Frogboy Frogboy

WinCustomize 2014 thread

WinCustomize 2014 thread

It is time...

As much as many of us like the existing WinCustomize design, technology marches on and there's a lot more we can do with WinCustomize today than we could when we did the last design.

I'm starting this thread to begin the brain storming phase of what you guys would like to see in the next-generation version of WinCustomize.com.

This can include:

1. HOW items (like skins) are organized.

2. WHAT kinds of items we include (should we add support for mobile devices for instance)

3. WHAT kinds of design elements and features would you like to see.

Plus anything else you'd like to add.

Let it begin. :)

65,346 views 74 replies
Reply #26 Top

One thing I would like to see is that when you upload and no moderation is required, that the item appears instantly wherever it needs to show up. Same with when one makes a forum post, it is there instantly.

Oh, and key site links and activities need to have links not only at the top of a page, but also at the bottom so you don't have to keep scrolling to the top of the page every time you need to use a link. This should be on the main site and in the forums.

Reply #27 Top

Fix this for IE10 on Windows8?

 

WC is the only site I have trouble with using IE10.

 

Reply #28 Top

You need to start a developer community with a reliable means for developers to get paid for more advanced submissions.

 

Wincustomize needs to up its game and that takes blood and sweat. Let people get paid for it and they will come.

 

At the moment the community still shuns paid submissions somewhat.

 

c.f. Apple app store  in iTunes.

Reply #29 Top

Yes. Legacy by far.  DeviantArt's section suffers the same problem too with so many 2004-2006 themes and all.  I would like to see them split up between each version of Windows, myself, while still letting a theme exist in 2 categories if they support both.

It's so hard to really put art into categories, though.  Maybe make fanboy categories for like movies/games/etc. which would help filter some of it.  Maybe something like a more professional category for work computers, and probably dark and light categories are really the only thing I can imagine splitting them up by without having people miss out on themes they might like by making too many categories.  I think once the themes are split up between Windows and WB version compatibility, we may not even need any other specific categories since older ones make up the bulk.

 

OH, and can you please add a column to people's profile contents saying what the item listed is for?  I mean you generally can't tell a wallpaper from a theme unless you click on it and some people have some long lists.

That's it for me.

Reply #30 Top

Was just wondering if there were any screenshots available that someone just might want to give the community a peek at.   :-"

Reply #31 Top

Quoting Philly0381, reply 30

Was just wondering if there were any screenshots available that someone just might want to give the community a peek at.  
End of Philly0381's quote

I wistle along with you curious about it  :-"

Reply #32 Top

Quoting Philly0381, reply 30
Was just wondering if there were any screenshots available that someone just might want to give the community a peek at.  

End of Philly0381's quote

There's nothing to see right now, the point of this thread was for suggestions and ideas.

 

Reply #33 Top

A single login for all features would be nice. It is weird seeing multiple logins on a page for different sub-sites. Newbies (and people who visit infrequently who haven't memorized the quirks) will login to their account and then wonder why the forums still don't work - "Oh, there is another login form further down the page!"

Most of all (and I have never really understood why this absolutely critical feature is missing):

  • The ability to identify (and search for) which WindowBlinds skins are for which version(s) of Windows and which DeskScapes themes require MPEG2 support and which don't.

The days of having to waste hours and bandwidth downloading a ton of promising stuff, only to try it out and find it doesn't work, should have been over a long time ago.

I would add fields for this critical information that are mandatory and not allow skins/themes to be posted until the artist states which configurations they have designed and tested for. Currently posted skins/themes should be flagged and the artist pinged until these fields are completed. This would go a long way to addressing the chronic shortage of skins for 8, as people will no longer be able to coast along pretending their XP-only skin cuts it.

I realise the downside is that the apparent number of skins available will no longer be grossly exaggerated (the claim of 100's or 1000's is empty if almost none of them work for you), but it is a pain worth bearing in the long run.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reply #34 Top

Bear in mind that Flickr and Tumblr with their continuously scrolling pages make it almost impossible to access older material (you have to scroll through endless screens, down, down, down) and the browser often crashes before you get there because it has had enough. They always return you to the top when bookmarked or hit the back button (so you have to scroll through endless screens all over again). And, Tumblr makes the mistake of animating the thumbnails for video, which compounds these problems 100-fold. There is something so wrong with having to download hundreds of images/videos you don't want (and wait for them all to come in) while looking for something specific.

