Frogboy Frogboy

The GUI Olympics begins MONDAY

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The GUI Olympics begins MONDAY

from WinCustomize Forums

This Monday, the GUI Olympics 2004 will begin. It's a contest to see who can create the world's best visual styles, icons, and Winamp 5 skins.  Sponsors include Stardock, Nullsoft, ATI, nVidia, and others.  Microsoft is also providing prizes to the contest.  In total, over $10,000 (closer to $15,000) in cash and prizes will be given out including ATI video cards, an Xbox, tons of software and probably some surprises.

You will be able to enter skins individually or as part of a team.  The top teams will get a big bonus prize.  Anyone can form a team and there are no restrictions on the size of team (though obviously the bigger the team, the bigger the split in the prize money). You could have a Team MyfavoriteWebsite or a Team "l33t". It's up to whoever starts the team (on Monday there will be a mechanism on www.guiolympics.com to create your own team).

The rules are fairly straight forward. You have to enter submissions that are NEW. They can't be things that already exist.  They also have to be in WindowBlinds visual style format. But if you've ever made a .msstyles visual style, it's pretty easy to make a WindowBlinds one and SkinStudio can convert a .msstyles file to WindowBlinds visual style format. And then from there add the missing features to make it competitive.

The contest begins on March 1 but JUDGING won't begin until April 5 so you'll have over a month to actually put together your stuff. And judging goes on during the entire month so you may potentially have nearly 2 months depending on what events you're concentrating on.

Here is the schedule of events:

April 5: Most minimalist visual style, Most creative Winamp skin, Most original icon package
April 8: Best Power user visual style, Most useable Winamp skin
April 12: Most usable visual style, Best power user Winamp skin, Best "themed" (icons go together the best) icon package
April 15: Most creative visual style
April 19: Best themed* visual style*, Best themed* Winamp skin, Best pseudo-OS icon package
April 22: Best Pseudo-OS visual style
April 26: Best overall visual style, Best overall Winamp skin, Best overall icon package
April 27: Top Team/Individual: WindowBlinds, Top Team/Individual: Winamp, Top Team/Individual: Icons
April 29: User's Choice: Best visual style, User's Choice: Best Winamp skin: User's Choice: Best icon package

*themed skin as in the whole skin keeps to a particular theme.

16 Events. Over $10,000 in cash and prizes. Anyone can enter.

The judges will be admins/employees from Stardock, Neowin, deviantART, and Nullsoft.

So there you have it.  WB visual styles, icon packages, and Winamp 5. For $10k to $15k in cash and prizes spread among 16 main events.


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50,411 views 191 replies
Reply #51 from WinCustomize Forums Top

I should also point out that even "professional" skinners would be (IMO) missing a huge opportunity by not entering.

The GUI Olympics is going to get a great deal of coverage. ATI, Microsoft, nVidia, Nullsoft are pretty big companies and they're all going to be pointing to it.

I also know that ATI is going to be in the business of hiring skinners to make skins for a project they're working on and that this contest they'll be looking closely at (which is one reason they're giving out thousands of dollars in video cards).

And then there will be the media coverage which is likely to be significant. This will be a great way for people to show case what they want to do. And with $10k to $15k in prizes, it's not exactly a charity event for the winners.

Reply #52 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Jesh, you are a paranoid person. Not everyone is trying to attack you. 

If you want to call yourself a skinner, then go for it. If you want to say you're an astronaut, that's fine too. It's a free country.

 

Ashes of the Singularity II
Reply #53 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I have no idea why, but in nearly every post you (jesh) make I feel somewhat insulted. Maybe I have in inferiority complex or something, but I think your posts are generally put-downish. I think that you're pretty sure you could beat anyone in this contest, but feel its below your digninty to even compete with us. What would happen if you entered and DIDNT WIN? Then what would happen? You would be proved to not be the best. Then you would say how your best designers were "busy on other projects", and you would end up slamming all of us who dont get commisioned skins. I feel that if you were a new skinner and were acting like this on the messageboard, you would likely be reduced to visitor status. Sorry, but thats just the way I feel.
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Reply #54 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I'm a little teapot
Short and stout
Here is my handle
Here is my spout

When I get all steamed up
Hear me shout
"Tip me over
and pour me out!"

