Author Topic: I believe in quality. (Read 32928 times)

cathyslife · « **Reply #50 on:** November 08, 2016, 14:57 »

Quote from: Zero Talent on November 08, 2016, 14:25

Quote from: cathyslife on November 08, 2016, 13:39

...but providing good quality also means getting fair pay according to one's standard of living.

Actually no! Nobody is entitled to a certain "standard of living", nor to a higher pay because of that.
A fair pay is what the two contracting parties have free-willingly agreed to. Therefore a "fair pay" is always the market price.
If you don't consider it fair, you should be free to walk away from the contract you don't like. If enough people walk away, then the market price will be adjusted, back to the level the market will consider "fair".

You are correct. I probably just didn't explain myself. What I meant was I personally expect "fair pay" according to my standard of living. So yes, if it doesn't meet my criteria, yes, I will walk away. Maybe 2 cents per image is OK with Josephine, according to her standard of living. And her standard of living might coincide with fair market value. It doesn't coincide with mine.

Giveme5 · « **Reply #51 on:** November 08, 2016, 15:23 »

Quote from: Pauws99 on November 08, 2016, 11:18

Quote from: Josephine on November 08, 2016, 11:16
I cannot change the company policy. I can either agree or disagree like in any other business. If I am an employee and don´t like my company, I better quit. If I am self employed and my customer does not pay me what I want, I better look for another opportunity.
You can always ask them for a pay rise I can't see anything wrong with that....

In today's climate they probably would shut down your account if you ask for a pay raise

cathyslife · « **Reply #52 on:** November 08, 2016, 15:36 »

Quote from: Josephine on November 08, 2016, 11:16

I cannot change the company policy. I can either agree or disagree like in any other business. If I am an employee and don´t like my company, I better quit. If I am self employed and my customer does not pay me what I want, I better look for another opportunity.

What you are saying is true. But regarding being self employed (or really, employed by a company, for that matter), I would always discuss pay raises or increases in salaries with my clients/supervisors before just quitting. I think these petitions are self-employed people (contributors) discussing their disappointments with future pay and asking for increases instead. It just can't be done in person, like a typical employer/employee relationship. And a petition can gather a bunch of people at one time to voice the grievance. That number of people shows that the grievance affects a group, rather than just one disgruntled person.

k_t_g · « **Reply #53 on:** November 08, 2016, 16:36 »

Quote from: Pauws99 on November 07, 2016, 14:42

This is business not art "good" means sells. Not artistic, technically difficult or expensive to produce. Although as has been said by others I can find little pattern in what sells....that's why I'm not very successful.

Just like science, what is relevant today is mostly deemed irreverent tomorrow but in fashion another day.

Josephine · « **Reply #54 on:** November 08, 2016, 16:40 »

Checking the Top-100 Shutterstock Authors where they come from I read: Uruguay, Russia, Romania, Thailand, Azerbaijan, Ukraine, Turkey, Latvia, Belarus, Poland, India, Indonesia, Kazakhsan, Estonia, Pakistan... what does this mean to you?

Are they more talented? more creative? better motivated? better qualified? What´s their secret?
Are these countries represented in this forum?

Pauws99 · « **Reply #55 on:** November 08, 2016, 17:20 »

Quote from: Josephine on November 08, 2016, 16:40

Checking the Top-100 Shutterstock Authors where they come from I read: Uruguay, Russia, Romania, Thailand, Azerbaijan, Ukraine, Turkey, Latvia, Belarus, Poland, India, Indonesia, Kazakhsan, Estonia, Pakistan... what does this mean to you?

Are they more talented? more creative? better motivated? better qualified? What´s their secret?
Are these countries represented in this forum?

Their production costs are probably lower making it more profitable to make images that include models and microstock probably has higher returns in those countries than other forms of income such as wedding photography etc which in wealthier countries is much more lucrative . In any event they are only top in terms of sales you don't know profitable they are.

Shelma1 · « **Reply #56 on:** November 08, 2016, 17:49 »

Quote from: Josephine on November 08, 2016, 16:40

Checking the Top-100 Shutterstock Authors where they come from I read: Uruguay, Russia, Romania, Thailand, Azerbaijan, Ukraine, Turkey, Latvia, Belarus, Poland, India, Indonesia, Kazakhsan, Estonia, Pakistan... what does this mean to you?

