@TVE: I think that rsnake actually meant you upload a blurry, lo-res skin to the server for the public. that's the skin everyone will see as it is downloaded from the server.
additional, you have a nice hi-res skin on your harddrive (= not accessible for others).
result: all opponents look ugly, you look nice... at least on your end of the connection.

we could do this right away, or - as I already suggested - you upload ANY kind of skin you don't bother being stolen, and keep your precious skin with the same name only on your hard drive.
result: others see you in a skin, however not in your sunday clothes. You see yourself the way you want to. The only skin that can be stolen is the one you uploaded.

But THIS CANNOT BE THE POINT OF THE WHOLE SKIN THING .

If I have to look at random ugly low-res or any other half-hearted skins, I might as well not download them and use a collection of own resp. gathered skins from my harddrive for my opponents... just like the AI-package, that contains some really fine liveries.

Jack found a good way to embarass people that you know have stole your skin. I believe he overwrote his skin, with one which said "DONT USE YOUR BRAKES! USE ME!!" and "IM A SKIN STEALER! RAM ME!" etc. So when it downloaded for people, they see that skin, but the guy using it see's the original skin he stole. I dont have pics, but im sure jack will post some if he sees this.

Quote from Nathan_French_14 :

Jack found a good way to embarass people that you know have stole your skin. I believe he overwrote his skin, with one which said "DONT USE YOUR BRAKES! USE ME!!" and "IM A SKIN STEALER! RAM ME!" etc. So when it downloaded for people, they see that skin, but the guy using it see's the original skin he stole. I dont have pics, but im sure jack will post some if he sees this.

that's a nice trick IF the stealer uses your skin directly from your account. If he uses the one that has been downloaded to his PC and uploads it to his account, however, it has no effect.

Quote from Nathan_French_14 :

Jack found a good way to embarass people that you know have stole your skin. I believe he overwrote his skin, with one which said "DONT USE YOUR BRAKES! USE ME!!" and "IM A SKIN STEALER! RAM ME!" etc. So when it downloaded for people, they see that skin, but the guy using it see's the original skin he stole. I dont have pics, but im sure jack will post some if he sees this.

We're busy on doing that also First screens will come, when we will see mister Kawakita. (Whoops, did i just say a stealer's name? :tilt

If you might see him, wearing a pink skin with white lettering, just shout out in the server and post screens evvvverywhere I think they'll stop then.. At least, I hope :P

Another idea!
When you steal a skin from the skin_x folder, it's a .dds file. Now why not let LFS only read .JPG files from the "skins" folder and nothing else (like .dds files).

Because if you have the right software, it's simple to convert it to a .jpg format from .dds. Finding the right software is not hard at all.

Still not as simple as copying it to a folder, but yes its not a bulletproof solution.