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GUI Championships - Participation..

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GUI Championships - Participation..

Want to hear from you..

from WinCustomize Forums

Every two years now for the past 6 years we've done the GUI Championships (formerly GUI Olympics but the US Olympic Committee sent the lawyers after us).

We've tried different types of judging over the years and had different rules.  But one of the bummers has been that Stardock people can't participate since, well, we run the thing so obviously you can't have Stardock people participating.

So this time, we are asking you - users, skinners, and everyone else, under what circumstances, if any, could we let people like Mike Bryant (MikeB), Paul Boyer (Mormegil), and other Stardock artists particpiate?  I think the contest overall would be better served if they could be in it but we would need to not have Stardock involved in the judging then.

Imagine how much better the contest would be with icons from Paul Boyer? Or skins from Mike Bryant? Not to mention other stuff from other Stardock artists.  But we want to do things the way you want them so let us know.

47,987 views 121 replies
Reply #51 from WinCustomize Forums Top
-Dive the contest into two levels: Biginner & Pro




i mean:
-Divide* the contest into two levels: Biginner & Pro
Ashes of the Singularity II
Reply #53 from WinCustomize Forums Top
if a person has talent, he/she can compete with a mormegil, treetog, mikeb, dani, pixel, gabe, or anyone else.


If it were done by Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced, there would have to be strict criteria, so an Advanced person wouldn't enter Beginner and blow everyone out of the water.

see next quote...

Three categories. Advanced, Intermediate, and Beginners. (Maybe even one for First Skin?) Allow everyone to enter their submission in whatever category they want, with prizes ‘accordingly’ (so someone with obviously advanced skills doesn’t sweep the beginner or intermediate category, and someone who feels they can compete on a higher level can do so) to each category.


Those who create skins for a living/money, should not.

That would leave out some good and popular skinners.
Reply #54 from WinCustomize Forums Top
beginner


hhhuummm..., i think that i´m goin to sue my grammar teacher
Reply #55 from WinCustomize Forums Top
That would leave out some good and popular skinners.


right!
Reply #56 from WinCustomize Forums Top


I agree with the fact that the people you mention are definatley an Elite catagory...I have no prblems, but maybe a sub division of the contest could be split, between long time winners and fresh artist just getting good at it...Paul and Mike are so far ahead of the majority of skinners its like a nuclear bomb compared to hand grenades,,,But I hope you include them in the contest......

okay I dont know were t put the quote at, Im not an HTML geek sorry...
Reply #57 from WinCustomize Forums Top
i don't see any reason why not but i don't know how you would do it

We will just have to work alot harder on our skins!!!!!
Reply #59 from WinCustomize Forums Top
In the end, I think everything that's done on this site, competition or no, stands on the quality of the work (almost all of which is fabulous, IMHO). For those of us in the "rock" category, such as moi, who aren't competing, it means more incredible skins for us to applaud (and download - grin) if the pros do compete. I don't think their pro status will make a difference, as long as they don't judge their own work. After all, those of us whose artistic abilities aren't so great (like mine) are AWARE of that fact, and so aren't likely to enter competition in the first place. Like the real Olymp1cs, couch potatoes don't enter the decathalon... That means it'll be a closer contest, and thus a better competition.

Not to slight ANYone here, of course; I have no room to talk, since I don't skin.
Reply #60 from WinCustomize Forums Top
The word "amateur" in olympics of today is a misnomer. A great number of "professionals" participate in the games. So I do not see any problem of "seasoned" or "newly hatched" skinners participating together in the GUI Championships.

my Canadian dollars worth or the equivalent US 2 cents.
Reply #61 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Considering the value of the contest, if it is truly "olympic" in nature, as the first title suggested, then I believe only amatures should be allowed to participate. Those who create skins for a living/money, should not.


That might have been true inn the past, but now in many of the '"events" pro's are allowed in because there is no ameture competitions. I say let em in. It will elevate the quality in all categorie and artists. It doesn't matter how ya do it some people are going to moan and cry. I do like the idea of anonymous submissions (untill awards) is a good way to go. And an Idea threw out last skinolympics was a way to let the members cast a vote would ease worries a bit too.
I can't wait to see the caliber of work that will come out for the new features in the Object Desktop apps that will be included. As anyone around last time will remember some of the top skins last time around were way ahead of the skins of their time.
Reply #62 from WinCustomize Forums Top
So many people trying to set the rules and most know nothing about running one of these.  Too bad ya can't do a contest of your own and then ya can make the rules and give out the prizes.  This will not be the first one of these GUI Olympics Stardock has run.  They have learned a lot from the prior contests to make this one run smooth with no-one crying foul.
Reply #63 from WinCustomize Forums Top
cant a site be set up where every body can submit a skin and let the public decide the winners by unique downloads or by votes?

