MicrostockGroup

Agency Based Discussion => iStockPhoto.com => Topic started by: Shank_ali on July 10, 2011, 00:44

Title: Partner Program-Observations/sales/concerns !
Post by: Shank_ali on July 10, 2011, 00:44
Seems like the connector,the system by which our nominated files are migrated from Istock to the Partner Program, is now working....
I can now see another 40 of my images for sale on the PP sites.That's 1010.Still another 30 waiting and my London Lypse content will be added in due course.
Title: Re: Partner Program-speak freely away from big brother..
Post by: Sean Locke Photography on July 10, 2011, 05:55
Congrats.
Title: Re: Partner Program-speak freely away from big brother..
Post by: BaldricksTrousers on July 10, 2011, 06:05
lol
Title: Re: Partner Program-speak freely away from big brother..
Post by: lagereek on July 10, 2011, 11:36
Congrats to what?
Title: Re: Partner Program-speak freely away from big brother..
Post by: Shank_ali on July 10, 2011, 12:31
Congrats to what?
he is showing his approval that the system,where by files nominated are beginning to show on the PP sites alot quicker than before....
Title: Re: Partner Program-speak freely away from big brother..
Post by: Sean Locke Photography on July 10, 2011, 12:37
Congrats to what?

He obviously felt he had achieved or done something of importance to trigger the post, although I'm not sure what is was.
Title: Re: Partner Program-speak freely away from big brother..
Post by: Jo Ann Snover on July 10, 2011, 12:50
Perhaps you could change the title of the post to reflect what sort of comment you're making - or soliciting from others.

As you know, speaking freely about the partner program could include comments from those of us who consider the program a deeply anti-contributor move on Getty's part - given your support for it, I doubt that's what you were after.

We could rehash what a monumentally incompetent cock-up the various software teams have made of the seemingly simple process of moving content from a to b and removing said content if asked. However we already have lots of threads about iStock's software "challenges". Not sure what the point would be - bug reports should go elsewhere and after a while it gets tiring listing all the broken stuff.

If you want to collect data on who has seen new files show up on the partner sites, the title doesn't really make that clear
Title: Re: Partner Program-Observations/sales/concerns !
Post by: Shank_ali on July 10, 2011, 12:54
Title edited to make the intention of this thread more clear.....The Partner Program.
Title: Re: Partner Program-speak freely away from big brother..
Post by: Starbucks on July 10, 2011, 12:57
To put it crassly, shank is an iStock cheerleader hoping that his brown-nosing will eventually lead to a position as a moderator and/or inspector :)
Title: Re: Partner Program-Observations/sales/concerns !
Post by: ShadySue on July 10, 2011, 15:11
Seems like the connector,the system by which our nominated files are migrated from Istock to the Partner Program, is now working....
I can now see another 40 of my images for sale on the PP sites.That's 1010.Still another 30 waiting and my London Lypse content will be added in due course.
I can see how excited you are that the photos you paid £1000 to take will soon be on sale for 40c a whack, at any size.
Title: Re: Partner Program-Observations/sales/concerns !
Post by: Slovenian on July 10, 2011, 15:16
Lypse costs £1000?!? :o For group shooting of something anyone can do by himself?!? Lol! I wouldn't say there were models, lighting; MUAs, stylists, but shoot editorial with zero cost and charging a grand? Wow!

BTW PP program is pathetic, I've opted all in and there are only about a third on the PP sites, none have moved in months. Earnings are down as well, so I'm thinking of opting all out, but it won't work anyway, so why even bother...
Title: Re: Partner Program-Observations/sales/concerns !
Post by: ShadySue on July 10, 2011, 16:16
Lypse costs £1000?!? :o For group shooting of something anyone can do by himself?!? Lol! I wouldn't say there were models, lighting; MUAs, stylists, but shoot editorial with zero cost and charging a grand? Wow!
Not quite.
If you check out the Milan Lypse thread, you'll see that the actual cost of attending the lypse was $500, but what with travel, accommodation etc, Shankie had paid about £1000, which interestingly was the price I worked out I'd have had to pay had I gone.
Also that 'lypse did have studio model stuff with all the expenses you suggest. Plus the staff were staying at a 'relatively' expensive hotel in London - exactly double the price of the place I stay in London when I go.
Title: Re: Partner Program-speak freely away from big brother..
Post by: BaldricksTrousers on July 10, 2011, 16:30
To put it crassly, shank is an iStock cheerleader hoping that his brown-nosing will eventually lead to a position as a moderator and/or inspector :)

If he is, then he isn't very good at it, otherwise he wouldn't be banned by Lobo for the third time. I think he's just a maverick.
Title: Re: Partner Program-speak freely away from big brother..
Post by: cathyslife on July 10, 2011, 17:45
To put it crassly, shank is an iStock cheerleader hoping that his brown-nosing will eventually lead to a position as a moderator and/or inspector :)

If he is, then he isn't very good at it, otherwise he wouldn't be banned by Lobo for the third time. I think he's just a maverick.

