MicrostockGroup
Microstock Photography Forum - General => General Stock Discussion => Topic started by: RacePhoto on March 07, 2010, 02:24
-
Here, I'll beat Mr Microsaur to the punch on this one. Good reading.
http://www.johnlund.com/2010/03/jim-pickerell-interviewed-end-of-stock.html (http://www.johnlund.com/2010/03/jim-pickerell-interviewed-end-of-stock.html)
-
Great post, thanks!
-
Interesting but I disagree with most of it. Lots of people still make a good living from stock. Buyers seem to stick with the higher priced microstock sites, price comparison doesn't seem to make much difference at these low prices. Don't know why people waste their time trying to predict the future. Nobody knows what will happen in the next 20 years but stock images have been going for a long time, there are changes but I still don't see the future being this gloomy.
-
Interesting but I disagree with most of it. Lots of people still make a good living from stock.
That's how I see it too. The best and the most financially efficient will survive although almost certainly they will need to work harder for less than they have done before. The market has been in turmoil with the emergence of the new technologies but it will eventually level out with a balance between supply/demand and prices. I'm not planning a move to Eastern Europe any time soon.
I think the 'photo factories' will be amongst the first casualties, if indeed there are any, but they're still churning their stuff out at the same volumes as before. They have to stump up significant cash for their production so if/when they don't see a return on their investment they'll be forced to scale things down.
-
Unsurprisingly, he's making the appearance to promote his new service to make money off of photographers:
"We are on the verge of launching a new online information service – PhotoLicensingOptions – that will expand beyond stock photography and deal with the business side of photography and every possible way that photographers can earn money from the pictures they produce."
"Readers pay a small fee to read stories of interest. "
"The next stage of communicating with images may be moving more toward video and away from stills. My advice to photographers coming out of school is to throw away the still camera and focus on video. "
Oh come on, not another "Get A Red" thread.
-
Unsurprisingly, he's making the appearance to promote his new service to make money off of photographers:
"We are on the verge of launching a new online information service – PhotoLicensingOptions – that will expand beyond stock photography and deal with the business side of photography and every possible way that photographers can earn money from the pictures they produce."
"Readers pay a small fee to read stories of interest. "
"The next stage of communicating with images may be moving more toward video and away from stills. My advice to photographers coming out of school is to throw away the still camera and focus on video. "
Oh come on, not another "Get A Red" thread.
Sean, this is a well known fallacy:
http://www.nizkor.org/features/fallacies/circumstantial-ad-hominem.html (http://www.nizkor.org/features/fallacies/circumstantial-ad-hominem.html)
A Circumstantial ad Hominem is a fallacy in which one attempts to attack a claim by asserting that the person making the claim is making it simply out of self interest. In some cases, this fallacy involves substituting an attack on a person's circumstances (such as the person's religion, political affiliation, ethnic background, etc.). The fallacy has the following forms:
Person A makes claim X.
Person B asserts that A makes claim X because it is in A's interest to claim X.
Therefore claim X is false.
I strongly believe that claims have to be countered based on arguments and not fallacies. Said that, I don't have the knowledge to counter or agree on any claim regarding stock.
-
Sean, this is a well known fallacy:
[url]http://www.nizkor.org/features/fallacies/circumstantial-ad-hominem.html[/url] ([url]http://www.nizkor.org/features/fallacies/circumstantial-ad-hominem.html[/url])
A Circumstantial ad Hominem is a fallacy in which one attempts to attack a claim by asserting that the person making the claim is making it simply out of self interest. In some cases, this fallacy involves substituting an attack on a person's circumstances (such as the person's religion, political affiliation, ethnic background, etc.). The fallacy has the following forms:
Person A makes claim X.
Person B asserts that A makes claim X because it is in A's interest to claim X.
Therefore claim X is false.
I strongly believe that claims have to be countered based on arguments and not fallacies. Said that, I don't have the knowledge to counter or agree on any claim regarding stock.
