DesktopX Weather Widget Issues

DesktopX Weather Widget Issues - Read This

Published on July 10, 2009 By Island Dog In OS Customization

As many of you know from reading the forums over the past couple of days, that weather feeds being pulled in from DesktopX created widgets/objects have stopped working. To make a short story even shorter, TWC has shown a requirement put upon all widget creators and users, and anyone else accessing their data to abide by new and quite specific demands/rules. This goes for anyone using the feeds, not just WinCustomize users.

If you want to continue to use TWC weather feeds you will need to abide by their new rules, which includes a requirement to place a logo and links back to them. Several DX coders including sViz and Vad_M have been posting new feeds, and some code fixes to help others fix their weather objects.

An ongoing thread from sViz can be found here:

https://forums.wincustomize.com/358753

Which ever new weather feeds creators decide to use, they need to make sure they also abide by any rules or guideline imposed by the originating feed provider.

Starting Monday, July 20th, we will start removing broken weather widgets from the WinCustomize galleries that have not been updated and/or violate any ToS/ToU in regards to weather feeds. The WC moderators are going to keep a close eye on the DesktopX queues so that updates will be pushed through as soon as possible. When updating a current skin, please be sure to make a note in the description that it has been updated with a new weather feed. If authors are do not have a copy of their widgets and are not able to retrieve them from Wincustomize, they are available by request to an admin.

We understand this has caused quite a stir, but this is nothing that can be easily fixed as it’s an issue that is not in Stardock’s nor WinCustomize’s hands. Please keep an eye on the forums for updates from DX coders who are looking at alternative solutions.

Regards,

Spencer
WC Admin

Comments (Page 2)

Vad_M

on Jul 10, 2009

This document is intended only for use by authorized licensees of The...

Zu,

It's funny but I saw the same words in each xml-file from my first day on Wincustomize (since 2004). More than, I've even had talks with TWC's Scott Zucker in early 2005 about licensing some of my gadgets for sale...

However I can't understand why nobody have not told about this earlier? I'm from Ukraine and may not know some of US laws. But the others.... So this is a known problem for a long time. Just nobody wanted to talk about it or even think...

ZubaZ

on Jul 10, 2009

We never looked.

Kendawg78

on Jul 10, 2009

ID,the weather Channel didn't suddenly change the rules of the game. They simply forced everyones hands who weren't complying. And Yes ID,you do imply that you're following legal restrictions. The author implies these widgets work as advertised. Wincustomize implies that these authors know what they're talking about. What Wincustomize should do is to apologize to all their subscribers for the inconvenience. Not attempt to back out avoiding all culpability. Throw them a bone of some sort so they stay paying customers. And put protocols in place to ensure compliance with all legalities in the future. Come on ID,it's common sense. You down load the Texas Longhorns suite from Stardock. You've got links to the book store. Links to the ticket office. Property of the University of Texas. Stardock logos and Accuweather logos all over the place. It's border line copyright infringement some of these themes here on this site. They would also worry me if I was Wincustomize administration. I'd be looking at everything in the galleries. You knock off Harry Potter stuff and you're dealing with someones exclusive property. I'm not trying to be overly critical. But man up when you've been caught with your pants down.

ZubaZ

on Jul 10, 2009

You've got links to the book store. Links to the ticket office. Property of the University of Texas. Stardock logos and Accuweather logos all over the place. It's border line copyright infringement some of these themes here on this site.

We are partnered/licensed with them.

ZubaZ

on Jul 10, 2009

You knock off Harry Potter stuff and you're dealing with someones exclusive property.

Our policies on copyright and fan art are very clear and are enforced.

Kendawg78

on Jul 10, 2009

No Philly. ID is saying it's out of their hands. Now how is that possible when this is a Wincustomize web site? If you have no control of your web site,you'll never be in compliance with all the legalities of the world. This whole incident should open some eyes to whether people are compliant with the law or not. The skinsfactory got all bent out of shape on this web site over somebodies infringement. And He/She should be tight with the community.

Lantec

on Jul 10, 2009

Using your logic we should probably reject any skin that's not 100% perfect which would leave a handful of Windowblinds and little else on the site. The alternative would be that Stardock takes each uploaded skin and to hell with creative rights they just go in and fix anything they assume needs it......

Island Dog

on Jul 10, 2009

What Wincustomize should do is to apologize to all their subscribers for the inconvenience. Not attempt to back out avoiding all culpability

I am sorry this is causing an inconvenience, but you are not understanding that this is something beyond our control.

ZubaZ

on Jul 10, 2009

Kendawg78

reply 21

We control the website an host peoples' work. We do not own or control that work.

We are a US based company and only have to worry about US law.

Island Dog

on Jul 10, 2009

No Philly. ID is saying it's out of their hands. Now how is that possible when this is a Wincustomize web site?

How is it possible? We don't create the skins affected! It's out of our hands because we can't change the individuals skins.

Vad_M

on Jul 10, 2009

We never looked.

This is not good. Otherwise this could be a little problem which could to be hidden and solved without any public discussion. But now it became a BIG PROBLEM and a lot of people will be very disappointed and even wroth. It takes many efforts to solve it...

Chasbo

on Jul 10, 2009

I mostly agree with the SD/WC stance but with these exceptions: Any product that has been purchased from Stardock that has a weather feed that doesn't work anymore should be updated to work. For example I've purchased a few of Gef's themes. Great quality and you pay for that. Those themes should be updated and anyone who bought them given the chance to get them again without cost. End of story. All free widgets/themes, tough shit. I've just gone back to windows sidebar or yahoo weather. This is unfortunate but in the grand scheme of things.....well there are a lot worse fates to suffer.

ZubaZ

on Jul 10, 2009

Vad_M, is it the resposibility of the WC moderators and admins to look at ever image or line of code to make sure it is correct or the author has the rights to use it? If that were the case nothing would ever be accepted becuase not everything can be checked.

THe moderators do their best and as information becomes available (like stealing someones images or code) we act.

This really is no different from our normal policy.

Skinner A make a wallpaper and posts it at dA.
Skinner B sees it and submits it to WC.
User C sends a PM to a moderator telling us that there is a conflict.
WC moderator looks into it and acts.

Kendawg78

on Jul 10, 2009

Zubaz,I understand that. The point is,what if those logo's and links were not on the widgets/themes? You're using someone else's property with THEIR EXPRESS permission. Anytime you use Superman,Harry Potter,Batman...you've got to have permission. These widgets were created and approved with absolutely no thought or credit given back to the feed owners. And to say,"It's out of our hands" is shirking responsibility. It doesn't give ME,the customer, any confidence that Wincustomize is paying any attention.

ZubaZ

on Jul 10, 2009

Any product that has been purchased from Stardock that has a weather feed that doesn't work anymore should be updated to work. For example I've purchased a few of Gef's themes. Great quality and you pay for that. Those themes should be updated and anyone who bought them given the chance to get them again without cost.

I agree. But this is again, and issue that you need to take up with the skinner. The skinner is using the WC "storefont" to sell those skins. If you bought a TV at Walmart you wouldn't go to Walmart to get it fixed. You would go to the manufacturer, right?

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