NOW we can upload UNFINISHED WORK for approval ??????
Monday, April 30, 2007 by Murex | Discussion: Community
I sure would like to know what guide lines moderators use to accept DXthemes. When I make a theme I try to upload a working theme. And to me a working theme is one that requires very little modification by the user to have a working desktop. I go to the trouble to name all objects so if the user ever has to find it in the objects list they can find it easily. I list all the most popular programs in the menus. If it's a text list I always put some text on the menu so the user can just clone the text and choose the program .exe and chance the name to the desired program. I include DXplayer, meters. time, weather and calendar. The themes usually received a rating of 2 .5 from the mods. a couple received a rating of 3. Well I accept the rating mainly because there is nothing I can do about it. Here lately it seems skinners are doing less and less all the time and still receiving 2.5 to 3 rating. But today I saw a DXtheme that was approved with a rating of 3 and all the skin had was task bar, system tray, clock and a few lines of text. And most of them didn't even bring up any programs. Oh it also had a couple of blank menus. Even the author of the skin stated it was an unfinished skin and wanted people to tell him if it was worth finishing and even listed 2 know problems with it. And the text is in a different language which is ok except there isn't any tool tips to let you know what will happen when clicking on the object. So you have to click on it to see what it does.... BIG surprise it shuts the computer down.
Are we now able to upload unfinished work and ask the users. Do you like my work, should I finish it..
It is not fair to the customers of Wincustomize to approve unfinished work to be downloaded.
So I ask you JUST WHAT do you use as a guide line when you approve a skin. I really would like to know because I have spent the last 3 years trying to figure it out.
Are we now able to upload unfinished work and ask the users. Do you like my work, should I finish it..
It is not fair to the customers of Wincustomize to approve unfinished work to be downloaded.
So I ask you JUST WHAT do you use as a guide line when you approve a skin. I really would like to know because I have spent the last 3 years trying to figure it out.
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PoSmedley
Reply #42 Tuesday, May 1, 2007 7:07 AM
Reply #42 Tuesday, May 1, 2007 7:07 AM
A wallpaper is not the same as a DXtheme it does not interact with ones computer it doesn't turn off your computer when you click on something. If a theme is acceptable in any state of completion because it is up to the user to determine whether it finished or not. Then all walls ,logons,WB, and every other skin should be put up for download and let the user decided whether it usable or not
Murex
Reply #43 Tuesday, May 1, 2007 7:11 AM
No problem Po. I didn't think you were.
Reply #43 Tuesday, May 1, 2007 7:11 AM
Sorry. I wasn't trying to distract from your point.
No problem Po. I didn't think you were.
Jafo
Reply #44 Tuesday, May 1, 2007 8:30 AM
Reply #44 Tuesday, May 1, 2007 8:30 AM
Then I guess you know how the people feel when their work is turned turned down because it isn't good enough.
Its being 'unfinished' [perceived lack of completion] is not a specific criteria for rejection, and is not the same as 'isn't good enough' [your words].
Skin uploads are rejected for three reasons....copyright/ripping, racist imagery/pornography, and/or systemic endangerment. [BTW...this is quite infrequent].
Rarely does a simply - claimed 'lack of completion' flag any of those 3...
PoSmedley
Reply #45 Tuesday, May 1, 2007 8:54 AM
Not directed at you, Jafo...
But every time I see this, I have to laugh. I have stated that I like the challenge of trying to get things through moderation. It's helpful for me, personally, and keeps me on my toes. And it feels good to have something that was approved here. But I think back to the 'elitist' argument in another thread. When so many sites don't 'mod' the uploads, how can WC not be elite or it's contributors 'elite'? Even the stuff that mods delegate to the personal gallery becomes uniquely 'elite' in it's own way.
Back to topic...
I think Murex has a very good point in post #40, though a mod or admin may find it to broad or generic. There are some other good points in this thread..all of which it would be nice to see some response to.
Reply #45 Tuesday, May 1, 2007 8:54 AM
Skin uploads are rejected for three reasons
Not directed at you, Jafo...
But every time I see this, I have to laugh. I have stated that I like the challenge of trying to get things through moderation. It's helpful for me, personally, and keeps me on my toes. And it feels good to have something that was approved here. But I think back to the 'elitist' argument in another thread. When so many sites don't 'mod' the uploads, how can WC not be elite or it's contributors 'elite'? Even the stuff that mods delegate to the personal gallery becomes uniquely 'elite' in it's own way.
Back to topic...
I think Murex has a very good point in post #40, though a mod or admin may find it to broad or generic. There are some other good points in this thread..all of which it would be nice to see some response to.