Well maybe he is trying to worm his way back into good graces over there, so he's coming here and posting tons of threads, extolling the fabulous virtues of istock.
Title: Re: Partner Program-speak freely away from big brother..
Post by: Slovenian on July 10, 2011, 17:45
To put it crassly, shank is an iStock cheerleader hoping that his brown-nosing will eventually lead to a position as a moderator and/or inspector :)

If he is, then he isn't very good at it, otherwise he wouldn't be banned by Lobo for the third time. I think he's just a maverick.

U see, that's just what they want you to believe :P ;D ;)
Title: Re: Partner Program-Observations/sales/concerns !
Post by: Slovenian on July 10, 2011, 17:47
BTW brown-nosing, I just love that expression ;D (heard it for the first time)
Title: Re: Partner Program-Observations/sales/concerns !
Post by: luissantos84 on July 10, 2011, 18:39
IS rocks  ;D

I am in the PP since the first month, back in November 2009, still have 1/4 of my potfolio not migrated :)

I will keep on waiting/adding and collecting some bucks once I am doing around 50% of my IS income there at that outlet
Title: Re: Partner Program-Observations/sales/concerns !
Post by: SNP on July 10, 2011, 18:42
BTW brown-nosing, I just love that expression ;D (heard it for the first time)

have you been living under a rock?
Title: Re: Partner Program-Observations/sales/concerns !
Post by: lisafx on July 10, 2011, 21:19
BTW brown-nosing, I just love that expression ;D (heard it for the first time)

have you been living under a rock?

I am guessing it is not a common expression in Slovenia?  I am sure they must have something comparable.  Would love to hear what it is.
Title: Re: Partner Program-Observations/sales/concerns !
Post by: SNP on July 10, 2011, 23:21
^ I guess I assumed from Slovenian's prolific posting in excellent English that he/she would have heard the term before.... ;)
Title: Re: Partner Program-Observations/sales/concerns !
Post by: Shank_ali on July 11, 2011, 01:03

BTW PP program is pathetic, I've opted all in and there are only about a third on the PP sites, none have moved in months. Earnings are down as well, so I'm thinking of opting all out, but it won't work anyway, so why even bother...
You have to be a little bit more patient.Files do get migrated and Thinkstock will become the internets premier subsription site in the coming years IMO.
I joined the PP from the start when my nose was still the same color as my arse  ;)
Title: Re: Partner Program-Observations/sales/concerns !
Post by: sharpshot on July 11, 2011, 02:01
Thinkstock the internets premier subs site?  That would be about as good for us as Sarah Palin becoming the next president :)
Title: Re: Partner Program-Observations/sales/concerns !
Post by: lagereek on July 11, 2011, 02:03
Shanks!

"TS, will become the internets premiere subscription site" ?  and who or what, would like to be a part of that?  they are already slaughtered in media and press, cant remember but some paper even called it a gigantic dustbin or something and all this is there for buyers to read and on a global scale.

I think youre right though! six moths to a year from now, IS, will probably be a part of TS, enjoying its "great" reputation. Yep!  its a great and intelligent way of ruining the whole industry.

Fortunately!!  buyers and industry users are beginning to open their eyes, realising that nine times out of ten, they are paying for what they themselves could achieve with a P/S, or even with a mobile phone.

A desperate try to imitate SS, but lacking the power, clout and cache, of SS.
Title: Re: Partner Program-Observations/sales/concerns !
Post by: qwerty on July 11, 2011, 02:42
trolling up a storm again.  Why don't you start a thread about how good the RC system is, how good istocks submission process is etc
Title: Re: Partner Program-Observations/sales/concerns !
Post by: Slovenian on July 11, 2011, 03:52
BTW brown-nosing, I just love that expression ;D (heard it for the first time)

have you been living under a rock?

I am guessing it is not a common expression in Slovenia?  I am sure they must have something comparable.  Would love to hear what it is.

It's not. We don't really have anything so sophisticated, or at least it's not so short (more than 2 words are used to describe someone with this "quality":). Ppl say something like just sign your soles so we know who we're are pulling out of his/her ass or something. So not so sophisticated, but deeper, lol. But when it comes to cussing, well that's a whole new story alltogether, our language is indeed just so much richer than English, it's on a whole new level than motherfcuker, deuche(bag), co*ksucker, moron, go to hell etc. All of these are really just super mild compared to the way we do it. Spanish is closer for instance, if there are some latinos (or spanish) among you, than I can tell you coje a tu madre and tu madre tiene un pene can be compared to some of our cuss words :) .

BTW SNP tnx for the compliment ;D
Title: Re: Partner Program-Observations/sales/concerns !
Post by: jamirae on July 11, 2011, 11:18

BTW PP program is pathetic, I've opted all in and there are only about a third on the PP sites, none have moved in months. Earnings are down as well, so I'm thinking of opting all out, but it won't work anyway, so why even bother...
You have to be a little bit more patient.Files do get migrated and Thinkstock will become the internets premier subsription site in the coming years IMO.
I joined the PP from the start when my nose was still the same color as my arse  ;)

hahahahahaha!! funniest thing I've heard in awhile!!
Title: Re: Partner Program-Observations/sales/concerns !
Post by: jamirae on July 11, 2011, 11:18
Thinkstock the internets premier subs site?  That would be about as good for us as Sarah Palin becoming the next president :)

don't even say that!  you're scaring the children!
Title: Re: Partner Program-Observations/sales/concerns !
Post by: Shank_ali on July 11, 2011, 12:26
trolling up a storm again.  Why don't you start a thread about how good the RC system is, [snip]



That's next week !....Let's stick to one interesting thread a week.The PP will grow and so will the money payed to those contributors who have opted in.
Title: Re: Partner Program-Observations/sales/concerns !
Post by: BaldricksTrousers on July 11, 2011, 12:30
trolling up a storm again.  Why don't you start a thread about how good the RC system is, [snip]



That's next week !....Let's stick to one interesting thread a week.The PP will grow and so will the money payed to those contributors who have opted in.