Uh, sure, ok. Because we've seen so many public articles and blogging from Mr. Pickerell before this one that claims the end of stock as we know it, and conveniently enough, a new website by said author with many articles for those who are about to be destitute.
BTW, I didn't attempt to counter any "claims", if you'll re-read my post. I hope everyone freaks and quits :).
-
Uh, sure, ok. Because we've seen so many public articles and blogging from Mr. Pickerell before this one that claims the end of stock as we know it, and conveniently enough, a new website by said author with many articles for those who are about to be destitute.
I'd have to agree with this. He's claiming the sky is falling and then sprinkles in stuff about selling anti-sky-falling advice.
This "interview" comes accross like a sales pitch or commerical. Show credentials to build credibility, detail an urgent problem, offer a fix to the problem for a fee.
The info is kind of hard to believe when presented like this.
-
That's how I see it too. The best and the most financially efficient will survive
You use the word survive not do great or prosper or succeed big time but just survive. And I think Jim's article addresses that. There are always exceptions and you'll find many of them here.
I find it at odds that many here object to someone, with years of industry experience and many high profile contacts, selling information. I see no difference to this than buying a magazine at a grocery store so you can gain some information. Or buying a text book for a given class. If everyone stops paying for information there will likely be no need for images. There are are some seriously suspicious people here.
-
Well said SharpShoot,
I agree with your perspective.
Best,
Jonathan
-
I find it at odds that many here object to someone, with years of industry experience and many high profile contacts, selling information. I see no difference to this than buying a magazine at a grocery store so you can gain some information. Or buying a text book for a given class. If everyone stops paying for information there will likely be no need for images. There are are some seriously suspicious people here.
I don't have a problem with people selling information. And I'm not questioning his experience or knowledge.
But if you have something to sell, sell it. Don't disguise it as an interview or analysis.
-
I find it at odds that many here object to someone, with years of industry experience and many high profile contacts, selling information. I see no difference to this than buying a magazine at a grocery store so you can gain some information. Or buying a text book for a given class. If everyone stops paying for information there will likely be no need for images. There are are some seriously suspicious people here.
I don't have a problem with people selling information. And I'm not questioning his experience or knowledge.
But if you have something to sell, sell it. Don't disguise it as an interview or analysis.
It's better than the one a year ago where the new site basically interviewed them self and then posted it all over the websites as news about a new site. :(
I don't agree with him all the way. There's always a market for still photos and people don't always want video. In fact for me video is a PITA because I can't just get to sections I want without the whole big production. Space may seem limitless but video is bulky and consumes resources.
Sure the demands may shift somewhat but there will reain a demand for good still photo materials.
Anyone see a B&W photo used anywhere lately? Anyone read a book or keep notes and files, not on a computer? I don't care how many PDAs or pads there are in everyones pocket, sometimes a scrap of paper or a notebook will be more efficient.
I rest my case... :D
As for micro I think he did hit some good points about the sheer volume and redundancy where the agencies are marketing to different levels and requirements. I think prices should match the use, which often means the size is relative to the price. They are interwoven, it's not just one or the other.
-
I find the fact that he's not active here (http://www.microstockgroup.com/profile/?u=3544) - the premier forum/clearinghouse for the microstock industry - to be among the most telling things he has to say.
-
Remember the predictions of the "paperless" office when we got the first computers? :-)
Of course things change. We can't stop it. Some will win, some will lose.
I don't think that there's anybody who can tell where we shall be in about two years.
About what he says on "digital learning at the university:
Relying on "digital" alone will also makes us vulnerable.
It is possible to study a book by candle light if needed, but what to do when there is no energy?
Use digital, but don't ban the books!
But you can be a chicken and pick from the article what is useful for you...
-
The CEO of the company I work for is always predicting the future and he is often very right but just as often VERY wrong. His predecessor (fired) was famous for claiming there wouldn't be a global demand for the iPhone since it was too expensive and people would not want or need such a complex feature set. What a clown.
Nobody has that much of a handle on supply and demand or what the market will do next. Agree it's a classic 'spin' sales technique;everything is really baaaaad but we have the product/service you need. Ker-ching.
