OK, since this got out, here are a few details.

1. This is confidential because we're under an agreement. The email says that. We've always been transparent. We did our best to share more, our partners didn't agree.
2. This is NOT free. Once the partnership ends, we evaluate results and negotiate best royalties given the volume. The real deal will begin then. We plan to do our best to pay royalties retroactively.
3. We don't get paid for the test either, there is no scam. Just like you, we've adding our infrastructure and we've been working on this for quite a while.
4. We did tests like these in the past and we paid the royalties ourselves. This is a large size  project and we can't support them, even if the scale of the initial test is small. 0.01% of something huge could still be significant. We need our contributors support and we sent them an email asking for that. You can opt out, nobody is forcing you to accept.

Again, I'm sorry for not being able to share more. I'm actually very enthusiastic about it since this could be the biggest partnership a stock agency can hope for. It could turn out into a great deal, unlike other negative examples that sadly, you've been exposed to.

Thank you for your support.

@pseudonymus CS I meant Customer Support
@Warrenprice - you've been banned for attacking a user after reporting an image for bad keywords, prior to a previous warning for advertising competitor sites. Discouraging users to report spam is obviously not something we agree. Or should we also cope with users threatening people flagging an irrelevant image?

I don't want to hijack this thread, feel free to email me if you need any other clarifications.

I don't know the reasons behind their decision. The penalty might have been applied for something else than just words posted on the forum. Also, being public shouldn't be an excuse for a derogatory language. Extremely rude or messages full of vitriol trying to undermine one agency's reputation should be penalized. You can't use someone's efforts while spiting on his name and expecting him to not react.

Our policy has always been to be transparent and to work together with our contributors. If we have a bad approach in some case I expect us to be penalized, no matter if the users are anonymous or not. If you ban someone without a strong reason, you will be penalized.

There is no perfect solution, that's for sure. My point is that anonymous posts have way more disadvantages for the overall community. There may be an individual advantage but they don't work for the industry. I realize I'm a drop in the ocean, but I will continue not to visit this forum until this problem is taken care of.

People are way more cruel when using the keyboard rather than their voice, but it's even worse when they are allowed to flame other people and remain anonymous for the sake of free speech. One of the worst case scenarios or extreme examples are London's masked hoodies still rioting and looting the city under the false claim of protesting.

Here is a good reading as to why anonymous posts are bad:
How the internet created an age of rage - http://bit.ly/nl3dJV

Normally support deals with this issues and I'm sure a response was already given, but if you posted this thread here, here we go.

Customer support doesn't work during weekends, so if you email on Friday, you should wait for a reply on Monday or Tuesday.

The OP has submitted images via two accounts, claiming one of them belongs to his wife. It is not the case, when two people create photographs the style and technique are significantly different.

If one needs a proof, here you go:
submitted via Yuliang account:
http://thumbs.dreamstime.com/thumb_591/13002891516gE2c5.jpg
http://thumbs.dreamstime.com/thumb_587/1299216773RrIfPI.jpg
http://thumbs.dreamstime.com/thumb_591/1300291194yT3f5R.jpg
--leech-thumb12409953.jpg[/url]
--leech-thumb15750869.jpg[/url]

submitted via Szefei account:
--leech-thumb12409953.jpg[/url]
--leech-thumb15750869.jpg[/url]
http://www.dreamstime.com/girl-writing-thumb18897563.jpg
http://www.dreamstime.com/girl-writing-thumb17753876.jpg

It's not only a matter of distributing content on two accounts, but also of submitting identical images.  

We don't tolerate any kind of spam or fraud attempts. No, it's not true that as a big agency we are now arrogant. It's just that we don't like people using tricks to multiply their portfolios or pushing fraudulently their work in front of others. And then playing the honest contributor role... If you were caught red-handed at least admit your guilt and act responsibly. Most probably we would've closed the newer account as a penalty. Considering this continued "mouse and cat" game aggravated we will now suspend both accounts.

PS: I no longer read this forum due to the anonymous rants and flaming so if anyone wants any extra details, please contact me via Dreamstime.

Most of your questions have received an answer in our forums or in the Q&A that is linked in the flag report (http://www.dreamstime.com/faq2036-my-image-was-flagged-reported-for-irrelevant-keywords-what-should-i-do-). The link was missed by most persons complaining. The system is not perfect and I apologize for not making it better and for the controversy it generated. There are many members communicating nicely though. A lot of educated explanations are made, helpin our admin when reviewing. We're grateful for all efforts involved.

The amount of reported images was huge (several hundreds of thousands). The number of complaints was minimal compared to how much of the database was cleaned of spam. Spam affects all contributors' sales and the buyers' experience and should concern you too.

