An option for feedback on low ratings

Automated emails

from WinCustomize Forums

I wonder if it might be possible for the accepted or rejected automated email from the wallpaper moderator to have a link at the bottom of the message so that some feedback or guidance can be obtained if required by the person submitting the work? Like most people, I have read all the guidelines, which give a lot of leeway to Stardock and the moderator. Apart from the main general rules and guidelines, there is always the open question of taste and preference, which must also affect decisions. I am sure that I am not alone in finding the ratings given at times quite mystifying.

I understand that the moderator(s) have a lot of ground to cover, but surely some understanding should be given to subscribers and customers who spend a lot of time in producing their work for free and then making various sizes, preparing additional comments and a preview, and uploading all the work in an acceptable form. A quick means of querying a rating given, and getting some specific guidance would be helpful and a nice courtesy to the customer, who is after all, paying for the privilege.

It can be very demoralising to have work given a low rating and confined to your personal site where very few people will see it, or have the opportunity to download it.  This is particularly annoying when you don't understand why.

 

 

 

wallpapers
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Reply #1 from WinCustomize Forums Top

The Gallery Moderators are volunteers, C_K.  They do what they do out of love for this Community, based on many years of skinning experience and standards which are both objective and subjective.

They will, if contacted by pm explain why a 'low' rating was given to a particular wallpaper.

To ask for an "automatic" explanation is asking the Moderator to devote much more of his/her time to this and I haven't heard of other sites doing that for submissions. I don't believe that explanation needs to be "automatic" in every case.

surely some understanding should be given to subscribers and customers who spend a lot of time in producing their work for free and then making various sizes, preparing additional comments and a preview, and uploading all the work in an acceptable form.
.

While that is true of the majority of accepted submissions, it's not true of all.

It's not unreasonable to request that the submitter pm the Moderator when appropriate, if just to lessen the load.

To be sure however, there are Moderators who do what you suggest for 99% of their rejection notices. In fact, I don't know any Gallery mod who doesn't.

Maybe you need to check your 'spam folder' for a reply you might have missed?

Reply #2 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Thank you DrJBHL for taking the time to answer my post. I did not know that all the moderators were volunteers, and not employees, but I did not ask for an "automatic" explanation.

What I was suggesting was the inclusion of a link on the email to the moderator responsible for the rating (the emails say: "This is an automated email. Please do not respond to this email as it will not be received by any person").  It would be nice to know who rated your work, and have the immediate ability to make a request for more information and guidance for the future if you think you need it.

That is not to say that everyone will find the need to make a query, but it would be convenient to be able to do so immediately with a link on the email. I have taken the trouble to pm the Moderator, and no doubt I will receive a reply in due course. This post was not intended to denigrate anyone's efforts, but simply to suggest the right of a reply and some needed guidance without having to go to the site and make a query there and to go there again and read a reply there. Is that too much to ask for?

I don't distribute or feel the need to send my work to other wallpaper sites; I carefully check every email I receive, and I am sure I haven't missed anything in my 'spam folder'. I don't profess to know all the workings and methods employed on the Wincustomize site (why should I?). I am only expressing my own personal view as a paying customer on the receiving end. 

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Reply #3 from WinCustomize Forums Top

It would be nice to know who rated your work, and have the immediate ability to make a request for more information and guidance for the future if you think you need it.

More than one Moderator views the submissions. If a submission is sent to your personal Gallery as opposed to one of the others, 99-100% of the time a reason is given.

On the brighter side, if your work went to your Personal Gallery, you're entitled to an award. ;)

You can obtain it here: https://www.wincustomize.com/explore/objectdock/12465 

You'll have to contact Po' Smedley regarding the secret handshake.

Alternatively, you could turn it into a learning experience and post it under OS Customization>Wallpapers and request suggestions on "how to improve the Wallpaper". Well established folks have done that and have received good, constructive criticism. Don't worry about the "that sucks" type comment. The folks here will take care of them.

Be prepared for honest criticism, though. Invite it. It's the best way to improve.