-
Interesting but I disagree with most of it. Lots of people still make a good living from stock.
I think the 'photo factories' will be amongst the first casualties
Yea, I think too. And this can only make us happy.
-
Unsurprisingly, he's making the appearance to promote his new service to make money off of photographers:
"We are on the verge of launching a new online information service – PhotoLicensingOptions – that will expand beyond stock photography and deal with the business side of photography and every possible way that photographers can earn money from the pictures they produce."
"Readers pay a small fee to read stories of interest. "
Not surprising to me that he's launching a new service, but that he's doing it with a micropayment model :) Maybe his $195 subscription site has taken a hit with the economy.
-
I agree with Sean's take on it, I stopped reading his
advertisement interview when I got to what I think is the real point of his ramblings, here's the way I read it (I've added the blue text)
"We are on the verge of launching a new online information service – PhotoLicensingOptions – that will expand beyond stock photography and deal with the business side of photography and every possible way that I can make money from photographers can who want to earn money from the pictures they produce."
Sadly were seeing more of these 'experts' spreading their wisdom on the future of stock photography which under closer inspection appears nothing more than a thinly veiled way to promote their next venture on making money from other photographers - hey maybe that is the future.
-
One thing in the article I agree with is pricing based on usage. New licensing needs to be created. Like Micro RM.
Print advertising is dying and web is increasing. In a few years won't the majority of images needed be under 640x480? And probably closer to what the XS size is at both Macro and Micro RF. Not a real promising trend especially when most micro sales already are XS-Medium with a few L-XXXL here and there. What happens if it got to a point where you're only selling XS and the only license model is Micro RF?
-
I suspect monitor resolutions will increase significantly, especially with the kind of zoom technologies that have developed recently. After all, if sensor resolution is in the 1000ppi range, why not screen res?
-
I said about 6 mos ago on the IS exclusive board, that pricing should be broken into 3x3 - s m l across the top and personal/student non-profit/small biz and big biz down the side. Boxes priced accordingly.
Unfortunately I wasn't prognosticating the end of life on the planet, so it just got lost amongst the chatter...
-
One thing in the article I agree with is pricing based on usage. New licensing needs to be created. Like Micro RM.
I agree in principle, but its just so difficult to police. For example, should an image which is used on a website for a special promotion for less than a week cost the same as the same size of image which is on a website for over years? What counts as commercial, what as 'editorial'. (Example of both previous: I know of a few photos I've had on 'information' pages of commercial travel sites for over two years - based on the date I did the screendumps) If not, how could you (as in the compliance enforcement team) check up on this on a consistent basis?
-
I find the fact that he's not active here ([url]http://www.microstockgroup.com/profile/?u=3544[/url]) - the premier forum/clearinghouse for the microstock industry - to be among the most telling things he has to say.
In fairness, he may be posting here under an alias, so I wouldn't assume he's not active here.
Personally, I am never sorry to read someone claiming you can't make a living in stock anymore. For the vast majority of people that is probably true. Kind of like other creative professions like actor and musician. Yes, a few lucky folks strike it rich, but for most, it is advisable to have a day job to fall back on.
-
I find the fact that he's not active here ([url]http://www.microstockgroup.com/profile/?u=3544[/url]) - the premier forum/clearinghouse for the microstock industry - to be among the most telling things he has to say.
In fairness, he may be posting here under an alias, so I wouldn't assume he's not active here.
That is part of the problem with sites like this. Too many aliases.
-
I find the fact that he's not active here ([url]http://www.microstockgroup.com/profile/?u=3544[/url]) - the premier forum/clearinghouse for the microstock industry - to be among the most telling things he has to say.
In fairness, he may be posting here under an alias, so I wouldn't assume he's not active here.
That is part of the problem with sites like this. Too many aliases.
So why would he be here privately, but not publicly? Isn't in his best interest to drive his public profile upwards? What would he have to gain by only lurking or posting anonymously? On the contrary, I think he views microstock with (at least some) disregard, which better explains his absence here in my eye.
