This time of year is typically quiet...

When it gets quiet around here it usually means that 'Life' has come back into everyone's day and given folks a dose of reality. 

Reality is highly over-rated imo.

It's winter in the USA, time to hibernate. It's summertime down under, time to hit the beach. 

It's post-holiday everywhere, time to add up the bills.

The time of year that's got broke written all over it.

First Happy New Year to all.

as far as your question

"Is it due to the time of year, or is there another reason, such as people staying away because of the cross forum activity?"

At least for me I will say this and not trying to sound like I'm bitiching about it, but maybe a little. I have WB ready to upload but with so many of SD people off and people in general not being around right now I'm waiting a bit till all the Holidays are over. I'm retired and have hte computer on all the time. Also I'm checking the forums on a regular basis. An example would be the post about your new tablet. In my opinion it would have a lot more responses if it was visable on the fromt page with the top five listed. I enjoyed reading what people had to say for learning reasons. However when all you basically see for 24 hours a day are the same 3 or 4 threads showing it means you always have to view more and then look and look through. It doesn't appear these 4 threads are ever going to go away so I guess we will all have to do the search thing to see what is really going on. One last good example would be the Monthly Desktop screen shots thread. I didn't post on it but sure enjoyed looking at all the great setups. To be honest I forget about it never seeing it on the front page unless I see it within a few minutes after someone posted otherwise it is bumped off in a few minutes by one of these other 4 or even 5 threads that are useless as far as any information.

We all know that is something is visable it will get much more attention. Here is a perfect example. Look at the 5 windowblind skins on the front page. Now based on the reason tha5t was given for why they are there I accept it 100% and the people that made these skins deserve to be there. On the other side take any well made skin and place it there for a week and the downloads would be in the thousands. So something that is visable will receive more comments then something that has to be searched for. It's all good just saying as it was asked.

I agree with you Dave. You said what I've been thinking for weeks. The threads have become so garbaged up that I no longer enjoy hanging out here like I used to. Apparently no one in authority is interested in cleaning up the mess , so I'll just keep on exercising my option of going elsewhere for more interesting conversations and useful information. I probably won't renew my subscription next time around, it's become that bad here in my opinion. I have discovered some more interesting alternatives in the meantime for more healthier and satisfying threads. So why spend my money here? I would'nt continue shopping at a store that lowered it's quality, so I'm certainly not going to do it here. The internet is too big a place with many ,many different options.     -- Ace --

So, a little from column A, a little from column B. Fairy nuff

The amount of new threads dealing with skinning, skinners, skins or desktop customization has peaks and lows mainly because of the time of the year, Holidays, summer vacations and such or even life at times gets in the way.  Now when this happens some other threads move up due to one or two replies.  Personally I don't think the cross posting of threads from the other forums has anything to do with folks not posting.  That's just my opinion.

If I'm not mistaken threads move up and down the list based upon most recent replies.  Look at who is posting on the cross feed threads, lots of WC folks.  Just saying.

Lets face it folks, you don't have to click and read every thread that's posted.  I select what I read, works for me. 

for me it does. I. like Dave, am retired and check the forums frequently. If I see something about skinning that I can help with I'll post but otherwise forget it. right now I think the forums suck.

I also have a skin completed but am screwing around with some substyles just for the heck of it, I may not even upload, I don't know.

anyhow, happy new year everyone.

Well, since we are on that subject.......again.... I'll just say that there is a lot of content in the local newspaper that I have no interest in, is depressing, or I disagree with.

I still buy and read it, but I have full control over what I spend my time reading. It's not that difficult to skip over what I consider crap.

Abandoning WC isn't going to make it a better place, more posts by skinners for skinners will.

That's enough on this subject from me, you may flame when ready.

Agreed!. Walking away isn't going to bring about change. If you think change needs to happen, fight for it!

Well, let me just say from a learned point of view and PM's from varied members here, some of us have contemplated posting for skinning purposes, but have decided  we aren't really that motivated to do so considering the fact that it usually ends up getting buried by the more important and pressing threads concerning "Last Person to Post" & the ever so important...."Forum Ban Game".....wouldn't want to divert any attention from those would we !!!!

I bookmark to here and then do a quick scan

https://forums.wincustomize.com/recent

Always end up there anyway, may as well go straight for it.

Happy New Year, please drink in an adequately padded area.