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Author Topic: Another Massive Best Match Shift  (Read 246944 times)

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lisafx

« Reply #50 on: December 21, 2011, 18:05 »
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(a) A sort order shift is gonna hurt some folks but surely someone has to benefit?



Yeah.  In my case it seems to be Bigstock.  Sales are THROUGH THE ROOF yesterday and today.  Easily double my previous best day there.  

I couldn't understand it until I read this thread, but maybe it's becoming a hot spot for disaffected Istock buyers who don't want to get sub plans?  


lisafx

« Reply #51 on: December 21, 2011, 18:07 »
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Changes that completely dislocate earnings should be something that agencies avoid for the sake of their suppliers and for their own reputation.

Completely agree, but in Istock's case, they long ago decided they don't care much for their reputation, and even less for their suppliers.   :P

« Reply #52 on: December 21, 2011, 18:16 »
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Changes that completely dislocate earnings should be something that agencies avoid for the sake of their suppliers and for their own reputation.

Completely agree, but in Istock's case, they long ago decided they don't care much for their reputation, and even less for their suppliers.   :P

True.

What amazes me is that not a word of this is being spoken on the IS forum (unless exclusives are laughing behind their hands on their own forum). Have we become so used to Istock's shenanigans that we can no longer be bothered?

« Reply #53 on: December 21, 2011, 18:21 »
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(a) A sort order shift is gonna hurt some folks but surely someone has to benefit?

No doubt, but there is still a lingering hope that there will be some stability in earnings - and people who have worked for years to build a position and rely on the income to pay their mortgage should be able to expect some respect from the agencies they have built up through their efforts. Changes that completely dislocate earnings should be something that agencies avoid for the sake of their suppliers and for their own reputation.

Unfortunately, ANY company will shaft any employee / contractor / supplier, even one with whom there are personal relationships and / or has greatly increased profit and / or has saved their corporate asses on multiple occasions if the bean counters, rightly or wrongly (and usually wrongly e.g. ford pinto), think it will save a buck.  What chance have relatively nameless and faceless stock contributors?

« Reply #54 on: December 21, 2011, 18:26 »
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What amazes me is that not a word of this is being spoken on the IS forum (unless exclusives are laughing behind their hands on their own forum). Have we become so used to Istock's shenanigans that we can no longer be bothered?
There was one thread earlier, promptly locked. The guy had a small port and got the typical dismissal based on needing more files before the thread was locked. Why would anyone post when they know they'll be licked or banned or both

ShadySue

  • There is a crack in everything
« Reply #55 on: December 21, 2011, 18:35 »
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What amazes me is that not a word of this is being spoken on the IS forum (unless exclusives are laughing behind their hands on their own forum). Have we become so used to Istock's shenanigans that we can no longer be bothered?

It was briefly mentioned in this thread before Lobo locked it:
http://www.istockphoto.com/forum_messages.php?threadid=338629&page=1
You surely can't have forgotten that threads get locked, disappeared and posters get warned and banned sine die.

« Reply #56 on: December 21, 2011, 18:59 »
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(a) A sort order shift is gonna hurt some folks but surely someone has to benefit?



Yeah.  In my case it seems to be Bigstock.  Sales are THROUGH THE ROOF yesterday and today.  Easily double my previous best day there.  

I couldn't understand it until I read this thread, but maybe it's becoming a hot spot for disaffected Istock buyers who don't want to get sub plans?  

I think I need to join BigStock.  I was thinking there was going to be link to them from SS (the "bridge to BigStock" --- am I thinking of the correct agencies?)

« Reply #57 on: December 21, 2011, 19:45 »
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Bigstock has been dead as a door nail for me. They used to be OK so perhaps it's just bad for newbies?

« Reply #58 on: December 21, 2011, 20:54 »
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(a) A sort order shift is gonna hurt some folks but surely someone has to benefit?

Yeah.  In my case it seems to be Bigstock.  Sales are THROUGH THE ROOF yesterday and today.  Easily double my previous best day there.  

I couldn't understand it until I read this thread, but maybe it's becoming a hot spot for disaffected Istock buyers who don't want to get sub plans?  
Having my best day in a while on Bigstock, but really rocking on DT, probably my best day ever there. More than twice my normal day (and only one was a Christmas image, so it's not a Christmas thing). Thank you, iStock?