The method was working this way (via public comments) since middle last year (August 2009). For anyone who wants to check here is the original thread dated 2007 and an updated thread in August 2009:
http://www.dreamstime.com/forumm_7808_pg1 (Jul 2007)
http://www.dreamstime.com/thread_18084 (Aug 2009)

We consider this as an advantage for contributors (see why below). If you dislike it, simply ignore the comments, nothing changes for you. No flag affects your images until they are reviewed by an admin (when they could be very well refused). 

The controversy was generated because  we accelerated the process in the last couple of weeks, trying to get rid of the entire pending line. The number of comments was much higher and generated some panic. People rushed to reply without knowing how the system works. Several wrong or misleading details are in this very thread.
For example a few contributors assumed that the flag affects your search placement or it's approved by default. That is not the case. The flag will only inform you: you can educate the admin (and the flagger) OR fix the image (and you will not have your rights blocked).

It's important to note that many buyers have used the flag accidentaly, especially in the beginning. The report will reveal the very words that were used to download your image. If you reply, don't make rude comments, you could email the very customer who downloaded the image.

As for the fee, the two cents are symbolical. No one is using the system to generate revenue and that is why the fee was set so low. I agree that otherwise there would be a witch hunt and we certainly don't want members to turn against each other.

Any specific questions to images and flags should be posted here: http://www.dreamstime.com/thread_21022 , we will be happy to address them.

If you have any questions I will do my best to reply, but please do it in one of the threads given. Read admin posts in these threads: http://www.dreamstime.com/thread_18084
http://www.dreamstime.com/forumm_7808_pg6

I'm no longer able to follow all threads posted here, especially when a response was given on our site. We cannot answer questions in several places.
Also some users hide behind anonymous accounts to launch veiled attacks or to make rude comments. I'm not saying that all anonymous users have bad intentions, but one needs to check the facts before posting some accusations or misleading statements. There is a certain etiquette that should apply to any poster on any forum. If you believe that flaming agencies and creating so much hate in this forum will result in anything good, you're wrong and I'm sorry for you. I'll probably give up visiting MSG due to this fact. If you need my help, I'm available on Dreamstime via comments and will gladly help.

Check this link to understand our perspective about the difference between sellable and excessive: http://blog.dreamstime.com/2009/03/25/similarity-thin-line-between-smart-and-excessive-or-how-less-can-mean-more_art29135

@Nitorphoto: your theory about images found elsewhere but Dreamstime would be valid if our submission limit wouldn't be among the highest in the industry. There are people complaining about having their similars refused when in fact they have several times less with other agencies.  While a portrait and landscape version should always be accepted, looking away, smiling etc. should be accepted only if they are very good.

@Pedrov: Unfortunately, portfolios affected by this issue are not just a few. They slipped through at review, but at one point they will be taken care of.

@Aridocean" I'm sorry, but I cannot respond to specific problems about your refusals. I can't see them so I cannot comment. What I do encourage you is to reply to the refusal reason. Or PM me their IDs if they are recent.

@Pixelsaway: all editors are reviewing at 100%, never on thumbnails only.

@Disorderly: I'm not trying to say your approach is wrong. It may work very well on other sites. Our system is setup keeping our pricing system in mind. No system is perfect that's for sure.

@Perseus: Yes, the limit could be lowered. In fact it was much lower in the last months. The system allows newcomers to join easily. Keeping a very low submission limit is not really the solution. New contributors will need many months to build their portfolio. Which is unfair to them, old members already have certain advantages (levels, knowledge, etc.). Happy New Year to you too!

@Nitorphoto: your second post is answered in my first message. If we do as you suggested, the RPD will go down.

@Cclapper: yes, that's the kind of images that we're referring to. Someone told me that there are 1,700 human positions and emotions. They are all different, should we accept them all? And what about the next model or the next photographer? If you have a series, why not put several images into a single one and upload them as a set? No one says you cannot submit them all this way.

@Dbvirago: good point, that's why we believe our pricing system is the best and that the buyer is the one to decide in the end. It's impossible to accept all similars to see which one will sell later though...

@Dolgachov: You have a point, but that stops any newcomer from joining and closes the circle. It's been done before in this industry, not really wise. We'll try to keep it lower though. But if you already know this, why don't you submit less?

Fd-amateur, why do you make up stories without checking first? The account you're referring to has been inherited and proper legal documentation has been provided. Consequently rights were transferred properly and revenue is paid accordingly.

Cclapper that is a good point. This policy also allows more diversity in the search results pages.

