[Debate] Pre-Made Skins

[FairyRing]

"So, what are your thoughts on pre-made skins. Do you recommend them, or not."

I think pre-made skins come in handy at times, and can turn a simple site into something a little more. Some people have the imagination to create a wonderful vision and a magnificent forum, but not the knowledge or ability to bring that into a nice image. Pre-made skins give those who either don't have the know-how or the time to make skins the chance to look decent.

I would certainly recommend pre-made skins to beginners or people with little to no interest in making them. However, if you know how to design your own, I suggest you do so. Unfortunately, there are many, wonderful pre-made skins that are over used and improperly used. It takes away from the forum if it doesn't look unique. The chance to make a forum look like something no one will see anywhere else is one that I think should be taken.

"Also, should design and graphics boards use a pre-made skin from another forum?"

I believe that a design and graphics board ought to make their own skins. If they are using one made by someone else, they are showing that they think the work of another person is better than their own. They should set up their own forum as an example of their work, and that is something that cannot not be done if they are flaunting another person's work.

[famine]

So, what are your thoughts on pre-made skins. Do you recommend them, or not.

Pre-made skins are great if someone doesn't know how to skin themselves. And, honestly, I don't really understand when people don't tolerate them; I can see how seeing the same skin five million times can get tiring, but it's the content of the forum and the memberbase that's important, not what the forum physically looks like (unless, say, it's five different clashing colors that causes headaches).

People shouldn't have to have web designing skills in order to make a forum. That's why pre-made skins exist.

[Former Member]

I judge sites that use pre-made skins and probably would never join one, if I'm entirely honest. I see their merit and appreciate those who create them but I tend to consider sites that use pre-made themes as amateur and not going to last. I like to see admins either create their own theme or pay/request one for their specific forum rather than utilizing one many have access to.

[Former Member]

Would you guys consider my forum to be a pre-made even though I customized it up the butt? Because I downloaded it from the PB Library/A user on Smangii's board and tweaked it practically to the high heavens, though it still does look a bit like the original as far as board set up and category colors.

[Mandoli]

Should I recommend using pre-made skins? Yes, but it depends on the user. If you have an eyesore of a forum that you whipped up yourself, I will point you in the direction of a skin site. I think of eyesores as forums that have little to no creativity to their themes. One color dominating the whole board? Yeah, that board's going nowhere quickly. Putting some sort of effort into what your skin looks like will help.

If you're a pre-made skin site, then make your own skin. You know how to code, so why not make your own?

[maxxist]

Premade skins are really just for new members, in my opinion, or if you just don't want to make your own skin. I have just recently gotten into making my own, and while it still has a kind of simple look, it's definitely not something that looks like everyone else's.

I find that a forum with its own skin attracts me more than a forum with a premade one. It makes the forum unique in that no one else has the look of it.

[Yuno]

Me and some other admins used nothing but pre-made themes and even asked the creator(s) if it were alright to edit some bit of it before trying to make it different.

I think a decent logo/banner is enough to show a difference along with editing the pre-made skin (if the creator allows it) is enough to make it different.  Although I've not used PB and free forum services in forever until now again, I will likely just try and use the theme creator to make a theme.