MicrostockGroup
Agency Based Discussion => Dreamstime.com => Topic started by: rinderart on August 28, 2019, 22:39
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A very good site for Me and many Others. sales are so Bad Im in shock. I fear another One is gonna Bite the dust. I really Hope this Great Old site gets it back together.
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Yep. I used to make a some good amount of money from Dreamstime a long long time ago, but now all I had is 10x times less. I fear they are going bankrupt. The downfall of Dreamstime is so rapid compared to other sites.
Shutterstock down x2 times
iStock down x2 times
Depositphotos down x2 times
123rf down x3 times.
Canstockphoto down x4 times
Dreamstime down x10 times
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Dreamstime was my first. And my only one, for quite some time acutally. Sad to see how them dropping so low so fast.
One could hope they can turn the tide, but considering that they're not the only agency taking hits, a merge with another agency or even bankruptcy seems more feasible.
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I think several years ago they had an opportunity to be bought out
In hindsight they should have took the money and run, now they are barely eking out an existence
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Dreamstime is so old fashioned and unnecessary accumulated like a Christmas tree with unnecessary things. Why don't they just clean up the design and refine the collection with the best there. There is still a chance.
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A very good site for Me and many Others. sales are so Bad Im in shock. I fear another One is gonna Bite the dust. I really Hope this Great Old site gets it back together.
What kicked off this topic? Did I miss something?
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A topic for us "oldtimers". ;) Dreamstime was my first agency as well nine years ago. There's a nostalgic motivation staying with them but they also provide steady sales throughout the years. A minor earner but always predictable with frequent commissions in the dollar category as opposed to the penny offerings.....Personally, I would think if they simplified things for the buyer. Use far fewer categories they could improve sales.
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I am $1.92 $1.22 $0.87 $0.52 $0.17 shy of my next payout - let's hope they stay in business long enough to get that over $100 :)
Edited to add that I got to payout before they bit the dust. I had hoped that someone would purchase the site and make something of it - meaning that leaving my files there made sense. DT hasn't done anything objectionable (I opted out of partner sales) so there's no urgency to leave, but giving them such a long float before I get paid - given their $100 threshold - just feels like I'm subsidizing their slow decline. Decisions, decisions...
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I am $1.92 shy of my next payout - let's hope they stay in business long enough to get that over $100 :)
I've been sitting at around $5 shy of my next payout for what seems forever.
I share your hope, Jo Ann.
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Payout should be $25 for DT
$100 threshold is ridiculous given the micro stock environment in general, never mind a low volume sales one like DT
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Exact same here $1.50 shy for weeks. I chk it 3 times a day.
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Payout should be $25 for DT
$100 threshold is ridiculous given the micro stock environment in general, never mind a low volume sales one like DT
Agree. I asked them a year ago to make it 50. Never a word Back.
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Payout should be $25 for DT
$100 threshold is ridiculous given the micro stock environment in general, never mind a low volume sales one like DT
Agree. I asked them a year ago to make it 50. Never a word Back.
Makes me wonder if the only thing keeping DT alive is the "float" they get on all our delayed
payouts.
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Payout should be $25 for DT
$100 threshold is ridiculous given the micro stock environment in general, never mind a low volume sales one like DT
Agree. I asked them a year ago to make it 50. Never a word Back.
Makes me wonder if the only thing keeping DT alive is the "float" they get on all our delayed
payouts.
Sadly I agree Martha. I have $98.71 showing for 3 weeks. thats Unheard of. I wrote them today asking for $100.01 cent and said after i got paid I would close My account. Then they can hide all they want because I don't care and Im Not gonna spend any More time with this. There in Tennessee ? USA. really?
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Payout should be $25 for DT
$100 threshold is ridiculous given the micro stock environment in general, never mind a low volume sales one like DT
Agree. I asked them a year ago to make it 50. Never a word Back.
Makes me wonder if the only thing keeping DT alive is the "float" they get on all our delayed
payouts.
Sadly I agree Martha. I have $98.71 showing for 3 weeks. thats Unheard of. I wrote them today asking for $100.01 cent and said after i got paid I would close My account. Then they can hide all they want because I don't care and Im Not gonna spend any More time with this. There in Tennessee ? USA. really?
So yesterday you really hoped this Great Old site gets it back together and today you are requesting payment and account closure. Am I missing something? Did you have sales that were not added to your 98$ so that can purposely hold on your potential payment or you did not make sales in 3 weeks ?
