It hurts all of us....and reinforces the impression of some buyers that microstock providers are makeshift cloud setups put together with rubber bands and gaffer tape, maintained by someone called Norman who still lives with his mum.

It is up again

In all fairness, Istock goes down all the time.  This is the first time I can remember DT having any down time in years.   They are one of the most reliable sites.  It isn't really a fair comparison. 

Customers nowadays don't hang around and wait they simply go somewhere else. I work with a design agency and they have multiple accounts at various libraries and simply switch to download.

Do they? They have taken years to leak away from istock, I don't think customers that are comfortable where they are are in any rush to move away and look for a new agency, learn a new search and buying process etc.

It's true according to surveys that more than 50% of professional designers buy from more than one account, and if a site is down they will buy elsewhere if they can't wait, but you can bet that they will be back to their favorite (and familiar) once it is back up.

unless they find the alternative site they try is better.

Twitters' woes in 2008 (ish?) were a good example of stickyness, people were MORE than accommodating of the site being up and down for months. They only leave when they find something better that is worth the effort to change.

Norman, their IT manager, is probably still munching through the boiled egg sandwiches his mum made for him.

Norman? Hop to it lad. Come on. Chop. Chop.

They are down again!

My impression of DT is that they have an IT department that needs things to keep themselves busy.  So they come up with "cool" new features like sorting the stock by camera model.

Like what customer gives a #%% about that?  Did a customer ask for it?  Have they ever talked to their customers?