NOW we can upload UNFINISHED WORK for approval ??????

Published on April 30, 2007 By Murex In 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.

Comments (Page 2)

Murex

on Apr 30, 2007

Same with walls, boots. How many houses on the prairie do you rate high? How many squirlies do you rate high? How many clouds over green grass do you rate high? Seen one ya almost seen them all. If they are unique, I rate them higher and feature them. If they are the same old same, well.....

Hi WOM

I understand what you are saying and agree with you. You can't give high rates to every skin that comes in To much of it is the same just in a different package. But seriously now if some one sent in a log on and said well I made this logon but can't get it to work right but thought I would send it in any way would to give it 3 stars and put it up for some one to download? I know you wouldn't.

Bichur

on Apr 30, 2007

Come on Stardock....

WIP it. WIP it good.

PoSmedley

on Apr 30, 2007

It's very frustrating when we are asked for input and when we offer suggestions they don't happen.

In one of my own threads, I suggested a separate gallery for works by 'non-skinners' featuring fan art, works re-posted with permissions, etc. The only people against the idea were admins and mods. We reached a compromise and since, I get the occasional email and PM asking 'When will it happen?' (as if I had a say. lol)

I'm not the first to suggest a gallery for WIP. This has been brought up before.

Both have received 'positive' feedback from members, artists, people who just download, and others who visit the site.

I've played the corporate game and have 'run' the corporate game. I've run the big meetings, where part of my job was to sell the manager's and employee's on new idea's and changes and make them believe it was 'their' idea. And to 'compromise' when I couldn't. I also had to know when to throw them a bone.

It would be truly nice to see something, like one of these two idea's that the community backs, actually come to pass.

boss0190

on Apr 30, 2007

WOM, you're pretty much made my point. Everything is going to get rated about the same..4-6, unless there is something that really stands out. Whether it's unfinished or pretty good, you don't have time to get into all of that. If people are worried about the ratings, it shouldn't be the initial rating by the mod but the subsequent ratings.
If it's good, it will go up...if not down.

And not necessarily on that particular skin. If it's good, people will watch you or keep an eye out for skins you make and the ratings and downloads will come. They get to know your work, they know it will be better than most, and the ratings and downloads will go up.

The person who uploads garbage or unfinished work will fade away and everything will end up as it should.

And buzz...as far as passive acceptance....hey...it's one site. WC is not my life, they have their way of working things, and it's fine with me. I've had my ups and many downs here but somehow I end up back here. I enjoy helping in the forums when I can, post some of my work, and buy and use the products. Hell, I even broke down and subscribed again..guess this place somehow gets in your blood.

It just seems to me lots of people get way too serious about all of this. The mods do the best they can with it all and 9 times out of 10 have it right.

If you're trying to make a living at this stuff....go ahead and bitch about your ratings if you want.

If you're creating it because you enjoy it, shut up and take what you get. If you're good, people will notice.

Murex

on Apr 30, 2007

I am assuming you are speaking in general here and not directing this at me..

I agree with you PO a WIP area would be nice for new skinners. Another thing that would help out new skinners would be a bank of PSD files that they could download to see for themselves how the skins are put together.

PoSmedley

on Apr 30, 2007

Meant to squeeze this in as an edit but couldn't.

I'm discouraged. I understand what I am reading and where it's coming from...and heaven knows I'm not trying to bring any wrath down on myself..

But it's a little discouraging when you see a mod saying things like 'you seen one you seen 'em all' followed by another about how a majority of the work may be rated from the get go.

I realize the mods are 'volunteers' and the submissions just keep coming in a steady flood..and forgive me for not knowing how else to say it...but it sounds like your 'burnt out' and it is discouraging. At the least, it doesn't sound hopeful for noobs or someone who thinks they have found a better way to present 'clouds over grassy fields'.

If you're trying to make a living at this stuff....go ahead and bitch about your ratings if you want.

