I have hired three different web designers to skin IPB. All three poked around a bit, changed a few elements, and quit. I tried it myself, finally. Because I couldn't make sense of the CSS files, I just started editing HTML templates. I did a pretty good job and got pretty far along, but there are hundreds of pages in the IPB system. Because it has so many different ways of accomplishing the same thing, I would never have a completely fixed site unless I locked the version I was at and spent another year editing HTML templates.
I called IPB a few times over the last year and left messages asking for custom skinning services. I was prepared to pay as much as I had to. They never responded.
Even the good skin designers just make what they want to make, because they feel like it. Take a look at this site:
http://www.skinbox.net
Wow! It looks amazing, right? Try ordering a custom skin and see if you ever get a response. I talked to other webmasters on the IPB forum, and they all said the same thing. No one would return their emails, and they couldn't find anyone.
If you use IPB you will never be able to make it look like your own site.
You might be better off posting this on the IPB forums.
I really don't want this thread to descend into general IPB bashing.
My understanding is that there have been issues for some IPB skinners with the constant updates IPS puts out for their products.
I believe the nub of it was that some skinners found it difficult to update their skins (don't forget, some of them have lots of custom skins too, not just their standard offerings) at enough of a pace to keep up with the updates. No doubt this will have been compounded by some customers expecting free upgrades for each IPS upgrade, and some skinners offering free updates within a point release?
Some of those skinners have now decided to drop IPB and instead are now skinning for xF.
Obviously this has had a knock-on effect for those customers who purchased skins from them. I believe some customers are still quite angry at being abandonded and left with a skin they cannot update themselves - something they have paid for, with an expectation of being able to update into the future.
I would hope that Josh can find some way to resolve it (if this is the issue) - perhaps ask on the IPS forums if another designer would be willing to take on your site skinning?
Cheers,
Shaun
Equally I can empathise with a site owner who might have spent money on a custom skin and is now in a difficult position trying to get changes made without being able to revert to the original designer.
Priceless !nevermind
I think we're a little way from needing to worry about that just yet. Next month, maybe.Priceless !
A vibrant IPB is needed for Xenforo.
or else I fear for future concerns that Xenforo is a Monopoly.
Those antitrust people can be tough !
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