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I was in the same boat with a dollar or less shy of payout and a sudden halt of sales :o
Eventually I bought my own work to reach payout and then removed all my work and closed account.
So just buy (or let someone else buy) some credits and get it over with.
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Great Idea.
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Sadly I agree Martha. I have $98.71 showing for 3 weeks. thats Unheard of. I wrote them today asking for $100.01 cent and said after i got paid I would close My account. Then they can hide all they want because I don't care and Im Not gonna spend any More time with this. There in Tennessee ? USA. really?
I can understand that.
You only had 58 sales since the end of April.
58 sales in 4 months, for someone with with a port of 5,144 files, can be disappointing, indeed.
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I had a talk with them last Night. was Informed they weren't going anywhere. But it's been tough for awhile and suggested I hang In there. Appreciate their words. Always Liked the simplicity of the site. fingers crossed.
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I had a talk with them last Night. was Informed they weren't going anywhere. But it's been tough for awhile and suggested I hang In there. Appreciate their words. Always Liked the simplicity of the site. fingers crossed.
So for 50 downloads a month you're willing to sit and watch them wither some more? ::)
Maybe they are hanging on for a settlement from Google in the last phase of the lawsuit. LOL
I still have an account, my effort is a worse joke than the earnings. As I've said before, I get what I deserve, based on my level of effort. I can't blame them for that.
What I mean is, if I closed my account, they could keep the pitiful accumulated earnings and I wouldn't feel any sadness for the loss. I also had hoped they could somehow recover. I was wrong.
Dreamstime recent photo:
(https://i.postimg.cc/YqSKbn7s/microstock-sinking-sales-future.jpg)
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I am $1.92 $1.22 shy of my next payout - let's hope they stay in business long enough to get that over $100 :)
License your own photo, hopefully that would get you over the threshold :D
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great agency once with probably the biggest rpd for me suddenly going down the hill...not a lot to say a 20 30 download per month..in addiction i find so boring the uploading process without serious batch...with ss all i need is 5 minutes to send hundreds of file...the same quantity make me spend 2 hours and more of my life...that's why i still have 500 unfinished files..i need also to release them so for each file a release click, two category...if you use the similar category is still a pain...
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I use to sell about 2000 dollars a year in photos with Dreamtime. Now if I am lucky it is maybe 200 dollars a year. I guess I should feel good that I do still have sales. If I could turn back time. I think that Crazy Socialist woman Cher said that....
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great agency once with probably the biggest rpd for me suddenly going down the hill...not a lot to say a 20 30 download per month..in addiction i find so boring the uploading process without serious batch...with ss all i need is 5 minutes to send hundreds of file...the same quantity make me spend 2 hours and more of my life...that's why i still have 500 unfinished files..i need also to release them so for each file a release click, two category...if you use the similar category is still a pain...
Perfect!!! no need of competion of snapshot images for dilution of those that took some effort for production
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I am $1.92 $1.22 $0.87 shy of my next payout - let's hope they stay in business long enough to get that over $100 :)
@Jo Ann, After two months on $99.48 I've just had a sale of $5.47 to take me over the threshold. Phew! Hope you get there soon!
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I started with dt in 2012 and I am now at 85 usd, 2 more years for pay out
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I started with dt in 2012 and I am now at 85 usd, 2 more years for pay out
A completely pointless post. If you have 2 images with DT, that's pretty impressive. If you have 10,000 images with DT, it's terrible.....
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here is another completely pointless post
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I am $1.92 $1.22 $0.87 shy of my next payout - let's hope they stay in business long enough to get that over $100 :)
@Jo Ann, After two months on $99.48 I've just had a sale of $5.47 to take me over the threshold. Phew! Hope you get there soon!
Congratulations on that accomplishment!!
I'm currently $2.04 short of payout (up about $3 in the last couple of weeks). No telling how long that last 2+ bucks will take.
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A very good site for Me and many Others. sales are so Bad Im in shock. I fear another One is gonna Bite the dust. I really Hope this Great Old site gets it back together.
I am not sorry about them.
Very unprofessional site. After revealing real contributor name, without any notice for artists, I deleted my account.
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A very good site for Me and many Others. sales are so Bad Im in shock. I fear another One is gonna Bite the dust. I really Hope this Great Old site gets it back together.
I am not sorry about them.
Very unprofessional site. After revealing real contributor name, without any notice for artists, I deleted my account.
