I have An Idea... please don't hate me for it...

Open Source Skinning

Published on August 10, 2005 By joeKnowledge In Developer Journals

ummmm.... ok here it goes.

Stalling: It would probably take a year to develop it before it sees ligh of day (if it does at all)
More Stalling: I am hoping to run it much like some open source companies run their sites and businesses.

OK
Here it is.

I was wondering if anyone is willing to work on a project that combines web development and skinning...

Basically, it would be a website like Template Monster or Freescripts, except now it will also has templates for skins too free for use...

(please don't hurt me)

So basically, you would have a few (like 20 or 30) skins templates (or maybe full blown designed skins that can be manipulated for personal and business use) for Windowblinds and DesktopX, some free website scripts and scripts for DX and plug-ins for Windowblinds.

FREE

It would run like a themes site for, say Mambo template theme or WordPress template theme sites, where there are free themes to download or manipulate. People would get their hands on developing and playing around with Windowblinds using templates (same for DX) and you get recongition for putting them up. All under GPL.

The idea is that someone will eventually come to us for more professional design that is specific to them (not a rent template website or skin or buy unique).

I think its a good way to promote skinning, get more people to learn how to skin (with the free templates), how to make xhtml/CSS websites, work with backend php and asp (I don't think there are many asp or MS SQL help sites around with free plug-ins for making blogs or website content management), and do other neat tricks.

This would allow the community to grow, more people to know about skinning, it won't be so commercialized, and companies from Mom and Pop stores to Microsoft can get service from us.

SSSSOOOOOOOOOooooooooooooooooooooooo..............
Is any one interested it forming a group/company around this idea? Give away lots of free stuff and people will see how good you are at making the stuff?

What do you guys think? A template site with windowblind skin templates and DX templates as well as website templates?

Yes, I know... it will be a lot of work up front to make these free templates, scripts, and just give away knowledge on working with website back ends and front ends... but once the site is open, we can allow other to join up and upload template skins (like Template Monster does) and we can still offer professional work for a fee.

You guys know what I am saying??? Lost??? I might have a temp site up over the weekend for development purposes on Announce Your Life.com (probably under a sub url called webcontruction... maybe)

The point is that I would like to team up with some people to do it. I got the idea, basically as I wrote before, by being on template sites and on open source sites like Mambo, p(L)og, Noah's Classifieds, WordPress and others that allow free content that is pretty robust, but also offer fee services (well Wordpress, as far as I know, doesn't... but I bet the makers get called once in a while).

So.... what do you think?

Comments

Bichur

on Aug 10, 2005

I think it would be interesting.

joeKnowledge

on Aug 14, 2005

Well, I hope it will be interesting too. If you ever heard of getting clients by showing them what could be done before they ask for it is sort of what I am getting at here.

I know of a couple of places I would like to try to get, but I couldn't do it alone.

I think it can work, even more so, if it based on CC/GPL and open source.

I really got the idea after playing around with Mamboserver website content manager... I just wondered if anyone is interested or what they think about the idea in general.

thomassen

on Aug 15, 2005

Sounds interesting. Though I haven't had time to check out the links yet, I will.

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