Sharpshot, you may believe they weren't different, but editors check your portfolio for older files. Probably they found similars. Their tolerance to similarity depends on the subject. If it's sellable they are more tolerant. As for selling on other sites they don't have our pricing system. Nobody says those files wouldn't sell with us. I said you will get less revenue due to dillution.

Uploading similars in separate batches is no longer a good technique to get the files accepted.  They really need to be different. I'm not saying you did that, but it was a common technique in the past.

Dreamstime is doing very well, thank you all for your concerns. We grow in all areas: submissions, downloads, buyers and registered users. The highest jump in the last months is for buyers and registrations, which was quite impressive considering the submissions are not a few either. As for our status, Dreamstime remains an independent agency, the only one of all microstock leaders. Our resources are limited and the royalty cut is not producing results overnight.

Although we could've bought ads everywhere, we will never spend a penny unless it produces results, no matter how self-flattering a double spread can be. On the long term the most healthy strategy for a business is to focus a viable ROI not vanity.

Most our contributors report significant increases and records months,  but your mileage may vary. The size of your portfolio, the placement in search, seasonal or quality factors may all affect you. I'm sympathetic with all our contributors, but they have to realize competition is fierceful. As much as we would want to bring BME records to everyone, it's simply impossible due to the size of our community.

Overall, the number of downloads is highest ever. There is no better parameter to track contributors' revenue than downloads. We also monitor average accounts and see how contributors are doing, in order to ensure these downloads are split in an equitable manner.

I was also surprised to see changes in the hierarchy here, but let's not forget that this hierarchy is limited to a specific number of contributors and our decrease comes after our royalty decrease. I'm pretty sure that our current price update will improve your experience a lot.

Yuri, I'm surprised to see your post here considering my harsh email came after your team submitted images that were refused in the past and that you requested preferrential treatment. Nevertheless, I do appreciate the positive ending of your statement.
As for similarity, yes, rules are the same for everyone. Similars will lead to a lower RPD so submitting similars will always produce a decline in sales.

Dreamstime will never favor portfolios. I've always said that we favor great images, never portfolios. Any amateur can produce a best seller and any pro can submit less-than-good images. As the buyer buys the image, they should be compensated according to the image!

No, there are no favors for some contributors against others. There are top contributors who saw huge batches being refused because of a small accident. Same rules apply for everyone. I'm not reviewing my own images and I'm getting my share of refusals. See them as a learning curve. Nobody wants to harm you. It's far more difficult to refuse an image.

The review process is not perfect and we're aware of that. Inconsistent reviews may appear for files that are close to the refusal limit anyway. An editor may approve what other will refuse. We're not robots.
While it's true that some files may produce a few sales, I doubt that any of the refused ones would become high level popular files. And those gems should be your goal. Just having your images accepted will mean nothing if they don't produce enough sales.

Refusals are extremely diverse from one image to the other, from one contributor to the next. We realize that and we provide a response to each and every reasonable email we receive about refusals. We can stay and talk the whole day about refusals, but generic conversations will not help you. Simply reply to the refusal email, state why do you feel the image is good and you will receive a second review and/or additional explanation. Can't get any more simple than that, honestly.

@Traveler: you probably lost all your arguments on the thread you launched on our site, deciding to move the discussion into another negative advertisement against Dreamstime. Shame that you missed to tell me. Were you really looking for an answer
?
For everyone misled this was meant to be a constructive criticism and not an attack, here is the original thread on Dreamstime:
http://www.dreamstime.com/forumm_18483_pg1

@Traveler: don't think I will forget the way you called our community and its admin, many months before (in Febraury 2008!!!). If we were so bad, why did you enable your files? Nobody forced you to. And if you did it back then, why don't you simply respect the term of your contract, then cash out and leave?


I'll reply here as there are other relevant posts, I will try to address on a short note. There are way too many things said above to keep track of each of them. Feel free to send me a private message if any of you have further questions.


1.  6 months of holding images
That is a regular requirement for most stock agencies in the world. It's true that not all microstock agencies have it. It was explained before lots of times. Without its integration several years ago, there will be a monopoly right now.


2.  increased amount of subscription sales
Again explained. Total revenue makes up for the difference. Old contributors remember the days that the credit royalty was very low. Nothing strange that subscriptions increase as more price-aware buyers look at microstock. Dreamstime keeps a fair balance between subs and credits using its price structure. As any structure, it is not perfect, we admit.


3.  falling RPI
there are top contributors with thousands of images in their portfolio, who have a 60% increase for their RPI. Check the list on the right side of MSG. Dreamstime is a leader and one of the only 3 that show growth in August for the average contributor.
Your mileage may vary, but don't blame the agency for your lack of sales IF it goes fine for the others.