Murex
Reply #46 Tuesday, May 1, 2007 8:58 AM
Reply #46 Tuesday, May 1, 2007 8:58 AM
So if some one was to upload a DXtheme or a W/B with a start button, Task Bar,System Tray and a clock and didn't contain any "copyright/ripping, racist imagery/pornography, and/or systemic endangerment" This could be considered a finished skin and rated as average (5) Assuming that this is acceptable then a wallpaper made from a ss of their desktop should be acceptable for download because there might be some users that would like to have a wall showing their start button.
Well Jafo if you tell me a skin like that is acceptable to Wincustomize (and apparently it is) I won't say any thing else on this subject.
Well Jafo if you tell me a skin like that is acceptable to Wincustomize (and apparently it is) I won't say any thing else on this subject.
Jafo
Reply #47 Tuesday, May 1, 2007 9:14 AM
Reply #47 Tuesday, May 1, 2007 9:14 AM
So if some one was to upload a DXtheme or a W/B with a start button, Task Bar,System Tray and a clock and didn't contain any "copyright/ripping, racist imagery/pornography, and/or systemic endangerment" This could be considered a finished skin
Again, it does not have to be considered anything other than suitable for approval. You continue to describe uploads with different degrees of inclusion as 'unfinished' where that is not necessarily the case.
Is a minimalist WB skin 'unfinished' simply because it is minimalist and does not include animations, say?
Are old WB skins 'unfinished' simply because the program has moved on and can now skin more of the GUI than then?
Then...moving to the ratings there-of....does a WB skin automatically deserve a higher rating than a bootskin.....afterall it is far more complex? No, they are rated like for like....so how does that equate with a specifically 'unfinished' [stated by uploader] WB skin over a 'finished' [stated by uploader] WB skin? Rate what you see....for its standard...then maybe knock off a bit for stated lack of completion.
But...
If it IS claimed to be 'finished'....and some bits are not skinned...what do you do? Much the same....penalise a little for omission.
Either way, the upload/rate/system can cope with degrees of perceived completion, and is thus a non-issue...
Murex
Reply #48 Tuesday, May 1, 2007 9:44 AM
OK plain and simple. Jafo do you think a submitted DXtheme with a Start button, task bar, system tray,clock and a few lines of text an acceptable DXtheme to be offered to the users of wincustomize? Oh by the way it has a couple of problems. any idea how I can fix the problems? Would you consider this to be a finished theme? Is this the type of skins Wincustomize wants to offer their users?
Reply #48 Tuesday, May 1, 2007 9:44 AM
Again, it does not have to be considered anything other than suitable for approval. You continue to describe uploads with different degrees of inclusion as 'unfinished' where that is not necessarily the case.
OK plain and simple. Jafo do you think a submitted DXtheme with a Start button, task bar, system tray,clock and a few lines of text an acceptable DXtheme to be offered to the users of wincustomize? Oh by the way it has a couple of problems. any idea how I can fix the problems? Would you consider this to be a finished theme? Is this the type of skins Wincustomize wants to offer their users?
WOM
Reply #49 Tuesday, May 1, 2007 9:46 AM
Reply #49 Tuesday, May 1, 2007 9:46 AM
A lot of site MOD. Skinning.net, Skinnalicious to name a couple. So are they elitist? Does Skinartistry MOD? I don't know. Using this logic, the whole world is elitist. There are rules for just about everything. And thank God. The world would be a mess if there wasn't.
Jafo
Reply #50 Tuesday, May 1, 2007 9:52 AM
Reply #50 Tuesday, May 1, 2007 9:52 AM
OK plain and simple. Jafo do you think a submitted DXtheme with a Start button, task bar, system tray,clock and a few lines of text an acceptable DXtheme to be offered to the users of wincustomize? Oh by the way it has a couple of problems. any idea how I can fix the problems? Would you consider this to be a finished theme?
OK...likewise...plain and simple...
Acceptable?...yes.
Finished?...who knows?
Complicated?...probably not.
Would I consider it finished? If it were supposed to be total bells and whistles...no. Were it an example of the KISS principle...probably...
ZubaZ
Reply #51 Tuesday, May 1, 2007 10:03 AM
Mods can't test everything. Thank goodness we only set an initial rating and the community takes it from there.
Also, as you pointed out, the artist stated it *is* a work in progress ("I'm still working in this theme but i wanted to upload it for u and know your opinion and if it will be worth i effort to make better this desktopx theme.") and a first attempt at a DX theme so I would expect it to not be complete.