« Reply #59 on: December 21, 2011, 21:05 »
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The new best match is probably very good for users like Edstock, who entered IS by the back door...

« Reply #60 on: December 21, 2011, 21:51 »
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Changes that completely dislocate earnings should be something that agencies avoid for the sake of their suppliers and for their own reputation.

Completely agree, but in Istock's case, they long ago decided they don't care much for their reputation, and even less for their suppliers.   :P

True.

What amazes me is that not a word of this is being spoken on the IS forum (unless exclusives are laughing behind their hands on their own forum). Have we become so used to Istock's shenanigans that we can no longer be bothered?

Sales today are nothing unusual.

« Reply #61 on: December 21, 2011, 21:52 »
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I've just gone 10 f**king hours between sales, right through the middle of the European & American working hours. Back in the day (like two years ago) 'only' 30 or 40 might have been a tad disappointing.

It is utterly tragic what they have done to that site. We could all, including and especially Istock, have earned a very good living for a very long time if they hadn't screwed it up.

« Reply #62 on: December 21, 2011, 21:55 »
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Sales today are nothing unusual.

Really? They should be much better for exclusives being as all the independent stuff is buried.

helix7

« Reply #63 on: December 21, 2011, 22:07 »
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So what's this mean... my already abysmal sales at istock are going to get worse? Not sure that's possible unless I start giving them money.

This is a non-issue for me. istock is not of any concern anymore. If things turn around, great. If not, so be it, I'm already moving on.

« Reply #64 on: December 21, 2011, 22:25 »
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I'm exclusive, and sales are OK but nothing special.

« Reply #65 on: December 21, 2011, 22:27 »
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perhaps buyers will learn to search by age or downloads instead of "best" match?

I suspect at least some are searching by downloads or one of the other options.  I have a few images that have been appearing in the first few rows of Best Match and now they are several pages back after all the crowns.  Both images sold today.

« Reply #66 on: December 21, 2011, 22:52 »
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I'm an independent.  Searching "rock climb", 5 of my images are in the top 80 when sorting by Downloads , up until this week these and more appeared in the first 200 Best Match sort results.  This current Best Match shift has buried them very, very deep in the results.

SNP

  • Canadian Photographer
« Reply #67 on: December 22, 2011, 00:15 »
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Sales usual for a few days before xmas...if there is a big exclusive boost, it's not doing much for me
« Last Edit: December 22, 2011, 00:42 by SNP »

CarlssonInc

« Reply #68 on: December 22, 2011, 00:53 »
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Obviously this has to be a bug, a mistake. I'm sure it will be back to a "normal" well represented Best Match quite soon. No need for panic.

I don't think it is a 'bug'. I think it is a ill-thought-out, knee-jerk reaction to an ever-increasing number of exclusives dropping the crown as sales tumble. We've heard from quite a few disgruntled individuals already on MSG and I can't imagine that they're alone. Maybe it is intended to be a temporary 'fix' to help exclusives attain their RC targets but it's probably too little, too late for many. This smacks of an act of desperation for a company whose business is irretrievably on the slide. If I were exclusive I wouldn't be rejoicing, I'd be worried about the future.

If this was a deliberate change to the Best Match to protect/please/keep exclusives it isn't really the best they could do is it?

At the moment the search is heavily skewed towards RECENTLY UPLOADED EXCLUSIVE files. This will only benefit exclusives in those particular areas/niches where they just recently have uploaded. Old established work is buried deep deep in the search. So an exclusive might get a boost in sales in new work, but old established proven best sellers or well selling images are moved far towards the back.

The result will be that ONLY RECENT FILES FROM EXCLUSIVES will benefit from this, that doesn't mean that overall it is benefiting exclusives very well. Many established exclusives as well as independents will be dis-advantaged from this.

I still think/feel this is temporary, either for an for us unknown reason or a not uncommon glitch. The Best Match at the moment is not a Best Match and that is not serving iStock's customers very well, iStock will see that, the customers will experience that and realize that the current best match search is "unsustainable". I'm sure it will soon be "fixed", fingers crossed.

