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Grade WinCustomize
Published on June 25, 2007 By Zoomba In WinCustomize News

It's time again for a new WinCustomize poll.  But before we launch into the new poll for the week, let's take a gander at last week's results.

Last week, I asked how often you changed your desktop skin, providing a range of options from constantly to never.  We saw a fairly decent turn-out on the poll, here are the results:

How often do you change your desktop skin?
Several times a day! 3%
Once every day or two 24.89%
About once a week 30.9%
Once a month 21.03%
Every few months 15.45%
I don't remember the last time I changed skins 4.27%

Based on the results, most people here go through at least once skin change a month, with only a small percentage either changing their skins constantly or never.  The sweet-spot seems to be once every week or two.  But a good question remains of why they only change when they do.  Is it because of a lack of perceived quality?  A lack in volume?  Or is it simply because that's as often as people feel the need to make a change.  I don't know exactly, but if you'd like, please share your reasons in the comments below.

Now it's time for this weeks question: How Have We Been Doing?

WinCustomize 2007 went live just over 5 months ago, and we've seen some significant improvements in speed, stability and functionality.  However, the technical aspect of the site is only one aspect.  On the other side of the coin we have site content (news, polls, articles, contests) forum & skin moderation, and administrator & moderator interaction via forums/email.  Since the launch of the new site, all of these have been top priorities for us as we work very hard to make the site both more welcoming, and more useful/interesting to users both new and old.  What I'd like to know now is how you think we're doing, overall, in running this site.

The poll this week is the typical grading scale, from A to F (no plusses or minuses).  So give us some feedback on how we've done this half of the year.  Take all factors into consideration and don't judge based on just one aspect.  If you have specific comments on improvements, please leave them in the comments.


Comments (Page 3)
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on Jun 26, 2007
Jafo : You should really bold that. Even a dumb German like me understood what this thread is about...

As for the site, I still miss site skins for subscribers and the rate button ist still in the way of the download button. Other than that I am here all the time, so...
on Jun 26, 2007
I think it's doing good. Nice to see site feature popping here and there. Very good that's there's regular news.
But I'd still like like all links to be non-javascript so I can perform rightclick actions on them and for instance open them in a new tab.
on Jun 26, 2007
But I'd still like like all links to be non-javascript so I can perform rightclick actions on them and for instance open them in a new tab.


I can do that no problem, for example clicking on a user name here in this thread and then right click > open in new tab to view their profile or whatever.

The slowness when trying to access forum threads or post a reply or anything else is still really annoying.
on Jun 26, 2007
The slowness when trying to access forum threads or post a reply or anything else is still really annoying.

agreed..

Otherwise I don't have any major complaints, I think the site as a whole is very well done.

As far as changing skins, rarely, mine is always a work in progress and Im not much of a customizer    
on Jun 26, 2007
A+ for everything, except a D+ for layout...only because going thru EVERY page to get to a specific page # is a REAL pain in the * I change skins daily, ....Bore easily...am a visual person, and WC is my personal art gallery. Besides, w/o out you guys, I'd have to give up chocolate.  
on Jun 26, 2007

Jafo : You should really bold that.

Sounds like a plan, Carl ....

on Jun 26, 2007
D+ for layout...only because going thru EVERY page to get to a specific page # is a REAL pain in the *

Go to the second page of any gallery and look in the address bar of your browser. You will see 'p=2' at the end of the address. Thats the page you are on, just change it to any page you want to visit and hit go.   

on Jun 26, 2007

A for website staff (admins,mods and everyone else)
B+ for wincustomize users/members (for the most part this is an A as the majority of the user group on this site is top notch but there are few members on this site that bring the grade down a bit, I won't be mentioning names)
A for skinning content
B for website layout (I like the new site design, some areas could be tweaked a bit further but for the most part it's really good)

- Overall this is a great site, I'm definitely hooked, I check several times daily for the latest & greatest in the forums and checking out the skinning categories to see what's new, reading comments, participating in discussions, uploading content, learning new skills, etc. It's definitely my favorite website on the planet!!!   

- I would like to see more free & premium wb skin content from users (from new & experienced users & masters ). The wb section in particular seems to be lagging a little bit lately (11 wb skins in June) - possibly an injection of skinning content from some masters that still frequent the site but don't upload regular content might spark things up a bit.

on Jun 26, 2007
well i answered the part I cared about, but since people seem to want a bulleted list with all points answered....

C+ overall.

why? the site is generally slow to get going. once I'm in a category its quick enough, such as viewing windowblinds, but waiting for the page to start accessing initially takes awhile. this is true for the forums, news posts, and comments as well... there are frequently long delays. i honestly don't care, i'm not in a huge rush, but i do have broadband, don't have issues with other sites, I am a subscriber, and you wanted the grade

other reasons for the C+, well it goes back to my initial post. I simply don't use the site as much as I used to. maybe when the sidebar gets skinned and desktop x can output to sidebar widgets some more of the xp VS skinners will start getting creative with WB and we'll see some skins and suites created for/ported to again. as it stands, most of the released skins just aren't to my tastes and I am quite happy with the default aero and the color options. even skins created for vista which i consider well done, just not to my tastes are few and far between. i assume its install base, but there you have it.

i do like seeing the increase in news over recent months and interest pieces (usually by zoomba), especially the stuff i don't see on neowin or other sites first.
on Jun 26, 2007
a++ sure it might need an overhaul, but the artists and the community here are the best on the net. and i change my desk everyday.....i'm a little indecisive....or obsessive....i dunno.  
on Jun 29, 2007
I'll have to go with the A+
I'm a daily visitor on average, but this summer is turning out to be full of fun stuff down at the Snake River park here: Bluegrass Festivals, concerts, art-walks/fairs, just a hoot. 91F here today!
Managing to at least check in every two days if not daily. Improvements?..."if it ain't broke, don't try and 'fix' it". WC has its own "look", different than others a bit, here and there, but I'm used to it and it's good. Took a bit of grumbling when it changed, but now it rocks here. Thanks for the tip on # of works displayed per page, I'll have to try that. With the crew here and all they put into WC, we've got the best place I've found on the web, bar none. A couple/few really close runner-ups, though. Feels like running shoulder-to-shoulder with the buffalo. Yee Haw!
I'm a hog for ya, baby, can't get enough!   
on Jun 29, 2007
But I'd still like like all links to be non-javascript so I can perform rightclick actions on them and for instance open them in a new tab.


I can do that no problem, for example clicking on a user name here in this thread and then right click > open in new tab to view their profile or whatever.


With FF, click name, middle click any option opens in new tab.
on Jun 29, 2007
WC Poll: How Are We Doing?


Logging in is often a pain, takes 3 or 4 attempts and when issue is bad ( as it was today ) takes about 1 min to get the oops about nick or password not correct page or to finally log in. ( this is on a 5 meg dsl ) ( even after running CCleaner, so cache and cookies cleared, still slow.)

The slowness when trying to access forum threads or post a reply or anything else is still really annoying.


This happens often, for whatever reason leaving the forums to home page then coming back to forums speeds things up for a while.
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