The last of the Kmix.

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FINALLY committed the stuff to SVN under /22x22/actions/ and also the source svgz's. The entire set is named kmix-***** maybe the naming need to be reworked into mixing-****. any way the kmix developer can now point to the new icons.




Lately I have been thinking on selling stuff KDE/theming oriented, like for example themed folders icons in star trek style, plasma themes that are in a Dune like atmosfere etc... Do you think its a good idea and if so would you like to read about it on my blog post's.

Comments

Anonymous said…
Re: Commercial theming

I have doubts that there is a market for what you think of, but maybe I'm wrong.
With Linux running ARM netbooks on their way you could try to provide manufacturer themed Icon sets. These could include additional Icons for support websites and special applications....
3:39 AM
Pinheiro said…
@Anonymous the fact is that to be able to do what i do I need to find some way to justify all the time I spend in kde development, hobies are fun and all but wen they take you more than 6 hours a day every day and that just to maintain your stuf, then you have a problem.
Example I submited a talk for Akademy that got aproved, but I dont know how am I going to pay for the travel in advance or the room/food...

Finding some method that makes sence and provides some minimum income would help alot...
4:36 AM
Will Stephenson said…
OEMS have strict brand identities, in-house design departments and existing relationships with design agencies for doing branding work. An attempt to proactively create a Nokia or Lenovo theme would be at best a waste of time.

However Pinheiro could pitch himself to OEMs as an expert subcontractor to create these themes or to advise their people. An example set of OEM branding elements provided as -branding packages for a couple of popular distros, for Plasma theme, wallpaper, selected icons, splash, default font, Konqueror/kmail/khelpcenter branding etc would demonstrate how easy and flexible KDE 4 is for OEMs to put a distinctive identity on and get Pinheiro some work.

Me, I'd prefer a few Oxygen icons for Network Management - a 'network-connection' icon, strong/medium/weak/no encryption icons, a range of wireless signal strength icons, and a 'connecting' animation that can work for wired/wireless/cellular and vpn connections :).
4:38 AM
Eric said…
If you're doing it, I'd like to see it on your blog. But I too am doubtful that there's a market.

However, if you made a complete exclusive KDE theme -- I'd be happy to buy it.

I'd really also like to see it only be a paid exclusive for a certain time period. i.e. After you finish the next "paid" theme you're working on, the old one goes to the public domain / FOSS community. Or something like that, would seem to compliment the open source approach / interests with a way to actually make some cash.
4:42 AM
Pinheiro said…
@Eric yeah I would like to work on stuf under the lgpl licence so it would contrubute to kde as a wolle. Closed stuf is somthind I already do, actulay in a "make sence" world thats all I should do.
Im reading a book on the principles of design one of the things they say is to be extremly atentious about the free stuf you do and risk of financial instability. and they were talking about ocasional pro-bono work. All I want to achive is a some sort of ecosystem were my love work can also make a minimum amout of sence, for me and specialy my family. Justyfying 6 to 10 hours a of work every day wen you dont have money to pay the rent is very complex.
5:05 AM
Rob Scheepmaker said…
I think this might just work. As long as a theme wouldn't be too expensive that is. I know I would be willing to pay a couple of bucks for a nice and complete plasma theme, for example.
5:12 AM
Pinheiro said…
@Rob Scheepmaker I was thinking on something like 50 cets or more, you pay how much you think its worth...
5:23 AM
Anonymous said…
I wonder how many KDE developpers are in fact in the same situation...
5:36 AM
Autumn Autist said…
You could another thing. Bid for your icon, people that want a icon could donate till you have the money to do it
5:38 AM
Anonymous said…
@Pinheiro: Uh, I understand and am in no way against a commercial KDE theme. So, I symphatize with you.

There is only one way to find out whether there actually is a market: invest the time to make a theme and then try to sell it.

Additionally, you are shutting out a substancial market if you restrict yourself to *JUST* a KDE theme. The icons that follow the freedesktop icon naming should work on GNOME as well. Throw in Icons for the major GNOME apps and you double your potential market (Ubuntu and RedHat are GNOME distributions by default)...
5:45 AM
Anonymous said…
I don't see why Canonical didn't hire you for their new desktop experience team to work full-time on KDE.

Your work is a big part of KDE's good Desktop Experience Mark S. mentioned in many interviews.

I didn't win EuroMillions yet, but If I'll win someday my foundation will sponsor you.
5:57 AM
Pinheiro said…
@Anonymous there was some talks with Mark about it and some actual comon interest, but.., I gess its a more gnome centric group. So things didnt move foward, I must aploud the work all the designers on canonical do its very good.
6:20 AM
Pinheiro said…
@"I wonder how many KDE developpers are in fact in the same situation"

I know at least 3 that I would like to help if I could.
6:23 AM
Anonymous said…
With all the respect to your work (and while I like the other icons) to me this set looks very tiny and too much detailed. IMHO having such a small and detailed icons is not worth, user won't recognize the purpose without almost a looking glass.