So why were your last comments there about your earnings collapsing?
Title: Re: Partner Program-Observations/sales/concerns !
Post by: Slovenian on July 11, 2011, 12:33
Thinkstock the internets premier subs site?  That would be about as good for us as Sarah Palin becoming the next president :)

don't even say that!  you're scaring the children!

All she was good for is for inspiring screenplay writers/producers in the adult fim industry ;)
Title: Re: Partner Program-Observations/sales/concerns !
Post by: Shank_ali on July 11, 2011, 12:39
trolling up a storm again.  Why don't you start a thread about how good the RC system is, [snip]



That's next week !....Let's stick to one interesting thread a week.The PP will grow and so will the money payed to those contributors who have opted in.

So why were your last comments there about your earnings collapsing?
I don't quite follow? I never got chance to post my June PP stats which a marked improvement over May 100+.I'm looking for 500 PP sales a month.I want to buy a dairy cow for the back garden.Fresh milk on my cornflakes ever morning would be bliss !
Title: Re: Partner Program-Observations/sales/concerns !
Post by: ShadySue on July 11, 2011, 14:02
I want to buy a dairy cow for the back garden.Fresh milk on my cornflakes ever morning would be bliss !
If you'd saved your £1000, you could have a mini-herd of dairy cows and sell the milk: that way you'd be quids in.  ;)
Title: Re: Partner Program-Observations/sales/concerns !
Post by: BaldricksTrousers on July 11, 2011, 14:39
I want to buy a dairy cow for the back garden.Fresh milk on my cornflakes ever morning would be bliss !
If you'd saved your £1000, you could have a mini-herd of dairy cows and sell the milk: that way you'd be quids in.  ;)

He wouldn't get a very good herd at that price.
Title: Re: Partner Program-Observations/sales/concerns !
Post by: Jo Ann Snover on July 11, 2011, 15:15
I want to buy a dairy cow for the back garden.Fresh milk on my cornflakes ever morning would be bliss !
If you'd saved your £1000, you could have a mini-herd of dairy cows and sell the milk: that way you'd be quids in.  ;)

He wouldn't get a very good herd at that price.

Goats, perhaps? :)
Title: Re: Partner Program-Observations/sales/concerns !
Post by: Shank_ali on July 11, 2011, 16:28
Hopely June payments will start to get added to our accounts this weekend.Hoping !
Title: Re: Partner Program-Observations/sales/concerns !
Post by: qwerty on July 11, 2011, 17:13
I want to buy a dairy cow for the back garden.Fresh milk on my cornflakes ever morning would be bliss !
If you'd saved your £1000, you could have a mini-herd of dairy cows and sell the milk: that way you'd be quids in.  ;)

He wouldn't get a very good herd at that price.

Rats are cheaper

Goats, perhaps? :)
Title: Re: Partner Program-Observations/sales/concerns !
Post by: Shank_ali on July 16, 2011, 01:24
Hopely June payments will start to get added to our accounts this weekend.Hoping !
Just been confirmed by adam .They will be completed next weekend...Hopely i can beat 434 sales from last month or match it !
Title: Re: Partner Program-Observations/sales/concerns !
Post by: Shank_ali on July 16, 2011, 04:27
Someone forgot to turn on the PP switch before leaving HQ on friday.Pfffff.Come monday it will be some lame excuse... sowwwy it's the internet and things break !
Title: Re: Partner Program-Observations/sales/concerns !
Post by: gclk on July 16, 2011, 04:37
trolling up a storm again.  Why don't you start a thread about how good the RC system is, [snip]
That's next week !....Let's stick to one interesting thread a week.The PP will grow and so will the money payed to those contributors who have opted in.
So why were your last comments there about your earnings collapsing?
I don't quite follow? I never got chance to post my June PP stats which a marked improvement over May 100+.I'm looking for 500 PP sales a month.I want to buy a dairy cow for the back garden.Fresh milk on my cornflakes ever morning would be bliss !
You might come home one day and find that iStock are milking it ;)
Title: Re: Partner Program-Observations/sales/concerns !
Post by: Mantis on July 16, 2011, 07:15
^ I guess I assumed from Slovenian's prolific posting in excellent English that he/she would have heard the term before.... ;)

Maybe if they had Geico commercials there :-\
Title: Re: Partner Program-Observations/sales/concerns !
Post by: Slovenian on July 16, 2011, 12:21
Someone forgot to turn on the PP switch before leaving HQ on friday.Pfffff.Come monday it will be some lame excuse... sowwwy it's the internet and things break !

Nothing really surprises me anymore when it comes to IS. In fact I'd be surprised if it happened on time.

