Seasonal Skinning Contests!
Friday, October 15, 2004 by Frogboy | Discussion: WinCustomize News
It's time for the skinners to start getting a piece of the action. And so starting Monday, we are going to begin running on-going contests in which at the end of that contest the top 10 winners get a percentage of the income we earn from WinCustomize subscriptions.
The winners will be calculated based on subscriber downloads of skins that are submitted AFTER the contest begins. A single author can win multiple positions in the top 10.
This first contest is on WindowBlinds skins. So starting Monday, we'll be tracking the number of subscriber downloads of new WindowBlinds skins. On December 2, we'll then look at the top 10 and hand out the prizes.
Our goal is to encourage new, high quality skins to get submitted, reward skinners for their support, and encourage more people to subscribe to the site. It's only through WinCustomize subscriptions that we can afford to keep this site going.
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NightTrainthedark
Reply #3 Friday, October 15, 2004 1:30 PM
Reply #3 Friday, October 15, 2004 1:30 PM
Can I get the skin I uploaded last week removed ? 
just kidding. D'oh
just kidding. D'oh
CaveBear
Reply #4 Friday, October 15, 2004 2:39 PM
Reply #4 Friday, October 15, 2004 2:39 PM
What if someone submits a skin on the day the contest begins (Oct. 18) and another submits theirs just before it ends (say Dec. 1)? The one that was submitted late will be hard pressed to get a lot of downloads, even if it's REALLY good. Or did I miss something? 
MarkMcQ
Reply #5 Friday, October 15, 2004 3:13 PM
Reply #5 Friday, October 15, 2004 3:13 PM
That's generally how a contest works. The deadline for the end is set. If you plan on uploading something to try and get some cash, then you need to work to get the skin up in time.
Will Rose
Reply #6 Friday, October 15, 2004 5:12 PM
Reply #6 Friday, October 15, 2004 5:12 PM
Someone may have already thought of this, but it's up to the moderators to ensure that the skinners at Journeyman level and above don't enjoy an unfair advantage.
Specifically, a journeyman can submit a new skin, and it is automatically posted, and goes to the top of the library. A lower level skinner must wait for moderation (sometimes days) before his skin is posted. Further, a journeyman could continually make improvements in his skin, resetting the update date each time, keeping his skin at the top of the library. A lower level skinner cannot, because each attempt to reset the date results in a moderation blackout.
As is well known, being at the top of the library is a HUGE boost to download count compared to being on the 2nd page.
I'm not suggesting that Journeymen or higher skinners would resort to such tactics, but it is possible, and moderators either need to prevent it, or keep the queue empty so that the lower levels suffer no delay.
Since I don't do Windowblinds (and trust me, that's good for the community!
) I speak as a blissful non-combatant.
Specifically, a journeyman can submit a new skin, and it is automatically posted, and goes to the top of the library. A lower level skinner must wait for moderation (sometimes days) before his skin is posted. Further, a journeyman could continually make improvements in his skin, resetting the update date each time, keeping his skin at the top of the library. A lower level skinner cannot, because each attempt to reset the date results in a moderation blackout.
As is well known, being at the top of the library is a HUGE boost to download count compared to being on the 2nd page.
I'm not suggesting that Journeymen or higher skinners would resort to such tactics, but it is possible, and moderators either need to prevent it, or keep the queue empty so that the lower levels suffer no delay.
Since I don't do Windowblinds (and trust me, that's good for the community!
) I speak as a blissful non-combatant.
Michael Brandt
Reply #7 Friday, October 15, 2004 5:38 PM
Reply #7 Friday, October 15, 2004 5:38 PM
You have a very good point there Will ! It would be a very big advantage for the ones who are able to do that.
TasT
Reply #8 Friday, October 15, 2004 5:39 PM
Reply #8 Friday, October 15, 2004 5:39 PM
simple answer work towards being a journeyman you so you can enjoy the benifit.
Michael Brandt
Reply #9 Friday, October 15, 2004 6:13 PM
Reply #9 Friday, October 15, 2004 6:13 PM
The point is that it's supposed to be even for everyone, right? So if I was a Journeyman I would have an advantage alright - but thats not what I want. I want equal conditions for all who participate.
Essencay
Reply #10 Friday, October 15, 2004 6:38 PM
Reply #10 Friday, October 15, 2004 6:38 PM
When a journeyman updates a skin and resets the update date....then skin must then go through moderation, just the same as everyone elses skins. Also skinners that are journeymen are at that level, because the work they do is almost without exception, complete and free of bugs on the initial upload 
Essencay
Reply #11 Friday, October 15, 2004 6:42 PM
Reply #11 Friday, October 15, 2004 6:42 PM
The only advantage I see is the time issue, but I'm pretty sure that the fine staff here will be cognizant of this when moderating uploads
TasT
Reply #12 Friday, October 15, 2004 6:59 PM
Reply #12 Friday, October 15, 2004 6:59 PM
The people who have obtained Journeyman status here have worked for it and if it gives them an extra 12 hours or less, it's because they earned it. If you want the advantage then work for it. Let's not make this any harder on Stardock than it has to be. If people continue to complain they may pull the whole thing.