Hopefully someone will point out this posting to him, and we'll see him enter the fray.
-
I agree with Sean's take on it, I stopped reading his advertisement interview when I got to what I think is the real point of his ramblings, here's the way I read it (I've added the blue text)
"We are on the verge of launching a new online information service – PhotoLicensingOptions – that will expand beyond stock photography and deal with the business side of photography and every possible way that I can make money from photographers can who want to earn money from the pictures they produce."
Sadly were seeing more of these 'experts' spreading their wisdom on the future of stock photography which under closer inspection appears nothing more than a thinly veiled way to promote their next venture on making money from other photographers - hey maybe that is the future.
You have a point there Richard. A trend is emerging, we should expect more services, books, web-products, etc which will capitilize on the sheer numbers of new crowd sourced photographers.
-
You have a point there Richard. A trend is emerging, we should expect more services, books, web-products, etc which will capitilize on the sheer numbers of new crowd sourced photographers.
^^Makes sense. And as the pickings get slimmer for photographers its only going to get worse. That is likely where the real money can be made.
-
I said about 6 mos ago on the IS exclusive board, that pricing should be broken into 3x3 - s m l across the top and personal/student non-profit/small biz and big biz down the side. Boxes priced accordingly.
Unfortunately I wasn't prognosticating the end of life on the planet, so it just got lost amongst the chatter...
Not a bad idea but how would they prevent a large corp from registering as a person or small biz? Wouldn't this create a lot of overhead trying to confirm who the buyer is?
You need to postion a good idea as the end of the world. Then the angry mob will come with torches and pitchforks to comment on your idea.
-
One thing in the article I agree with is pricing based on usage. New licensing needs to be created. Like Micro RM.
I agree in principle, but its just so difficult to police. For example, should an image which is used on a website for a special promotion for less than a week cost the same as the same size of image which is on a website for over years? What counts as commercial, what as 'editorial'. (Example of both previous: I know of a few photos I've had on 'information' pages of commercial travel sites for over two years - based on the date I did the screendumps) If not, how could you (as in the compliance enforcement team) check up on this on a consistent basis?
Policing is a concern but not my main concern today. Price is my main concern. Buyers most likely will not adhere to the RM agreement. But, would you rather initially get .35 from an XS RF or say $15 for the same sales as RM? Maybe it should be an RM variation with unlimited time since it's too difficult to police. Pricing would be based on typical industry, country, media type etc.
But within a few years content tracking will become more available and effective so maybe now is the time for something like Micro RM. LicenseSteam has tracking technology.
I'm not sure what the answer is but it sounds like Macro pricing is dropping faster than Micro pricing is rising. Something needs to be done to get pricing up toward a happy median.
-
I suspect monitor resolutions will increase significantly, especially with the kind of zoom technologies that have developed recently. After all, if sensor resolution is in the 1000ppi range, why not screen res?
I'm not getting where you're going with this. How does monitor resolution come into play?
-
My prediction for the long term is that the market will continue to erode due to steady 'leakage' of images into free and almost-free channels. Right now the people with big portfolios all disparage "free", but many enthusiastically defend payments of 25 cents or less. As time goes by they may feel like they've gotten what they're going to get out of that portfolio at current price points, and agree to market it through new sites/channels/subscription schemes at even lower prices - the rational being, what do I have to lose at this point - I did those photos years ago, and anything is better than nothing. This trend may continue until those images are virtually 'free' from the point of view of someone taking new photos and wanting to recover his actual costs.
In other words, there's a vast number of stock images sliding slowly but steadily downhill in terms of price.
-
I suspect monitor resolutions will increase significantly, especially with the kind of zoom technologies that have developed recently. After all, if sensor resolution is in the 1000ppi range, why not screen res?
I'm not getting where you're going with this. How does monitor resolution come into play?
Increasing monitor resolution will eventually create demand for better (larger) images in web content.
-
I suspect monitor resolutions will increase significantly, especially with the kind of zoom technologies that have developed recently. After all, if sensor resolution is in the 1000ppi range, why not screen res?
