Manifest
This site is for developers and users/skinners of freeware skinnable applications.
Skinnability
Maybe we could call an application skinnable when it has the option to change the complete look and functioning of itself or a component of the operating system radically, using graphic(s) and some (external or internal) configuration settings. That way applying a bitmap behind a toolbar is not considered skinning (theres nothing radical or complete about it). A ‘skin’ does the whole thing: the application allows the user total control of the graphical user interface.
Our goal
‘Skinning’ has a lot of history on the web already, and has grown rapidly - communities have developed around it, and typically commitment is big. There are some great examples of applications embraced by the community, developed within that community, that have flourished, but, like in any area, there's failure too. Applications with great potential get abandoned, projects forgotten. Developers didn't really get a response. We're not here (we tried) to remedie this, but we try to post about, index and archive every program around.
Site definition
Needing some focus, it's set with freeware. By freeware, we exclude adware, nagware, or any variations therof (this includes restricted versions of payware). Not that it's a bad thing to ask for something in return, and actually, it's on pretty shaky ground; there is some great skinnable software available for a pretty decent price. But the shareware applications have fortunately been capable of creating their own platforms for discussion and development. If a freeware developer is in need of that, we hope to provide that. So, there's our line.
Platforms
One more limitation, we're talking about Windows software. Although we understand of the first skinnable applications, Kaleidoscope, originates on the Mac, and the *nix windowmanagers are often born skinnable… still, the boom in skinnable standalone applications (check the database) is on the Windows platform.