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Author Topic: Caution: Don't Question Alamy  (Read 52939 times)

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« Reply #75 on: October 29, 2018, 03:40 »
+5
Who ever first used the "word" discoverability needs to be sent to a language correctional institution for at least five years  ???.
« Last Edit: October 29, 2018, 09:01 by Pauws99 »


« Reply #76 on: October 29, 2018, 09:52 »
+1
I'm not sure how much the QC rank counts for anything, but maybe someone knows better.
A lot of things on Alamy don't actually count for anything, e.g. 'discoverability' (causes more harm than good).
What do you mean by that ..?
Artificially inflating keywords leads to spamming and irrelevant searches.
Isn't it so on all sites ..?

Of course, but no other site actually encourages it with a silly 'turn the bar green' system.
Anyway, just because other sites do it doesn't mean you'd want your site to do it, does it?
I'm sure the site which sorts out search properly will prevail. Sadly, the desire of a proportion of contributors to want to spam will make that difficult to achieve.

I'm not sure that discoverability helps and might probably hurt. I'm positive that spammed keywords don't help like they did before, on all the other sites. Some site will have a Google type search or eBay, where you can mark not or -words. iStock does but their search is trash because of CV you can't use relevant words outside the limit.

Let me guess that Adobe will be improving the search before anyplace else. Seems to be the only site that cares and develops for the future of artists and users.

VUS

« Reply #77 on: November 01, 2018, 14:28 »
0
Had only one experience with Alamy quite a few years back but it was so bad I decided not to bother. Every when and then a report like this confirms and while they still send me their contributor mails, I was initially approved, such reports confirm to me to stay away. Personally I feel they have the worst attitude towards contributors I've experienced dealing with quite some of the major and lately also some newer companies.

ShadySue

  • There is a crack in everything
« Reply #78 on: November 01, 2018, 14:38 »
+3
Had only one experience with Alamy quite a few years back but it was so bad I decided not to bother. Every when and then a report like this confirms and while they still send me their contributor mails, I was initially approved, such reports confirm to me to stay away. Personally I feel they have the worst attitude towards contributors I've experienced dealing with quite some of the major and lately also some newer companies.

You've clearly never dealt with iS/Getty, and SS seems to be losing it nowadays.
Alamy may not always say what you want, but they are generally fast and polite.

« Reply #79 on: November 01, 2018, 14:48 »
+1
Had only one experience with Alamy quite a few years back but it was so bad I decided not to bother. Every when and then a report like this confirms and while they still send me their contributor mails, I was initially approved, such reports confirm to me to stay away. Personally I feel they have the worst attitude towards contributors I've experienced dealing with quite some of the major and lately also some newer companies.
One experience a few years back is not much to base an opinion on really. Even the best organisations get it wrong sometimes.

Uncle Pete

  • Great Place by a Great Lake - My Home Port
« Reply #80 on: November 02, 2018, 09:46 »
+2
Had only one experience with Alamy quite a few years back but it was so bad I decided not to bother. Every when and then a report like this confirms and while they still send me their contributor mails, I was initially approved, such reports confirm to me to stay away. Personally I feel they have the worst attitude towards contributors I've experienced dealing with quite some of the major and lately also some newer companies.

You've clearly never dealt with iS/Getty, and SS seems to be losing it nowadays.
Alamy may not always say what you want, but they are generally fast and polite.

Same for me and make a note, they actually answer unlike many others where a question never gets a reply or you get some boilerplate reply that doesn't answer the specific question. Actually aside from Mat coming here, Alamy is the best for clear and detailed responses.

« Reply #81 on: December 15, 2018, 03:10 »
+1
I joined Alamy in 2013 and did not even bother about passing QC test. Recently sent them some images, QC test was passed. And then I sent them my loads of images from my other portfolios on SS, Adobe, esp and others. All of them rejected. I will not bother with Alamy. It is waste of time. The agency seems to be having troubles with operations. Recently reduced commission ratios.  Not going back to Alamy for sure. I am available on other 10 agencies. Will check back again in future if the working conditions with Alamy improve.

« Reply #82 on: December 15, 2018, 03:43 »
+3
I joined Alamy in 2013 and did not even bother about passing QC test. Recently sent them some images, QC test was passed. And then I sent them my loads of images from my other portfolios on SS, Adobe, esp and others. All of them rejected. I will not bother with Alamy. It is waste of time. The agency seems to be having troubles with operations. Recently reduced commission ratios.  Not going back to Alamy for sure. I am available on other 10 agencies. Will check back again in future if the working conditions with Alamy improve.
If you read their review policy you would know why that happened. They are by no means perfect but their operations seem fine compared with SS for example who are suffering constant issues.

« Reply #83 on: May 07, 2020, 02:27 »
0
Upload freeze for one month now. I emailed them several times, they answered in a nonsensical way.

« Reply #84 on: May 07, 2020, 04:16 »
+2
Upload freeze for one month now. I emailed them several times, they answered in a nonsensical way.

You do realize that there is a Lockdown in the UK? Its going to limit responses  ;)

and what was the "nonsenical" response?

ShadySue

  • There is a crack in everything
« Reply #85 on: May 07, 2020, 06:11 »
+1
Upload freeze for one month now. I emailed them several times, they answered in a nonsensical way.

You do realize that there is a Lockdown in the UK? Its going to limit responses  ;)

and what was the "nonsenical" response?

