One way I could think of to remedy this would be to have two ratings.

Personal Taste, and Technical Quality.

This way authoers would get feed back on both how well they did, and how nice the style is...and people who just think something is ugly can give a 1 for personal taste and maybe not be so inclined to give it an ugly rating overall.

I did rate an author, first because his icons are ugly and not artistic and second because he ripped an icon that JairoB and me did for the kkmenu. I got an e-mail saying that I was abusing the system by rating all of his icons with ones. And I was told that if I continue doing so, I would get my rating privilege revoked. But, if I think that the icons are ugly, why I can't use the rating system to let the author know that his icons are ugly? The e-mail says that I want to get rid of him by lowering his rating. I say no. I just wanted to let the author know that I didn't like the icons. I didn't have those intentions. But I worry about it because the e-mail was sent just because someone thought that was my intention.



Now I'm afraid of rating a person twice.
(Kidding)

Did you report the rip to the site admins? Rating other works ones as a retaliation isn't appropriate IMO. If they're ugly, well are they all ugly and one-worthy or was retaliation also what motivated you to rate them on how bad you thought his work was? If others don't agree and rate them higher, your ratings would tend to look retaliatory to those who can see them.

You can also use the comment section to tell an author you think his work is ugly if you think it's important to let him know. That's more upfront and open than ratings which are anonymous to all but the admins/mods.

seeems that rating sytems are bring abused in many different "communities" like WC.

But I have to agree with JeremyG, that I think a two-tier rating system would be nice. I have to admit, I haven't been rating things lately because a lot of the time I don't comment either. I really should start again.

But well said frogboy, and thanks for bringing this to our attentions.

I have to agree with JeremyG in that there should be two ratings (personal taste and technical quality). Otherwise, work that comes from a know artist that consistently produces quality work may receive a "1" from someone for numerous reasons: personal taste, completeness, expectations, composition, etc.

As an example, I would be less inclined to give a higher rating to work from a seasoned artist, if the new work didn't move in new directions or somehow improve in quality and completeness from previous works, or didn't support the most cutting edge of skinning, than I would of a similar quality work from a less experienced or "greener" artist. Seasoned artists should be challenged to excel and stay fresh and most do "push the envelope" vs. cranking out S.O.S. By the same token, a newer artist does need encouragement to continue, if there is merit in their work, for they may become the next "great" artist. Shooting them down would just deprive the community the diversity it needs to grow and increase membership. Also if I would not personally use a piece of work because of my "taste", I would be more inclined to rate that piece lower than an item that I would use.

I would finally add that ratings need to be tied to comments. Someone should not be allowed to post any sort of rating without providing valid commentary to support their ratings. Valid commentary not only assists the artist in improving the quality of their work, but educates users as to what "the community" perceives as solid quality work and what is not. "Sucks", "Way Cool", ,etc. are not valid commentary.

I appreciate Frogboy bringing this issue to our attention, but if the Admins of WinCustomize wish to truly provide quality work and knowledge of quality work to community as a whole and constructive feedback to artists, the rating system needs to be overhauled.

jeremyG has it right, two tier rating would also help the artist to know where he/she could improve their work, or expand on it.
I think that the ability to rate someone's work should be permitted to the people who are downloading and using the skins, even if it's a seperate ranking system from the one the "apprentices" and "higher" are using. After all , we're using these skins on a daily basis.
Seems wrong to allow only the elite few choose who gets what rank...But hey, the electoral college does that all the time, maybe it's the way to go....

I'm just a user of other's art work. That being said I think the amount of downloads a project gets, is a rating within itself.

I think essencay is crazy taking to suggest giving a 1 to motivate a seasoned person if they turn out a POS once in awhile. >

I turn out consistantly new stuff for DX and I think a lot of it is on the "most cutting edge of skinning" as essencay says, but once in awhile I find a cool animated gif I convert for my own use or for sharing, and I upload it. To have someone like you come along and give it a "1" is sort of de-motivating, if anything. Just makes me not want to share as much, you understand? Sometimes I need a break from the mental anguish in putting some of the other objects together. I don't need anyone to tell other users here that my simple object (often aimed at beginners) is any less better than the more advanced ones by giving it a "1", often hiding it from users who have lower ratings blocked on their profile.

If you want to grade all day, go be a teacher.

Hmm all my rates is just how I feel about skin, or techinical aspect like brazen weep's desktop objects. I agree that people that abuse rating system should cease abusing it.

I am a paying Stardock customer, Essencay. I have considered adding the $20. wincustomize subscription service to the almost $40. I pay now to renew my OD subscription, but I find it difficult to want to pay for a subscription to a website that is supposedly part of stardock, in fact is linked to in all the stardock products, but wants to charge me $20. to access the ability to express my opinion of the craftsmanship of a skin.
If this website wants to be part of stardock, why not just raise the price of OD renewal $10.-$15.? and I wasn't referring to the "General Populace" when I made my suggestion. I referred to those who had legitimately purchased the Stardock products.
At this point, with the snobbery and elitism associated with the rating system, I think maybe others were right. Get rid of the rating system. Judge a skin by the quality of the feedback and comments recieved.

Personally I prefer the favorite system used by deviantart. The 'rating' then is the number of fav's a work has. This also gets around the problem of the initial rating awarded to a submission - everything starts out with no favs.

Odd Tombalaci, that you use the word "dingbats" when referring to those with the ability to rate skins, especially as the only ones who have that ability right now are the elite few in ranking positions.They're also the ones "abusing" the ratings.
I'm sure you're one of those who feel we cits should not be able to post comments either. *Shrug* Bummer huh?