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Features for WinCustomize V4 Suggestion Thread

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Features for WinCustomize V4 Suggestion Thread

from WinCustomize Forums

We're getting close to starting on re-creating WinCustomize.

Here are some basic features we want:

Users will have their own domain: User.WinCustomize.com

Their account will include things like their skin gallery, recommended skins, posts they've participated in, Skinner Groups, etc.

The main site itself will be streamlined in one way but expanded in another. Streamined in that there will only be two columns instead of 3 and less "Stuff" on the main page.  Expanded in that there will be multiple page modes. For instance, the top authors and skins will be on the "Most Popular" tab and have vastly more information and details on the top skinners and top submissions so that more people get highlighted and the most popular authors get more kudos.

Speaking of kudos, whenever someone posts or responds or is present in any way, the various awards they've won on the site and other distinctions will show up. So if you have  a featured skin, you'll get a little 16x16 medal for that. Get the most popular skin for the day, same thing, reach a certain milestone in downloads get another and so forth.

People who help others will be able to be highlighted more by admins by getting special tags by them showing that this is a "super user". This is a step beyond the regular access levels we already have.

The forums will be vastly expanded and yet kept very simple. It will function much like the JoeUser forum here. It won't LOOK like that at all. The functionality is key though as it will be different than other sites. Each higher level is a superset of the content of the more specific levels. For example, the "General" forum will have the newest articles listed from all the sub-forums. As you click on sub-forums, the topics get more specific. So if you JUST want to talk about wallpapers, no problem, you can go to the wallpaper forum. But those popular topics will also show up in their parent forums and so on.  This is the opposite of the way most forums work on most forums, sub-forums are largely useless and empty because what you post there is read by few people.

The whole site will be recoded in ASP.NET and be vastly faster than what we have today.

There will be a lot more admin and moderator tools to police. Right now we're kind of stuck with having to kick someone out entirely  with no in-between ways of warning people.

One of the tabs will be dedicated towards the software used to customize the desktop.

One of the tabs will be dedicated towards tutorials on creating stuff for the different sections.

The purchasing of premium skins and themes and suites will be much more integrated into the site and top authors will have a streamlined way of being able to offer the occasional premium skin.  But to be able to qualify for submitting premium (i.e. non free) content you have to have already contributed a lot of free content (i.e. we don't want skinning to end up a paid thing but we want authors to have a way of being able to justify their rather time consuming hobby and be able to afford new hardware and software).

WC subscribers will have a host of special features only available to them such as on-site blogging, integration into JoeUser.com onto their site, skin recommendations, and other goodies. One goody of interest is that articles on skinning, a kind of "live magazine" will be able to be done. Subscribers will be able to submit the the live WC Magazine (one of the tabs) so that others can read thoughts on skinning. Admins will still be able to moderate this to determine whether a given article is "featured" on WC Mag live as opposed to listed.

The rating system will be totally overhauled. Instead, ratings will be weighted by access level. The higher your access, the more weight your rating caries. It will be on a star system also (1 through 5 stars) instead of a point system since more people are familiar with that. Existing ratings will be modified to fit this (we track who rates what so the weighting system can be retroactively applied).

The most popular page, btw, will be tracking skins based on most popular for the MONTH, WEEK, as well as day. The Weekly most popular will be the one most highlighted instead of the daily one.

So those are some of our ideas.  Are there any features not mentioned here that you would like to see?

47,276 views 152 replies
Reply #101 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I also like the three column layout...but tabbed for the right hand column could work also. Cant wait to see it.
Reply #102 from WinCustomize Forums Top
How about a place for "works in progress"? A place where we could get feedback on an idea, or get people to beta test new skins?
Multiplicity - Control multiple PCs using one keyboard and mouse
Reply #103 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Ok one more.. how about an email notification (if we want one) when someone posts a comment on one of our submissions?
Reply #105 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I don't know if this has already been suggested, but a chatbox in a side column, like you see in some forums [example: skinartistry.com].
Reply #106 from WinCustomize Forums Top
oooh... yes more themes...
and, would it be possible to create your own themes?
(link to local files the user creates and modifies at their own will - just images or maybe a bit of xml for configuration?)

that would be seriously cool & it would reduce the loading times for those who have this feature set up
...and then you''ll have a whole new section - site skins!
[Message Edited]
Reply #107 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I looked, but sorry it this has already been asked, any e.t.a. date set for any of the planned changes? I'm giddy in anticipation?



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Reply #108 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Yes...that is the biggest question I have. WHEN?
Reply #109 from WinCustomize Forums Top
This really good to hear...but when it will be implemented????
[Message Edited]
Reply #110 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I have some suggestion too:

1. there should be a "Thank You" Button

2. Users may have the choice to choose their logo / display pic

3. A Beta Testing Place, where only WIP should be added for suggestions and tips

4. A Help Centre, where peaople having problems can call for and get helped

[Message Edited]
Reply #111 from WinCustomize Forums Top
4. A Help Centre, where peaople having problems can call for and get helped


What a job that would be! Don't give anyone my phone No whatever you do...
Reply #112 from WinCustomize Forums Top
/me grabs his shotgun and proceeds to blow Fuzzy's phone to smithereens. "There ya go Problem solved"

/me wonders if Fuzzy wants to borrow his little friend for his other problem? Be a little messy though
Reply #113 from WinCustomize Forums Top
It's an option...
Reply #114 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Hmmmmmmmmmm. Well, I like the site just the way it is. I don't like all this changing of stuff. I like it the way it is now and I don't want to learn a whole bunch of new stuff. There. >
Reply #118 from WinCustomize Forums Top
ummm... what about the ability to sell you own skins? Only if you are a WinCustomize browser user and if you have contributedd somewhere in the range of 10 skins.

????

Can't think of anything else.
Reply #119 from WinCustomize Forums Top
#110 by Sir Black Xero - 6/6/2004 7:54:34 AM I have some suggestion too:1. there should be a "Thank You" Button


Agreed!

There also should be, as others have said, to have a section for works in progress. It can be shown on the skinners user page by default and, if the user wants to, check that is be shown on the skin in progress section.



I would also like to see a check box where other people can update skins. so if I make a skin and some one else wants to update it later on, the already have the permission (as long as they follow certain rules)
Reply #120 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I would also like to see a check box where other people can update skins. so if I make a skin and some one else wants to update it later on, the already have the permission (as long as they follow certain rules)


Good idea! I think that would be handy to have.
Reply #121 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I would like a feature that lets me skin the virus emails I receive with the account I used for WinCustomize.

farkusmarkus,
glad he didn't use his personal account
Reply #122 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I think we're close to getting v4! I just saw T-man testing somethin in the wallpaper section.
Reply #123 from WinCustomize Forums Top
can we have Wincustomize e-mail accounts (Latin4567 @ Wincustomize.com) (just subscribers) ?
How about the abilty to upload your own site skins?
I already have a website (Latin4567skinz.tk) can I associate my new Latin4567.Wincustomize.com with Latin4567skinz.tk?
[Message Edited]
Reply #124 from WinCustomize Forums Top
virus emails


knock on something made of wood....I haven't gotten any of those and my email's been in my profile for quite some time
Reply #125 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I've really thought about this.

I'd ditch the current skinning format for WinCustomize and use more of the Theme Designer that http://my.atlasf1.com uses. That gives me more color scheme customizations that I can use to match my desktop de jour..