BTW I do have journeyman status. I will not be competing though, and this would be my view no matter which side of the fence I was on. If you want the advantage earn it, you don't get to be the pole sitter by qualifying last! 
BTW I do have journeyman status. I will not be competing though, and this would be my view no matter which side of the fence I was on. If you want the advantage earn it, you don't get to be the pole sitter by qualifying last!
brewman
Reply #13 Friday, October 15, 2004 8:19 PM
Reply #13 Friday, October 15, 2004 8:19 PM
Lighten up guys. If you have a "hot" skin, it won't make a bit of difference if there
is a slight delay in getting your skin approved. Look at DogmaX. It's been up since the middle of June, and I believe it's the top downloaded skin for this calendar year. Bad
timing ... too late for the GUI competiton and too early for this competition. Haven't
and won't receive a nickel for it. So quit complaining about any unfair advantages and
just make a kick-ass skin .... the public will be your judge.
is a slight delay in getting your skin approved. Look at DogmaX. It's been up since the middle of June, and I believe it's the top downloaded skin for this calendar year. Bad
timing ... too late for the GUI competiton and too early for this competition. Haven't
and won't receive a nickel for it. So quit complaining about any unfair advantages and
just make a kick-ass skin .... the public will be your judge.
SelfExiled
Reply #14 Saturday, October 16, 2004 5:01 AM
Reply #14 Saturday, October 16, 2004 5:01 AM
The question that I see is,"How do you get more people to subscribe". Is there some way to set up these contests to get benefit subscribers? Are the contest skins not available to everyone?
BoXXi
Reply #15 Saturday, October 16, 2004 9:22 AM
Reply #15 Saturday, October 16, 2004 9:22 AM
We will keep on top of the WindowBlinds Moderation queue, to make sure skins are posted as quickly as possible during this period. There are a number of moderators in different time zones around the world, so no new skins should stay in the queue more than a couple of hours. I hope this helps to allay any fears you guys may have about being left in the moderation area.
By the way, does anyone know if we moderators can enter? I think I have some part finished skins that I could work on, but I don't want to start if we can't enter......
By the way, does anyone know if we moderators can enter? I think I have some part finished skins that I could work on, but I don't want to start if we can't enter......
I.R. Brainiac
Reply #16 Saturday, October 16, 2004 10:32 AM
Reply #16 Saturday, October 16, 2004 10:32 AM
Sounds like as good a plan as any and should produce some interesting skins.
A simple solution to excessive updating would be not to allow resetting the date until after the contest period.(you could still tweak and fix things,it just wouldnt jump back to the top til after the contest was over)
If the contest is open to all,I see no reason Boxxi or any other mod shouldnt be able to enter.A free skin is a free skin.(of course this would exclude skins done for hire)
A simple solution to excessive updating would be not to allow resetting the date until after the contest period.(you could still tweak and fix things,it just wouldnt jump back to the top til after the contest was over)
If the contest is open to all,I see no reason Boxxi or any other mod shouldnt be able to enter.A free skin is a free skin.(of course this would exclude skins done for hire)
I.R. Brainiac
Reply #17 Saturday, October 16, 2004 10:35 AM
Reply #17 Saturday, October 16, 2004 10:35 AM
Not allowing resets would encourage uploading more complete works.(one of my failings that I am getting better at,I hope)
I.R. Brainiac
Reply #18 Saturday, October 16, 2004 10:40 AM
Reply #18 Saturday, October 16, 2004 10:40 AM
The only downside I see to this plan would be since only windowblinds is being featured this time, is skinners 'sitting' on their designs until the appropriate contest comes along.(then sitting on their WB's till it comes back up again)
I never could...was always too impatient for comments to wait,hehe....oh,oh,the ego.
I never could...was always too impatient for comments to wait,hehe....oh,oh,the ego.
Frogboy
Reply #19 Saturday, October 16, 2004 11:57 AM
Reply #19 Saturday, October 16, 2004 11:57 AM
Only NEW skins will count. Updates to existing skins won't. It's creation date.
Second, anyone who has even the remotest familiarity with skinning knows that the amount of days available doesn't make that huge a difference.
DogmaX, for instance, got something like 10,000 downloads in a day or two. If you're counting on a day or two or even a week more availability to win, you're doomed.
Will Rose
Reply #20 Saturday, October 16, 2004 12:14 PM
Reply #20 Saturday, October 16, 2004 12:14 PM
Boxxi, with any contest, generally the employees and their families of the sponsor are ineligible. In this case I would take that to be all stardock and wincustomize employees, and admins and moderators would be considered the same whether they're paid or not. Mabey people have a different view of what should happen here, but that would be the general case. Besides, the moderators have control over the upload queue. If the mods are in the contest and judging the queue at the same time, you just KNOW that someone will complain their atrocious skin was rejected because "the mod knew how awesome it was and didn't want the competition!" Who wants to listen to that?
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Reply #1 Friday, October 15, 2004 12:25 PM