In regards to your question to Jafo:
Reply #51 Tuesday, May 1, 2007 10:03 AM
Oh by the way it has a couple of problems.
Mods can't test everything. Thank goodness we only set an initial rating and the community takes it from there.
Also, as you pointed out, the artist stated it *is* a work in progress ("I'm still working in this theme but i wanted to upload it for u and know your opinion and if it will be worth i effort to make better this desktopx theme.") and a first attempt at a DX theme so I would expect it to not be complete.
In regards to your question to Jafo:
Would you consider this to be a finished theme?
See response above
Murex
Reply #52 Tuesday, May 1, 2007 10:24 AM
Reply #52 Tuesday, May 1, 2007 10:24 AM
Ok I have my answer Thank you Jafo
Whether you agreed with me or not my thanks to every one for listening to me and commenting. Most of all thank you for keeping it civil. If nothing else came of this post I hope at least now a WIP will be implemented.
Well I must go now an open Photoshop. So many different styles of start buttons to make. Clocks nope I don't like making clocks. A list, That's it I can make a list of clocks that might go with my start button themes. Well at least I can skin the taskbar and system tray. I hope Wincustomize doesn't have a limit as to how many skins can be uploaded in a day. I should be able to make at least 5 of them a day if I concentrate real hard. Just think of all the downloads I will get.
Thanks All by now...
Whether you agreed with me or not my thanks to every one for listening to me and commenting. Most of all thank you for keeping it civil. If nothing else came of this post I hope at least now a WIP will be implemented.
Well I must go now an open Photoshop. So many different styles of start buttons to make. Clocks nope I don't like making clocks. A list, That's it I can make a list of clocks that might go with my start button themes. Well at least I can skin the taskbar and system tray. I hope Wincustomize doesn't have a limit as to how many skins can be uploaded in a day. I should be able to make at least 5 of them a day if I concentrate real hard. Just think of all the downloads I will get.
Thanks All by now...
PoSmedley
Reply #53 Tuesday, May 1, 2007 5:32 PM
Oh, hell, I have twice that sittin' in folders for months. I stopped msakin' 'em cause I get stuck.
Reply #53 Tuesday, May 1, 2007 5:32 PM
I should be able to make at least 5 of them a day if I concentrate real hard.
Oh, hell, I have twice that sittin' in folders for months. I stopped msakin' 'em cause I get stuck.
PoSmedley
Reply #54 Tuesday, May 1, 2007 5:51 PM
Reply #54 Tuesday, May 1, 2007 5:51 PM
Here is the problem I am having with this, and I'll try hard to be brief.
Granted the mods cannot test the skin or every skin, but I assume you read the description.
If you do, how can or do you rate something that states it is not finished or a work in progress? Do you rate it on what is done so far? And (as mentioned) take off for it's lack of completion? How can you possibly rate something half done (assuming it states in the description it is incomplete or a WIP) ? On it's potential? On wether the graphics you see so far are cool? How can you rate it at all if you don't know how the rest will look, work, or behave on a computer? If the finished product will even be functional?
With some of the works, take DX, one wrong code could send your system crashing, or shutting off, or whatever. I have downloaded at least 2 WB's that sent my system into a spin and I had to reboot to remove them.
What would the 'average' rating be for a WIP? How could you possibly give it enough points/stars to keep it from going to the author's personal gallery, when there are 'complete' works in the main gallery that may be rated lower for whatever reason, be it the mods rating or the member's rating?
This is why we need a gallery just for WIP's. The other reason is for all the people (Like me) who may be sitting on projects they are stuck in and would like to have just such a gallery to upload them to and have them dissected and critiqued or get help and pointers.
Such a gallery would be helpful to folks on countless levels. To learn how to tame a project that has gotten to big, to understand why this is this way and not that, that there is an easier way, etc. I could go on and I think there are a lot of people here who could add to my list even if I thought it was complete. It would, overall, also help to improve the QUALITY of skins that finally make it to the main gallery and dare I say, insure that MORE skins did make it, whatever they are, boots, walls, WB's, etc.
IMVERYHO and personally...All these little changes being made around the site are nice, good, great, etc. But what about addressing the skinners needs and not just their wants. My head hurts from looking at a WB tutorial's that are outdated, too technical, or written by people who asume or want you to have a pre-understanding of code (No offense intended towards some very noble efforts).
We need this gallery.
Granted the mods cannot test the skin or every skin, but I assume you read the description.