I'm not getting where you're going with this. How does monitor resolution come into play?
Increasing monitor resolution will eventually create demand for better (larger) images in web content.
I think consumers are flocking more quickly toward portible devices like Iphones than they are higher resolution monitors. I don't see demand increasing for larger images. Quite the opposite. How big does a picture need to be to display an advertisement on an Iphone?
-
I think consumers are flocking more quickly toward portible devices like Iphones than they are higher resolution monitors. I don't see demand increasing for larger images. Quite the opposite. How big does a picture need to be to display an advertisement on an Iphone?
That's true but on the other hand, here comes the iPad, which will be widely copied. So things are moving in both directions; in the future we'll just have a wider range of display sizes. Eventually it will all be available on great big high resolution displays in the living room, and tiny portable devices as well. And remember you can have higher image resolution at smaller physical size.
-
If micro royalties do not rise over the next few years, these posts really say it all. The quality of images coming from eastern europe is very good.
http://www.johnlund.com/2010/03/jim-pickerell-interviewed-end-of-stock.html (http://www.johnlund.com/2010/03/jim-pickerell-interviewed-end-of-stock.html)
"Let’s get down to it; can people still make a living at stock?
NO -- with a few exceptions.
(1) It may be possible if the photographer lives in Eastern Europe, various parts of Asia or other places where the cost of living is low.
(2) If the photographer has very low expectations in terms of living standard.
(3) If the photographer already has a large collection of imagery in distribution channels he can probably “make a living” for a while provided he cuts his costs and transitions into some other type of photography that guarantees a fixed fee for work produced. Gross stock revenue will decline.
(4) And finally, many photographers will be able to supplement another income source with what they can earn from stock licensing, but they will not be able to support themselves on the income from stock licensing alone.
For photographers living and working in the U.S., I think it will be almost impossible to realize a profit from images produced now and going forward. The demand, even for microstock is leveling out or declining, and there is way too much over supply of every subject matter. The supply of good quality imagery will continue to grow at a much faster rate than it has. Prices will continue to fall. As a result no one will ever be able to earn as much as they earned in the past from stock photographs.
Stock can be a supplement to other sources of income, but not a living.
http://submit.shutterstock.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=79233&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=55 (http://submit.shutterstock.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=79233&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=55)
End of Stock Photography or stock is dead!!
"I am in the stock photography more than 4 years. Beginning was good. 1 year ago i thought that it was the end with my income from it. But 5 months ago i have begun to work only with stock photos, no other job. 8 hours in a day, almost every day. It hard work. But my earnings raising from month to month and it is already trebled for 5 months. I hope, even i know, it will continue to raise(if i continue to work ).I am from Ukraine,in my city i can live for money from stocks. I recieve now 3 times more money than my sister as teacher in a school! I think it is now not the end, it is only beginning. We must make only many good photos"
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080713215239AALfmLS (http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080713215239AALfmLS)
What is the average monthly income in ukraine?
"Teachers make about $75-80 USD, not UAH, at the elementary level. That goes up to roughly $175 for a seasoned university professor or school director. "
-
I think consumers are flocking more quickly toward portible devices like Iphones than they are higher resolution monitors. I don't see demand increasing for larger images. Quite the opposite. How big does a picture need to be to display an advertisement on an Iphone?
That's true but on the other hand, here comes the iPad, which will be widely copied. So things are moving in both directions; in the future we'll just have a wider range of display sizes. Eventually it will all be available on great big high resolution displays in the living room, and tiny portable devices as well. And remember you can have higher image resolution at smaller physical size.
Good point. I just wonder if the larger stuff like Ipads will sell well enough to fill the gap left by declining print sales.
-
As I never tire of pointing out ;D, I now have 25 years of experience in the computer and software industry. I can tell you that it's not possible to predict the future in ways specific enough to get rich from your predictions. You can foresee some baseline trends, but that's it.
For example, in the late 80s everyone could see that computers would get faster and smaller, digital networks would extend into homes, and wireless communication would be big. Pretty general stuff. No one I know predicted the IPhone, the Web, or cell phones.