What? Real name is visible on the web?
:o
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A very good site for Me and many Others. sales are so Bad Im in shock. I fear another One is gonna Bite the dust. I really Hope this Great Old site gets it back together.
I am not sorry about them.
Very unprofessional site. After revealing real contributor name, without any notice for artists, I deleted my account.
What? Real name is visible on the web?
:o
It was during few days or weeks. They decided without prior notice to contributors that "confidencial info" accounts would not be confidencial anymore and they simply displayed real names of authors. After contributors protests they are going back on their decision, but the damage is done.
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This is illegal here. Could be fined with a lot of money.
Amazing.
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I started with dt in 2012 and I am now at 85 usd, 2 more years for pay out
maybe a reason to challenge yourself, complaining here is useless
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I am not sorry about them.
Very unprofessional site. After revealing real contributor name, without any notice for artists, I deleted my account.
What? Real name is visible on the web?
:o
Yup. You can read about it here.
Dreamstime’s Identity Crisis (http://www.microstockposts.com/dreamstimes-identity-crisis/)
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I started with dt in 2012 and I am now at 85 usd, 2 more years for pay out
Wow, almost same here, i started at 2013 and now at 86 usd...
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I started with dt in 2012 and I am now at 85 usd, 2 more years for pay out
Wow, almost same here, i started at 2013 and now at 86 usd...
I started a year ago and I have like 25 USD. So 3 more years for pay out lol...
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It seems to me Dreamstime fall started with their "submit only the best from the series we accept no similars" policy. Rings a bell, huh? :o
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Let's hope that next step will be bloking accounts that are floodin craps
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Yup. You can read about it here.
Dreamstime’s Identity Crisis ([url]http://www.microstockposts.com/dreamstimes-identity-crisis/[/url])
And as the arcicle suggested, (September 28, 2016)
Now it’s time for Dreasmtime to rebuild their trust with their contributors, and maybe find more effective ways to increase their sales.
Guess they failed on the first one, dunno if at least managed to achieve the second.
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this agency is going bankrupt soon. it's clear. like 123rf and cannock...probably deposit will manage to be alive some more here...then will be the time for ss esp and adobe...soon there will be no business in micro stock...it's pretty clear.
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I just had a sale and it says something new (25% royalty).
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I just had a sale and it says something new (25% royalty).
That's not new - it was a credit sale (a rare bird these days) as opposed to subscription. You can read about the various royalty percentages (based on how much an image has sold) here:
https://www.dreamstime.com/sell-stock-photos-images (https://www.dreamstime.com/sell-stock-photos-images)
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I seem to do okay on Dreamstime. Enough that I feel it's still worth it to upload there. But 123RF seems to be rather stagnant and their upload process is super time consuming.
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Until last year, I was able to get a payout every month (sometimes even twice a month)
Now I can only got payed every other month.
I hope they'll find a way to recover and become competitive again.
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I seem to do okay on Dreamstime. Enough that I feel it's still worth it to upload there. But 123RF seems to be rather stagnant and their upload process is super time consuming.
Amazingly RF is doing better for me the last couple of months but from a cliff edge drop about a year back. I don't find their ftp uploading time consuming.
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Completly dead for a few months
Used to have 2 sales a month
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Used to have 2 sales a month
Woo hoo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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I really don’t see what the problem is or why Dreamstime is supposedly doomed all of a sudden.
Yes, Dreamstime is a small and kind of low-earning agency. Yes, it can take a while until you reach payout. So? Their upload process is painless and speedy, their average RPD isn’t so low that I feel ripped off (hello, 123rf!), they pay without delay or fuss when you reach the threshold.
For me, they have been a slow but steady earner and as long as the abovementioned criteria don’t change, then I’ll keep my portfolio there & keep uploading when I have the time. I’ll worry about them going belly-up if it actually happens.
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You'll be even more sorry when the time comes to close your account. They will make you
disable thousand of images one by one :p
Luckily it can be coded to go faster :D
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DT is my first too since 2013... I was once exclusive. Combining the sales of my renderings with uploaded bonuses and helped me through to get some really tough times. I had to stop uploading and leave exclusivity after they stopped giving bonuses to contributors over 10.000 accepted images. It was sad for me since I get used to it very much.
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DT is my first too since 2013... I was once exclusive. Combining the sales of my renderings with uploaded bonuses and helped me through to get some really tough times. I had to stop uploading and leave exclusivity after they stopped giving bonuses to contributors over 10.000 accepted images. It was sad for me since I get used to it very much.