4.  new pricing policy
The royalties update follows a price increase. It was announced several months ago (in May), you had plenty of time to adapt.
You knew about the update and still uploaded in June, July and August. Now you changed your mind again and want to disable the files.
 
The royalties were just slightly decreased, not as announced. When the timing will be right, the royalties would be updated as announced, but only when the contributors revenue don't take a hit.
More details here: http://www.dreamstime.com/thread_18104


5.  disabling images not deleting them
Contributors may try to delete their whole portfolio after receiving the first refusal they disagree with. Hundreds or thousands of files can go down the drain in a few minutes. Many times contributors re-enable them after they calm down (see your case).
Another case is of photographers trying their luck with other partnership (i.e. exclusivity somewhere else). We're obviously not happy to see it, but respect it. The contributors may return sooner or later and many do. If they return after a few months, they can easily re-enable their portfolio. If it's later they need to start from scratch.

Final decision is up to contributors, we don't touch those files, they are offline. They are permanently deleted after a few months.


6.  slowest disabling process for images, having to put a reason for each one
Similar reasons with the ones above. Images are reviewed one by one, by a reviewer. It takes time and efforts. In many cases it takes more to review a file than to submit it. The disable process is still far easier than the upload.


7.  getting images rejected for having a model release
Explained in the past, happens only to body parts that may affect the search engine.

8.  locking keywords on basically every image
Required based on our experience with users like you, who tried to put curse words there.

9.  giving away free images
Explained before. You're not forced to participate anyway.


10. Changing policies for old contributors. No possibility to option-in/out or close account when TOS change.
You have this possibility at any time as long as you respect the contract. There are also opt-out features on the site (see Alliances section).
You have to understand we are a business and there are rules. They are available at your signup date. None of our rules is uncommon for the industry.
If any of these rules would be abused by us, we wouldn't have contributors' support. We would lose it instantly or after 6 months, doesn't really matter. It would be simply stupid from us to abuse anything. In the end it's good business strategy that keeps agents, contributors and buyers together, not a set of rules.


11. Exclusive images - you can check in but cannot check out
Because it was abused by contributors in the past MANY times. You can still check out by emailing support.

12. Assignment images blocked for one year
That is a requirement for the extra exposure one receives on the homepage, were over 300,000 unique visitors may see your image in a single day. That's about 8-9 M per month.
12 months is not that much anyway, gives us some creative freedom for these (very few) images.

13. They pay only 25$ for assignment image and in the same time recommend 250$ for others
The Assignments portfolio is meant as a motivational tool. We don't make a profit from those files, in fact we lose money. Check its total sales and compare with how much we paid for the files.


14. "Selective" forum, what they don't like disappears
Untrue, only the blatant attacks or abused subjects go off. My presence here is a proof that we have nothing to hide.


15. Very slow earnings compared to IS and SS
That is your own experience.

16. About 40%!!!  commission drop.
Again, your own experience. Others see high growth. Again, don't take my word for granted, ask others contributors.


17. No information send to contributors about important changes, like new prices policy
We don't send too many emails because of how many users we have. We don't want to end up being called spammers.
Nothing was launched without a pre-announcement way in advance. The news section highlights those announcements. Let's be honest, no contributor complained that they didn't hear about the changes.



18. Lack of information about Partners program
Whenever we could, we announced them. In many cases the news leaked out. But these strategies are sometimes confidential, for obvious reasons. We have competitors, I'm sure you noticed


19. Sometimes strange earnings like 0,24. DT team never explain that
We used to explain every single royalty. it's very difficult today with so many price updates and so many downloads. Too many files are downloaded each day. We cannot track each of them to provide additional details, but the FAQ and our Message boards provide plenty of data you can work with.
In this case, it could've been a very old subscriptions (someone might have purchased a yearly plan) or a subscription royalty affected by a distributor comission fee.



20. Usually announces made are not clear, not precise for me. Like politicians speech.
We have always addressed any questions. I'm sorry if you feel our language is not as clear as possible. I assure you that we do our best to address that. We are aware that messages should be clear and short (unlike this one ).


21. Subscriptions not limited in size.
That's part of our current strategy. Things may change in the future.


22. "sale is a sale" reasoning
Isn't a sale a sale? That's the microstock spirit. We also agree that it shouldn't go too low and prices should keep up with equipment upgrades and skills improvement. Taking a look at past years RPDs, I dare to say RPD is fair, although it's increase is always welcome, of course.