-
As I never tire of point out ;D, I now have 25 years of experience in the computer and software industry. I can tell you that it's not possible to predict the future in ways specific enough to get rich from your predictions. You can foresee some baseline trends, but that's it.
For example, in the late 80s everyone could see that computers would get faster and smaller, digital networks would extend into homes, and wireless communication would be big. Pretty general stuff. No one I know predicted the IPhone, the Web, or cell phones.
Star Trek predicted all of it in the 1960's ;)
-Mark
-
Star Trek predicted all of it in the 1960's ;)
I thought it was Jules Verne.
And whatever happened to the information superhighway? I guess the web was a cooler name.
-
Star Trek predicted all of it in the 1960's ;)
-Mark
[/quote]
In 1891 Tesla began his research into radio. He later published an article, "The True Wireless".
Kone
-
Crap. Everything isn't ending: http://blog.johnlund.com/2010/03/positive-indicators-in-stock.html (http://blog.johnlund.com/2010/03/positive-indicators-in-stock.html) :)
I like John. He's a very sensible guy.
-
+1 that made me happy or at least a warm fuzzy feeling after all the doom and gloom. :)
-
Personally, I am never sorry to read someone claiming you can't make a living in stock anymore. For the vast majority of people that is probably true. Kind of like other creative professions like actor and musician. Yes, a few lucky folks strike it rich, but for most, it is advisable to have a day job to fall back on.
I have to agree there... The more people that believe/understand that they can make a few bucks as a hobby, but not a living without SIGNIFICANT investment of both money and time, the easier it will be for those who do put in the effort and investment to succeed. I would highly encourage ANYONE reading this to quit MicroStock and take a look a the lucrative business of the illegal drug trade.
-
[url]http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080713215239AALfmLS[/url] ([url]http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080713215239AALfmLS[/url])
What is the average monthly income in ukraine?
"Teachers make about $75-80 USD, not UAH, at the elementary level. That goes up to roughly $175 for a seasoned university professor or school director. "
The situation in Ukraine is not that bad. I spent two weeks in Kiev for work, and I used to spend more than 50$ a week just for food, it's cheaper but not much cheaper than Frankfurt where I usually live.
The rural areas in Ukraine are cheaper than Kiev, but, again, not so much cheaper.
-
[url]http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080713215239AALfmLS[/url] ([url]http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080713215239AALfmLS[/url])
What is the average monthly income in ukraine?
"Teachers make about $75-80 USD, not UAH, at the elementary level. That goes up to roughly $175 for a seasoned university professor or school director. "
The situation in Ukraine is not that bad. I spent two weeks in Kiev for work, and I used to spend more than 50$ a week just for food, it's cheaper but not much cheaper than Frankfurt where I usually live.
The rural areas in Ukraine are cheaper than Kiev, but, again, not so much cheaper.
The fact missing from all these theories is that most of these countries develop in a rapid pace (although somewhat affected by the crisis). So it is not at all a static picture. The same is true for China. Cost of living and more importantly their living standards are ricing. These two variables together form acceptable income to support the living style at given costs. Note that the faster growing variable in this equation is the living standard. Some of them (and certainly those having the DSLR to participate in MS) now perceive good cell phone and a car as must-have. It was very different 10+ years ago.
I'm from Czech Republic. The average salary here rose almost 100% in the past 10+ years. I've University degree in IT. When I started my career, I worked for equivalent of approx. $600. Now I earn approx. $4000. That's obviously affected by my experience that I gained, yet not only. I would hardly start under $1000 these days, probably somewhere around $1500.
How much it rose in the US in that same time frame? The fact is that most of these developing countries are still far behind in their living standards and costs yet they are approach the western countries in rapid pace.
-
[url]http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080713215239AALfmLS[/url] ([url]http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080713215239AALfmLS[/url])
What is the average monthly income in ukraine?