I think I remember reading that you have to pay back the bonuses if you stop being exclusive. Is this correct?
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If you broke the rules and sell in another agency while working exclusive with them. BUT when you let them know 30 day prior for leaving exclusivity no such thing will happen. They simply let you leave without any penalty.
DT is my first too since 2013... I was once exclusive. Combining the sales of my renderings with uploaded bonuses and helped me through to get some really tough times. I had to stop uploading and leave exclusivity after they stopped giving bonuses to contributors over 10.000 accepted images. It was sad for me since I get used to it very much.
I think I remember reading that you have to pay back the bonuses if you stop being exclusive. Is this correct?
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I am not sorry about them.
Very unprofessional site. After revealing real contributor name, without any notice for artists, I deleted my account.
What? Real name is visible on the web?
:o
Yup. You can read about it here.
Dreamstime’s Identity Crisis ([url]http://www.microstockposts.com/dreamstimes-identity-crisis/[/url])
And what about Dreamstime now? Have they overcome their crisis?
I looked at some profiles of contributors and saw that some used a pseudonym.
Has the requirement to use a real name been lifted?
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This month I have 24 sales good for $56 thus doing well in my eyes...
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They are a goods site. Not top tier in terms of earnings but a steady earner
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Dreamstime was my first agency way back in the stone age era, 2009, when we
were using rocks and chisels to submit images. They are the only agency that
retained and honored the original agreement that I signed up for. Back in those
days I assumed commissions would increase. Today Shutterstock received
$79us payment from a client for a clip I produced. I received $0.69us in commission.
This is why I continue to submit to Dreamstime and don't submit to Shutterstock and
a host of other agencies that broke our original agreement.
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my sales have been steady for last 3+ years (payout every3-4 mo) and many $2+ sales
not the best but another passive earner w little maintenance
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my sales have been steady for last 3+ years (payout every3-4 mo) and many $2+ sales
not the best but another passive earner w little maintenance
That's a pretty good description of my experience, too. Dreamstime is slow but reliable, and often produces higher-paying sales than other site.
As "Asthebelltolls" mentioned, they've never done anything that upset me. No "exciting news" that pulls the rug out from under contributors.
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They are my favorite small agency indeed, for reasons mentioned by others above. But! A very small earner.
Only 2,6% of my microstock income in 2021 came from Dreamstime so far.
No matter how fair we think they run their business: it's peanuts.
The bad guys, the ones getting tons of criticism when it comes to treating contributors: iStock/Getty and Shutterstock, well... they bring in 65%.
And I'm not not even taking sales via WireStock or Eyeem into account.
These are the hard facts about my personal situation and these numbers will vary across the contributor community, but looking at numbers, excluding emotional feelings (positive or negative) I have about agencies, sheds a different light on my perception.
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I feel like there are three customers occasionally buying at DT.
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I feel like there are three customers occasionally buying at DT.
Ok, I will stop buying your images 8)
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I feel like there are three customers occasionally buying at DT.
Ok, I will stop buying your images 8)
Well, two it is. 8)
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I feel like there are three customers occasionally buying at DT.
Ok, I will stop buying your images 8)
Well, two it is. 8)
Best of luck with those two!!! ;D
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you sure they are not brothers?
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you sure they are not brothers?
LOL!
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Dreamstime is doing well for me.
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Dreamstime is doing well for me.
Same here. They must be advertising! :-)
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Already my best month in over a year and still over a week left in August thus they must be doing something since I really haven't submitted a lot of newer images. :)
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A topic for us "oldtimers". ;) Dreamstime was my first agency as well nine years ago. There's a nostalgic motivation staying with them but they also provide steady sales throughout the years. A minor earner but always predictable with frequent commissions in the dollar category as opposed to the penny offerings.....Personally, I would think if they simplified things for the buyer. Use far fewer categories they could improve sales.
I too remember the good 'ol days...$800 a month wasn't uncommon. But that was over 10 years ago. Oh how times have changed.
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I am not sorry about them.
Very unprofessional site. After revealing real contributor name, without any notice for artists, I deleted my account.
What? Real name is visible on the web?
:o
Yup. You can read about it here.
Dreamstime’s Identity Crisis ([url]http://www.microstockposts.com/dreamstimes-identity-crisis/[/url])
And what about Dreamstime now? Have they overcome their crisis?
