WinCustomize Levels and Quality Standards
Thursday, October 21, 2010 by Island Dog | Discussion: WinCustomize News
On WinCustomize.com we have a ranking system. Each member has a level that they begin with, and, throughout their membership, is promoted to higher rankings which can mean added benefits and privileges. Some examples of these privileges are uploading without moderation and the ability to actually sell skins on WinCustomize. Promotions are given to members who display superior skinning techniques first, after all this is a community skinning site and that is obviously the criteria we first look. Of course community participation is also factored in, but ultimately skinning is what is important here.
Summary of Levels on WinCustomize:
- Exile and Visitors: These are the two bottom levels of WC. Exile is reserved for spammers, pirates, and people who don’t obey the rules of the site. Visitors are limited users that can’t post on the forums, and can only download a very limited amount of skins.
- Citizen: This is where many are, and generally a user of the site would be at this level as someone who has registered with the site, and has a moderate download cap on their accounts. They can also participate the on the forums and submit skins to WinCustomize. Note: Customer levels are different, so you can be a Citizen and a Subscriber at the same time.
- Apprentice/Master Apprentice: If you are a regular contributor of skins and themes to WinCustomize, then Apprentice would be the first rank you achieve on the site. Master Apprentice is the next level for those who continue to contribute to the site.
- Journeyman: This is respected ranking on WinCustomize as you have been determined and voted upon based on your skinning ability and quality contributions. These are users who we trust to upload without moderation, which means their skins go directly into the gallery without the approval of a moderator.
- Master: This is the highest ranking that can be achieved by members, and will be achieved by skinners who show outstanding skinning ability and contribution to WinCustomize. Being a Master Skinner gives you the ability to sell your skins on WinCustomize.
As you might know, WinCustomize is a moderated skinning site, which means we evaluate skins that are submitted and decide whether or not they make it into the general galleries. This basically comes down to quality control to ensure that we have quality works in our galleries. Over the past several weeks we have been taking a hard look at the state of the current galleries and reading members concerns in the forums and via e-mail.
We have found that some submissions have been of lower quality, and that quantity has become a prerequisite over quality. Going forward we will be increasing moderation in order to maintain our quality levels. Members that have ranks which allow un-moderated uploads will also be held to these standards. If it is decided that quality is not to our standards, members can and will go back to moderated status until improvements are seen. This step will enforce the legitimacy of rankings, and will also allow us to make sure that all artists are able to submit quality work and not get buried in the library. A demotion will not be seen as a punishment toward a member (unless it is for spamming) yet a natural flow of promotions and demotions to keep everyone at their deserved ranking. Any person that is demoted will be eligible for promotion once their quality increases.
The staff at WinCustomize does want to thank our members for their contributions – you make the site what it is today. We just want to ensure that WinCustomize remains the site that people go to for quality skins, and we want to make sure that every artist has a chance to have their quality work be seen.
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Reply #2 Thursday, October 21, 2010 4:20 PM
I am so glad to hear this... you don't even know. There are a few galleries that have become completely overrun by garbage. I don't even bother looking through them anymore. It's sad. As far as I'm concerned, the heavier the moderation, the better.
Reply #3 Thursday, October 21, 2010 4:25 PM
Reply #4 Thursday, October 21, 2010 4:32 PM
Prof. Farnsworth says "Good news everyone!" 
Reply #5 Thursday, October 21, 2010 4:42 PM
are those the official definitions for the rankings or is it an abridged version?
Reply #6 Thursday, October 21, 2010 4:46 PM
Reply #7 Thursday, October 21, 2010 5:04 PM
Reply #8 Thursday, October 21, 2010 5:09 PM
I think I'm in trouble. I just got up here. Now I'm gonna crash and burn. Make that just crash. I don't like hot stuff.
Reply #9 Thursday, October 21, 2010 5:23 PM
Let me also say this is not intended to intimidate people to submit. We are also here to help, so if you haver questions about moderation or a skin you are working on, please don't hesitate to contact a mod.