Reply #4 from WinCustomize Forums Top

"More than one Moderator views the submissions. If a submission is sent to your personal Gallery as opposed to one of the others, 99-100% of the time a reason is given."

That simply is not true! Maybe once or twice have I ever recieved a reason from any moderator. Asking generally does not receive a response either, unless you are asking Jafo and he is good about responding although sometimes he speaks in riddles! The fact that he does respond is refreshing and respectful.:meow:

Reply #5 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Uploads sent to a user's Personal Page do not normally receive an email.  Rejected uploads for whatever reason do have an email sent with an explanation of why.

Anytime I have been contacted I have always responded so 'generally' moderators do respond.

Reply #6 from WinCustomize Forums Top

If they're sent to PP, Frankie no explanation is given... if rejected for "originality" or other reasons, then it is.

*oops duplicated effort, here. Thanks, Hankers.

Reply #7 from WinCustomize Forums Top

:meow:  Not trying to cause controversy, just clarifying Doc's statement that explanation is offered for PPO when in fact it is not. We all know that any post concerning ratings almost immediately heads "South" because of all of our sensitivity towards our own perception of our creations!:*

Reply #8 from WinCustomize Forums Top

My explanation was regarding rejections. My clarification was regarding PPO.

Reply #9 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Not according to your quote:

"More than one Moderator views the submissions. If a submission is sent to your personal Gallery as opposed to one of the others, 99-100% of the time a reason is given."

Reply #10 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Frankief... when mods view a submission they mostly give a reason for their 'vote' if they say 'pp', but that's in-house only.

That'll be what Doc's refering to.

Once sufficient responses are given the work is 'sent' to general gallery or PP or rejected outright, and then again most times there will be a reason for 'rejection' only....;)

 

If someone has a specific question about a particular submission's fate he/she can PM me for info.

If the person posts a query publicly, eg. Why was "this" [including picture] rejected/sent to Personal Page, he/she may expose themselves to embarrassment as the responses may be less than idyllic.

I would strongly suggest the former route...;)

Reply #11 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Ok, it was a simple misunderstanding.

Let me clarify so everyone is on the same page.

  1. Items sent to personal page due to quality, moderation, etc. are not e-mailed a reason why.  
  2. If something is rejected due to copyright, file problem, etc., they are sent an e-mail.  Often times these end up in spam folders so check there first.

We have a lot of submissions come through and it's not really an option to send feedback to each one.  As was mentioned above, you can PM or e-mail any gallery moderator and they will be glad to help.  

Along with the upload guidelines, here is a tips article for moderation.

For wallpapers, here my general advice:

Push-button walls will almost always go to personal pages.  Push-button walls are the ones made with applications that you push a few buttons and poof, you have a wallpaper.  We have every shape and color in the gallery already, there's nothing unique about them anymore.

Photographs.  I personally enjoy photographs as wallpapers, but to be accepted they have to be interesting and sharp.  Blurred photos will not make it, and images of your cat or girlfriend will not make it.  At least into the galleries. :)

 

Reply #12 from WinCustomize Forums Top

who is after all, paying for the privilege.

 

Also Let me clairify that as a customer/subscriber, one Purchases the ability to download unfetterd by ad's and limits as well as a host of other perks.

You do not need to be a WC subscriber nor a SD customer to Upload your works here, we encourage all who wish to share thier works to do so.

What being a Subscriber/Customer "does not" offer is, a better chance to see their works passed thru moderation, over those who are not subscribers/customers, nor entitle ones works to be hosted on WC.

 

 

Reply #13 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Don't worry about the "that sucks" type comment. The folks here will take care of them.

:maybe: well, that sucks.

I'd like a real world perspective to this post, they seem to happen on occasion. So, about how many wallpapers do you all receive each month and what is the reject rate for those submitted. I also remembering someone mention that the wallpapers section is the most difficult to get submissions through because of the volume, is that still the case.

seem to miising a spell chucker?

