Impossible Journey Up the Masters Level.

at least for me :(

Published on March 3, 2007 By basj In WinCustomize Talk

I have been submitting my work here since 2001…and after 400K plus download…I feel my journey to the top is getting more and more impossible. Well I know a lot of you skinner out there is doing this and sharing your work just for the fun of it…but for me… I got to have a target… And my target is I want to be at the Masters level so that I can get something back for the work I’ve put in.

But recently…I compare stats between mine with some old and new skinners…what I saw were a bit confusing. I saw few fellow skinners at the rank of Journeyman who have only half D/load count comparing mine and some Master Apprentice who only have less then 100K d/load count.

If skinners are judge on how the skinners get involve with the community than surely I’ll loose out since, I am not very good in English and coming from totally different background from most of people around here.. It’s a bit difficult to get involve.

And now we have Vista… even worst. As money is and will always be very-very tight for me. I cant afford to upgrade my PIII 800MHz PC ( don’t laugh .yup it still working and still capable producing good stuff) to anything near Vista requirement soon. I feel that I am totally out of the race. While the rest of your guys charging with your superfast computers and producing in-trend skins, I am still will producing those old looking stuff.

So I am kinda like at the junction here… should I just press on, get better and carry on doing this… or just turn around and get the grip on reality… & slowly fade away..

Hmmm… any ideas?

Comments (Page 2)

basj

on Mar 03, 2007

Thank you vStyler

vStyler

on Mar 03, 2007

I'm guessing your English may be better than mine and English is my language. lol.

Basj.. if you have MSN messenger.. add me at the address on my page.

Bichur

on Mar 03, 2007

I wonder if there is much demand on my native language tutorial for skinning.

Hard to tell.

But look at it this way...

I don't recall seeing any comments by you, looking for tutorials in your native language. Could it be, you just accepted tutorials would be in English and decided to just 'deal with it'? There's probable lots of folks with lots of other languages doing just that.

I think more tutorials in more languages would be a good thing.

Quentin94

on Mar 03, 2007

I think more tutorials in more languages would be a good thing.

i agree with this Bichur

basj

on Mar 03, 2007

for Po' Smedley : I dont think I am better then you in English. I really bad in spelling.

for vStyler : okay I'll add you..

for Sir Bichur. The thing is for tutorial sake and IMO tutorial is more easily consume if it is done in english since almost all the tool use to make it (the software and method to do it) come in english. And as far as my country is concern we usually teach or learn about computer software in English. Anyway I am not saying that I am not going to try to make it. Maybe making it in both, the english and native language, as Po's suggested would be the way to do it.

vStyler

on Mar 03, 2007

okay I'll add you..

Good

Honestly, If your going to make some kind of tutorial I would make it in english and if theres a great demand for other lang. then do a translation.

PoSmedley

on Mar 03, 2007

for Po' Smedley : I dont think I am better then you in English. I really bad in spelling

lol I would give Jafo a brain hemorrhage if it weren't for the spell check in Firefox.

Cyberworld

on Mar 04, 2007

You need stats? Here are some:

Sitehits: 270k, Rank 54.
Article Points: 44k, Rank 67.
Skin Comments Given: 1135, Rank 44.
Total Dls: 850k, Rank 34.
Years on WC as member: 5.
Years around WC: 7.
Title: Master Apprenctice.

Worry not man.

Eventually you'll find out that titles don't mean anything actually, nor do rules & regulations apply for everyone here.

It's the members interaction that counts. That's why i left.

WOM

on Mar 04, 2007

Just keep doing your best. Good things come to those that wait.

Its a combination of everything, not just 1 thing.

Your 400k is nice but I've seen people that didn't make Master until they had over 2 million.

basj

on Mar 04, 2007

For Po' :

For Cyberworld : And you left? Maybe you need to do some windowblinds skin to go with those real cool walls and Logon?

For WOM : yup keep on fighting ..

Cyberworld

on Mar 04, 2007

Basj i left for a combination of reasons:
a. Unfair treatment of many members here, like yourself.
b. Existense of the Ratings System and Top 100 Lists.
c. Way limited members interaction.
d. Elitisism tendensies of certain members.
e. Too much administration intervention.
f. Site issues.
g. Expensive subscription.

But i don't keep any bad feelings for the site. I still come back from time to time. Alas my new home is much warmer and humane.

PS: I know how to make all kinds of skins, themes (WB, DX, IP, WMP, Winamp and more), i already have many drawings for skins in my scetchbook, i do have the abilities to use Photoshop or any other program to make them happen (i even engaged in DX Scripting), i just don't have the appettite or time to do so.

NightTrainthedark

on Mar 04, 2007

...pokes head in...

My Master always said ..Patience is a Virtue.....

or...maybe it was a tv commercial?

Cyberworld

on Mar 04, 2007

Patience is a Virtue

Patience Grasshoper...as the wise warrior once said...

And that's another TV Commercial...

sViz

on Mar 04, 2007

basj, I say if you really love skinning just keep on doing it.

I understand that it can be hard to see the prestigious titles and the ginormous download counts of others in the community and not want to emulate that. When I first showed up here I got hung up on this grand idea of becoming a Master. Soon I found that I really just wanted to share my work in DesktopX and help out in the community as much as my time would allow. The journey, for me, really has nothing to do with becoming a Master or getting tons of downloads. It's about becoming the best skinner I can be. It's about learning and improving my coding skills and artwork skills. It's about taking what I've learned and helping others to achieve some of their goals. Recognition is great but if that becomes the main focus you'll be met with alot of disappointment and it'll take all the fun and joy out of skinning. Skinning, like all art forms, is subjective. The only person you can truly satisfy is yourself. You just have to do what you love to do to the very best of your ability and then strive to be even better. Even as a Citizen of just over a year I feel I've accomplished a great deal more than I had expected to when I first started.

basj

on Mar 04, 2007

sVis Yah I know how that feeling like.. I was like you 6-7 years ago... but after awhile... feeling get change, goals somehow differents.. People keep saying be patient and keep on doing it... Maybe I should carry on doing it but with a different attitude and hope.

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