But I'm not bothered with it anymore. It's a pathetic agency, delivering worse results (for me and the majority of contributors) every month.
Title: Re: Partner Program-Observations/sales/concerns !
Post by: ShadySue on July 16, 2011, 13:42
Someone forgot to turn on the PP switch before leaving HQ on friday.Pfffff.Come monday it will be some lame excuse... sowwwy it's the internet and things break !

Nothing really surprises me anymore when it comes to IS. In fact I'd be surprised if it happened on time.

But I'm not bothered with it anymore. It's a pathetic agency, delivering worse results (for me and the majority of contributors) every month.
How do you have access to information about the 'majority of contributors'?
There are only a tiny proportion of contributors, many with a 'good' or 'bad' axe to grind, posting either here or on the iStock forums. We can hardly regard either as fully representative.
(I'm not saying that you're wrong, only that you can't possibly know that you're right.)
Title: Re: Partner Program-Observations/sales/concerns !
Post by: Slovenian on July 16, 2011, 14:59
Someone forgot to turn on the PP switch before leaving HQ on friday.Pfffff.Come monday it will be some lame excuse... sowwwy it's the internet and things break !

Nothing really surprises me anymore when it comes to IS. In fact I'd be surprised if it happened on time.

But I'm not bothered with it anymore. It's a pathetic agency, delivering worse results (for me and the majority of contributors) every month.
How do you have access to information about the 'majority of contributors'?
There are only a tiny proportion of contributors, many with a 'good' or 'bad' axe to grind, posting either here or on the iStock forums. We can hardly regard either as fully representative.
(I'm not saying that you're wrong, only that you can't possibly know that you're right.)

That's how polls are made, aren't they? They ask a few hundred/thousand ppl for which party they're going to vote and present the results. Or even a better example they're doing that on the election day throughout the day and when they're over (at 19.00 in my country) they present the results on the news and they're never far off from the official results. They're usually just a few percents off, e.g. a party gets a seat more or less in the parliament. So my method must be very good and proven as well ;)
Title: Re: Partner Program-Observations/sales/concerns !
Post by: pancaketom on July 16, 2011, 16:31


That's how polls are made, aren't they? They ask a few hundred/thousand ppl for which party they're going to vote and present the results. Or even a better example they're doing that on the election day throughout the day and when they're over (at 19.00 in my country) they present the results on the news and they're never far off from the official results. They're usually just a few percents off, e.g. a party gets a seat more or less in the parliament. So my method must be very good and proven as well ;)

In a decent poll they are very careful about those that they select for the poll. There is significant bias in self selected polls in that the people that tend to respond care very strongly or have an agenda or are just those with more time on their hands and they aren't necessarily representative of the whole. If IS hadn't blurred their sales stats then looking at total sales on istockcharts.multimedia.de would have provided an interesting month to month comparison at least of the sales # if not the $ #. (In fact that might have been why they did that).
Title: Re: Partner Program-Observations/sales/concerns !
Post by: BaldricksTrousers on July 16, 2011, 16:47
How do you have access to information about the 'majority of contributors'?
There are only a tiny proportion of contributors, many with a 'good' or 'bad' axe to grind, posting either here or on the iStock forums. We can hardly regard either as fully representative.
(I'm not saying that you're wrong, only that you can't possibly know that you're right.)

Actually, that information is available to someone who has the technical skills to analyse snapshots of the istock chart. I don't and I'm not sufficiently interested in what everyone else does to want to.

While the anecdotal evidence kicking around here and on iStock itself is not conclusive, it is strongly suggestive of long-term decline. So are the internet statistics and so are the reports of improvements in rival sites.

When Lobo hit back at a similar comment on the end-of-month thread, saying lots of people in the first few pages were reporting BMEs, it was interesting that on examination those pages turned out to offer a very mixed bag of results, nowhere near the positive picture Lobo was suggesting even if they weren't the unmitigated gloom the poster suggested.
Title: Re: Partner Program-Observations/sales/concerns !
Post by: ShadySue on July 16, 2011, 19:00
Someone forgot to turn on the PP switch before leaving HQ on friday.Pfffff.Come monday it will be some lame excuse... sowwwy it's the internet and things break !

Nothing really surprises me anymore when it comes to IS. In fact I'd be surprised if it happened on time.

But I'm not bothered with it anymore. It's a pathetic agency, delivering worse results (for me and the majority of contributors) every month.
How do you have access to information about the 'majority of contributors'?
There are only a tiny proportion of contributors, many with a 'good' or 'bad' axe to grind, posting either here or on the iStock forums. We can hardly regard either as fully representative.
(I'm not saying that you're wrong, only that you can't possibly know that you're right.)

