Skinner of the year award proposed...

I think that this sounds like a pretty good idea. However, in order to make it reasonably accurate, you'd need to restrict it to WinC subscribers only. That could be a 'signing bonus' that we could advertise the subscriptions with... "Ability to participate in Community Votes"

My suggestion would be to give the winner:
T-shirt
Library CD - 2004/2005
Skin Suite or visual style of their choosing from the store

My suggestion would be to give the winner:

A Job At Stardock designing those new Subscriber Only Skins.

Great idea!!!! I agree subscribers only

Great idea.....but I think there should be two variations:

Best Skinner of the Year: This can be decided by a panel of well known skinners who know the art of skining and can make an authoritative statement on the techniques, finesse etc and a second award

Most popular Skinner of the Year: And this can be decided on the number of total downloads.

Just my $0.02c.

I think this is a great idea, Harry. I agree it should be for members only.

Most popular Skinner of the Year: And this can be decided on the number of total downloads.

I don't think popularity awards should be based on downloads alone. I've downloaded lots of skins that once installed and checked out, were never used again. So, should that download count toward popularity?
I've purchased premium suites that resulted in the same........ they looked so good in the screenshot, but didn't quite make the grade once in use.
The only award the most downloaded skin/author should receive is the most downloaded award. IMHO...

I dont think that doing on on a per-download basis is very fair, especially if its total downloads, not subscriber downloads that are counted. I mean, I would put money on the winner of that: The Skins Factory.

I would definately prefer a 'vote' to chose the Skinner of the Year.

A Job At Stardock designing those new Subscriber Only Skins

The best skinner already has that job

I thought I was being clever.

I would definately prefer a 'vote' to chose the Skinner of the Year.

I completely agree with *that...

Great idea Cyberworld!

The only award the most downloaded skin/author should receive is the most downloaded award.

I'd agree with that.

How about 2 categories.
1-Voting by skinners with a rating of, say journeyman or above.

2-A members choice award voted by all members.

Awards based on total downloads would be unfair to new skinners. They would have to compete not only against another great skinner (which is the idea) BUT against the time that said skinner has had for downloads (years, sometimes)

Awards based on total downloads would be unfair to new skinners. They would have to compete not only against another great skinner (which is the idea) BUT against the time that said skinner has had for downloads (years, sometimes)

Ummmm...

Every year statistics from all the categories are collected in WC's servers right? I mean you do have the capability to show how many downloads one author got during one year time frame right?

I may be misunderstanding, but I believe the proposal covers a years time span..not the skinners entire membership span..An award for the most DL's in a years time I dont think is unreasonable whether it is a new skinner or an old seasoned pro. The most downloads is after all..the most..LoL

...but Tapper has a good point. Just the name of Tiggz will cause everyone to download something new. The name of GirlFridaySkinner will not, even though she may be as skilled (just an example Tiggz)

but Tapper has a good point. Just the name of Tiggz will cause everyone to download something new. The name of GirlFridaySkinner will not, even though she may be as skilled (just an example Tiggz)

I suppose so SD, although personally I do not download everything created by a skinner just because they have a reputation as one of the best..I download upon personal taste ..If I do not like it, I will not download it... Im assuming that most people do the same...

I think a subscriber based vote, like the top 10-20 dl'ed skinners over a year, would be excellent.

Wow,imagine that...you go off to sleep and you wake up with 17 answers for a thread...this is what i call busy morning...morning ya all...i'm with a coffee cup right now...so...let's see...

Well the general idea seems to cover WC Subscribers or members thing...so yes probably Subscribers would be a good idea. It would work as an incentive for subscribing,plus a subscriber of the site is also a person with active interest in skinning. So no drive-by vote casting by unknown users for fun only.

My suggestion would be to give the winner: T-shirt Library CD - 2004/2005 Skin Suite or visual style of their choosing from the store

A gracious offer here...

A Job At Stardock designing those new Subscriber Only Skins.

Oh Lantec... I believe Stardock has the resources to recruit any talented skinner around for the needs of the company. Right?

Best Skinner of the Year: This can be decided by a panel of well known skinners who know the art of skining and can make an authoritative statement on the techniques, finesse etc and a second award Most popular Skinner of the Year: And this can be decided on the number of total downloads.

These both ruin the purpose of this proposal.I say this in respect of your opinion,not to let you down or anything.

A. It should be the best according to the public,not some closed group of masters,it shouldn't be decided by the few,but by the people who are the mass body of this site. An act of subscribers respect towards the best skinner in their own opinion.

