Sorry for the obvious dumb questions but I need some clarification. Is Thinkstock a iStock company?  iStock bought StockExperts? I'm sure I closed my account and StockXpert and asked all files to be deleted and wanted nothing to do with Thinkstock, but today received a few dollars from HAAP can couldn't figure out why. Started digging and see lots of my shots on Thinkstock.

Hi Peter - are you opted into the partner program on iStock? if so, then you are on Thinkstock and photos.com....you have to select opt out from the drop down in your contributor preferences on iStock. Thinkstock and photos.com are subs sites now owned by Getty. you should read the iStock forums dude ;-)

Thanks, I should read them but... not time. But it's images that were on StockXpert not in iS that are on THinkstock

I go and opt out. But every time I go back to the page the check box is ticked again.

Yep, i noticed this too. I opted out firmly on istock when this TS thing was announced, but since F5 its set to opt-in and no way to opt-out again because it always resets to opt-in. The only reason im not screaming in fury is that the migration of files has stopped since the last 4 months or so + hopefully its only a displaying glitch. But if you're in it seems you'll be locked in for now...

Please forgive an obvious question - but where has the Control Panel on Istock gone?  I can't find it to see if I am opted in or not...

Click on your name, upper right. Left column, click preferences. Click on the My Uploads tab. It's under promotional use. I guess. I thought Partner Programs and Promotional Use were separate before. And Artemis, mine is unchecked again too. I am off to see if any of my photos are on Thinkstock. If they are, I am going to be madder than a hornet. I will keep you all posted. You will know the answer by the swear words in the title.  

edit: OK, I didn't seem to find any of mine. But I did notice something I didn't before...contributors don't even get their name on the image page at Thinkstock. So when someone buys an image, they don't know who the photographer is.

Thanks a lot Cathy.  Wow, you practically need a map to find out now!  Mine is unchecked too.  And yes, they used to be separate. 

Thanks Packerguy, too, for explaining this is a known issue.  Pretty serious known issue!

Didn't we used to have to opt in to thinkstock?  I've had enough of this, if any of my images ever appear on that site, I will never upload to istock again.

Here's my emails from those folks, I would say it is clear enough yet they decided to do their way. This is seriously maddening. The images are not just iS images they are the ones that were on StockXpert. Thinkstock paid me something like $5 today. What kind of a joke is this.

Dear Peter,

Thank you very much for your email.

As per your request, your account will be closed and your royalties paid out
in full. In preparation for the account closure, please delete all files
from your portfolio.

If there is anything else we can help you with, don't hesitate to contact
us.

Sir, As I have deleted my images from my account I am requested a final
payout. Thank you.

Dear Peter,

Thank you very much for your email.

Your request has been received and will be processed within 14 days. You will receive an email notification once your royalties are deposited to your Paypal account.

If there is anything else we can help you with, don't hesitate to contact us.

Regards,

Darek

iStockphoto Team

Wonder why you have to delete your images yourself?  Can't they do it from their end when they close the account? 

Wonder why you have to delete your images yourself?  Can't they do it from their end when they close the account? 

They probably can but they don't want to. I had to delete all of mine myself when I was on StockXpert. The only good thing was that you check all the images on a page and delete the whole page at once.

Wonder why you have to delete your images yourself?  Can't they do it from their end when they close the account? 

They must want to make it as difficult as possible to delete images from StockXpert, perhaps hoping people are too lazy to do it and will one day give in and opt in to thinkstock?  It didn't work with me, I just got annoyed at the waste of my time deleting all those images.  I think people used to be able to leave StockXpert without having to delete every image, there would of been complaints in their forum otherwise.

Thanks for posting that, I did not even think to look there. They have very neatly disguised these opt-ins and outs so that they can't be found. And guess what, I am opted back in for Partner Programs! I unchecked it to opt out. Went to another site, went back and it's clicked again. So I am experiencing that whole problem. See the bug reported earlier in this thread and posted by packerguy.

Do you really believe that bug crap? The world's best microstock site, the inventor of microstock, the best, Sol Invictus, can't even address a simple bug like that?  
After the magnificent wrecking of their site they call Fck5, I can't even find where I have to uncheck. It's harder than canceling your Facebook account and those guys are experts in hiding links.
Seems like they want to drag you into StinkThock in a sneaky way. I don't want to be there of a "meazly" 25 dollarcents.

Update: - just checked the well-hidden (on purpose!)  link
My Account > Preferences > My uploads > Manage collections
and yes, I was opted in. Tried to opt out in all possible ways but I'm still opted in when I revisited the page. Is iStock a bunch of criminals? I can't even yell at their forums since I never go there and I have no intention to waste time to look for the right board.  

Update 2: I found a board on IS where they where YAYing about the partner program and I let my horses go there. I accused them of a sneaky breach of contract. That must have been my 2nd post in 5 years at IS and they can ban me now. I just don't like their sneaky style of opting me in against my wish and then deep-hiding a link that doesn't. Period.

Quote from: cclapper on August 27, 2010, 19:44

Thanks for posting that, I did not even think to look there. They have very neatly disguised these opt-ins and outs so that they can't be found. And guess what, I am opted back in for Partner Programs! I unchecked it to opt out. Went to another site, went back and it's clicked again. So I am experiencing that whole problem. See the bug reported earlier in this thread and posted by packerguy.

Do you really believe that bug crap? The world's best microstock site, the inventor of microstock, the best, Sol Invictus, can't even address a simple bug like that?  
After the magnificent wrecking of their site they call Fck5, I can't even find where I have to uncheck. It's harder than canceling your Facebook account and those guys are experts in hiding links.
Seems like they want to drag you into StinkThock in a sneaky way. I don't want to be there of a "meazly" 25 dollarcents.

Update: - just checked the well-hidden (on purpose!)  link
My Account > Preferences > My uploads > Manage collections
and yes, I was opted in. Tried to opt out in all possible ways but I'm still opted in when I revisited the page. Is iStock a bunch of criminals? I can't even yell at their forums since I never go there and I have no intention to waste time to look for the right board.  

Update 2: I found a board on IS where they where YAYing about the partner program and I let my horses go there. I accused them of a sneaky breach of contract. That must have been my 2nd post in 5 years at IS and they can ban me now. I just don't like their sneaky style of opting me in against my wish and then deep-hiding a link that doesn't. Period.

Yeah, they sure are patterning their new and improved business model after Facebook, aren't they? First we're friends instead of creative networks, now the opt-out buttons are buried.

Thanks a lot for posting how to find that well-hidden check box for the partner program.  No surprise that I am now opted in and can't opt out either. 

Yet if they are going to all the trouble to make it difficult to opt-out, you would think they might also take the time to add the new content of members who actually WANT it over there.