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FAQ: Why can't I download any more stuff?

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FAQ: Why can't I download any more stuff?

from WinCustomize Forums

Problem: After having downloaded 50 megabytes or more of skins, themes, icons, or wallpapers I am unable to download any more without having to purchase a subscription. What gives?

Discussion:

As of May 2004, WinCustomize.com uses approximately 27,000 GIGABYTES (not bits) of bandwidth each month. The cost of this bandwidth, as you can imagine, is quite significant.  In addition, while the site runs on a day to day basis thanks to a small but dedicated group of volunteer moderators and administrators, it still requires consider IT resources which are not free along with occasional hardware upgrades (a typical server might cost $10,000).

At the end of the day, someone has to pay for this.  You are not paying for skins and themes, you are simply helping pay for the bandwidth costs that you have used. The ISP that provides WinCustomize the bandwidth that has to be paid for each month doesn't care what is being downloaded. They don't care whether it's skins, themes, music, documentation, videos, whatever. Bandwidth is bandwidth and it has to be paid for. Thousands and thousands of dollars each month.

Once a user has downloaded 50 megabytes of skins and themes (and in actuality used considerably more than that in the form of previews and library browsing) they are asked to contribute *something* to the site.

One can contribute to WinCustomize in one of 4 ways:

(1) They can being creating skins and themes and icon packages and submitting them. That is, contribute to the library that they themselves have used.  Users with Apprentice access or higher are immune to the bandwidth caps.

(2) They can help their fellow users on the message forums. Answer questions, give them a hand or tips. This is another path to gaining higher access.

(3) They can purchase one of Stardock's programs (CursorXP, WindowBlinds, DesktopX, Object Desktop, IconPackager, etc.).  Since Stardock is the one who ultimately pays the bandwidth bill, they have agreed to pay for the bandwidth used by Stardock customers.

(4) They can purchase a WinCustomize account which is $19.95 and not only gives them unlimited bandwidth useages but access to premium suites, access to the WinCustomize skin browser (an extremely cool program), the WinCustomize system tray add-on, and more.

We hope that you will join our community and help it continue to grow and thrive. It is only because of those who contribute back to the site that it is able to exist today.

49,092 views 155 replies
Reply #27 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I have added a link to wincustomize on my website I would like to know if it is ok to do that and maybe bring in more business to help support and if I can add a link to my website on here.
TouchTasks - Access tasks with ease on Windows touchscreens.
Reply #29 from WinCustomize Forums Top
bertman12....WinCustomize is a community of skinners and skin users, not really a business. A link to it may increase traffic, but it's the community and the content that generate the "business". Since WinCustomize costs are in part supported by Stardock, purchasing Stardock products and/or a Wincustomize Subscription help support this site. Another avenue of support would be to become a Stardock affiliate https://www.stardock.com/affiliates.asp

Scatoligist....I don't know how one would do that, other than accepting that the average human being...99% of us has morals and values and would not resort to such tactics to steal from the bandwidth that the WC subscribers pay for.
Reply #30 from WinCustomize Forums Top
slightly off topic but I think still relevant to this...

I think that people that submit skins should be able to download their own work reguardless of whether they have reached their limit or not... as some people don't have the disk space to keep all their works... so they may wish to update it but have deleted it so would need to download their skin again but can't due to restrictions... Just a suggestion... I can't see that I'd be keeping all of the skins I made if I had as many as some of the top skinners
Reply #32 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Kryss....hosting your skins for you is a service. It is not pre-ordained to be a free service.....call it a 'privilege', not a 'right'.

If you want to keep your skins, files, walls, whatever securely then put them on a disc or CD.  Do not rely on a third party....not without entering a responsible, formal contract for such...

Reply #33 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I never said that it was... I was thinking of those who don't have cd writers or large hard drives as we do not all have money to spend on these things... I was not speaking for me personally... just thought it might be nice for others...
Reply #34 from WinCustomize Forums Top
PS sorry if that sounded rude... wasn't meant to... reading it back it may of come across that way... >
Reply #35 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Kryss... anyone that uploads a lot of quality work, will be promoted, and won't have to worry about the cap.



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Reply #36 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Kryss....not a problem.....I'm just more concerned for people who may try to rely on storage or backup systems or methods which may not be genuinely reliable or permanent....

Storage of personal/valuable data or artwork, etc 'should' be seen as of paramount importance to the individual.

Nothing in this computer world of ours is more important than the protection/retention of our works.  Anyone who has suffered a harddrive crash or similar will know exactly what I mean.