That's how polls are made, aren't they? They ask a few hundred/thousand ppl for which party they're going to vote and present the results. Or even a better example they're doing that on the election day throughout the day and when they're over (at 19.00 in my country) they present the results on the news and they're never far off from the official results. They're usually just a few percents off, e.g. a party gets a seat more or less in the parliament. So my method must be very good and proven as well ;)
In this case, there's an extra factor.
If most people are posting good/rising sales, others may not want to post poor results as they might feel it would be seen as a bad reflection on them/their port.
If most people are posting poor/fallng sales, others may not want to post good results in case they're seen as boasting.
Title: Re: Partner Program-Observations/sales/concerns !
Post by: SNP on July 16, 2011, 19:05
^ I think that is a valid observation and probably happens quite a bit.
Title: Re: Partner Program-Observations/sales/concerns !
Post by: BaldricksTrousers on July 16, 2011, 19:09
In this case, there's an extra factor.
If most people are posting good/rising sales, others may not want to post poor results as they might feel it would be seen as a bad reflection on them/their port.
If most people are posting poor/fallng sales, others may not want to post good results in case they're seen as boasting.

My guess (!) would be that this would be a very weak effect. How many of us really care deeply how others react to our sales data posts?

Also, the internet visitor stats are immune from that.

There is some confusion arising from the PP, though. Should that be treated as part of istock earnings or as a separate agency? I'm inclined to regard it as separate, since SS and BS are reported separately. But Canstock includes partner sales in its regular reports...
Title: Re: Partner Program-Observations/sales/concerns !
Post by: BaldricksTrousers on July 16, 2011, 19:10
^ I think that is a valid observation and probably happens quite a bit.

If so, it is a sad reflection on the herd behaviour of photographers.
Title: Re: Partner Program-Observations/sales/concerns !
Post by: SNP on July 16, 2011, 19:33
^ I think that is a valid observation and probably happens quite a bit.

If so, it is a sad reflection on the herd behaviour of photographers.

I don't think people always remember they're photographers in the iStock forums or any forums for that matter. forums thrive on reactive behaviour, so I think Sue's point is a good one. I hadn't thought of it myself, but now that it's been pointed out I can see some contributors not posting for fear of how it would affect their image. I think you might be underestimating how many contributors are intimidated by the forums.
Title: Re: Partner Program-Observations/sales/concerns !
Post by: Slovenian on July 17, 2011, 03:31
In this case, there's an extra factor.
If most people are posting good/rising sales, others may not want to post poor results as they might feel it would be seen as a bad reflection on them/their port.
If most people are posting poor/fallng sales, others may not want to post good results in case they're seen as boasting.

My guess (!) would be that this would be a very weak effect. How many of us really care deeply how others react to our sales data posts?

Also, the internet visitor stats are immune from that.

Exactly! Especially over here, I think there are quite a few ppl who couldn't care less what other are thinking of them and their port. I never care for that, not on IS forums, not in real life, I am what I am. I never change my way of thinking or behaviour to get ppl to like me or approve me (sure you have to adapt to a certain situation, but that doesn't cover long term change of what you are, I'm thinking more of behaving properly in a fancy restaurant or on a business meeting etc). I never really liked the IS forums because of all the suck ups (Woo-yayers) and Lobo. I mean even here, you can see so many brown-nosed exclusives it makes you sick.
Title: Re: Partner Program-Observations/sales/concerns !
Post by: ShadySue on July 17, 2011, 06:30
^ I think that is a valid observation and probably happens quite a bit.

If so, it is a sad reflection on the herd behaviour of photographers.

I don't think people always remember they're photographers in the iStock forums or any forums for that matter. forums thrive on reactive behaviour, so I think Sue's point is a good one. I hadn't thought of it myself, but now that it's been pointed out I can see some contributors not posting for fear of how it would affect their image. I think you might be underestimating how many contributors are intimidated by the forums.

I've heard exactly that said by people in my CN in the past.
Also, here and there, there have been instances where someone posting e.g. with lower sales than is the general forum thread being jumped on by others, e.g., "You need more people pics", "you're not shooting what the buyers want", "you need to upload more", and if someone posts with better than average trends, certain people jump on them with comments like: "You're exclusive/not exclusive", "You're high cannister/low cannister" etc.
Which is bound to discourage others from posting.

I accept that Alexa etc are showing a worrying downwards trend.
Title: Re: Partner Program-Observations/sales/concerns !
Post by: SNP on July 17, 2011, 10:56
FWIW, I don't think Alexa shows much of anything useful....
Title: Re: Partner Program-Observations/sales/concerns !
Post by: Shank_ali on July 18, 2011, 10:12
Still no word as to why contributors did not see any PP payments this weekend.
Title: Re: Partner Program-Observations/sales/concerns !
Post by: BaldricksTrousers on July 18, 2011, 10:26
Still no word as to why contributors did not see any PP payments this weekend.

It's another c0ck-up, what more is there to say?
Title: Re: Partner Program-Observations/sales/concerns !
Post by: ShadySue on July 18, 2011, 10:53
Still no word as to why contributors did not see any PP payments this weekend.

It's another c0ck-up, what more is there to say?
Isn't it funny how they never cock-up when they're getting money out of us, i.e. clawback, %age reductions etc.
Title: Re: Partner Program-Observations/sales/concerns !
Post by: BaldricksTrousers on July 18, 2011, 11:59
Still no word as to why contributors did not see any PP payments this weekend.