Are they more talented? more creative? better motivated? better qualified? What´s their secret?
Are these countries represented in this forum?

Where are you checking them? What's your source for the top 100?

Pauws99 · « **Reply #57 on:** November 08, 2016, 18:00 »

http://www.microstock.top/ Maybe this? But that's only volume not a measure of "quality" that started this all off.

Photobomb · « **Reply #58 on:** November 08, 2016, 18:05 »

Quote from: Shelma1 on November 08, 2016, 17:49

Quote from: Josephine on November 08, 2016, 16:40
Checking the Top-100 Shutterstock Authors where they come from I read: Uruguay, Russia, Romania, Thailand, Azerbaijan, Ukraine, Turkey, Latvia, Belarus, Poland, India, Indonesia, Kazakhsan, Estonia, Pakistan... what does this mean to you?

Are they more talented? more creative? better motivated? better qualified? What´s their secret?
Are these countries represented in this forum?

Where are you checking them? What's your source for the top 100?

http://www.microstock.top/

This by portfolio size

obj owl · « **Reply #59 on:** November 08, 2016, 18:33 »

Quote from: Josephine on November 08, 2016, 16:40

Checking the Top-100 Shutterstock Authors where they come from I read: Uruguay, Russia, Romania, Thailand, Azerbaijan, Ukraine, Turkey, Latvia, Belarus, Poland, India, Indonesia, Kazakhsan, Estonia, Pakistan... what does this mean to you?

Are they more talented? more creative? better motivated? better qualified? What´s their secret?
Are these countries represented in this forum?

It means hard work knows no boundary's, and that is no secret.

If they are Shutterstock's top earners it's likely that they have been muzzled by the Terms and Conditions of Premier Select, but I for one would welcome them to this forum. Tonight though, they will be sweating on the Election result, because if Trump gets in they could find themselves sanctioned out of business.

Rose Tinted Glasses · « **Reply #60 on:** November 08, 2016, 18:36 »

funny list. #82 and #169 have the same portfolio. thai style, cheat the system and upload identical images as a different user name and double dip.

Shelma1 · « **Reply #61 on:** November 08, 2016, 18:40 »

Quote from: Pauws99 on November 08, 2016, 18:00

http://www.microstock.top/ Maybe this? But that's only volume not a measure of "quality" that started this all off.

Not only is volume not a measure of quality, 4 of the top 10 contributors in terms of volume are from the U.K., Ireland, Australia and the U.S. So I'm not sure what her point is if that's her source.

Pauws99 · « **Reply #62 on:** November 09, 2016, 05:49 »

Quote from: Rose Tinted Glasses on November 08, 2016, 18:36

funny list. #82 and #169 have the same portfolio. thai style, cheat the system and upload identical images as a different user name and double dip.

More evidence of poor quality control by SS but if it gets their image count up do they care!? Having had a quick look of some of those portfolios putting them in a thread about "quality" is laughable more like if you throw enough er dirt at the wall some might stick.

Tror · « **Reply #63 on:** November 09, 2016, 05:53 »

I believe in Santa Claus

Or in other words > Microstock is like Democracy: you can have a very elaborate, developed and wise concept, but if the majority of your customers/citizens are not capable of understanding that and prefer to take the mental shortcut, you are better off with offering low level / high impact products / concepts :-)

Pauws99 · « **Reply #64 on:** November 09, 2016, 06:11 »

Quote from: Tror on November 09, 2016, 05:53

I believe in Santa Claus

Or in other words > Microstock is like Democracy: you can have a very elaborate, developed and wise concept, but if the majority of your customers/citizens are not capable of understanding that and prefer to take the mental shortcut, you are better off with offering low level / high impact products / concepts :-)

What YOU or I think is quality is irrelevant customer perception is king. Its about "fit for purpose" not hanging great art on the wall

Tror · « **Reply #65 on:** November 09, 2016, 06:22 »

Quote from: Pauws99 on November 09, 2016, 06:11

Quote from: Tror on November 09, 2016, 05:53
I believe in Santa Claus

Or in other words > Microstock is like Democracy: you can have a very elaborate, developed and wise concept, but if the majority of your customers/citizens are not capable of understanding that and prefer to take the mental shortcut, you are better off with offering low level / high impact products / concepts :-)
What YOU or I think is quality is irrelevant customer perception is king. Its about "fit for purpose" not hanging great art on the wall

And we all try to find out best what customers need :-)

The point is that "Quality" cannot be easily defined anymore as such.

