Author Topic: DT's official policy on 'similars'? (Read 4177 times)

Poncke · « **Reply #25 on:** July 08, 2012, 04:23 »

Quote from: stockastic on July 07, 2012, 12:42

Quote from: TheBlackRhino on July 07, 2012, 11:14
Quote from: stockastic on July 06, 2012, 16:04
We all know DT has gone bananas on 'similars' and I've already felt the sting when good shots were rejected. I now have 3 images I want to submit - same subject, but collections of objects of different color sets. Obviously a designer wanting to illustrate this subject might prefer one set of colors over another. But it would be pointless to submit 3 only to have 2 rejected.

I looked around their site but didn't find any actual statement of the new policy on 'similars'. Does anyone know from experience what might happen, or want to make a prediction?

Spread your submissions out over a few weeks.

I think that's what I'll do. I know all 3 would sell over time and I don't want some clueless reviewer tossing 2 of them to meet a quota. Nice that we now have to trick them into accepting photos that will make them money.

I tried that but didnt fly. I had unique designs, spread over batches, rejected for similar

Poncke · « **Reply #26 on:** July 08, 2012, 08:32 »

Poncke · « **Reply #27 on:** July 08, 2012, 08:33 »

jarih · « **Reply #28 on:** July 08, 2012, 10:50 »

While ago I upload 18 photos collection to DT. I expected that half of them are rejected because too similar. But, what a heck, all of them passed through.. really it was first time on sets.. may by there is some kind of "madam fortune"

stockastic · « **Reply #29 on:** July 08, 2012, 11:27 »

Quote from: Poncke on July 08, 2012, 04:23

Quote from: stockastic on July 07, 2012, 12:42
Quote from: TheBlackRhino on July 07, 2012, 11:14
Quote from: stockastic on July 06, 2012, 16:04
We all know DT has gone bananas on 'similars' and I've already felt the sting when good shots were rejected. I now have 3 images I want to submit - same subject, but collections of objects of different color sets. Obviously a designer wanting to illustrate this subject might prefer one set of colors over another. But it would be pointless to submit 3 only to have 2 rejected.

I looked around their site but didn't find any actual statement of the new policy on 'similars'. Does anyone know from experience what might happen, or want to make a prediction?

Spread your submissions out over a few weeks.

I think that's what I'll do. I know all 3 would sell over time and I don't want some clueless reviewer tossing 2 of them to meet a quota. Nice that we now have to trick them into accepting photos that will make them money.

I tried that but didnt fly. I had unique designs, spread over batches, rejected for similar

Then they must be checking for keyword matches (like microbius said earlier), meaning we can't win.

cascoly · « **Reply #30 on:** July 08, 2012, 12:12 »

once i find a good set of keywords, i tend to use them - i have new images accepted at DT using those keywords & descri[ptions, but also get 'similars ' rejections, so it's not simple

all would be a lot easier if the agencies looked on contributors as allies not enemies and gave us more info on how their reviewers actually work. a few would try to game the system, but most would work ytowards mutual benefits. instead we all waste time trying to guess what will or wont be accepted today

stockastic · « **Reply #31 on:** July 08, 2012, 12:32 »

I have no evidence to back this up, but I feel like the root cause of aa lot of the weirdness going on with inspections at all the agencies is turnover among their inspectors. They're probably not paying enough to recruit and retain the right people. It's a constantly churning pool of newbies, temps and students, all with slightly different interpretations of "guidelines" which change every month. Either that or the whole thing is outsourced to some shop that promises big cost savings, then when that turns into chaos they outsource it again somewhere else...

ruxpriencdiam · « **Reply #32 on:** July 09, 2012, 07:51 »

Wanna know another weird one?

I have images waiting and yesterday morning the ETR was 21 hours last night it went to 20 hours and this morning it is down to 19!

What the hail type of clock are they using?

heywoody · « **Reply #33 on:** July 09, 2012, 08:03 »

Quote from: ruxpriencdiam on July 09, 2012, 07:51

Wanna know another weird one?