It's another c0ck-up, what more is there to say?
Isn't it funny how they never cock-up when they're getting money out of us, i.e. clawback, %age reductions etc.
Be fair, they cock that up, too. Look at the vetta illustration prices, and didn't they fail to cut our pay on Jan 1 this year because they hadn't got the system sorted in time, so we got let off for a week? ... it's just we don't notice those cock-ups so much because they don't add to the upset. Rest assured, it's incompetence, not a conspiracy :)
Title: Re: Partner Program-Observations/sales/concerns !
Post by: RacePhoto on July 18, 2011, 15:21
Thinkstock the internets premier subs site?  That would be about as good for us as Sarah Palin becoming the next president :)

don't even say that!  you're scaring the children!

And scaring the adults too. The ThinkStock part, good thing I wasn't sipping my soda or I'd be cleaning the monitor. "Gold discovered in junk yard?"
Title: Re: Partner Program-Observations/sales/concerns !
Post by: Shank_ali on July 18, 2011, 16:29
Admin Asyumdown(adam) dropped a clanger....The PP payments will start THIS friday.
Title: Re: Partner Program-Observations/sales/concerns !
Post by: Slovenian on July 23, 2011, 03:11
Second weekend in a row that we should get payed and won't, nothing is showing up and the stats should start showing up yesterday. Looks like Adam is in way over his head, even more incompetent than the rest of them. Last week he mistaken PP for V/A payouts, I wonder what's his excuse going to be on Monday if he'll even bother coming out with one.
Title: Re: Partner Program-Observations/sales/concerns !
Post by: RacePhoto on July 24, 2011, 02:03
Admin Asyumdown(adam) dropped a clanger....The PP payments will start THIS friday.

This Friday you are referring to is the 22nd? Two days ago?

Or maybe the 29th?  ???
Title: Re: Partner Program-Observations/sales/concerns !
Post by: Slovenian on July 24, 2011, 03:56
When I'm reading staff's posts in the latest PP thread (mostly Lobo's) I wonder if they're anything more than mindless automatons. They're doing exactly what their job is and no, there's no way for them to deviate from their tasks and let the right ppl that don't read this threads know something's gone wrong. Again. For the second time in a row, meaning ppl will have to wait for at least 2 weeks to more than promised. All Lobo's post:

1. The people you are trying to get your point across to don't frequent these threads.

2. Pink is a moderator. Rants on how the system works don't belong in this thread. We all have our roles here. Mine is to remind people of how quickly sales threads digress. Thanks for providing me with another opportunity to do my job.

No apology for messing it up again. No! Like always, he is warning ppl instead, making sure no one asks any questions. Insted of fixing the problem there's repressive action as usually. This is getting so pathetic and just unbelievable. I won't ask what Lobo is still doing there and how he gets away with such rude and contraproductive behaviour, he's obviously backed by the ppl in charge.

3. What we are going to do going forward is have an Admin or Moderator start the monthly PP thread as soon as we are 100% payments have gone through. We will also make a change to the PP FAQs so that if anyone decides to preemptively open a thread before the official thread is opened we can send them a site mail to remind them of this new policy. The preemptive threads wont be locked they will be deleted.
Title: Re: Partner Program-Observations/sales/concerns !
Post by: ShadySue on July 24, 2011, 05:24
One has to wonder how calm Lobo would be if his - uneroded - wages were to come in over a week late.
Title: Re: Partner Program-Observations/sales/concerns !
Post by: cathyslife on July 24, 2011, 05:28
snip
No apology for messing it up again. No! Like always, he is warning ppl instead, making sure no one asks any questions. Insted of fixing the problem there's repressive action as usually. This is getting so pathetic and just unbelievable. I won't ask what Lobo is still doing there and how he gets away with such rude and contraproductive behaviour, he's obviously backed by the ppl in charge.


No, it's been pathetic and unbelievable for almost a year now, but ppl insist on taking the abuse. As long as that happens, they are going to continue to abuse.
Title: Re: Partner Program-Observations/sales/concerns !
Post by: Batman on July 24, 2011, 15:23
snip
No apology for messing it up again. No! Like always, he is warning ppl instead, making sure no one asks any questions. Insted of fixing the problem there's repressive action as usually. This is getting so pathetic and just unbelievable. I won't ask what Lobo is still doing there and how he gets away with such rude and contraproductive behaviour, he's obviously backed by the ppl in charge.


No, it's been pathetic and unbelievable for almost a year now, but ppl insist on taking the abuse. As long as that happens, they are going to continue to abuse.

Stockholm syndrome
Title: Re: Partner Program-Observations/sales/concerns !
Post by: BaldricksTrousers on July 24, 2011, 16:00
So the new policy is: you can't ask when the payments are due; we won't tell you when the payments are due; whenever we make the payments, after we've finished we'll tell you.

That way, of course, they can never be criticized for things not working (because we're not allowed to know they are meant to work).

Why pinkcottoncandy felt the need to stick her nose into the thread (twice) to say that she didn't know anything about the subject of it is a mystery to me.

The brief period of comparative clarity and efficiency under Asylumdown is now, obviously, at an end.
Title: Re: Partner Program-Observations/sales/concerns !
Post by: Slovenian on July 24, 2011, 16:04
The brief period of comparative clarity and efficiency under Asylumdown is now, obviously, at an end.

I never witnessed that, when did it happen?  :-\  :D
Title: Re: Partner Program-Observations/sales/concerns !
Post by: BaldricksTrousers on July 24, 2011, 16:45
The brief period of comparative clarity and efficiency under Asylumdown is now, obviously, at an end.