If you do, how can or do you rate something that states it is not finished or a work in progress? Do you rate it on what is done so far? And (as mentioned) take off for it's lack of completion? How can you possibly rate something half done (assuming it states in the description it is incomplete or a WIP) ? On it's potential? On wether the graphics you see so far are cool? How can you rate it at all if you don't know how the rest will look, work, or behave on a computer? If the finished product will even be functional?
With some of the works, take DX, one wrong code could send your system crashing, or shutting off, or whatever. I have downloaded at least 2 WB's that sent my system into a spin and I had to reboot to remove them.
What would the 'average' rating be for a WIP? How could you possibly give it enough points/stars to keep it from going to the author's personal gallery, when there are 'complete' works in the main gallery that may be rated lower for whatever reason, be it the mods rating or the member's rating?
This is why we need a gallery just for WIP's. The other reason is for all the people (Like me) who may be sitting on projects they are stuck in and would like to have just such a gallery to upload them to and have them dissected and critiqued or get help and pointers.
Such a gallery would be helpful to folks on countless levels. To learn how to tame a project that has gotten to big, to understand why this is this way and not that, that there is an easier way, etc. I could go on and I think there are a lot of people here who could add to my list even if I thought it was complete. It would, overall, also help to improve the QUALITY of skins that finally make it to the main gallery and dare I say, insure that MORE skins did make it, whatever they are, boots, walls, WB's, etc.
IMVERYHO and personally...All these little changes being made around the site are nice, good, great, etc. But what about addressing the skinners needs and not just their wants. My head hurts from looking at a WB tutorial's that are outdated, too technical, or written by people who asume or want you to have a pre-understanding of code (No offense intended towards some very noble efforts).
We need this gallery.
ZubaZ
Reply #55 Tuesday, May 1, 2007 6:04 PM
Reply #55 Tuesday, May 1, 2007 6:04 PM
and I'll try hard to be brief.
First time for everything . .
XX
Reply #56 Wednesday, May 2, 2007 4:04 PM
Reply #56 Wednesday, May 2, 2007 4:04 PM
Po' Smedley, you got a right idea. After all, one can't really rate a work on progress. Also, its downloads and ratings shouldn't count towards skinners stats.
boss0190
Reply #57 Wednesday, May 2, 2007 4:43 PM
Reply #57 Wednesday, May 2, 2007 4:43 PM
Yeah, don't want to inflate people's stats with original work in progress vs. 100 fan art bootskin or logon uploads....
PoSmedley
Reply #58 Wednesday, May 2, 2007 4:49 PM
I agree.
I think it should be the same for both..and the same gallery if they are WIP...and dare I say...no ratings for WIP's. That is, if I'm understanding you right, boss.
Reply #58 Wednesday, May 2, 2007 4:49 PM
After all, one can't really rate a work on progress. Also, its downloads and ratings shouldn't count towards skinners stats.
I agree.
Yeah, don't want to inflate people's stats with original work in progress vs. 100 fan art bootskin or logon uploads....
I think it should be the same for both..and the same gallery if they are WIP...and dare I say...no ratings for WIP's. That is, if I'm understanding you right, boss.
boss0190
Reply #59 Wednesday, May 2, 2007 5:43 PM
Reply #59 Wednesday, May 2, 2007 5:43 PM
Why can't people just concern themselves with their own work and not worry about somebody else's ratings or download count is what I'm saying.
I'm the first one to call out somebody if I see a rip or something without obvious permission, but if people are playing by the rules, why worry about a special gallery for this or that?
It's more work for WC and the mods. If it passes moderation, it's done. If you download it and it screws up your computer, say something, but other than that, it's the mods who decide what gets posted.
Make sure your own skins work, report a rip if you see one, and leave everybody else's ratings and downloads along.
I'm the first one to call out somebody if I see a rip or something without obvious permission, but if people are playing by the rules, why worry about a special gallery for this or that?
It's more work for WC and the mods. If it passes moderation, it's done. If you download it and it screws up your computer, say something, but other than that, it's the mods who decide what gets posted.
Make sure your own skins work, report a rip if you see one, and leave everybody else's ratings and downloads along.
WOM
Reply #60 Wednesday, May 2, 2007 7:51 PM
Reply #60 Wednesday, May 2, 2007 7:51 PM
Its almost scary how many times my machine has crashed because of the things I've modded. Did a screensaver that took me 3 days to recover from(didn't want to have to reformat) and a logon that took a few also. So now I cringe when I load something.
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Reply #41 Tuesday, May 1, 2007 7:04 AM
Then I guess you know how the people feel when their work is turned turned down because it isn't good enough. Only at wincustomize they say your work didn't meet our guidlines.
But that person has a right to know what they are downloading.