me ive seen skins from non professional artists that are as good as professional artists so I dont see why theres any big deal about whos in or not .. I say let everybody be judged equally on their merits...
Reply #64 from WinCustomize Forums Top
But we want to do things the way you want them so let us know.


i do believe most here are trying to offer sugestions, since they were requested...
Reply #65 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I think a novice event is a great idea! Lots of competitions have them to encourage new skinners. Let there be an open event where people can take on all comers and a novice event for people who've never entered before. (Or maybe just never won before. I don't know the size of the field.)

As for letting the Stardockians in -- I'd have say, no. It's just asking for headaches. What do the contest sponsers think? IIRC, the previous events had prizes donated, right? Will the prizegivers be comfortable if the Stardock employees win the loot?
Reply #66 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Oh well, it would be fun to have them competing with the rest of us, I don't know why you guys are scared as hell (this is kind of recognition of their skills)you don't have any chance of winning anyway with such defeatist mentality

and I know it would help me immensely improve my abilities when I am up against such great skinners.. so yeah.. bring em on
Reply #67 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Bring Em On, There's Nothing More I'd Enjoy More Than Beating Paul Boyer In An Icon Competion, And Make No Mistake About It, I Would Beat Him ... After All, How Can It Be Called The GUI Championships Without The Best Of The Best Competing.

Fact Is, We Can't View Them Any Differently Than We Would The SkinsFactory, Or Others Who Make An Income Off Of Skinning.
Reply #68 from WinCustomize Forums Top
So many people trying to set the rules and most know nothing about running one of these.


i´m realy sry WOM.., i never attempt to redo the GUI Champs. rules ..., as i sade:

This is my theory of how the GUI Championships would work okay for everyone(taking different ideas from all of you)



"theory"..., it was only that .
Reply #69 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Dang, I forgot all about this thread today. I know it was mentioned earlier that if you've really been involved in the skinning community for a while you can eventually know who did a skin just by looking at it, but that type of style continuity can easily be duplicated, even if it's not as high quality. In the end, it's not the thematic style or the skinner behind that style that a judge should be evaluating, but the skin itself.

And of course you need to have every skilled skinner in this competition! It simply does not make sense to me to keep someone from competing because they have succeeded in the past.
Reply #70 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I just have months in skinning...can enyone tellme what is it?
Reply #71 from WinCustomize Forums Top
My $.02: They are arguably some of the best in the biz. That being said, I think there is a definite conflict of interest. For the same reason that when a radio station has a contest, or McDonalds does the Monopoly thing, it is stated that no employees or their family members may participate. It is not a matter of mistrust, simply a matter of preventing the appearance of any possible unethical conduct on the part of the sponsoring organization, it is as much for the protection of the participants as it is for the protection of the sponsoring organization.

Thanks
Reply #72 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Let MikeB and the other Stardock employees skin, the Gabenator welcomes the challenege. I laugh in the face of these girly man skinners. I will see my challengers broken and scattered before me. I will drop an atomic bevel from the third turnbuckle on all who dare to stand before me.

Don't fear my skins, fear the consequences.

Gabe 3:16 says I just skinned your desktop.


LMAO
FINALLY someone around here I can understand! I was losing hope...LoL!!!
Reply #73 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Personally...I say let them in!! A competition is about determining the best, so what kind of competition would you have if the best are not allowed to participate?? I know as far as my skinning abilities go...well, let's just say it would take me 3 months just to come up w/ a stick figure which is well below the "rock" level that others have mentioned. I've seen some skins here from the big boys that haven't appealed to me personally.

I think they should be allowed to play..it may only serve to drive the competition to be even better and allow all the talents that have been posted on this site to raise the bar, so to speak. As far as judging goes...my opinion, if you enter you shouldn't be able to judge..maybe stardock can pull their resources from other aspects of the company to judge the competion. If ya want the best skins, you have to let the best participate.

That's my 2.5 cents!
Reply #74 from WinCustomize Forums Top
let them enter but then stardock needs to find judges that are not in the company pure and simple.
Reply #75 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Has anyone thought for a second that maybe the 'big names' would be at a disadvantage? I'd love for them to compete, but I think that they are going to be seen as the 'pros' by the judges, which might hinder their ability to win prizes. Just a thought I had. 3am here, so I'm heading to bed.