Rating skins

A screenshot is NOT the skin

from WinCustomize Forums

It beggars the question how someone thinks they can rate a Litestep theme, or a Dx theme ....or any equivalent 'complex' skin....WB, WA, WMP, etc when all they are likely to know of it is the screenshot....as they do not DL and run the work, or even have not ever used the program. 

A screenshot is one happy snap of [as example, an LS theme...perhaps 1600 lines of hand-written code and hundreds of images taking weeks to create] ....yet some twit will go 'der...look at dat piccie...ho-hum' and consign the work to the depths of obscurity for no valid reason than their own ignorance.

Rate the skin/theme...not its 'pretty picture'.

If you are not genuinely knowledgable about a particular skinning 'field', take the initiative to opt-out of judging it at all.

You will only do the skinners and their work a gross injustice...[and raise people's ire]...;)

21,338 views 88 replies
Reply #2 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I can't rate skins at all even though according to the info on the about site link, I should be able to.

Level 4: Active Stardock customer / Elite User. These are users who have either purchased Object Desktop Network or some other Stardock product (Stardock is WinCustomize's sponser), or has Apprentice access or higher due to contributing to the site in other forms (making skins, being an active contributor to the message boards, etc.). These users get all the benefits of a registered user plus:

* Access To Skin Ratings.
* Unlimited File Downloads. Say good-bye to file limitations! No more annoying messages preventing you from getting your download to work.

My level: Access Class: Citizen (1)
User Level: CurrentCustomer (4)

*shrugs*
Star Control: Origins
Reply #3 from WinCustomize Forums Top
100% in agreement. I see many skins that have mediocre screenshots and end up with 2-1/2 stars when they are really well done and become personal favorites over time.
Reply #4 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Nice topic jafo-sure to raise some eyebrows. One shouldn"t rate skins good or bad without first downloading and trying first hand
Reply #5 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I only rate what I use...
Reply #6 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Exactly the point computerdummy and kona, how can you possibly rate something fairly without trying it....if you're just rating it on looks....as in a sharp looking WB in a screenshot that is made like chit..things don't work, can't read fonts because of size or color, but you rate it high because of the screenie, that is just wrong...or rate something very low because you don't happen to like the look of it in the screenshot, but it is in fact very nice to use, well made, and lots of times looks alot better on your desk than in a screenshot.Please download and try what you rate, and posslbly leave a comment one way or the other, it does help the skinner know about defects or about what someone DOES like about it...
Reply #7 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Bebi, I think ya have to be an apprentice or higher or a subscriber to rate skins. Sometimes the print needs updated.
Reply #8 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I have yet to rate anything (though I have tried quite a number of WBlinds), because I am new (about 10 months) and certainly can't tell just by looking at a WB, DXtheme, etc.

I may in time rate a few icon packages, or widgets as I gain experience, but for the time being will just recommend skins I have used for a while and that I know are reasonably stable, have nice graphics, and are most importantly able to display a majority of the software I use in an efficient way.

Not jazzed about opening a menu and have the text and background just kind of blend together, if you know what I mean.

To make a long winded short story short, "I,m with you on that one, Jafo!".
Reply #9 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Hear, Hear!
Take it out for a spin, get out and kick the tires a few times before you give a rating. It will give you a more realistic view of the skin than rating on whether it's your favorite color or not.
Reply #10 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Might I also add that if someone is caught "slamming" other peoples work by rating them a 1 when it is obvious that the skin does not warrant it, have their ratings ability suspended. Burned at the stake, ridiculed in public, boiled in oil and tarred and feathered.. all in front of their friends and family
Reply #11 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Bebi Bulma - Did you cross reference your stardock account when you subscribed?

It will be located under your "My Account" tab at the top.
Reply #12 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Now that's a good idea, Phoon
Reply #13 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I can't agree more.......
Reply #14 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Now this is only a thought...but, instead of a handful of people rating these skins, why dont all skins thats been accepted and put on display get an automatic rating of 5 or 6 so everybody can see them, which cannot be lowered by a single individual. to say that if the skin has a 5 or 6 and because you dont like the person or the skin and you decide you are gonna give it a 1, well it dont work, because the skin cannot be lowered below 5-6. Only after a period of time and the lack of interest can the skin be lowered by all. That does not eliminate anybody's ability of rating, and gives more of a fair chance to the general public to be able to voice their opinions by the number of downloads that the skins receives. But unfortunately if the skin has been on display for a week and has only 100 downloads then it should drop automatically.Like I said this is only an idea and nothing more.
Reply #15 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Rating methodology doesn't need improving...only the competence and validity of those who think they need to rate needs improving.
Reply #16 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I don't rate what I don't use. (except for screenies). I'm not knowledgeable to rate a "lite step" skin.
Reply #17 from WinCustomize Forums Top

What is even worse Paul, is the people who are trying to annihilate the competition in certain sections. That really pisses me off.