Well he said we could be anything we want to be
Reply #55 from WinCustomize Forums Top
hey Brad could you "patronize" me a little more? Well since you want to get into it and i have about 15 minutes before i have to get ready to go on a date then let's talk turkey...

Are you still getting the full copyrights to the skins that are entered into the contest? I imagine so. See i know while part of this thing is to have fun for the artist in competing i also know you stand to gain alot more than the artists. For the low cost of 10K in cash and prizes (some of which you don't have to contribute) you get the full rights to use how you see fit around 250 skins. That averages about 40 dollars per skin that you get to seed your applications with. Not too shabby. So let's call a spade a spade. While this competition is great for the artists its even better for you isn't? Now tell me brad was that paranoia or just crystal clear thinking?
Reply #56 from WinCustomize Forums Top
But let's face it the best skinners are too busy making money to worry about a contest.


That was just one of the many, many times you said it Jesh. You claim that the best skinners are making money. You are making money, so we can therefore take it that you are among the best. I am not making money, so we can therefore take it that I am not among the best. Hence the anger at the obvious put-down.
Reply #57 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I'm pleased to see that I'm certainly not the only one offended by Jesh's attitude. For a moment there I thought I just had irrational feelings every time I read another dose of his arrogance.
Reply #58 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Are you still getting the full copyrights to the skins that are entered into the contest?


I'm not sure what he means by this, but I want to make sure. I still have the copyright to any skin I enter, correct?

No you're not the only one, grayhaze.
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Reply #59 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Çërêb®øJÐ - you are kidding right? You think my self-esteem would suffer because we didn't win a contest? I mean seriously. This is what i do for a living. I don't think losing a contest is going to cause me to start on a program of prozac. I've entered art shows in the real world and sometimes didn't even get in. Did i think i was a bad artist? No. Of course not. I just didn't move the Jury that was judging. And you know what that's quite all right. You do art for yourself first and foremost. Anything after that is gravy.

You just sat here and went through a whole scenario of how i would act and what i would say and think and the reality is - that whole scenario has never happened. So how can you possibly speak for how would i act in this circumstance. That's ridiculous. I hope you realize that. I'm actually a good sport when i lose. If i give something my best then that's good enough for me.

But hey if i ever need to know how i will act in a given situation before it happens i'll be sure to ask you.

And the copyrights thing could have changed from last time. I'm speculating - sort of what you seem to like to do.
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Reply #60 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Incidentally, you could really learn a lot from the likes of treetog, Alexandrie, Hippy and so on. A little humility goes a long way, and although I consider those individuals among the absolute best of the best when it comes to WindowBlinds skinning, not once will you ever see them claiming as much.

You are probably among the best Windows Media Player skinners in the world. Let that be what you're known for, not your ability to self-promote.
Reply #61 from WinCustomize Forums Top
grayhaze: you don't get it. My pride comes with the work we produce not having a title. You really don't know me as a person just as a persona. Maybe i need to work on my delivery a little more.
Reply #62 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I still have the copyright to any skin I enter, correct?


Of course you do Çërêb®øJÐ. You're not being paid for the work, and even if you were you would have to sign over the legal rights to Stardock. As an artist, you retain copyright to your work until such time as you sign a contract to say otherwise.

The only condition they may set is that the winning skins be possible inclusions in future versions of the software. Which is something I'm sure none of us would have a problem with.
Reply #63 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Stardock doesn't get any copyrights to the skin. We never have. The skins are owned by the artists. They grant us a license to distribute them (obviously). The rules, btw, are publicly posted on GUI Olympics.com.

And given that this is the second GUI Olympics, not the first, history has already shown that Stardock treats the submissions with absolute respect. 