Storing work online is nothing more than one alternative backup source and should NEVER be relied upon as the 'only' one....

Reply #37 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Well you folks who have been using this page for a while think 50 meg's is enough for people to decide to contribute in some way. Well it's not. I was just trying it out and just getting into it and BAM! No more downloading. I think the limit needs to be increased. This coming from someone who is new to desktop customizing, just trying out Stardock product's and hit within an hour to cough up some dough. It was irritating to say the least.
> I don't even know if this stuff work's correctly yet or will cuase problems with my system.
Reply #38 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Samduhman....you can still tryout Stardock's products without downloading skins from this site There are other skinning sites out there as well. The idea behind the 50megs is for you to decide if this site, WC, has content you would want to continue to download and use. Check out the other sites, I think you'll find that WC has the largest collection of skins available at one site
Reply #39 from WinCustomize Forums Top
One hour?! Holy cow...it too me 3 months!
Reply #40 from WinCustomize Forums Top
One hour?! Holy cow...it too me 3 months!


It took me almost a year!!
Reply #41 from WinCustomize Forums Top
This thread seems stuck...
Reply #42 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I think that other dude shoulda looked in here first....why is it that they never read first?
Reply #43 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Funny how it seems to take more than 50 megs for someone, anyone to decide if they want to help out by purchasing a subscription to WC or SD, it took me one (1) skin and I was hooked. No wait, it wasn't even one skin, all it took was one visit to WinCustomize. It didn't take rocket science to see what the choices were. Hmmm...lets see...a choice between 1 crappy or 1 Kinda ok looking theme or having to decide between 1000's. Wow, I guess I'll have to think about that...NOT!
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Reply #44 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I had purchased ODNT a little over a year and a half ago and joined WC, because when I built this computer, my be all, end all, best processor/mb/memory combo I could get, WinXP kept crashing and crashing and crashing, so, though the motherboard didn't support Win9x, I held it at gun point and made it happen, then I upgraded it to WinME. In my bizarro world WinME was rock solid, but I really wanted the XP look and that's why I bought ODNT. After about 3 months or so, I purchased new harddrives and tried XP again, things went fine this time and I filed the ODNT disc away as another $50 purchase of a program that I'd never use again. Last winter, being out of work from back surgery, I rediscovered ODNT and WC and finally saw the light and got hooked on the skins here, bought a WC subscription and renewed my ODNT subscription and have been happily hooked ever since

One thing though, ever since I started building skins, my desktop has looked worse than ever. Seems I am always running a half-finished mutt I'm working on
Reply #45 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I'll post my two cents, to keep this topic active... it's worth it.

As for the $20? It's nothing, when you stop to think about it. If you're interested in downloading skins/objects/etc, then $10 per year is really quite nominal. If you're the type of person that finds a desktop setup, and sticks with it... you might be better of with just a few skins. For someone like myself, that changes their desktop's appearence frequently, having unlimited access to all the content is a must. Granted, I've kind of "settled" into one for right now, but it will change within a week or so... it always does.

Honestly, $20 for 2 years is very modest. I'm pretty new to this stuff, and having access to so much content is fantastic. It let's me spice up my boring Windows environment, while I'm still learning to create my own content. (I was actually using Linux more than Windows lately, with Windows being pretty much just my "gaming OS"... WB/DX has me using Windows much more again.) Now that I have ODNT and WC subs, I can see why this is such a huge community, and continues to grow.

For those that feel $20 is too much, I'm really sorry that you feel that way. However, bandwidth isn't free, nor is it even cheap. 27,000GB is some bigtime cash... research how much it would cost you to host a website, and how much monthly through-put you would get with it... you'll quickly see that the money they are asking for is really nothing at all.
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Reply #47 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Well I must say paying $20 for access to the quality here is more than fair.
I have only just bought a membership and I am very pleased I did because the browser software is very good.
Saying that I did use up the 50 meg allowance first, after that I was hooked

Just one thing While trying out the free 50meg I was Level 2, what Level am I now because I dont know where to find that on the site?
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Reply #48 from WinCustomize Forums Top

I'm trying to figure out how someone can say 50 MEGAbytes isn't enough to decide something.  That's a lot of skins, themes, icons, walls, etc.

The other thing is, people don't even have to purchase a WinCustomize subscrioption. There are so many other ways, some of which are free, to contribute to the community.

Reply #49 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Devo...click on your name to view your profile