Hello everyone!

I've seen a few others customize Tyler Fawcette's Tranquility skin replacing the upper image with their own image. As I read Tyler's acceptable use statement on his site, customizing this skin is allowed for non-commercial use.

So, I was wanting to try and use this skin for my daughter's Brownie Troop web site and change out the upper image in place of something that would fit that theme. I'll admit that I'm graphically challenged, I was wondering if anyone could give me a few pointers on how best to mod the bg_top.jpg.

Thanks!

Mike

I am also curious as to the legality of replacing that image with your own. Is the skin then considered to be legal for commercial purposes? Do the borders have to be changed?

I have done just that for a neighborhood community my wife and I are trying to put together.

I used photoshop to "hack" out the photo and slid my picture of the Rock River right in. I'f you'd like you can contact me through my profile and I'll pass along my photoshop image with the picture layer removed..

Chris, I don't see your email address in your profile... However, you can use the email in my profile. I would like to take you up on your offer if you don't mind, if I could use your modified file without the main image.

Thanks!

Mike

tntomek,

This is the disclaimer from Tyler's site regarding the use of the Tranquility skin:

By downloading this skin, you agree to the following terms of use:

1. The skin may be used only for personal sites. The skin may also be used for non-profit ofganization sites, but may NOT be used for DNN sites representing any for-profit organization.

2. If you decide to use this skin for your personal or non-profit site, it may NOT be modified in any way. This includes changes to ANY image included with the skin. Any logos or additonal imagery must be placed in the content areas, not in the skin itself. This is simply a matter of artistic integrity, as I'd like to see the skin displayed as it was intended to be seen.

3. The skin, or any variation thereof, may not be sold or distributed.

Mike

Hi all.

Something that should have been mentioned when the skin was downloaded from either my site or the DotNetNuke site is that although the skin is free for download, it is nonetheless a copyrighted work, and may NOT be used for commercial purposes without a license.

I have decided to let non-profit and personal websites use this skin free of charge. However, if you choose to use this skin for any for-profit portal, it must be with my written consent.

In addition to this stipulation, none of my skins may be modified in any way. If you wish to use the skin, you are more than welcome, but you may not alter the skin in any way at all. This applies to all graphics, CSS, and HTML/ASCX files. This is simply an artistic integrity issue. I don't mind people using the skin, but it must be presented as it was originally intended to be seen.

If you have any questions about this at all, don't hesitate to contact me.

The DotNetNuke team fully supports Tyler's use limitations on this copyrighted work.

We know that it can be frustrating, particularly to those of us (like myself) who are graphically challenged. But everyone must understand that by protecting each others rights in this regard, we actually ENCOURAGE additional works to be published. If our community demonstrates respect for the integrity of the work of others... they may feel more inclined to be generous with their talents and abilities.

Thanks for this great skin, Tyler!

Cheers,
Sctt

I contacted Tyler yesterday to check on any licensing issues. As you can read above this is not permitteed and I will honor Tylers copyrights.

mmm

correct me if im wrong but wasnt the guidelines of the skinning contest that the skins were supplied to the community for learning adn promotion purposes. So they would be usable and downloadable byt the community at large.

By the time the contest started i had lawyer friend of mine look at how it could haunt me or not if I supplied a skin or something ;). The reason i dediced not to enter was because of time constraints and the fact that I would see the same and spinoff of my skins everywhere and i wanted to keep them a bit original.

I dont know about the downloads on tylers site, but based on the readme.txt and comments in files on the contest download there is no ( legal ) restriction on the use of this skin for anyone who downloaded ( to calm some nerves of people who did use it commercially )

Community wise its better to contact tyler about using it as he said here, but you cannot he hurassed by clients you used this skins as a starting point for to get you in nasty positions becauwe of cleints finding out and complaining about it.

Good Grief.. what a shame.. I have seen the changes made to my *Free* skins.. which I noticed on the link on the site - and wow, am absolutely thrilled that people modify the skin and I love it..

But each to their own and we do have to respect their copyright.. but personally, I think if you don't want it used, don't give it away.

Nina Meiers

Nina,

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

To which skin "bastardization" are you referring to, the one I have done for our neighborhood community ?

I guess I'll be taking that done here shortly...*sigh*

No i was talking about Net Data Design - your signature and link from the site in reference to modifications. I've done a rough count - from my site, the dnn site and dnnskins, there have been over 15,000 downloads of my free skins..
I can't imagine everyone using them without modification.

I could write 1,000 lines as to why they shouldn't, but they do and whether we like it or not, might as well enjoy the ride and see how the site gets changed.

PS.. it looks good what you've done.

Nina

Thanks Nina, the check is in the mail ;-) !

mmm

Ive never used a skin without modifying it a bit. you buy/download the main layout and then you add your own logo and header, using the dnn method or by redoing the skin graphics and voila.

I agree with Nina nice implementation, soemtimes you need different graphics then fruit wine and trees ;).

Im working on a skin now that is only layout and every piece of css metod possible to have new images nw menus etc etc etc. its 90% done but dnn3 coversion is first. Skins still install most skinobjects that use portal and tab settings dont.

I wouldnt take down the site tho, looked like you made a good amound of work on it, if you downloaded from dnn skin site nothing that stops you from using

All I can say is Nana has the right attitude for an open source project... I just don't see why we encourage people to submit anything to an open source project in a contest or not if it can't be used in an altered way. A learning tool as I see it...

Yea... yea.. I know... but where does it end? What makes me from not claiming something that I think may have started from some .ascx page I put together, or some .CSS that I see that may look like mine! Hey it's just my opinion... You think when people back in the good old days made moonshine from an original recipe! No way... you relied on your good neighbor to help make a good and decent batch! Then you ran it across the countryside where there is plenty enough business for all! GO RED SOX!