Linked by Thom Holwerda on Sun 26th Feb 2006 19:44 UTC
I used to really like skinning my desktops to make them look like another operating system. I stopped doing that years ago; and not necessarily because I wanted to do something more useful with my time. I stopped doing it because I somehow saw how utterly pointless it was. Why? I'll explain-- using Aston Martins and Jaguars. Yes, it's time for another car analogy, boys and girls. Note: This is this week's Sunday Eve Column.
Permalink for comment 99548
To read all comments associated with this story, please click here.
To read all comments associated with this story, please click here.
Recent Original Stories
Recent Comments
Headlines
Random Comments
Random Stories
Random OS Link
Member since:
2005-09-04
...could fit on the head of a mouse.
Skinning is mainly about interface preference, not copying or keeping up with the Joneses.
Although skins have been available to all for at least a decade (e.g. Windows 9x themes), it was music players that really saw skin usage skyrocket. After all ,why play cool music and stare at the same silly Media Player bars as your not-so-cool cubicle mates?
People skin entire OSes just because they can. "It was there." There is a major hobby component to computers, and cars. Hence the case modding and overclocking crazes right now. But it is not, IMHO, about copying but rather taste. And there is no accounting for that.
I stopped most skinning and related activities like screensaver and wallpaper collecting (topping out at about 18,000 images) some years back. The main reason was I liked all my various computers to be set up the same, to work the same and the dingle balls were making it hard to see out the rear view mirrors. Almost any utility one allows to hook into the system will cause a glitch at some point.
- Skinning is a teen activity.
- Getting up to speed at something useful is for the 20-somethings.
- Being fast and efficient without fluff or bragadocia is for the gray-backed alpha males.
BTW, I drive a 4-door Olds Ciera. Plain, bordering on ugly, but oh the functionality.
Floyd
http://www.just-think-it.com