ...



Say ' Beetlejuice' 3 times...