Everyone seems to have something about ratings at one time or another...good or bad. I think the poster and others have legitimate concerns and questions. I don't understand why these things result in some of the language or tone they do and as much as I respect you and your work and opinion, I'm kinda taken aback and hope I am just reading 'unintended' tone into the quote.

'Periods' coma and go, like impressionists (water lilies, etc), or styles, etc., etc., and 'clouds over grassy fields'. Some are unique, some are not. Some are done better and some done even better. It's discouraging, to even imagine, that a mod might roll their eyes at one such work (be it wall, boot, DXTheme, or whatever) and give it an automatic rating of 4 or 5 just because they are tired of seeing the same old thing.

This is all my humble opinion. I'm really not trying to offend anyone.

Phoon

on Apr 30, 2007

I'm really not trying to offend anyone.

Does anyone else find Po' offensive? I think the turtle needs a bath!

PoSmedley

on Apr 30, 2007

what the IS that?! I'm staring and I can't figure out what it is!

Murex

on Apr 30, 2007

Sorta looks like the face of cow....minus the horns

buzzh58

on Apr 30, 2007

shut up and take what you get

Spoken like a true conformist.

If questions aren't asked, answers wont be given.

ZubaZ

on Apr 30, 2007

I'll tell you what *I* think. I think a WIP sub-category would be a good idea for every gallery. I'd not show it on the main gallery, it would have to be selected. And if I were the moderator for that WIP gallery and I *had* to rate it, I'd give everything a 5 (average) rating.

I'm one of the non-skinning mods (there may be others, I'm not sure) so I try to stick to the "functional" galleries; DX, OB, gadgets. I find that MY artistic sense plays too much a part of my ratings. I too start on an 5 scale and go up or down. I get irritated during the Olympics when I see all the 9.85s and stuff. The bar has been raised. It's OK to be good AND average. That means the AVERAGE of skins are good. Congratulations skinners! If you want to be more than good . . it's going to take work. More work than before. And people are going to copy your work . . and even if their work is just as good . . it came later and is derivative and SHOULD get a lower rating.

-sigh-

I don't know the answer here. I do know that I don't want the skinners, artists, or community to be unhappy. Skin for the skin of it.

Here's what *I* would do for now. I'd start a thread called "{AppName} Works in progress" (i.e. "DX Themes Works in Progress") and then Id submit my WIP to my personal gallery. I'd post a reply to my latest WIP and let folks know to come to my personal gallery and knock themselves out. You could even state what kind of feedback you want or don't want.

Zubaz puts on his DEVO hat and WIPs it good

Zubaz further thinks we need a DEVO inspired skin

PoSmedley

on Apr 30, 2007

And people are going to copy your work . . and even if their work is just as good . . it came later and is derivative and SHOULD get a lower rating.

Forgive the extremity of the comparison...but based on this, if you had to put Monet's Water Lilies next to Matisse's Water Lilies, would you rate one below the other because of the order in which they were produced, claiming one was a copy of the other?

The comparisons could go on and on. It still sounds discouraging and not so hopeful...IMHO. I thought that Journeymen were the only ones who got an automatic rating from the gate.

buzzh58

on Apr 30, 2007

Zubaz further thinks we need a DEVO inspired skin

I'll just time warp back to the 80's and see what I can come up with.

PoSmedley

on Apr 30, 2007

Here's what *I* would do for now. I'd start a thread called "{AppName} Works in progress" (i.e. "DX Themes Works in Progress") and then Id submit my WIP to my personal gallery. I'd post a reply to my latest WIP and let folks know to come to my personal gallery and knock themselves out. You could even state what kind of feedback you want or don't want.

That would be a good temporary fix, but I think an actual gallery would go further in showing WC's continued commitment to the subscribers and artists, noob to Master, and be more beneficial and require less jumping and navigating around, which was an issue brought up by mods in my other thread.

buzzh58

on Apr 30, 2007

f you had to put Monet's Water Lilies next to Matisse's Water Lilies, would you rate one below the other because of the order in which they were produced, claiming one was a copy of the other?

They'd both only get 2 stars, I hate water lilies

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