We don't have to promote SS.  I think it was the wrong decision to have the top 4 sites in the poll.  They already take enough money from us to promote themselves and us doing their job would be madness.

So I'll stick with my referral links to GL and P5.  Might add one for YM, as they're doing a great job recently.

Quote from: JohnItalia on March 29, 2013, 13:12

GraphicLeftovers? I would hope they don't end up in the top 3!

I actually liked doing business with GL for a time. But when you deal with top and middle tier companies who are very busy and they take the time to get back to you when you email them with a question and a low tier company like GL takes a month to get back to you with an email that makes no sense I feel their professionalism suffers.
I won't get into detail, however, the answer I got back was, "No, we at GL are too busy to answer all emails in detail" I would hate to see a company that treats its photographer like that get promoted. Just my opinion and my observation. Hope you are being treated better if you are promoting them.

Thanks for the explanation, John.  I haven't had that experience with them, but I can understand why you would not be a fan if that's how you were treated. 

Quote from: sharpshot on March 29, 2013, 17:03

We don't have to promote SS.  I think it was the wrong decision to have the top 4 sites in the poll.  They already take enough money from us to promote themselves and us doing their job would be madness.

So I'll stick with my referral links to GL and P5.  Might add one for YM, as they're doing a great job recently.

Frankly, I completely agree with you Sharpshot!  Limit of the fair trade is 50:50 in all agency jobs...
But what others will tell if we change campaign to GL?
What I can do at this moment, maybe poll's question is partly wrong?
Or we can open a referendum question at the end of this poll...??

You can either pick the highest genuine fair trade site from this poll or do another one that excludes sites that pay us a low percentage commission.  Having istock in the poll when some people only get 15% and they've virtually given away images to Google without our agreement makes it worthless to me.

It is insanity that SS is in the lead. I really can't believe this.

Probably people vote rashly!
So what we can do?

Let everything be transparent!

We can make referendum question only for all those who wish to participate in campaign
So when campaign starts, everyone who will be in should put links as a proof of promotion....

Quote from: borg on March 30, 2013, 09:07

Let everything be transparent!
We can make referendum question only for all those who wish to participate in campaign
So when campaign starts, everyone who will be in should put links as a proof of promotion....

I like the idea of the campaign but just not for an agency with an rpd of less than a dollar.

Can someone make easy understandable referendum question with explanation why (YES/NO) for last two days of this poll!?
My English is not so good (this pool is a proof  )
It should be 50%+ agency, SS is OK but their percentage is unclear...

Just to explain to "rashly people" in this voting why we want to change the winning agency in case if SS holds 1st place...

Or poll for people who change their opinion and want to remove a vote for SS from this poll! Then SS can fall on second place!

I'm confused. The heading at the top of the poll says:

POLL: Please vote which "FAIR TRADE AGENCY" will be the first in our "Joint promotion and marketing campaign"!

istock is considered a fair trade agency? 

Maybe is not for you, but it can be for someone? Many contributors have private agreement with them!
As in politics, not all parties are equally evaluated for everybody...

Also it's not right that I as the creator of this poll, make decision which agency will be here and which not...

Why not just disqualify any site that pays less than 50% commission?  It's obvious that GL is the winning site that pays at least 50% commission.  I don't see much point in doing another poll that will come up with the same result.

To be fair to SS, all they have to do is raise their commission percentage to 50% and they will be declared the winner.  I'm sure they'll be willing to do that

Because , u will have a winner on forum and nothing more than that , people will continue doing what they were doing by now, few will join and by trying to make a fire you'll end up with lighter flame to light a cigarette and wonder what next after another fail.

If anything is to be achived it has to be something with more choices and something minority of us needs to promote among other contributors first and if that can be achieved than u will have a ground to build something.


Im thinking that we need to write some kind of contributors codex which among other things can contain what SITES  we "unofficially" recommend buying from and contributing to.

We need to start impacting the market actively if we want changes , for example why not start codex with not recommending contributing to any new site that pays less than 50% and explain why.

Noone will be hurt loosing income when it still doesn't exist.  Lets help only few really fair sites , and start building them up to catch leaders and than later maybe it will  force leaders to lift bar.

So if new small site shows up on forum and ask to contribute , they will know from where they have to start planning business if they want contributors.

I believe writing an unofficial contributors  codex for starters and strongly promoting it to other contributors and buyers it a strong start.

Sure there will always be people not wanting to take advice but as more as we can promote codex more will start understand why...

U have a site thats strong but pay peanuts , people wont stop uploading but hey lets recomand to people not to give best shots from series there at least.

Its easier than delete portfolio , or stop contributing...

We are part of the market , huge part , so lets start to play a role in it

Quote from: Lizard on March 30, 2013, 19:38

Its easier than delete portfolio , or stop contributing...

It is, but probably has less impact too.

Exactly , but less impact on both ends , for contributors also u agree ?

People are not ready to make big moves that make  big impact on their side especially if its connected with  some immediate financial loss.

U cannot unite people in things they disagree on but in just the opposite.

I think that we get much clearer picture about contributors with this poll, than ever before!

I can open another poll "Do you want to remove your vote for Shutterstock?"
So if that number will exceed the difference between SS and GL we will have another winner...

Or  "Do you agree that promotional agency should be an agency with contributor's 50%+ royalty rate?"...
Shutterstock has unclear royalty rate and certanly less than 50%...

Etc.

"Marketing plan" is what I intend to talk about several days before poll's end!
My intention is also to ask the winning agency to prepare as much as they can, any kind of promotional materials...
I know that this can not be something big especially for the first time, but this can be  "a big message", that we are, in fact, partners who work together!
This is the least what we can do!
One month of our promotion, totally free, even 100 of contributors is not so small number if we start together in same time...

This is like "spring ecology cleaning action" in the nature of a small town ... You can not clean the world in 7 days of action, but you can send a message ...
Next time may be "eco cleaning action" in two cities!

 You can not change the world! But small virus can! Act as a virus!

Quote from: cthoman on March 30, 2013, 20:53

Quote from: Lizard on March 30, 2013, 19:38

Its easier than delete portfolio , or stop contributing...

It is, but probably has less impact too.

Exactly , but less impact on both ends , for contributors also u agree ?

People are not ready to make big moves that make  big impact on their side especially if its connected with  some immediate financial loss.

U cannot unite people in things they disagree on but in just the opposite.

Definitely less impact on your wallet, but that may be the point. Can you get results without sacrifices? I'm not saying that to spur a revolution. I'm just posing the question. Will promotion alone have an impact or do you need more?

Why consider only %?
What is better a site that gives you 90% and sell 1 photo a year or a site that gives you 20% and sells 50 photos a day?

Thank You for pointing out the obvious that has been ignored. One place pays 50% and people average $19 a month, the other pays 20% and people average $160 a month, but this thread, ignores bottom line, actual earnings and money in the bank, in favor of percentages.

The most recent site to drop from the Microstock business offered 80% didn't it?

And then some want to remove sites that they don't want, from the poll. Lets see? We don't like the response and people aren't answering the way we want, so we'll eliminate the choices until we get the answer we want to see?

Wag the dog folks, it's not going to make the buyers change to places that are "contributor friendly".