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 8)

106

willistuder

on Jul 11, 2009

Zubaz

reply 5

Couldn't you give them a widget with that coded in, if that's how it's done?I am looking into what we are able todo with our license.
I think most of them need a template of some kind. Is that what Zubaz is referring to and sViz is doing?yes. I've tested a recent build and it works well while following the weather.com term of service.

That's great, Zubaz. It will include the necessities to hook up legally with TWC so that the skinners don't need to figure that out, won't it? I think that's the main problem they're having in trying to reconfigure their widgets.

107

ZubaZ

on Jul 11, 2009

Zubaz

willistuder

We'll have to see if it's possible before we look at features available (if any).

108

Bichur

on Jul 11, 2009

I don't understand why you can't include a working widget that complies with the TWC license agreement and your moderation rules to skinners at least, if not your customers.

I don't understand why any working weather widget has to use TWC

109

RedneckDude

on Jul 11, 2009

I disagree fully. And I won't be integrating a weather widget into my future themes regardless of what the coders come up with. Integrating anything into a DX theme that is vulnerable to decisions made by outside sources is bound to fail again in the future. It is not a matter of if, but when. And I, for one, don't feel like redoing my entire gallery at that time. Blaming anyone is not getting this fixed.

By the attitude of some around here. Stardock should go through my gallery and repair all my work and take care of that for me....yeah, right. I don't know if I'd want that anyway. I'd rather fix my own work.

110

DrJBHL

on Jul 11, 2009

Bichur

reply 8

I don't understand why you can't include a working widget that complies with the TWC license agreement and your moderation rules to skinners at least, if not your customers.

I don't understand why any working weather widget has to use TWC

..........i'd have used [:sunshine smiley:] but TWC didn't like that.

Blaming anyone is not getting this fixed.

By the attitude of some around here. Stardock should go through my gallery and repair all my work and take care of that for me....yeah, right. I don't know if I'd want that anyway. I'd rather fix my own work.

111

RedneckDude

on Jul 11, 2009

I don't understand why any working weather widget has to use TWC

They don't. But they have to use someone's feed, and they are all bound to fail eventually.

112

Timoleon5

on Jul 11, 2009

Just go with Weather Underground. They've been stable for years and years and years...

113

Vad_M

on Jul 11, 2009

But they have to use someone's feed

That's not right. I made the Weather Calendar a few weeks ago. It show me the weather forecast for current and previous months but it doesn't use any feeds! More then ANY ILLEGAL FEEDS. Just I think that each of us may be a bit programmer. Otherwise this hobby (or may be job) has no future...

You must understand one simple truth - neither Photoshop neither the other Graphic Redactors can't substitute the experience in coding if you really want work with DesktopX. This is not a SkinStudio...

114

Vad_M

on Jul 11, 2009

Just go with Weather Underground.

Ha! It's funny but I'm study this service right now. It's not bad! But seems MSN Weather is much better and informative. So I need a bit more time to finish my experiments...

115

willistuder

on Jul 11, 2009

RedneckDude

reply 9

I think you should reconsider that decision, and provide, by e-mail, if necessary, a sample to all the DX skinners so that they can get on with weather widgets as soon as possible. Weather may be a trivial use of DesktopX, but it's the king of DX, and without it, DX will die.

I disagree fully. And I won't be integrating a weather widget into my future themes regardless of what the coders come up with. Integrating anything into a DX theme that is vulnerable to decisions made by outside sources is bound to fail again in the future. It is not a matter of if, but when. And I, for one, don't feel like redoing my entire gallery at that time. Blaming anyone is not getting this fixed.

By the attitude of some around here. Stardock should go through my gallery and repair all my work and take care of that for me....yeah, right. I don't know if I'd want that anyway. I'd rather fix my own work.

I trust that you disagree with my statement that DesktopX will die. I sure hope that you're right about that. It's such an amazing program. If it's the statement that weather is the king of DX, that's based on numbers. It's the most popular reason for buying DesktopX.

I think your approach to leaving it out of your themes is a wise one, considering the vulnerability you mentioned. Hopefully, you'll be one of the people that keeps it going. Don't forget us when you get into WindowBlinds, and good luck with your first skin. Will you be doing a theme for that, by the way?

116

willistuder

on Jul 11, 2009

Vad_M

reply 13

But they have to use someone's feed

That's not right. I made the Weather Calendar a few weeks ago. It show me the weather forecast for current and previous months but it doesn't use any feeds! More then ANY ILLEGAL FEEDS. Just I think that each of us may be a bit programmer. Otherwise this hobby (or may be job) has no future...

How does that work without a feed?

117

willistuder

on Jul 11, 2009

Vad_M

reply 14

Just go with Weather Underground.

Ha! It's funny but I'm study this service right now. It's not bad! But seems MSN Weather is much better and informative. So I need a bit more time to finish my experiments...

I'm excited. Please carry on. I got the new Weatherlab, and it's working fine. I'll be very interested in seeing what you come up with in v7.

118

willistuder

on Jul 11, 2009

Zubaz

reply 7

willistuder

That's great, Zubaz. It will include the necessities to hook up legally with TWC so that the skinners don't need to figure that out, won't it? I think that's the main problem they're having in trying to reconfigure their widgets.We'll have to see if it's possible before we look at features available (if any).

Good luck

119

ZubaZ

on Jul 11, 2009

If it's the statement that weather is the king of DX, that's based on numbers. It's the most popular reason for buying DesktopX.

The same was once true of calendars (based on uploaded objects and downloads). Things do change.

120

bilbo1930

on Jul 11, 2009

Dear bilbo1930 and Fairyy~,

I have no words to illustrate my bad feelings and how I understand you! Seems after a few days like this I will be ready to do the same...

thanks Vadim!

Im contacted Renate aka MsLovely, who made/reskin ton's of weather widgets, here and on DA, SA, and some other site..

She have bad feelings in this time, and she said: " I am not gonna stop skinning, I love it too much, but I am just not gonna post anymore..."

..hmm.. interesting..

Weather and clock/calendars are best/highlighted dx items, this is why SD include those, ( SD own versions) with MyColors..

If the weather not work you will remove that..

If u use multigig ram and, sd plugin not work, you will remove that?

If the multicore processor usage don't work with sd plugin, you will remove that?

Jim: You don't fix anything, cos not ur fault, and now, u don't have sample for fixing, then u just delete some items from ur dxtheme... but I think your downloaders highly need those removed element's too..

..with working version of course...

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