In the past e.g. we tried to focus on technical Quality to e.g. satisfy high res/gloss prints. Nowadays it seems to be not so relevant anymore since most of the publishing switched to the web.

Nowadays I prefer a strong composition / mood design instead of high photographic Quality in a technical sense.

PureArt · « **Reply #66 on:** November 09, 2016, 06:35 »

Quote from: Josephine on November 08, 2016, 13:47

... do you believe in your heart, that you will succeed in getting more money by putting your signature under a petition? ...

Why not try?! If you do nothing (do not sign the petition) the result is predictable (and not acceptable). If you do something it may become better.

Sometimes we must send a message to microstock agencies just to remind them we exist and we are real people, not just the numbers.

Pauws99 · « **Reply #67 on:** November 09, 2016, 06:35 »

"The late American Management guru Peter F. Drucker said, “Quality in a product or service is not what the supplier puts in. It is what the customer gets out and is willing to pay for.”

Customers judge quality through their perceptions. This makes measuring customer satisfaction difficult because customers cannot clearly specify in numeric values what makes them satisfied. Yet quality is delivered when you achieve the minimum requirement of a specified performance standard. Over the years business has had to find a way to define and measure quality so that companies can make products and deliver services to definable standards their customers will accept." (not my words but sums it up I think) From a business perspective its not about "excellence" as it might be when we give the word its everyday meaning. I rather suspect that photographers and microstock sites (in the past anyway) were always more concerned about technical excellence than the customer ever was. Though what complicates it is the same image might be used for a throwaway web blog or a massive bill board.

alno · « **Reply #68 on:** November 09, 2016, 17:46 »

Quote from: Josephine on November 08, 2016, 16:40

Checking the Top-100 Shutterstock Authors where they come from I read: Uruguay, Russia, Romania, Thailand, Azerbaijan, Ukraine, Turkey, Latvia, Belarus, Poland, India, Indonesia, Kazakhsan, Estonia, Pakistan... what does this mean to you?

Are they more talented? more creative? better motivated? better qualified? What´s their secret?
Are these countries represented in this forum?

I'm from Russia and I'm "better motivated" because stock sites now is real opportunity to get more money then working in f**d up industry I used to. The secret of those countries is too obvious, they have poor average salaries and still good internet access in general.

Josephine · « **Reply #69 on:** November 10, 2016, 09:38 »

thank you Irena, I am very happy to read your comment.

Living in Africa the microstock business gives me a tiny piece of paradise on earth, for me and my entire family. This boosts my motivation to compete and to be better than others. Some of the comments in this forum let me think about evil eyes when it comes to contributors in "poor countries" with "low standard ov living", who spoil the market of the people in the rich countries.

Pauws99 · « **Reply #70 on:** November 10, 2016, 16:13 »

Quote from: Josephine on November 10, 2016, 09:38

thank you Irena, I am very happy to read your comment.

Living in Africa the microstock business gives me a tiny piece of paradise on earth, for me and my entire family. This boosts my motivation to compete and to be better than others. Some of the comments in this forum let me think about evil eyes when it comes to contributors in "poor countries" with "low standard ov living", who spoil the market of the people in the rich countries.

I don't always agree with your comments but I am pleased this works well for you. Sometimes those of us in wealthier countries forget how fortunate we are.

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Author Topic: I believe in quality. (Read 32928 times)

cathyslife

Giveme5

cathyslife

k_t_g

Josephine

Pauws99

Shelma1

Pauws99

Photobomb

obj owl

Rose Tinted Glasses

Shelma1

Pauws99

Tror

Pauws99

Tror

PureArt

Pauws99

alno

Josephine

Pauws99

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