I have images waiting and yesterday morning the ETR was 21 hours last night it went to 20 hours and this morning it is down to 19!

What the hail type of clock are they using?

It's not a countdown but a (generally inaccurate) estimate at a point in time based on the length of the queue and when you submitted.

tab62 · « **Reply #34 on:** July 09, 2012, 09:35 »

The funniest part is they told me it hurts my own sales! Let's see I have had one sale for $.35 in 17 days boy I better not have similar pics or I risk losing that $.35

Poncke · « **Reply #35 on:** July 09, 2012, 11:19 »

Quote from: tab62 on July 09, 2012, 09:35

The funniest part is they told me it hurts my own sales! Let's see I have had one sale for $.35 in 17 days boy I better not have similar pics or I risk losing that $.35

Told me the same, but I am out. Problem is that I could only deactivate so many photos. So the rest is up for downloads until I can deactivate again, but I will never reach pay out. So its money in the pockets of DT, which stings me the most.

stockmarketer · « **Reply #36 on:** July 09, 2012, 12:10 »

Quote from: stockastic on July 08, 2012, 11:27

Quote from: Poncke on July 08, 2012, 04:23
Quote from: stockastic on July 07, 2012, 12:42
Quote from: TheBlackRhino on July 07, 2012, 11:14
Quote from: stockastic on July 06, 2012, 16:04
We all know DT has gone bananas on 'similars' and I've already felt the sting when good shots were rejected. I now have 3 images I want to submit - same subject, but collections of objects of different color sets. Obviously a designer wanting to illustrate this subject might prefer one set of colors over another. But it would be pointless to submit 3 only to have 2 rejected.

I looked around their site but didn't find any actual statement of the new policy on 'similars'. Does anyone know from experience what might happen, or want to make a prediction?

Spread your submissions out over a few weeks.

I think that's what I'll do. I know all 3 would sell over time and I don't want some clueless reviewer tossing 2 of them to meet a quota. Nice that we now have to trick them into accepting photos that will make them money.

I tried that but didnt fly. I had unique designs, spread over batches, rejected for similar

Then they must be checking for keyword matches (like microbius said earlier), meaning we can't win.

As discussed earlier in the thread, I'm convinced it's an algorithm that is comparing shapes, composition, colors, keywords, etc. Spacing "similars" out over time, won't help. The computer -- not the reviewer, whether newbie or veteran -- will catch them and kick them out.

sgoodwin4813 · « **Reply #37 on:** July 09, 2012, 12:58 »

Quote from: stockmarketer on July 09, 2012, 12:10

As discussed earlier in the thread, I'm convinced it's an algorithm that is comparing shapes, composition, colors, keywords, etc. Spacing "similars" out over time, won't help. The computer -- not the reviewer, whether newbie or veteran -- will catch them and kick them out.

I'm going to test that hypothesis with my next batch and will see what happens...

stockmarketer · « **Reply #38 on:** July 09, 2012, 13:02 »

Quote from: sgoodwin4813 on July 09, 2012, 12:58

Quote from: stockmarketer on July 09, 2012, 12:10
As discussed earlier in the thread, I'm convinced it's an algorithm that is comparing shapes, composition, colors, keywords, etc. Spacing "similars" out over time, won't help. The computer -- not the reviewer, whether newbie or veteran -- will catch them and kick them out.

I'm going to test that hypothesis with my next batch and will see what happens...

Best of luck... I hope I'm wrong. Let us know how your attempts pan out. (I've tried a few times in recent batches... a few cases of a single image that is somewhat similar to one other approved shot in my port... and was shot down each time, convincing me that it couldn't be a person finding the similarities... it would be like playing a match game with thousands of cards. No one could do that all day long.)

ruxpriencdiam · « **Reply #39 on:** July 10, 2012, 08:05 »

Well as usual the similar BS strikes again!!!!

I mean what are you only allowed one shot of one image?