I never witnessed that, when did it happen?  :-\  :D

I think for the last two months things happened when he said they would, didn't they?
Title: Re: Partner Program-Observations/sales/concerns !
Post by: Slovenian on July 24, 2011, 16:56
The brief period of comparative clarity and efficiency under Asylumdown is now, obviously, at an end.

I never witnessed that, when did it happen?  :-\  :D

I think for the last two months things happened when he said they would, didn't they?

Nope there was a problem twice, once when we didn't get earnings in one weekend and then it became standard for getting them over 2 and once when we got our earnings not the following month but the 2nd month following it. That boy has been slipping from day 1 ;)
Title: Re: Partner Program-Observations/sales/concerns !
Post by: lthn on July 25, 2011, 02:46

BTW PP program is pathetic, I've opted all in and there are only about a third on the PP sites, none have moved in months. Earnings are down as well, so I'm thinking of opting all out, but it won't work anyway, so why even bother...
You have to be a little bit more patient.Files do get migrated and Thinkstock will become the internets premier subsription site in the coming years IMO.
I joined the PP from the start when my nose was still the same color as my arse  ;)

now its your tongue the same color as somebody else's arse :)
Title: Re: Partner Program-Observations/sales/concerns !
Post by: Slovenian on July 25, 2011, 13:56
A guy asks this in a PP thread (many are locked, this is the only one left): Why can't we all see a clarification on this issue?

Lobo replies: Do you need a site mail too? It's sometimes easier to have a two way conversation than it is to post specific answers to people's questions in the forums. The forums have a tendency to attract trolls who need to interject themselves into conversations. I'm sure you know what I mean.

What a * idiot!!! Sorry, but I really can't put it differently. So utterly arrogant and rude. I mean surely this is nothing if you haven't read it for the 562th time. It's such a bad vibe on IS forums and the only time I go there is to check when things they messed up will get fixed.
Title: Re: Partner Program-Observations/sales/concerns !
Post by: BaldricksTrousers on July 25, 2011, 17:43
Perhaps the forums should all be closed to prevent people asking questions trolling. It seems to be what Lobo wants. And it would have the beneficial side-effect of adding him to the dole queue.
Title: Re: Partner Program-Observations/sales/concerns !
Post by: brm1949 on July 25, 2011, 19:55
Well, not allowed to ask on the istock forum, so I'll ask here. Has anyone seen any earnings posted today? They were to start at 4pm MST according to the last update.
Title: Re: Partner Program-Observations/sales/concerns !
Post by: Slovenian on July 26, 2011, 02:18
Don't you dare trolling here as well!

;D
Title: Re: Partner Program-Observations/sales/concerns !
Post by: qwerty on July 26, 2011, 02:53
No payments on my account
Title: Re: Partner Program-Observations/sales/concerns !
Post by: Slovenian on July 26, 2011, 02:56
Oh come on, are you really expecting earnings? At least any time soon? It's the third time in a row they didn't get it right, so I opted all my files out. I've had it with them and that pathetic program, it's got even more problems than the main site.
Title: Re: Partner Program-Observations/sales/concerns !
Post by: BaldricksTrousers on July 26, 2011, 09:51
It seems to cause them server overload problems posting PP earnings during the week so it will probably start no earlier than next weekend.
Title: Re: Partner Program-Observations/sales/concerns !
Post by: Difydave on July 26, 2011, 10:09
I think you may well be right, everything seems to give them server problems. In that case why say the payments were going to start yesterday?

The excuse that the script hadn't executed at the weekend was weak to say the least. Doesn't anyone check?
Title: Re: Partner Program-Observations/sales/concerns !
Post by: BaldricksTrousers on July 26, 2011, 11:00
I think you may well be right, everything seems to give them server problems. In that case why say the payments were going to start yesterday?


Oh, I missed that. Perhaps they said it because they haven't a clue what's happening?  ;D
Title: Re: Partner Program-Observations/sales/concerns !
Post by: Difydave on July 26, 2011, 11:36
Yeah it's in the PP updates thread that they use for, er, updates.

The evidence in support of your last thought is rapidly becoming overwhelming. :-)
Title: Re: Partner Program-Observations/sales/concerns !
Post by: brm1949 on July 26, 2011, 13:09
asylumdown
asylumdown
Member is a contributor and has less than 250 Photo downloadsMember is an admin
Posted Mon Jul 25 10:37AM
   
The payouts were supposed to happen on Friday, unfortunately the report did not execute, and as you all have noticed, the payment did not occur. This is being rectified as we speak, and the payout will begin today at 4pm MST. I'll update again when I have a clearer sense of how long it will take to run to completion.