Also, yesterday's sales were quite normal, not great, not devastatingly bad.
« Last Edit: December 22, 2011, 00:55 by CarlssonInc. Stock Imagery Production »

« Reply #69 on: December 22, 2011, 01:53 »
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there appears no use in uploading as an independent at all. The sales I get are mostly through TS or probably from uses who search by downloads. As time goes on the files will all go to the bottom.

« Reply #70 on: December 22, 2011, 01:58 »
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how could you get to be an exclusive at Istock if you were starting out now? (apart from instant pre arranged promotion with a collection).

What do they want long term? All exclusives? Independents just on TS? Only exclusives that put in heaps of new content?

« Reply #71 on: December 22, 2011, 02:02 »
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Sales usual for a few days before xmas...if there is a big exclusive boost, it's not doing much for me

Maybe it is Edstock who is benefiting, "he" certainly dominated my Qatar search.  No doubt the management will be buying in champagne if the sales are going there.

As for the iStock forums, obviously Lobo has won. The last thread I opened there, helpfully informing them of the reappearance of a bug and which I carefully put in the forum where Joyce discusses bugs, was slammed shut by Lobo with the comment "this isn't the help forum". My unwritten response was "Well, feck you, you uncouth ar$e'ole. I didn't want help, I was simply trying to give your company early warning of the reappearance of a bug. If you don't want my help then I won't fecking bother, you winker". So I see no point in posting what would be a "oooh-nay" thread when they deliberately shift the search. We know the wolfman doesn't like it.

lagereek

« Reply #72 on: December 22, 2011, 02:11 »
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Really!  we are very stupid here!  every time this happens,  up comes all these threads, postings, etc. Why not just let them hang in there, let them try to survive on their meazly little 5000, exclusives and then see what happens. Be like GM, trying to survive without thousands of factory workers,  down they go.

Its all going according to the Getty plan, they are slowly strangling the company, bleeding it dry, in fact, hoping the reaction will be that lots of exclusives and independants are leaving.

In fact only a couple of days back, I was speaking to one of the mentors, founders of the entire stock-industry back in the early 80s, whishing him a merry X-mas, etc. In touching this subject, he said: "be happy you never signed the dotted line for exclusivity, they are showing the signs of a company in deep trouble and they are not going to exist in a years time and thats when their remaining exclusives will have little option but to go with Thinkstock, if they still want to sell pictures, that is".
Just want to point out, this person is still a shareholder with major influence in the stock-world.

They have just thrown the exclusives a bone, in the form of a best match, knowing fully well that will shut them up over the hollidays, etc, then after all hollidays, the wrecking-crew will emerge and brush them aside and why not?  they seem so stupid they believe anything,  even in Santa.

« Reply #73 on: December 22, 2011, 02:18 »
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^^ I believe in my sales figures which are good so far.
Is that a bad thing ?

SNP

  • Canadian Photographer
« Reply #74 on: December 22, 2011, 02:19 »
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Sales usual for a few days before xmas...if there is a big exclusive boost, it's not doing much for me

Maybe it is Edstock who is benefiting, "he" certainly dominated my Qatar search.  No doubt the management will be buying in champagne if the sales are going there.

As for the iStock forums, obviously Lobo has won. The last thread I opened there, helpfully informing them of the reappearance of a bug and which I carefully put in the forum where Joyce discusses bugs, was slammed shut by Lobo with the comment "this isn't the help forum". My unwritten response was "Well, feck you, you uncouth ar$e'ole. I didn't want help, I was simply trying to give your company early warning of the reappearance of a bug. If you don't want my help then I won't fecking bother, you winker". So I see no point in posting what would be a "oooh-nay" thread when they deliberately shift the search. We know the wolfman doesn't like it.

I know you're partly kidding...but I gotta say, I think Edstock is getting way too much press. I don't like Edstock, and I really don't like how they've trucked it all in and locked us out. having said that, Edstock is just a dumping ground for archival editorial images that Getty had laying around gathering dust--so they might as well make a few bucks off the images. Edstock is a threat to editorial contributors mainly because it represents a thoroughly insulting double standard. The Edstock collection doesn't pose any serious sales threat nor is it stealing all the best match window space.


 

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