From their official forum post, 3rd April:
" During these uncertain and challenging times that we're all facing in our personal and professional lives, you may notice some changes over the coming months that have an impact on how you normally work with Alamy as contributors.
I thought it would be best to broadly outline some of the key areas below whilst a number of staff are on extended leave:
    You may well notice considerably longer QC approval wait times
    We're unable to provide our usual level of support via the Contributor Relations team. Responses will either be severely delayed or you may be pointed back to the support forum here until further notice
    Updates to the "What Should I Shoot" tool will be paused
    Social media updates and trends tips will be reduced / paused
    Contributor marketing / guides / tips communications via email will be paused
    Response to new unauthorised use claims will be delayed
For any urgent legal or copyright inquiries you have, you can email the team via [email protected] "

(which sounded to me as if they had furloughed staff, because Support in particular could presumably relatively easily be carried out from home: but that's only my speculation).

« Reply #86 on: May 07, 2020, 07:26 »
0
The upload problem has started beginnning of march. No lockdown due to covid 19 at this time. So I complained on the Alamy forum and soon uploading was possible and the QC time was fast, very fast. But after something like 2 weeks the upload problem was there again. It was during the last 10 days of march. I have written to the alamy contributors team several times but their answers were irrelevant. Then they stopped answering beginning of april. And the upload problem remains.

ShadySue

  • There is a crack in everything
« Reply #87 on: May 07, 2020, 08:06 »
+1
The upload problem has started beginnning of march. No lockdown due to covid 19 at this time. So I complained on the Alamy forum and soon uploading was possible and the QC time was fast, very fast. But after something like 2 weeks the upload problem was there again. It was during the last 10 days of march. I have written to the alamy contributors team several times but their answers were irrelevant. Then they stopped answering beginning of april. And the upload problem remains.
It's the same for everyone (see forum) , not just you.   

"Posted April 30
Due to currently working with a reduced team, QC times will be longer than usual for some users."

« Reply #88 on: June 19, 2020, 17:29 »
0
I've been having trouble uploading to Alamy via their webloader, just wondering if anyone else is having a problem. I have asked on their forum but I think they only have a few people active there and the couple that answered me aren't having any trouble.
As stated above support aren't answering at the moment other than to say they won't be able to answer at the moment.

ShadySue

  • There is a crack in everything
« Reply #89 on: June 19, 2020, 17:36 »
0
I've been having trouble uploading to Alamy via their webloader, just wondering if anyone else is having a problem. I have asked on their forum but I think they only have a few people active there and the couple that answered me aren't having any trouble.
As stated above support aren't answering at the moment other than to say they won't be able to answer at the moment.
What sort of trouble?
I uploaded one (!) image this afternoon, and it has apparently gone up and is still awaiting QC (Monday at earliest now, I suppose). The thumnail isn't showing, but in its place is a message telling me it has been accepted ... Turns out I haven't uploaded since December, so that might have changed meantime: I'm pretty sure I used to see a thum even while it was waiting.

« Reply #90 on: June 19, 2020, 22:51 »
0
I've been having trouble uploading to Alamy via their webloader, just wondering if anyone else is having a problem. I have asked on their forum but I think they only have a few people active there and the couple that answered me aren't having any trouble.
As stated above support aren't answering at the moment other than to say they won't be able to answer at the moment.
What sort of trouble?
I uploaded one (!) image this afternoon, and it has apparently gone up and is still awaiting QC (Monday at earliest now, I suppose). The thumnail isn't showing, but in its place is a message telling me it has been accepted ... Turns out I haven't uploaded since December, so that might have changed meantime: I'm pretty sure I used to see a thum even while it was waiting.
Thanks ShadySue...
With the webloader it doesn't go through to Image Manager, it gets an upload error. If I upload via Xpiks with FTP they go through but as one submission per file so it's really painful to process once in the Image Manager after acceptance. I've had no problem, they have been passed by QC but I do worry about getting one file rejected (don't want to ruin my perfect upload score, lol). They do seem to treat them as one upload though as I only get the one email to say they have passed QC.
I've also tried Filezilla but I haven't configured it properly when installing it (not sure what the correct settings are even though I have read the instructions a dozen times) so they don't upload properly either but they do all make it to Image Manager but with a processing failed error. Tearing my hair out now, haha!
Once in IM and waiting for QC, unlike yours, they do have a thumbnail.

ETA: I've just tried two files with the webuploader, one of two uploaded with no error!! This is so strange, I really have no idea what's going on.

ETA even further: Looks like I've figured it out... It's only my smaller files that are loading. Which is strange because I have previously uploaded really large files via the webuploader. Maybe it's a problem with my internet speed, even though the problem is only with Alamy, no other sites I have uploaded to. At least I know what's happening now and I will keep my files around 5mb.
« Last Edit: June 19, 2020, 23:43 by Zalee »

« Reply #91 on: June 20, 2020, 05:48 »
0
5 mb, it's not that big. Uploading "small" files is not a good solution. In stock photography, we have to upload large files ( particularly for commercial use).
 I still have the same uploading problem with alamy and the problem is only with them. No problem with other stock libraries despite of the covid 19 crisis ( these libraries are located in countries that have been severely affected by the epidemic).

« Reply #92 on: June 23, 2020, 05:52 »
0
I uploaded some photos when my router had crc errors. the photos arrived damaged, with 90% color banding across all the images. they were obvious garbage.

you could not see any detail in the photo or tell what they were

they were all approved by alamy.

they do not do a visual inspection

« Reply #93 on: June 23, 2020, 06:01 »
+1
I uploaded some photos when my router had crc errors. the photos arrived damaged, with 90% color banding across all the images. they were obvious garbage.

you could not see any detail in the photo or tell what they were

they were all approved by alamy.

they do not do a visual inspection

They do a sample inspection of all the batches not every image

And if they are that bad you should delete and re-upload


 

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