B. Most downloaded does not always reflect that is also the best skinner around. This is why i suggest a to have the 100 Top Downloaded Skinners and from them to choose the best. Within those 100 Top Skinners both most downloaded known skinners will be alongside with newcomers who design well and got some downloads.

I hope this covers it.

So, should that download count toward popularity?

In a general way i think yes. As explained above at least the best 100 should be picked by total or subscribers downloads. And then is public voting.

The only award the most downloaded skin/author should receive is the most downloaded award.

Ditto.

1-Voting by skinners with a rating of, say journeyman or above. 2-A members choice award voted by all members. Awards based on total downloads would be unfair to new skinners. They would have to compete not only against another great skinner (which is the idea) BUT against the time that said skinner has had for downloads (years, sometimes)

Hey _TAPPER_ nice to see you...Well like i said before...i see WC as a democratic community,so elitisism should be avoided. I know Journeymen are better equiped as judges,but most times i think public judgement is stronger than the few people choice. Also dividing the award in two subsections would lose its gravity. Its another thing to know you are the best and another thing to know you are the best,but the Top 20 people in WC think that someone else is better,right?

As for the new skinners thing DZ covers it pretty well. It'll all by in the timeframe of a single year,sooo i don't think new skinners are treated unfairly. The only unfair thing is to be a new skinner in the later months of the year,thus leaving you outside the Top 100.

...but Tapper has a good point. Just the name of Tiggz will cause everyone to download something new. The name of GirlFridaySkinner will not, even though she may be as skilled

Ditto with DZ,also how many well known skinners are around? 20-30? Well in the Top 100 there is space for another 70 not so well known skinners. And that is fair to say that new skinners that make it big,and usually making it big means you are a good skinner,then it's safe to say that it is as fair as it gets.

I think a subscriber based vote, like the top 10-20 dl'ed skinners over a year, would be excellent.

Like i said above,it should be at least Top 100 in order to have new skinners only. If we get only Top 20,then it's safe to say that it won't have much difference from the Top 20 already in the Total Most Popular Authors around.

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On a sidenote:
- Top 10 skinners voted by the public could get some minor goodies too.
- A good skinner is an active skinner,someone who once posted an excellent WB design and it was a once in a lifetime thing doesn't make him a Top Skinner. Maybe some limitations towards this should be set,say it needs to have two-three skins or above in order to participate.
- Will this be for:
a. All categories here at WC? (This has the disadvantage that some categories get more downloads due to smaller filesizes.I've seen this from bootskins.)
b. A specific category or class of categories? (E.G.Windowblinds,IP,DX,etc).If that is the case it should be a Top Skinner for each category or one for all of them?
c. The Top Skinner for one category only. (E.g.Windowblinds).
- This competition i believe it will raise the interest of all authors around since it will be an extra incentive to be active throughout the entire year!
- Any authority from Stardock or a site moderator has something to say? Will it be considered or are we all arguing on an idea that is not in our hands to be realised?

Well that's all...coffee ends...as my thoughts are...well...back to reading for midterms...

Have a very good day everyone.

... personally I do not download everything created by a skinner just because they have a reputation as one of the best..I download upon personal taste ..If I do not like it, I will not download it... Im assuming that most people do the same...

I believe you may be wrong in that assumption.

I believe you may be wrong in that assumption.

It happens....LoL

A Job At Stardock designing those new Subscriber Only Skins

I believe Stardock has the resources to recruit any talented skinner around for the needs of the company

If you had been following the news page, you would see Stardock has already hired Mike Bryant to create some new subscriber only skins   You can expect skins of the finest quality... so... now's a great time to subscribe

As for top skinner of the year, it should be by vote not download counts. Just because something has a lot of downloads, doesn't mean it's the best Have a shortlist for each category based on popularity. Then, one vote per subscriber in each category to find the winner of that category, and the skinner with the highest total of votes becomes the overall winner. There would have to be a small prize for each category, and something juicy for the winner.

All sounds great.... maybe you could take the top whatever and have a nomination process to add new skinners and such to the list to be voted on.

Even if the powers that be at WC and stardock don't like this whole idea I'm sure they are at least watching, listening and taking it all in

Excellent idea.

If you had been following the news page, you would see Stardock has already hired Mike Bryant to create some new subscriber only skins

That is why i said that.

Even if the powers that be at WC and stardock don't like this whole idea I'm sure they are at least watching, listening and taking it all in

Community member of the year would involve everyone.