I looked at some profiles of contributors and saw that some used a pseudonym.
Has the requirement to use a real name been lifted?
After causing quite a storm Dreamstime did reverse their decision and said, “We still believe a public profile gives more credibility to your images but we will respect your choice regarding the confidentiality of your profile.”
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I am not sorry about them.
Very unprofessional site. After revealing real contributor name, without any notice for artists, I deleted my account.
What? Real name is visible on the web?
:o
Yup. You can read about it here.
Dreamstime’s Identity Crisis ([url]http://www.microstockposts.com/dreamstimes-identity-crisis/[/url])
And what about Dreamstime now? Have they overcome their crisis?
I looked at some profiles of contributors and saw that some used a pseudonym.
Has the requirement to use a real name been lifted?
After causing quite a storm Dreamstime did reverse their decision and said, “We still believe a public profile gives more credibility to your images but we will respect your choice regarding the confidentiality of your profile.”
Looking back to the OP of this old thread, what does that mean? They respect what confidentiality? Or is there some choice?
https://www.dreamstime.com/rinderart_info (https://www.dreamstime.com/rinderart_info)
Doesn't seem very private or confidential to me?
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I am not sorry about them.
Very unprofessional site. After revealing real contributor name, without any notice for artists, I deleted my account.
What? Real name is visible on the web?
:o
Yup. You can read about it here.
Dreamstime’s Identity Crisis ([url]http://www.microstockposts.com/dreamstimes-identity-crisis/[/url])
And what about Dreamstime now? Have they overcome their crisis?
I looked at some profiles of contributors and saw that some used a pseudonym.
Has the requirement to use a real name been lifted?
After causing quite a storm Dreamstime did reverse their decision and said, “We still believe a public profile gives more credibility to your images but we will respect your choice regarding the confidentiality of your profile.”
Looking back to the OP of this old thread, what does that mean? They respect what confidentiality? Or is there some choice?
[url]https://www.dreamstime.com/rinderart_info[/url] ([url]https://www.dreamstime.com/rinderart_info[/url])
Doesn't seem very private or confidential to me?
The contributor probably didn't edited their profile. You have the choice of what info is made visible to the public including your real name or your username
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Dreamstime are a dream to upload to (97% acceptance rate but have only earned $10+ so will take a long time to cashout I guess.
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I am not sorry about them.
Very unprofessional site. After revealing real contributor name, without any notice for artists, I deleted my account.
What? Real name is visible on the web?
:o
Yup. You can read about it here.
Dreamstime’s Identity Crisis ([url]http://www.microstockposts.com/dreamstimes-identity-crisis/[/url])
And what about Dreamstime now? Have they overcome their crisis?
I looked at some profiles of contributors and saw that some used a pseudonym.
Has the requirement to use a real name been lifted?
After causing quite a storm Dreamstime did reverse their decision and said, “We still believe a public profile gives more credibility to your images but we will respect your choice regarding the confidentiality of your profile.”
Looking back to the OP of this old thread, what does that mean? They respect what confidentiality? Or is there some choice?
[url]https://www.dreamstime.com/rinderart_info[/url] ([url]https://www.dreamstime.com/rinderart_info[/url])
Doesn't seem very private or confidential to me?
The contributor probably didn't edited their profile. You have the choice of what info is made visible to the public including your real name or your username
Thanks, that's what I wondered. They didn't remove anything, but artists have the personal option to block information. Choice is a good way to handle things.
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Choice is a good way to handle things.
'Tis true, Uncle Pete… and in women's lives just as in stock photography.
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Choice is a good way to handle things.
'Tis true, Uncle Pete… and in women's lives just as in stock photography.
You'll always get my agreement on that point. Individual choice, for everyone, on an equal basis.
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Choice is a good way to handle things.
'Tis true, Uncle Pete… and in women's lives just as in stock photography.
and the ultimate hypocrisy is claiming mask mandates violate individual choice!!
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Dreamstime are a dream to upload to (97% acceptance rate but have only earned $10+ so will take a long time to cashout I guess.
more a nightmare - they no longer allow bulk submissions - you have to click 1 by 1 - unless you spend time extracting all metadata to a csv file!
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Choice is a good way to handle things.
'Tis true, Uncle Pete… and in women's lives just as in stock photography.
and the ultimate hypocrisy is claiming mask mandates violate individual choice!!
Yeah, that's rich, ain't it?