I'd really suggest to have the icons more symbolic and differentiable meaning, that would make it more clear for the users.
6:56 AM
Pinheiro said…
@"to me this set looks very tiny and too much detailed"

the size is a requierment, the detail thing,,, if you can think of sybology that actualy says all of that suf great... I couldt think of anything but trying to mare real life repesentations of what they were...
Not everything can be a road sign, and not all road signs are good actulay I know qite a couple that are very.... "interesting"
7:08 AM
Darren Brewster said…
I say give it a try. The only way to find out if there is a market for paid themes is to attempt to sell them and see how well you do.

As for selling themes based on someone else's intellectual property (Dune, Star Trek, etc.) you should be very careful with that one. You don't want lawyers knocking on your door.
8:05 AM
Anonymous said…
Personally I wouldn't pay for an additional theme.The default Oxygen theme is already great. You digged the grave of the project "selling themes" yourself when the Oxygen team made Oxygen so great.

I actually don't see why Canonical didn't hire you when they formed their Desktop Experience Team to work full-time on KDE.
8:38 AM
Pinheiro said…
@"they formed their Desktop Experience Team to work full-time on KDE"
were have you read that???
10:07 AM
Anonymous said…
Ahm, there's maybe a missunderstanding there. I didnt mean a team only working on KDE. But if they hired you you could work full time on KDE.. thats what I wanted to say.

The news is quite old but I am referring to this: (the first thing that came up when I googeled it)

http://www.builderau.com.au/news/soa/Ubuntu-gets-user-interface-team/0,339028227,339291948,00.htm?feed=pt_open_source

Maybe I am mistaken and spreading confusion. (Sorry if so)
12:43 PM
Pinheiro said…
@Anonymous aaaaa yeah if :) if is the correct word :)
12:50 PM
Anonymous said…
The icons are wonderful... as always.
I'd very much like to give something back to you, for the wonderful work you've done for KDE...

However, money isn't really my bright side either since I am a student.
But, judging by the quality of all your work I'd be ready to pay $10 for a plasma theme for you.

Maybe you could use the paypal feature on kde-look to make this reallity?
1:09 PM
mannequinZOD said…
just donated a couple of € for your awesome work. I won't make you rich, but I hope it makes a difference, if a few people do it.
3:21 PM
Pinheiro said…
wow thank you alot :)
4:39 PM
shiny said…
I'd say take a shot. All you have to loose is the time to make one theme, and you've spent lot's of time already, so few more days/weeks won't save you, but could actually help out. See how it goes with that one theme and decide was it worth it.

If you keep the low entry price tag (like you said 0.5 - 1 euro) and try to spread the word around (planet***, ***-look, your blog) there actually might be market for that.

I'll surely buy your first theme, and possibly all others if they keep being interesting, nice and complete.

Have you thought of making remakes of other platforms' interfaces? I'd gladly pay for a decent Windows _classic_ theme (no, Qt's one is not even close). Might be legally tricky, though.
6:13 PM
Tim said…
*entire* :-)
1:21 AM
Pinheiro said…
@Tim fixed thanks
1:58 AM
Anonymous said…
Reading this makes me think of the ransom model.

The link is the best summary I could pick straight off google, but the idea is to pitch a story/game/icon set/theme/whatever and pledge to release it into the public domain (or in the case, under the LGPL) when a donation threshold has been met. Probably it would work to trickle pieces out as donations come in.

Maybe you've already heard of this, maybe it won't work for you, but I thought I should give the idea an airing.
3:14 AM
Pinheiro said…
@Oliver Henshaw I thought about that, it would be somthing like that or lgpl from day one price 0 or more, everyone pay how much they feel its worth.... this makes the copy and releace elseware pointless.

the problem i see with pleage to relece under lgpl after is that to the person that got it for 1$ he might feel like he was skamed... so I had to pay 1$ and now its free....


After writing that I realised how
litle sence it makes :) 1$ is almost free and you get the benefit trying it frist...and helping the comunity....
3:25 AM
Eric said…
If you're only talking about a few dollars (say, $3 or less) - no one is going to feel ripped off about it later getting released for free. It's pocket change.

And don't forget who your market is, free software users. I'm sure 90% of them will be glad to see stuff going to the community.

Also, at first I was imagining you charging ~$15 for a theme, and still would've been happy to buy it. But if they're only going to be a dollar or two, I'll make sure to keep my collection up to date.


P.S. I'm sorry about your financial situation and can see why it's difficult. I hope you find a way to make this work. But on behalf of everyone, thanks for what you have done and will do. :) And I really hope you've enjoyed doing doing it for us it.
4:00 AM
Pinheiro said…
@Eric "And I really hope you've enjoyed doing doing it for us it."

I do sooooo much its bewond love, thats the reson i have to make this work couse it would be the biguest faliour of my life.
I do think we did a spetacular joob so far and it would brake my heart if real life litle issues would stand in the way of mantaining this work, this is the prowd of my life.
4:10 AM
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