I saw the following comment by Achilles in the midst of a thread on the DT forums:

We have actually eased the similarity criteria recently for images that have sales potential. It means we will accept more similars from a series of good images (i.e. nice authentic-looking models, in good light having fun in a contemporary setup/props, a niche-but-popular subject, etc.) than from the everyday shots (think common still lives).
Given that level 0 is applied after 6 months and that the images enter the database as level 1 files there is a faster price diversification for similar images. It doesn't mean we accept anything or that we don't expect photographers to do their own selection. Folks who simply dump their cards in the FTP folder are kindly asked to make a prior selection.
I know it's not the case for most of you and again, we keep in mind the quality of the submissions at review time. If your images are very good, salable, AR is high, you have better chances to have them accepted. If they are not, it's not the end of the world. See if you can improve something or move on.

Having said these, you are encouraged to ask for a second review using the form available in the Refused files section. A senior editor is reviewing those, someone different than initial reviewer. This comes as an additional support to the resubmit feature, who goes to the same editor. Both these assume the possibility that your refusal was unjust. Please take advantage of these opportunities and if the image is still refused, trust us and move on to the next images.

We are aware refusals are frustrating. You worked for those images, you spent time uploading and we spent time reviewing. We would much rather accept everything, but we have selection criteria we need to abide in order to keep our customers happy. The number of submissions is about 40% higher than last year. We could increase the size of our database dramatically but we prefer to remain focused on quality rather than quantity.

Thanks for your understanding.

Here's a link to the thread.

Any move from the dogmatic approach they have been adhering to is most welcome.  Hope they let the inspectors know, not just us. 

This will not change their stance on illustrations and submitting individual design elements instead of sets.

While of course it's not making much sense not to submit sets as long as they are vector based - I still don't understand their, more than, questionable position on asking us illustrators to submit sets even if the original image is non-vector (e.g. 3D) based.

I'm selling lots of design elements on any other agency which doesn't make it worth my while to upload sets to DT because I'd be undercutting myself. Well I'm not brain dead, so no changes for me - sorry DT.

Good for photographers though with models and the like.

If DT would change two other things, I might explore uploading everything to them that I upload elsewhere, but as it is, this change is a big vaguely described and the penalties for incorrectly second  guessing what they'll take make it not worth it.

If my approval rate falls below 80% then my uploads per week are cut (I stopped trying to upload my full port because there were too many "similars" rejections) and it reportedly hurts search position. I don't upload crap (I did in 2004, but that's another story and if they would eliminate the similars rejections from the approval percentage, I'd be more willing to play footsie with their new rules.

it takes more than one year for them to admit a mistake and realize it is lost lost situation for everyone..

and how about the batch edit process?

even fotolia had a batch process.. nowadays a lot of ppl start as 1000k portfolio..not really just some weekend hobbies..

Do you use the populate button?  Makes it all a lot quicker, especially or catagories and model releases.

the populate button is not able to batch process multiple files same time right?

i do use the populate button to assign categories..but one need to click agree and 'submit' for every files right?

shutterstock..fotolia.. and every other site that you can move the similar files just by doing 1 time..

if you have 10 image from same situation, why need to repeat 10 times?

basically the worst submit is istock, and dreamstime is second..

Quote from: fotografer on March 02, 2013, 03:20

Quote from: mtkang on March 02, 2013, 01:55

it takes more than one year for them to admit a mistake and realize it is lost lost situation for everyone..

and how about the batch edit process?

even fotolia had a batch process.. nowadays a lot of ppl start as 1000k portfolio..not really just some weekend hobbies..

Do you use the populate button?  Makes it all a lot quicker, especially or catagories and model releases.

You are quite right about that but I have come across people that didn't know how the populate button worked and it really does make life easier.

it takes more than one year for them to admit a mistake and realize it is lost lost situation for everyone....

Isn't it more like 3 or 4 years?  Nice they've finally seen sense but they've lost out to SS now and there's a danger they could end up fighting over the scraps with all the other sites that haven't provided a good alternative for buyers.  I don't mind sites making mistakes, as long as they can see they've got it wrong and make a change reasonably quickly.  It's been so long since I regularly uploaded to DT, I dread to think how much money I've lost and they've lost much more.

I'll give them another go, hopefully they can still make up for the years of stupidity but I can't help thinking they could be doing almost as well as SS if they hadn't made such an obvious strategic error.

Go to your refused files there is a tiny field to add up to five file numbers for them to reconsider

Quote from: SC on March 02, 2013, 10:37

Go to your refused files there is a tiny field to add up to five file numbers for them to reconsider

Interestingly, I've used that before and never heard a thing back.

I don't think I've ever gotten a message back - but I do think a couple showed up in my port eventually.

"...we will accept more similars from a series of good images (i.e. nice authentic-looking models, in good light having fun in a contemporary setup/props, a niche-but-popular subject, etc.)" Achilles

I hope that the same changes in policy will also be applied to illustrations. I have created new images of new concepts using elements from previously submitted images, only to have them rejected as too similar. I never understood this. Are buyers supposed to buy my old image and somehow convert it to something like the new one themselves?

This policy of rejecting images which are accepted on other sites and sell well because they are useful for buyers has cost me money, and cost DT money also. As others here have noted, it should have been changed long ago when we first started complaining about it.

I think they would be well advised to accept your more recent food images.  Your work over the last year is absolutely beautiful and light years ahead of your earlier work, and most of your competitors in your niches, IMO. 

Thank you Lisa! Coming from you that's a big lift. I think I've probably undertaken about 1000 individual food shoots by now so it's about time that I got one or two of them right. Amazon have done pretty well out my microstock endeavours too as my shelves are groaning under the weight of 150 cookery books __ they're very <ahem> 'inspiring'.

I do wish they'd change their email that states I "already have several similar images". To me several means 6+, not 2, which is usually as far as you can push it.

I would only make a collage if they could be sold for more.  I know they might one day reach a higher level but I'm afraid that doesn't make me want to sell several images as one when they're sold separately on other sites.  And they're always going to be available at full size for subs commissions.  That's just not on.

I also wonder what happens to the buyers that don't want a collage and aren't good with photoshop?