Skin Comments/Ratings

from WinCustomize Forums
I may be opening up a whole can of worms for myself here, but I would like some WB skinners/long time users to look at and evaluate my last few skins. I'm running into serious blocks trying to come up with ideas for my next skin, I think mainly trying to do things that may be out of my reach at this point. Mainly, I'd like to know what's good and what's bad with my skins. The most pleasure I get from skinning is taking that final screenshot and seeing all my work amounted to something. However, I'd love to hear feedback from other people to at least know that I'm either getting better or God forbid, regressing. I know it's an old topic, but it amazes me how low the comment to download ratio is on skins. I've probably had 10,000 downloads in the past 2 weeks with only a handful of comments. A "this is nice...thanks" wouldn't kill anyone. *Dave takes his whiner cap off*
5,550 views 18 replies
Reply #1 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Dave, if you're starting feel like that, the best thing you can do is step back and not skin for a little while. Wait just a few days, or if you're like me, a few weeks.

And as far as comments go, the download count is the most important comment you can get if you just want to be recognized. A lot of people will comment on a skin without even downloading it, so how much weight can you really put on those comments?
Reply #2 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Downloads doesn't mean much either. People download the skin before they try it. So the fact that people download a skin doesn't mean they like it. How many have I downlaoded a skin, tried it and right away went "Argh! Horrible!..." and uninstalled it right away... What we need is stats about how many people actually USE it. There used to be a page with the top 20 mostly used skins or something. Dunno if it's still there or up to date, but then again it doesn't show all the skins.
Offworld Trading Company
Reply #3 from WinCustomize Forums Top
davad70,
For example, my "XP Home" skin has more than 36.000 downloads and not even 1 comment!!! What can I say?
I agree with Sylva_cg76 about the downloads

and paxx,
It is imposible to have statistics about how many people really use a skin, because the people are lazy to reply, you know...

any way, we are not leaving in a perfect word....yet
Reply #4 from WinCustomize Forums Top
imposible = impossible , sorry J
Reply #5 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I ALWAYS comment if I download something. If someone walked up to you in the street and gave you something really nice for free, you would at least say thank you, so why can't people do the same here? I know how you feel Nikos, I too have very few comments on pieces with thousands of downloads, and many of those comments are from YOU! Thanks.
Reply #6 from WinCustomize Forums Top
This may not be impossible with the SkinCast that's coming along. Stardock already has a rough idea of how many users use each skin via the "Internet Integration" feature (yes, WB has spyware! )
Reply #7 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Yes, it's possible, the following stats is based on the actual use, not on the downloads: http://services.stardock.com/wb/stats.asp
Reply #8 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Welcome, Bryan, your works are deserving good comments.


Hey paxx, how do the authors are submiting their logo, in this link of statistics ?
and did you find out anything about the toolbar?
Reply #9 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I know that I don't comment enough! I am not proficient in skinning but have used "skinned" products for quite some time. I was hooked when I first saw Winamp and then it was beatnik, windowblinds, nextstart, etc. I've probably tried most skinnable apps. I use windowblinds more than any other and will make more of an effort to post comments. Thanks for letting me know that the comments mean something.
Reply #10 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Adni, on the upload page here, there is a place to upload also an auhor logo with your skin.
Reply #11 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I've pretty much given up on using downloads or comments to determine what anyone likes. And the skin ratings ... that's even more useless. I can't recall who suggested this to me, but I thought it was good advice -- just skin what YOU like.

At this point (and all along, when I think about it), I'm just skinning for myself because I like doing it, and uploading just in case someone else gets some enjoyment out of my work. If not, then I'm not disappointed.
Reply #12 from WinCustomize Forums Top
It is the best way, Glen Eric Reed !
Reply #13 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Fuel is by far your best one yet. I really like the style of it. I left some suggestions for the latest ones. I hope I was not too hard.

The biggest complaint I have is you need to create your own backgrounds for midi, explorer and dialog windows instead of using the default. The best/worst advice I recieved was from Alexandrie when I asked if I could borrow some buttons; "Make all your own bitmaps for everything, it is alot more work but you will get more satisfaction from it."

I would work also on the positioning of things. It is a pain in the ass to do (tweak, reload, repeat... over and over and over.....> ) but I think it makes a differance.

Your skins are getting better with each one. Keep at it.
Reply #14 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Thanks for the comments griffin...pretty much exactly what I was looking for. I hadn't thought about the background bmp's because I never use them. I thought that if I did not define any in the UIS then it would just use the solid colors that I did define in the UIS. What are you referring to when you talk about "positioning of things" though?
Reply #15 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I noticed in plastique that the title bar buttons weren't centered. It is off just enough to notice. If they are centered then it is an optical illusion that you should compensate for. Also the arrow for the systray is on the line when is shrunk when it is expanded it is off to the side.

In Fuel the "log off" and "turn off computer" are almost at the top of the bar. In some of the older versions of SS the attributes for content in the bottom bar in the xp section are missing. You might need to add them by hand with a text editor. Sometimes things will look right in SS but turn out a little differant in the real world.
Reply #16 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Griffin...can I send you the file for a skin I'm working on? Haven't done much with the XP stuff yet, mostly just the windows/buttons. I'd like to get it right before I move on to the rest of it.
Reply #17 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I sent further info via email to the address you listed in your account.
Reply #18 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Thanks mark