15 must-have sections

from WinCustomize Forums
Once upon a time WinCustomize's stated policy was that it would only contain the most popular apps as sections. Sections that weren't popular would be removed.

Over time, common sense grew and we realized that you can't really do that -- have a section and then remove it. What about the hard work of skin authors and such who took the time to submit something?

So we took a different route - we only would DISPLAY the most popular sections and the others would be dsiplayed by clicking on the header bar ("library") so that you can get to the other sections.

So, if you were in our shoes and had to pick say 15 sections to have on a skin site - ANY 15 sections (whether we have them here or not) what would they be with the criteria based on POPULARITY (i.e. no breaks for a "unique" freeware app please).

Where popularity is determined by a combination (pick your own way of weighting the factors in this combo):

1) Users using the program
2) Activity of skin authors
3) Legitimacy (i.e. app needs to be actively developed and developer of app must publicly approve skins being made with its format).
4) Uniqueness (should matter some, i.e. how many skinnable MP3 players should a site have?)

Here's what I'd pick to get things started:

1) Wallpapers
2) Windows Media Player
3) WinAmp
4) WindowBlinds
5) ICQ Plus
6) NeXTStart
7) Coolplayer*
8) Dashboard*
9) DesktopX
10) WinStyles
11) IconPackager
12) ObjectBar
13) Litestep
14) LogonStudio
15) CursorXP

Others that are right up there:

a) Trillian
b) Talisman
c) Hoverdesk
d) Screenshots

* WinCustomize is the official skin site for Dashboard and Skinplayer so they will always be part of any top 15 list.

Stardock apps that aren't listed:
1) PocketBlinds. Just isn't getting enough skinning support, has been a release candidate for a long time.
2) WebBlinds.
3) SkinStudio widgets

Other possibilities:
Beatnik (we have a section for this but lack of activity took it from the default home page choices)
SkinMem
Quick Notes
Yahoo Messenger

BTW, you can select which sections to display from your settings. So you can have as many or few that you want.
15,777 views 45 replies
Reply #2 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Oh yea..I forgot, one more important criterial:

BANDWIDTH USAGE. The more bandwidth their skins, themes, whatever, use the worse.
Groupy 2 - Organize multiple applications into grouped tabs on your Windows desktop
Reply #3 from WinCustomize Forums Top
darwn - has TGTSoft announced a licensing agreement with Microsoft to use their msstyles format yet?
Reply #7 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Here's an example of how I'd rate a section:

DesktopX:

Popularity (0 - 100): 50 (very popular)

Skinner activity (0 - 100): 50 (very active)

Legitimacy: (0-10): 10 (designed specifically for third parties to create themes for.

Uniqueness (0 to 50): 20 (fairly unique but many users can use things like Litestep or Hoverdesk or ObjectBar or Talisman in its place)

Bandwith: (1 to 50): 5 (terrible. The objects aren't bad but themes can be huge).

Rating = each category multiplied together and then the square root. Rating = 16 total.

Using the same system I got these for a few other categories:

WindowBlinds: 69

Wallpapers: 22 (not very unique, heavy on bandwidth but extremely popular)

WinAmp: 64 (not very unique - skinnable MP3 player but extremely popular and good on bandwidth)

ICQPlus: 73 (popular, low on bandwidth, steady stream of skins).

Reply #8 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Even if it weren't a conflict of interest, we wouldn't have an msstyles section here. We *know* Microsoft doesn't approve of third party msstyles. On top of that, they're huge in size (multi megabyte msstyles are quite common).
Reply #9 from WinCustomize Forums Top
In my opinion, it's nice to have at least 1 program for every application. For example, at least 1 media player, at least 1 clock, etc.
In that optic, I would still like to keep either kewlpAd and Colorpad, or pick another text editor and color picker. There are a few out there now.
And I think there are too many media players. I'd say drop Windows Media Player since it's the least popular. And I'm being fair, because WMP is my personal favorite. I just think one player has to go to leave room for something else if you want to stick to fewer apps...
Reply #10 from WinCustomize Forums Top
how many people care about a skinned clock? the avg joe coming to this place is gonna probably want wmp more than a skinned clock or skinned editor. i can get a skinned editor by using windowblinds and every desktopx theme seems like it has a skinned clock. a skinned color picker? how many pepole use that stuff?
Reply #11 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I must concur with Sir JayG. I would hate to sacrifice a popular section for the sake of an artificial variety.

It would be like Walmart getting rid of popular brands of shoes to make way for kerosene powered lawn ornaments.
Reply #12 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Er, yea, that was *exactly* the analogy I was thinking of...