The layout you link to is very nice, but paging is far better than continuous scrolling in terms of usability. These days, too many websites are being "fancy" with no regard for "usability".

Reply #35 Top

Quoting DaveBax, reply 7

I believe it's time for full size screen pages. For example only, lets say one wants to explore WindowBlind skins. Imagine being able to see each row having 5 showing instead of 3. Same with the other categories.

I love it here so don't take anything the wrong way. Looking at the page sizes here, is like watching an old movie not made to fit the current televisions screens and you have to watch with borders around it.
End of DaveBax's quote

 

But make sure it works for browsers that are not maximised and only occupy part of the screen alongside other windows. I can't stress this enough. Having to scroll sideways is painful. Sites that assume full-screen are a royal pain (and they are usually not easy to read full-screen either - the eye can only take in so many words per line of text).

Oh, and as can be seen for the lack of context of my reply to Island Dog, the Reply button should create a post that is threaded to the one it is replying to. If you need to click Quote to "thread" replies, then the Reply button should do this and the Quote button be dropped. A Reply button that does not "Reply" to the post it is displayed on is misleading and not a lot of use.

 

Reply #36 Top

Reply #37 Top

I agree, Tim.

Reply #38 Top

To go along with 2of3's comments, the Most Popular option for listing the skins is not working properly. 

Nice to see you here Tim.  :sun:

Reply #39 Top

I would like to see the sit be more mobile friendly.

 

When visiting WC on my phone, the login popup shows up off screen and is a booger to get on screen, it's too big, and way off screen.

 

Not as bad on my 10 " tablet, but still a pain.

Reply #40 Top

Having the option to change the color would be nice.

Reply #41 Top

If you're going to revamp the site, I'd like to see the personal home pages brought back. While some of them still work, there is no links to get to them.

Reply #42 Top

Quoting CarGuy1, reply 41

If you're going to revamp the site, I'd like to see the personal home pages brought back. While some of them still work, there is no links to get to them.
End of CarGuy1's quote

5*

Reply #44 Top

Quoting Ralph124C41, reply 33
The ability to identify (and search for) which WindowBlinds skins are for which version(s) of Windows and which DeskScapes themes require MPEG2 support and which don't.
End of Ralph124C41's quote

That being said, this IS the

WinCustomize 2014 thread

  not the Stardock forums thread.  there are some major differences, not the least of which is the fact that many of us continue to support WinCustomise by way of subscription.

that said....BRING BACK OUR GUESTBOOK............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Reply #45 Top

Quoting Ralph124C41, reply 35
make sure it works for browsers that are not maximised and only occupy part of the screen alongside other windows. I can't stress this enough. Having to scroll sideways is painful
End of Ralph124C41's quote
:waaaa: :waaaa: :waaaa: :waaaa: :waaaa: :waaaa: :waaaa: :waaaa: :waaaa: :waaaa: :waaaa: :waaaa:

Dammmmmn Ralph, any other hoops you need them to jump though?

 (not that you don't have some valid suggestions, but this thread deals with ONE subscriber site)

Reply #46 Top

Quoting Jafo, reply 8
it'd be nice if 'we put up with it' could be reworked into 'heck, it's working right!!!'
End of Jafo's quote
as always,                     Jafo put it best.

Reply #47 Top

Was just wondering if there was any progress update that we might be able to take a peek at?   :-"

Reply #48 Top

Quoting Philly0381, reply 47
Was just wondering if there was any progress update that we might be able to take a peek at?  

End of Philly0381's quote

 

Quoting Island, reply 32
There's nothing to see right now, the point of this thread was for suggestions and ideas.

End of Island's quote

Reply #49 Top

I know one change coming up is the Master Skin royalty rate is about to go to 70% for skin authors, 30% for WC.

Reply #50 Top

Quoting Frogboy, reply 49

I know one change coming up is the Master Skin royalty rate is about to go to 70% for skin authors, 30% for WC.
End of Frogboy's quote
5* 5* 5* :thumbsup: