From technology to politics to video games; these are the random thoughts of a geek with too much time on his hands
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Published on April 30, 2007 By Zoomba In WinCustomize News

Summary of last week's poll is going to be short since this week's has a long explanation.  I asked what sort of news you most enjoy seeing on the WinCustomize every day.  The goal was to find what everyone enjoys the most and try to deliver more of that, making the site a more worthwhile destination during your daily travels. What sort of news would you like to see on WinCustomize
General Tech News 49.47%
Internet News 12.63%
Company-Specific News 7.37%
Weird News 24.21%
Other 6.32%

On to this week's poll....

WinCustomize is a big site that is, in large part, supported by user subscriptions.  Now, to a lot of people the entire idea of paying a website for some sort of exclusive content or improved service is a bit of a foreign idea, but it's what allows us to provide the services we do without bombarding users with a ton of ads, pop-ups, pop-unders and other extremely annoying methods of advertising.  Many of you here have supported us for years, through times both good and bad, and to you, we are extremely grateful.  But at the same time, we have millions of visitors every year, many of whom come back over and over, who for one reason or another, don't want to subscribe.

So this week's poll is an attempt to find out what it is that would make a $19.95 annual subscription to the site a no-brainer value to users.  WinCustomize 2008 is undergoing a very significant visual redesign, and as we work through the early stages, we are looking at pages and wondering how we can make the subscriber experience better, cooler, and more inviting to users who spend a lot of time on the site.  However, we want to be sure we're putting our resources towards something that will be worthwhile to our users, and hopefully encourage more people to subscribe.

So, assuming you're not already a subscriber, what features would make that $20 purchase easier?  And if you're already a subscriber, what would keep you renewing if we added it?  Or maybe what could we add that would make you suggest subscribing to friends who might visit the site?  We want to keep making the user experience better (which we have made great strides towards with the new site and better performance)

Poll options are:

  • Exclusive Website Features (i.e. RSS feeds, enhanced personal pages, customizable page layouts etc.)
  • Exclusive Website Content (i.e. subscriber-first tutorials, product previews, articles etc.)
  • More Subscriber Skins (such as WC Select, RIP, Kryptonite and XP Augustus)
  • Other (Please specify in comments)

Comments (Page 2)
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on Apr 30, 2007
I would really like the customization of the site, with more searching and sorting ability. What we have now is ok, but the bit where you can limit the skins displayed to ratings doesnt work, for me anyway, and there are so many skins and bandwidth is at a premium, then i would really like more sort and display options.
on Apr 30, 2007
More subscriber skins.  I would like to add one tiny observation - we have to log in to vote. I'm not sure if this poll will target the group of people you are interested in. Unless it's registered users who haven't subscribed? Anyway, as I said I like skins.
on Apr 30, 2007
What do you really get for $20?
At least porn sites give you streaming video and high res pics. WinCustomize does have the high res pics but not streaming video! ...add video

Seriously, why $20 and not $10? Try that new retail software in the news last week to determine the right price. Maybe you are asking too much?

on Apr 30, 2007
Seriously, why $20 and not $10?


It is $20 for first year of sub. renewals are $20 for 2 years.
on Apr 30, 2007
Maybe you are asking too much?

There is a thin line where if you charge too little people thing that it has even less value.  If $10, and $10 is so little, why not free you greedy, capitalist pigs?

I think the price point is fine and the services are fine.  I will always be willing to kick in a few bucks to make sure the site knows I care and kick in for a super-tiny percentage of bandwidth and dev time.
on Apr 30, 2007
here goes...

More tutorials...many, many, more...from the Masters and people that WC holds in high regard

A Gallery for Works In Progress

Still...a separate gallery for fan art, 'non-skinner' work, re-posts/ports of other people's work

some wallpaper contests..themed/off the wall.. to encourage some more unusual content (and you could do this with other area's )

just my two cents for what it's worth..and you did ask

on Apr 30, 2007
I have been a subscriber for a couple of years and intend to subscribe every year. Mostly I just download stuff, but I but since I'm here every day I figure I should support the site.
on Apr 30, 2007
More tutorials...many, many, more...from the Masters and people that WC holds in high regard


One the one hand I agree. On the other... after all the time they spend creating, wouldn't it kinda be asking too much to have them write it up too?

But I would like to see 2 simple versions of creating a WB step by step using the test skin and a free, easy to use, downloadable graphics program (or maybe regular paint) (since not everybody has PS or PSP or etc).

I say 2 versions because there seems to be 2 ways. One is graphic by graphic, the other is design the whole thing and cut out the pieces.

Not looking for fancy animations, transparencies and such.. just a simple: here's the test skin, now follow me...

A Gallery for Works In Progress


That would be nice.


on Apr 30, 2007
Free Beer isn't on the list..   
on Apr 30, 2007
I paid Stardock for a blog navigator which turned out to be a waste for a few reasons. Wincustomize is nothing more then a fun site, not worth paying for because I am already an annual subscriber to OD. Charging for Wincustomize in conjunction with OD - would make me have to re-consider my OD subscriptions overall value and cost; and I suspect many others would as well.
A piece of advice - trying to turn this into a subscription site would be very costly. I know a few others sites that got greedy and lost so much they couldn't get it back; don't get greedy...



on Apr 30, 2007

I am a subscriber, but may not renew, sometimes days pass before there is anything to download, especially "windowblinds"


I don't want to sound like I'm flaming you Bill Allen, but you haven't uploaded anything so I'd say you don't have any idea on what it takes to make some of these skins. Especially a WindowBlind. And your comment solidifies that.




I know exactly what it takes to make a skin, "brains" and the know how, just do not have the know how. Do appreciate the time & effort others put into the skins, but I can remember a few years ago, it seemed there where new skins almost everyday, this is not true today, the point was trying to make was: "there are not as many skins uploaded today as there has been in the past." Example: "Beatnik, Rainlendar, Winamp, & WinMedia" sometimes goes for days without a upload. One can go to "winamp.com" they do not have as many skins uploaded today as in the past. I did not mean to offend anyone, if I have, I apologise.

They asked a ???, and gave them my honest answer.
on Apr 30, 2007
Do appreciate the time & effort others put into the skins, but I can remember a few years ago, it seemed there where new skins almost everyday, this is not true today,


A LOT more goes into making skins today. When you consider some of the first windowblinds didn't even have the taskbar skinned, well...

Now you have animations and versions (wb4, wb5, vista...)

Same for Winamp and a lot of others.

Then there is the the struggle for 'original' content and idea's...so much has already been done.

With the exception of noobs (and not all of the noobs, btw) I think there is more thought put into the quality because so much CAN be done...and noob's like me will learn and adapt as we go along.
on Apr 30, 2007
blast that didnt work, no matter, free beer would be good lol a free a liver with lifetime upgrades to go with it would be even better
on May 01, 2007
I paid Stardock for a blog navigator which turned out to be a waste for a few reasons. Wincustomize is nothing more then a fun site, not worth paying for because I am already an annual subscriber to OD. Charging for Wincustomize in conjunction with OD - would make me have to re-consider my OD subscriptions overall value and cost; and I suspect many others would as well.
A piece of advice - trying to turn this into a subscription site would be very costly. I know a few others sites that got greedy and lost so much they couldn't get it back; don't get greedy...


Objectdesktop subs are for continuing development of OD,WC subs goes to supporting the running of the site and is only $10.00 if you're already a OD subscriber
on May 01, 2007
Objectdesktop subs are for continuing development of OD,WC subs goes to supporting the running of the site and is only $10.00 if you're already a OD subscriber


I've never seen any info about that kind of discount. I'm a 2 year ODNT subscriber and it was $20 for the WC sub.
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