You haven't been sniffing any of the fumes from your neighbor's light-up pink flamingos right? .
Reply #13 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Here's the way I see it. Right now there are 25 seperate sections on this site. Four of those can easily be combined into one section. One doesn't count as you don't download, Screenshots. So my list is...

1) Windowblinds - Make Webblinds a subsection, Gui Olympics, WinXP Skins.

Stardock software needs a home here.

2) Object Bar
3) Desktop X
4) Icon Packager
5) WinStyles

WC is official site for the following.

6) Coolplayer
7) Dashboard

The two Stardock sponsored programs.

8) CursorXP
9) Logons

There is one section that is a must.

10) Wallpapers

2/3 of the way there, now we get into the what is optional. Let's take a look at what is left from this site already.

Beatnik, Colorpad, Graphics, ICQ, KewlpAd, Litestep, NeXSTart, Pocketblinds, Widgets, WinAmp, WinMedia

So here goes.

11) LiteStep
12) WinMedia
13) NeXTStart
14) ICQ
15) Hoverdesk

Here's the deal for what got the ax.

Winamp - My personal favorite. Bottom line is that you can download skins for this thing anywhere.
KewlpAd/ColorPad - These apps together totaled 9 downloads yesterday. They are also available easily elsewhere.
Beatnik - Never had any use for it. It is also widely available elsewhwere.
PocketBlinds/ Widgets - Have been discussed previously.

My 2 cents worth.
Reply #14 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Hoverdesk and Trillian are too popular and great apps to not be listed. Im my opinion both of them should be there long time ago.
Reply #15 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Very interesting. Never thought of WinAmp in that light before.
Reply #16 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Problem with Hoverdesk is like DesktopX, its themes are large and consume a lot of bandwidth. Let me put it like this, if there was one more DesktopX-bandwidth using type section, we'd have to increase bandwidth which would mean charging users who downloaded more than X megabytes.

We did a study last Fall over where all the bandwidth is going. You may recall that.

Turns out, Wallpapers and DesktopX alone account for 40% of the bandwidth. That said, I would be in favor of having a Hoverdesk section if we can find a way to not suffer the bandwidth costs of the themes. I.e. if we could have the links to the themes here but the files stored somewhere else. Hoverdesk is supposedly putting together its own library. Maybe they could do a system where sites coudl link there.

This is what Talisman does already (in reverse). They have a "theme library" but the themes are stored on the various skin sites and their library just links to them. That said, I'd be in favor of both Talisman and Hoverdesk having sections here along with Trillian.

Maybe if the subscription thing we're putting together does well it'll be a moot point.

Reply #17 from WinCustomize Forums Top
"probably too much to ask for ie. conflict of interest but it would show that you are fair"
by darwn23

What would you consider LiteStep?

Why does the number have to be 15?

If it was up to me I would dump screenshots. Most screenshots I have seen were larger then the actual skin.
Maybe add a section called "In Progress". I would pick up Trillian instead.
Reply #18 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I vote for Trillian also. And I agree with Griffinme, the screenshots can go. The way I see (and do) it, is that I put the screenshots I want others to see to somewhere else (anyone can get a few megabytes free webspace from quite a many places) and then post the link to this forum. It has been working well.

my 2c. (from Euros )

\Nite - "can't rain all the time"
Reply #19 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Only app I'd add to the original lost is Ez Pop, as there's no other skinnable e-mails progs on the list.
It's quite a popular app, and the skin sizes aren't too big.
Reply #21 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I think, You should push CDRun http://www.amberror.lt/ a little more. It's a nice tiny app and nice to skin, also.
Reply #22 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I second EzPop. I don't really know how popular it is, but I use it every day. There are certainly a lot of skins for it, and they are quite small. As Hippy said, it is the only skinnable email checker as far as I know.
Reply #23 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Screenshots could simply 'time-out'...leave them active for a week or so, then they auto-delete.
That 'should' be helpful for band-width, AND be useful for projects in progress, etc....
Reply #24 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Regarding screenshots, I agree with Jafo. I usually delete mine after the theme goes up anyway. If the stated purpose of a screenshot is to showoff your new modded desktop, which I think is a great idea, after a week or so it falls so far down the list I doubt anyone would drill down far enough to see it. If its to get comments on a work in progress, once the theme goes up what's the point of leaving there?

Reply #25 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Brad, I don´t know why, but as far as have seeing, HVD themes are around the half file size of the DesktopX themes, so, I believe they would be less bandwidth consuming.

Yes, EZPop would be a great addition too, it is a small app (so, low bandwidth), very practical, popular and usefull.