I took 6 different shots of one image from all different angles and all using different focal lengths and they hit me with the similar BS once again!

No wonder why i dont bother with them they come up with lame reasons to reject an image that sells well on every other site it is on!

Not to mention they are Editorial and i have close to 1000 i can upload but only allowed 35 a week and by the time they get done rejecting on "Similars" the 1000 will be lucky if it is 100!

What do you have to do? Kiss somebodies ashe and be a big time brown noser?

Mantis · « **Reply #40 on:** July 10, 2012, 16:22 »

Quote from: ruxpriencdiam on July 10, 2012, 08:05

What do you have to do? Kiss somebodies ashe and be a big time brown noser?

Yes. Put on those knee pads, apply that chapstick, pucker up, plug your nose and dig in....so I hear anyway

qwerty · « **Reply #41 on:** July 10, 2012, 16:27 »

Quote from: tab62 on July 09, 2012, 09:35

The funniest part is they told me it hurts my own sales! Let's see I have had one sale for $.35 in 17 days boy I better not have similar pics or I risk losing that $.35

Their theory is that images will not climb as high in the levels ranking if you have similar photos. i.e people will buy the cheaper similar still on level 1 instead of a level 2 and so on.

stockastic · « **Reply #42 on:** July 13, 2012, 09:33 »

I'm the OP.

They accepted 2, rejected 1 as "similar". Arbitrary and senseless.

ruxpriencdiam · « **Reply #43 on:** July 13, 2012, 10:08 »

They rejected a bunch of mine for similar and said that it would compete with my other images making less money for me to be had?

I dont know about anyone else but when a buyer has more choices to choose from from you they will pick you because you have more to offer besides the similar rejected one may be the one the buyer is looking for!!!!!!

And now it was trashed by the DT similar rejection staff.

ruxpriencdiam · « **Reply #44 on:** July 13, 2012, 10:19 »

Here is the official reasoning behind similars!

Quote

- You already have several very similar images in your portfolio or approved within this batch. If approved, these files will compete against each other for downloads thus diluting your sales.

BS

Mantis · « **Reply #45 on:** July 15, 2012, 19:21 »

Quote from: ruxpriencdiam on July 13, 2012, 10:19

Here is the official reasoning behind similars!

Quote
- You already have several very similar images in your portfolio or approved within this batch. If approved, these files will compete against each other for downloads thus diluting your sales.

BS

A while back Serban posted examples on DT's forum of what he meant by similars when they started this stupid inspection process. But if my memory serves me correctly it was true similars... a bunch of the same shot with different angles. That was pretty obvious and understandable. But it's morphed into an unreasonable inspection process, mostly because they use automation to call the bull crap card instead of an actual reviewer. That, Serban, should be ashamed of.

toots · « **Reply #46 on:** October 23, 2012, 05:34 »

Quote from: TheBlackRhino on July 07, 2012, 11:14

Spread your submissions out over a few weeks.

That doesn't work either. I recently uploaded a Christmas 'similar' image to one that I uploaded over a year ago, and it got rejected for 'too similar'.

Pixart · « **Reply #47 on:** October 23, 2012, 09:34 »

I don't know if there were people in your Christmas shot, but I've realized that if you stagger a similar shot with same keywords/title attached to same model release it gets rejected instantly. Some from series can be very different but the variety of available keywords is limited!

KuriousKat · « **Reply #48 on:** October 23, 2012, 14:15 »

With a mentality that rejects 2013 calendars for being too similar to the ones I submitted last year, I'm afraid it just isn't worth the effort.

I may not be a big player but I make DT a couple of hundred dollars a month. However, I can't be bothered with the aggro - not to mention the increasingly difficult task of maintaining an 80% acceptance rate - so I have given up on them.

It's a shame, as I started with DT and have always had a bit of a soft spot for them but, business is business, and I'm not about to modify my work to fit their needs - what they reject sells well on other sites and, pretty soon, DT will have 'limited stock' and their buyers will look to other suppliers.