Reply #10 Thursday, October 21, 2010 5:32 PM
ID was posting as I was trying to edit. I wanted to say that quality over quantity is what I've come to expect, as I'm sure others have also, from this site. I may not be a noobie still but even I recognize that my skill needs improving. I managed three decent walls in the gallery but walls were never my strong suit. I usually do rainies. Walls are fun to do and I'll keep at it no matter where they wind up. After all, visitors and members alike can still visit my gallery if they like. Lets all show those other wannabes where the really good stuff lives.
Reply #11 Thursday, October 21, 2010 5:33 PM
For that matter you can ask nearly any journeyman or master to look at something and ask what they think...we can be tough but it will give you things to work on.
You could post a work in progress thread but you will mostly get false praise or just praise from users that really dont have the critical eye...they like nearly everything.
If your a glutton for punishment...ask me. (evil laugh) We should all strive for improvement and never shy away from critique...even me.
Reply #12 Thursday, October 21, 2010 5:44 PM
Be afraid! Be very afraid! 
More often than not I'll let something sit and come back to it later when I don't get it just right. And even after I finish something it will sit on my desktop for a few days being used while I look it over even more. I've got themes still sitting in my folder for even longer while I work on them. And when I see some things being pumped out here like its a race or a factory it just doesn't say quality...and it also must be depressing for those that take their time and work on their project only to have it buried minutes after uploading it.
Reply #13 Thursday, October 21, 2010 5:48 PM
Remember, if you ask someone, ask more than 1 person, just to be safe.
Reply #14 Thursday, October 21, 2010 5:50 PM
I don't shy away from it, I ask for it. If no one cares to comment there's nothing i can do about that. I said I was here to pick brains as long as there is someone willing to pound me silly, just kidding. Where is there too much or not enough. What works and what doesn't as long as its constructive.
Reply #15 Thursday, October 21, 2010 6:11 PM
oh, abridged, thanks
I think it is damn good idea, good luck with the implementation.
Reply #16 Thursday, October 21, 2010 6:43 PM
About 9 years ago, when I first made Mod/Admin one Gallery was particularly in a 'mess'....the Wallpaper Gallery.
There were [then] about 700 walls of [to be polite] varying standard/quality.
On dial-up I sifted through all 700 3 times doing a 'cull', to remove the recognizable rips and painfully poor works.
At the end of the week it took there were 400 left.
Probably at that time Wincustomize.com DID have the 'finest collection of wallpapers', certainly because our Moderation process was definitely in place and functioning.
It's motivation/inspiration dated from an earlier time/site...on skinz.org where Moderation was extreme and harsh.
There, as with here, then, the options were 'yes or no'....there was no 'Personal Gallery' option. Works were either accepted or rejected.
With the 'friendlier' third option being in place there NEEDS to be more use of it made.
Although I use 'wallpapers' as an example they are by no means the only 'problem' gallery.... all have similar issues.
Quality versus quantity.
In reality, if a good, competent skinner can manage maybe a half dozen Windowblinds skins per YEAR then perhaps quality-wise a Wallpaper artist or Logon maker 'might' be expected to have the creativity/diversity/imagination to create....maybe a half dozen of THOSE per YEAR.
In truth I'd imagine a 'Master'/'Journeyman' CRAFTSMAN to be looking at true class and quality, meaning less is more.
None of this is new, only the desire/determination to enforce....
Reply #17 Thursday, October 21, 2010 6:57 PM
Not only on the part of the Mods but on the artists as well. Artists should by virtue of their skills hold themselves above such petty nonsense as submitting skins, walls and or whatever that do not meet 'their' standards, meaning personal standards. There are a host of excellent artists here. What once was can be again.
Reply #18 Thursday, October 21, 2010 7:35 PM
i agree, ive seen some stuff uploaded and wondered how did it even pass moderation....
Reply #20 Thursday, October 21, 2010 8:46 PM
yep...
well put...
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Reply #1 Thursday, October 21, 2010 4:16 PM
One thing that would be good to see is things like game icons/pngs being put in a bundle rather than being uploaded one at a time...these tend to flood the gallery at times. And themed icons/pngs as well...no reason why these can't be bundled as well. A good screenshot showing whats in the bundle and description would do the trick.