Reply #14 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Dud a reinstalll of spull checker to see if it works. It doesn't work. Buh bye spell checker.

Reply #15 from WinCustomize Forums Top

More than one Moderator views the submissions.

I remeber getting an email about one of mine in the gallery. I was told how damn near everyone looked at it and the email I got was them asking what the hell it was supposed to be. lmao.

I would love to be a mod but I think after all these years I wouldn't be as kind as I might have been when I first started. I only comment when something really jumps out at me. I try to restarin from 'Nice' or 'Great work' comments. If I ever started commenting what I really thought on a lot of stuff, I probably wouldn't be very welcome here. I think I inadvertantly chased off someone I considered a freind a while back when they asked for an honest critique.

Reply #16 from WinCustomize Forums Top

I'm not gonna say it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*zubished*

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Reply #17 from WinCustomize Forums Top

So that's what happened to Skinhit...  ;)

Reply #18 from WinCustomize Forums Top

So that's what happened to Skinhit...

No. That would fall under 'inadvertantly tripped over my foot and fell on a handgrenade and was last seen in a hefty bag marked 'Bitch Recycling'.

Reply #19 from WinCustomize Forums Top

:)

Reply #20 from WinCustomize Forums Top

"If I ever started commenting what I really thought on a lot of stuff, I probably wouldn't be very welcome here. I think I inadvertantly chased off someone I considered a freind a while back when they asked for an honest critique."

Sounds like my life story....;)

Being an Admin/Mod isn't a popularity drive.... typically it's quite the opposite.

But...

Life goes on....;)

Reply #21 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Sounds like my life story.

You've given me 'good' critiques. Your advice is more objective. I can deal with that. Comments like 'This sucks' or 'You can do better' are what drive me nutz.

Reply #22 from WinCustomize Forums Top

what drive me nutz.

 well that sux. ;P

Reply #23 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Comments like 'This sucks' or 'You can do better' are what drive me nutz.

Handy piece of knowledge, that. :-"  

Reply #24 from WinCustomize Forums Top

First of all. I would like to thank everyone for their replies. I'm not sure I agree with all of the views expressed, but I understand a bit more now about how things are done here. Although I have been a subscriber for many years now, I have never felt the need to use the forum to post any comments until now.

No special treatment for subscribers work seems a bit unfair to me, and I'm going to come right out and say I that don't like the ratings system. I'm sure there will be others who will agree and disagree. That is not to say that I don't appreciate the efforts of those who give their time freely as moderators. 

It was nice to be able to express a view, even if my suggestion for quick feedback was not agreeable to everyone.

Reply #25 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Quoting C_K, reply 24


No special treatment for subscribers work seems a bit unfair to me, and I'm going to come right out and say I that don't like the ratings system. I'm sure there will be others who will agree and disagree. That is not to say that I don't appreciate the efforts of those who give their time freely as moderators. 

 Let me just say, I for one HATE the upload process. If My work sucks so bad that you think its not worthy for me to share for FREE with the community, then dont put it on my personal page only, and with a 1 or 2 star rating!!!! If I only wanted to put it on my personal page , I would have a Youtube video with a link to my media fire page. Why the hell would I upload something here if its only going to be on my personal page? If thats the case than just reject it all together? If my "art" sucks to the moderator who determines if I kissed his rear enough to have my work uploaded in the PUBLIC gallery, the very LEAST he or she could do is tell me why it is not good enough to be posted on the public wall. ESPECIALLY SINCE I PAY TO BE HERE!!!! I could easily create new user names every week and get all I want for free. 

 

I apologize if I sound so upset. But when I get rejected for a public gallery, I would at least like to know why. (Especially since I am a Customer) That way I know what I need to do to make my "Art" more acceptable to the mods. As it is now, I have no freekin clue who is determining if my "Art" is good enough to share on a public board, so that I can PM him/her to question what I can do to make it more expectable. I understand that there are tons of uploads that have to be reviewed, but it wouldnt take a half second or so to tell the uploader why their art sucks too bad to be shared with the general public.