"Teachers make about $75-80 USD, not UAH, at the elementary level. That goes up to roughly $175 for a seasoned university professor or school director. "
The situation in Ukraine is not that bad. I spent two weeks in Kiev for work, and I used to spend more than 50$ a week just for food, it's cheaper but not much cheaper than Frankfurt where I usually live.
The rural areas in Ukraine are cheaper than Kiev, but, again, not so much cheaper.
The fact missing from all these theories is that most of these countries develop in a rapid pace (although somewhat affected by the crisis). So it is not at all a static picture. The same is true for China. Cost of living and more importantly their living standards are ricing. These two variables together form acceptable income to support the living style at given costs. Note that the faster growing variable in this equation is the living standard. Some of them (and certainly those having the DSLR to participate in MS) now perceive good cell phone and a car as must-have. It was very different 10+ years ago.
I'm from Czech Republic. The average salary here rose almost 100% in the past 10+ years. I've University degree in IT. When I started my career, I worked for equivalent of approx. $600. Now I earn approx. $4000. That's obviously affected by my experience that I gained, yet not only. I would hardly start under $1000 these days, probably somewhere around $1500.
How much it rose in the US in that same time frame? The fact is that most of these developing countries are still far behind in their living standards and costs yet they are approach the western countries in rapid pace.
-
[url]http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080713215239AALfmLS[/url] ([url]http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080713215239AALfmLS[/url])
What is the average monthly income in ukraine?
"Teachers make about $75-80 USD, not UAH, at the elementary level. That goes up to roughly $175 for a seasoned university professor or school director. "
The situation in Ukraine is not that bad. I spent two weeks in Kiev for work, and I used to spend more than 50$ a week just for food, it's cheaper but not much cheaper than Frankfurt where I usually live.
The rural areas in Ukraine are cheaper than Kiev, but, again, not so much cheaper.
The fact missing from all these theories is that most of these countries develop in a rapid pace (although somewhat affected by the crisis). So it is not at all a static picture. The same is true for China. Cost of living and more importantly their living standards are ricing. These two variables together form acceptable income to support the living style at given costs. Note that the faster growing variable in this equation is the living standard. Some of them (and certainly those having the DSLR to participate in MS) now perceive good cell phone and a car as must-have. It was very different 10+ years ago.
I'm from Czech Republic. The average salary here rose almost 100% in the past 10+ years. I've University degree in IT. When I started my career, I worked for equivalent of approx. $600. Now I earn approx. $4000. That's obviously affected by my experience that I gained, yet not only. I would hardly start under $1000 these days, probably somewhere around $1500.
How much it rose in the US in that same time frame? The fact is that most of these developing countries are still far behind in their living standards and costs yet they are approach the western countries in rapid pace.
Your points are well taken and I agree it is not static and we can only approximate. The area I live in is depressed, generally speaking IT wages have been dropping in the states for some time. I think generally the states will see drops in many areas as a result of globalization, etc.
http://blogs.techrepublic.com.com/career/?p=946 (http://blogs.techrepublic.com.com/career/?p=946)
http://www.usatoday.com/money/economy/2009-10-15-cola-wages-drop-recession_N.htm (http://www.usatoday.com/money/economy/2009-10-15-cola-wages-drop-recession_N.htm)
-
Wages here have been steadily dropping, but sadly the cost of living has not. It's still relatively high, although not as high as in many other parts of the country.
Still, with what I'm making now online I believe I could live comfortably in Mexico or a number of other countries.
Also, I do believe one thing is true... We are nearing the end of amateurs being able to make a living or significant money from stock photography. I think only dedicated professionals will be able to make a living at it.
I think tons of amateurs will still be making pocket change (and happy to do so) which is why only the dedicated pros will be making any real money.
-
Crap. Everything isn't ending: [url]http://blog.johnlund.com/2010/03/positive-indicators-in-stock.html[/url] ([url]http://blog.johnlund.com/2010/03/positive-indicators-in-stock.html[/url]) :)
I like John. He's a very sensible guy.
Cheers for the link. Yep, like any other business it has it's ups and downs. Those who do well or reasonably well see it as an opportunity come what may.