The benefit Stardock gets out of the competition is pretty straight forward: Publicity.  The same benefit that skin authors get. 

So yes, you were demonstrating more paranoia. If you weren't so insecure you would see this event for what it is. But you are right about one thing, the more you trivialize it, the more insecure you sound, the more you sound (to me anyway) that you are making excuses why not to participate because you aren't sure what the outcome would be.

You are right in one implication, I'm pretty good at business. And entering the contest is a good thing(TM) for both pros and non-pros alike for a wide variety of reasons. Skinners have over a month to come up with what they want to enter and the rewards in publicity, fandom, recognition, and cash/prizes are pretty compelling.

In short, regardless of why one skins, the GUI Olympics really is a good thing for the community both pros and non-pros.

Reply #64 from WinCustomize Forums Top
"best of the best when it comes to WindowBlinds skinning" - correct.
the quality standard for "good" skins in the media player field (be it Winamp or WMP) is higher though.

guess i´ll download that Skinstudio thing tomorrow. i won´t even use the skin, but still i want to see what i can do with it

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Reply #65 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Thanks for clarifying Frogboy. I didnt think you guys got the rights.

I agree with Frogboy, you do sound like you're trying to make this event seem trivial.
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Reply #66 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I don't disagree with you about it being a good thing for the artists. And for the last time WE DON'T HAVE THE TIME. Otherwise we probably would enter. But you know what brad raising awareness for the Humane Society and the World Wildlife Fund just seem so much more important than your little contest that i couldn't possibly see me taking time away from those things to "win a faux gold medal" from you.

Reply #67 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I would like to point out at this juncture that, as a past participant in the GUI Olympics, I believe both Brad and Stardock as a whole treat the contributing artists with an unfashionably high amount of respect. They took a lot of flak during the last contest, and yet at the end of the day they gave out prizes in instances where they weren't even obliged to do so. Now that is what I call caring about the individuals involved.
Reply #68 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I agree with Frogboy, you do sound like you're trying to make this event seem trivial.


Why don't you reread my previous comments before judging. How many times do i really have to say i think this is a good thing but we have committed ourselves to charity skins before you people get the message. Charity to me is more important that a contest. There is no hidden message in that. None. Zero. Why you paranoid people think that's a slight to the contest is beyond me but i'm late for a date.
Reply #69 from WinCustomize Forums Top
So if you want to raise awareness for then, what could be better than entering it into the biggest skinning contest of the year? It probably wouldnt be to hard to get their OK on that, and it would defininately get the word out that you support them.
Reply #70 from WinCustomize Forums Top
If you, TSF don't have the time, why are there sixty-something posts ranting about this and that....when one post saying contest is going to be great for everyone...yada yada...unfortunately I cannot attend, good luck, wish you well, to the bar
Reply #71 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Ah... the old 'I do a lot of work for charity' line.

You really do need to work on your communication skills Jesh. It now sounds like you're hinting that the existance of the contest is a bad thing and that the money would be better spent going to charity.
Reply #72 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Grayhaze you bucking for admin? Is there an election i'm not privy knowing about? If you think this doesn't benefit in seeding stardock products with a lot of nice skins for very little money then you are truly naive. And you know there is nothing wrong with that. It's business. Everyone makes out good - the artists and stardock. I just know that it's a factor and i see things how they are.

so long guys. Have a nice day. I'll read your flames about me later on. Try to use words like "arrogant", "paranoid" and "astronaut" in them so at least we can stay on topic.
Reply #73 from WinCustomize Forums Top
grayhaze: how about you f**k off. How about that. I'm sick of your bulls**t attacks.
Reply #74 from WinCustomize Forums Top
TSF: How about you shut up.
Reply #75 from WinCustomize Forums Top
After reading these pages, one point goes out : there are Professionnal skinners (those who earn money with) and the others. Why don't you imagine making two Olympics ??

Anyway i already know who might win all categories ...
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