For example, someone uploads to the DX Widget section, and then rates all the other latest uploads as "1" so that people will only see their upload. Nice eh? Great community spirit.

Reply #18 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Rating methodology doesn't need improving...only the competence and validity of those who think they need to rate needs improving.


That is a fairly broad swipe at people who rate skins. I might not have the "competence" or the intrinsic knowledge that comes with being a skinner for a particular application, however I'm not blind and call them as I see them. Does that make my rating any less valid than that of a so-called expert?

If competence is a criteria for whether one should or should not be able to rate a skin, then just restrict the rating ability to the people who are deemed gurus of their fields and get it over with, otherwise, accept the fallout that is inevitable with such an open structure.

Keep in mind that I'm not touching on the ethics of an individual, that is a whole another matter.
Reply #19 from WinCustomize Forums Top
For example, someone uploads to the DX Widget section, and then rates all the other latest uploads as "1" so that people will only see their upload. Nice eh? Great community spirit.


WOW, I had never even thought about that, that is just sick!
Reply #20 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Boxxi-had to comment since I think I set this whole thing into motion. Your point is well taken and just- and that is just what I protest.I understand completely that some sort of rating system needs to be in place but unfortunately the current system is full of more holes than a slice of swiss cheese.As has been stated here before the difference between something that rates a 5 and a 7 is so open to individual opinion so often a good skin or theme is not allowed to be seen by the general public because someone takes 3 stars away because they don"t like one aspect of the work.I always think to myself that its funny that the general public can"t see the "lower" rated stuff but registered folks can see the "garbage".The minamal rating for the casual visitor to view should be lower by 2 stars in my opion so that download counts can count for a particular skins popularity.I hate to remove the work I have labored over but what since does it make to have something on the gallery if it is only going to get 1 or 2 downloads daily because it simply doesn"t have the ability for someone to see.Just my opinion boxxi-ratings are just to subjective to the individual that is rating
Reply #21 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I smell a pole-cat in this henhouse..
Reply #22 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Point well taken phoon{had to look up pole-cat} but not entirely true-I for one think its time for change in the rating system-what better medium than open discussion
Reply #23 from WinCustomize Forums Top
computerdummy5,
I feel your pain. However, this topic has been openly discussed, complained about, battered on, belittled, bashed and brooded over for as long as I can remember.
Despite the change in the rating system, it still has the same flaws that it used to have. Many a fine skinner has left this community because of it as well.
I guess it is a necessary evil which we have to endure as no alternative has ever been to the satisfaction of the powers that be so far.
All I can say is that if you feel that your ratings have been slammed (by an aforementioned polecat) then email an admin. When it has happened to me, they have been very helpful in correcting the issue. Although I have a feeling this, this.. skunk-weasel in sheeps clothing (yes, I know who you are too) has passed near my barnyard again.
All we can do as honest members of this community, is to not stoop to their level and try to remember why we do what we do in the first place. Yes, it's a nice touchy-feely thing to have great ratings and high downloads, but ya know.. I get a lot of satisfaction from just looking at what I have done and thinking how gruelling and well worth it it was to have traveled that distance.. know what I mean.
Reply #24 from WinCustomize Forums Top
All we can do as honest members of this community, is to not stoop to their level and try to remember why we do what we do in the first place. Yes, it's a nice touchy-feely thing to have great ratings and high downloads, but ya know.. I get a lot of satisfaction from just looking at what I have done and thinking how gruelling and well worth it it was to have traveled that distance.. know what I mean.


Well said
Reply #25 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Here is a Idea but I know it would be a load for T-man. But it might also help solve issues.

Everything you do on the site is logged already. It keeps track of what you rate, what you rate it at, your downloads, and much more. Well, to that code, write a piece of code that detects say a certain amount of low rating. I noticed that in our profile now, it shows our avg rating of skins. You can use this so if a avg rating is low, it will raise a red flag to be examined. Once examined and confirmed, if they are abusing the system, then they are either warned or booted then all ratings they made will be removed and readjusted. The problem with this is the size of a database, it will be huge if it logs what skin and rating each user rated. Unless it already does that.

To sum it up, a person gets out of line, it red flags/unless it was a tip off, warn or ban due to their activities (could give them a fair chance to explain for the low ratings they were giving people), Have their ratings reset (This will remove every rating they made site wide). Then when the site refreshes it doesn't use that low rating that they made.

It was just a idea.