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 4)

Lantec

on Jul 10, 2009

What would help is having a script that used METAR information (like Sysmetrix) that doesn't require licensing.

Edit: In case anyone is interested..... LINK

ZubaZ

on Jul 10, 2009

Personally, a week is a very short period of time for me to redo all my themes. Man, this is tough! Do you realize how many DX themes I have in the gallery, and all of them have a weather widget? Seems like this is short. Mine don't work anyway, so there is no TOS/TOU being broken.

If you update them before then: fine.
If you update them after: fine
If you never update them: fine

The goal here is to remove widgets that are broken to prevent users from getting somethinhg that does not work.

The week is for any artists that do not have a copy of their original widget to get it.

k10w3

on Jul 10, 2009

Kendawg78

reply 15

I guess I thought there was more passion than there is.

If you read the threads carefully, you'll see that there are some authors of weather widgets who are VERY passionate about what they're doing, are going completely out of their way to help out with the current state of things. I hope they know they aren't lumped into the group of not impassioned ones.

ZubaZ

on Jul 10, 2009

I just wanted to say that I'm very sorry that this simple problem has not been solved earlier, without fanfare (i.e. quietly and softly)...

Amen my friend. I wish so too.

bilbo1930

on Jul 10, 2009

adni18

reply 10

Instead of giving to the authors of WinCustomize some help with the weather widgets, you have decided to delete all of them from WC!
Is this a solution? Unbelievable!

Does anybody cares about the thousand users who used to have them in their computer desktop?

It is obvious that WC doesn't care with this solution.

In the other hand, these 10 days period until you start to delete all the weather widgets from WC are not enough during the summertime vacation, most authors are not even aware of the problem.

Please think again, you don't have to delete anything, because if a weather widget doesn't work there is no violation of any ToS/ToU in regards to weather feeds.

Almost all the weather widgets in WC don't work anymore!!!

Richard Mohler

on Jul 10, 2009

Zubaz or any moderator--Can you take a look at the weather widgets I updated and see if they'll be ok..Thanks.. Don't want to do anymore if there wrong..Let me know at relhom@cox.net...

KarmaGirl

on Jul 10, 2009

Thus all products on Wincustomizes web site come with an implied warranty regardless to who produces the product.

No, there are no implied or real warranties. Matter of fact, we even call out the liabilities in the "Rules" found here: https://www.wincustomize.com/about.aspx

WinCustomize is just a store selling somebody else's good. We don't warranty the good, we only warranty the delivery mechanism.

In the end, TWC changed their feed which is now causing crashes and issues errors while running the themes. We reviewed what was up there, and it was decided to take down anything that was in violation. End of story. Now, if there are ones that are not in violation, or get updated so they are no longer in violation, then they will remain.

G3mpi3

on Jul 10, 2009

I feel sorry for stardock and wincustomize because of all the pressure they are getting. This is not their problem to deal with because it is weather.com who is telling everyone to change things. The creators of the widgets need to simply follow the rules so weather.com will be happy. We should still be thanking them for letting us use their feeds.Everyone needs to calm down and learn to live with what life gives you.

By the way Richard Mohler, I love your work.

ZubaZ

on Jul 10, 2009

Richard Mohler

reply 1

Zubaz or any moderator--Can you take a look at the weather widgets I updated and see if they'll be ok..Thanks.. Don't want to do anymore if there wrong..Let me know at relhom@cox.net...

You have mail and a PM

scott57

on Jul 10, 2009

So richard have your widgets passed....Your work is great and I use it all the time, it would be ashame not to use your widgets

Snakew

on Jul 10, 2009

This is getting tiresome to follow watching Zubaz ,Island Dog and others defend WinCustomize or Stardock and say this is not the fault of Stardock. I think we all understand Stardock did not cause this problem and neither did the Skinning Community. BUT WE DID BUY DESKTOP X FROM STARDOCK IT CAME WITH A WEATHER WIDGET ( I do not care who originally made it Stardock it came as part of the Desktop X Package I purchased) SO QUIT TRYING TO DUCK ANY RESPONSIBILTY AND PROVIDE A WEATHER WIDGET WITH A CONNECTION TO SOME WEATHER SITE OR PROVIDE A REFUND

sViz

on Jul 10, 2009

Lantec

reply 21

What would help is having a script that used METAR information (like Sysmetrix) that doesn't require licensing.

Edit: In case anyone is interested..... LINK

The METAR code scares me; good luck to anyone attempting it, though.

Richard Mohler

on Jul 10, 2009

sargan--No they didn't pass, but they work....What about gadgets since they can't look at script, they wouldn't know where it's coming from..

ZubaZ

on Jul 10, 2009

SO QUIT TRYING TO DUCK ANY RESPONSIBILTY AND PROVIDE A WEATHER WIDGET WITH A CONNECTION TO SOME WEATHER SITE OR PROVIDE A REFUND

We are in the process of producing a replacement gadget.

That widget was provided as a sample of what could be done. It is not "part" of DesktopX functionality but we understand people like it. The new version will use the SD accuweather feed (and have the requiered logo and links). It will not be editable by the user.

Richard Mohler

on Jul 10, 2009

Very cool..

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