Yesterdays Link about updates. Nothing today about why it didn't happen.
Title: Re: Partner Program-Observations/sales/concerns !
Post by: Slovenian on July 26, 2011, 13:16
Why should they/he bother explaining if Lobo has trained everyone and banned the rest to a degree that nobody even dares to ask. So if you look at it this way, IS contributors are the one who're pathetic (not IS) :o ;D
Title: Re: Partner Program-Observations/sales/concerns !
Post by: luissantos84 on July 26, 2011, 14:56
Why should they/he bother explaining if Lobo has trained everyone and banned the rest to a degree that nobody even dares to ask. So if you look at it this way, IS contributors are the one who're pathetic (not IS) :o ;D

true, too bad they are still 1st or 2nd best earner agency for most contributors :)
Title: Re: Partner Program-Observations/sales/concerns !
Post by: sweetgirll on July 26, 2011, 19:46
Hi,
a little off topic, but since you guys are in the Partner program...

are your images displayed  with your "member name" or real name through the partner agencies???
Title: Re: Partner Program-Observations/sales/concerns !
Post by: luissantos84 on July 26, 2011, 19:54
Hi,
a little off topic, but since you guys are in the Partner program...

are your images displayed  with your "member name" or real name through the partner agencies???

no.. you can only see them using the search engine or 'your name'.. there is nothing telling who they "belong" to..
Title: Re: Partner Program-Observations/sales/concerns !
Post by: disorderly on July 27, 2011, 20:57
Looks like the partner program sales are starting to register.
Title: Re: Partner Program-Observations/sales/concerns !
Post by: Slovenian on July 30, 2011, 11:31
Just for the first 10 days up until now. Adam said it's gonna be finished today, but my PP balance hasn't changed in the last 24h, I guess he forgot to turn it on for the 3rd weekend in a row. A badly trained chimpanzee would do the job better.
Title: Re: Partner Program-Observations/sales/concerns !
Post by: Slovenian on August 04, 2011, 15:44
The payout script has just completed. By far the worst month this year. The decision to pull all my files was right, how long it'll take them to delete them is another matter.
Title: Re: Partner Program-Observations/sales/concerns !
Post by: Shank_ali on August 05, 2011, 16:14
The payout script has just completed. By far the worst month this year. The decision to pull all my files was right, how long it'll take them to delete them is another matter.
Did you not consider ALL your options before joining the PP.
A few more contributors are now seeing regular payments for there work via the PP.Why else would you have your work available on the internet if is not for sale.
I like the fact that all my content, available for sale on the PP, is also still available on Istockphoto.If that option is removed in the future i would like to think that i will be compensated in some way for the loss of exposure.....
Title: Re: Partner Program-Observations/sales/concerns !
Post by: luissantos84 on August 05, 2011, 20:23
The payout script has just completed. By far the worst month this year. The decision to pull all my files was right, how long it'll take them to delete them is another matter.
Did you not consider ALL your options before joining the PP.
A few more contributors are now seeing regular payments for there work via the PP.Why else would you have your work available on the internet if is not for sale.
I like the fact that all my content, available for sale on the PP, is also still available on Istockphoto.If that option is removed in the future i would like to think that i will be compensated in some way for the loss of exposure.....

what does that mean? will we have files taken away from IS? tell us more please :)
Title: Re: Partner Program-Observations/sales/concerns !
Post by: Shank_ali on August 06, 2011, 00:27
The payout script has just completed. By far the worst month this year. The decision to pull all my files was right, how long it'll take them to delete them is another matter.
Did you not consider ALL your options before joining the PP.
A few more contributors are now seeing regular payments for there work via the PP.Why else would you have your work available on the internet if is not for sale.
I like the fact that all my content, available for sale on the PP, is also still available on Istockphoto.If that option is removed in the future i would like to think that i will be compensated in some way for the loss of exposure.....

what does that mean? will we have files taken away from IS? tell us more please :)
Did you not read Kellys post??.Read it again and ask yourself why he quoted Mr Klein about the size of the library and that size being to big for files to be found.
I wrote an article some years ago on Istockphoto-Reducing the istock library.Most thought it was a joke but some had the foresight to realise that problems lie ahead with the increased growth.It should of been tackled sooner IMO
I have no idea how things will pan out at Istock in the future but i'm pretty certain contributors will be the last people to find out about any change.
Title: Re: Partner Program-Observations/sales/concerns !
Post by: sharpshot on August 06, 2011, 02:40
It would be hard for me financially to leave istock but if they can't match what I'm being paid with SS on thinkstock, I don't want my portfolio there.  They already make more money than SS do from their owned content and then there's more competition from the Getty content.  To have a worse commission as well would make it really hard to make much money there.  And if they do get all our content there, earnings are going to be very diluted.  Then they will probably come out with the unsustainable BS and start cutting commissions again.

So I would really have to consider if my much lower earnings with istock this year are worth it or if I would be better off just using the sites that pay me a much higher commission.
Title: Re: Partner Program-Observations/sales/concerns !
Post by: RacePhoto on August 13, 2011, 10:14
Looks like the partner program sales are starting to register.

Yes, and July just started showing up this morning.
Title: Re: Partner Program-Observations/sales/concerns !
Post by: Zephyr on August 14, 2011, 22:03
I just looked at thinkstock.com on alexa and its ranked 8+ million. However, the actual url is thinkstockphotos.com and it's traffic rank is 4,109 in the US. I wonder how many exclusives not interested in thinkstock, like myself, actually looked at the url.

I know alexa.com is not totally accurate but I think its foolish to ignore such a dramatic increase in traffic from last year.

I guess resistance shall soon be futile.