Now that it has been established that developers need to write code those of us who are not that well initiated in the art of software development can feel a little left out when it comes to contributing to Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) projects. Ubuntu avails people in the Community with an opportunity to contribute in a host of other ways including the wallpapers.Yet every six months people are always moaning and complaining about how ugly the default Ubuntu wallpaper collection is.
Ghandi said, “ Be the change you want to see.” The contest to choose 10 new wallpapers for Ubuntu 13.04 has kicked off. The bi-annual competition is open to anyone who thinks that their photographic or illustrated design is good enough to feature on the desktop of millions of Ubuntu PCs around the world. All the photos should be submitted to this photo sharing pool for Raring Ringtail (the next Ubuntu release) on Flickr.
If you want to win please bear in mind the rules of the competition:
- As with the last contest for Ubuntu 12.10, only one wallpaper can be submitted per person.
The Ubuntu Design Team’s Otto Greenslade offers a few pointers on creating a potentially winning entry:
- Don’t create busy images, or fill them with too many shapes and colors
- Use a single point of focus; a single area that draws the eye in
- Avoid having anything on the left and top edges as this will clash with Unity interface elements
- Test your image at different aspect ratios to make sure it ‘works’
Further composition guidelines can be found on the Ubuntu Wiki.
I have always desire to see a locally made wallpaper in the default Ubuntu wallpaper collection. Given the beautiful scenes that grace our country and the ease with which one can get hold of a digital camera there is simply no excuse not to give it a try. You need to make sure that you have added your submission to the Flickr group pool by 6pm GMT on 8th March.
Let us put Zimbabwe on the map. If you feel like you are not a designer remember:Every artist was once an amateur once-Waldo Emerson.
Always do what you are afraid to do- Waldo Emerson.
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6 comments
I wonder why newbies always complain about the default Wallpaper pack for Ubuntu. Has anyone ever taken time to look at the MS Windows default pack? I think Ubuntu does a better job with the default wallpapers, at least it seems to put a better effort than MS.
I think this is because the wallpapers do not have a Windows Logo. That can be very upsetting.
The problem isn’t the default wallpapers, its the default wallpaper. It is the first thing you see upon a default installation. It is the first impression new users get. It is always good to make a first impression. Fading purple, and browns haven’t done it. They need to make a statement with the initial impressions.