Forums in microstock sites

[madelaide]

In which microstock sites you regularly check their forums and why?

I basically go once in a while to DT (especially the photo request forum, sometimes the general discussions) and FP (for their site features discussions). I take part in many of SP's discussions, basically because we end up getting to be a group of people with common interests. On the other sites, I generally only take a look and participate only when something out-of-ordinary is happening.

I find these forums generally very weak. It's not just a matter that critics to the website are generally not accepted, but in a forum like MSG I feel we get much more useful information.

Regards,
Adelaide

[nativelight]

SS is the only micro site forum on which I regularly participate.  I don't really know why I chose that specific one over IS or DT.  They all seem to be fairly active.  I think SS probably seemed the most liberal in their policies.

I find this one (MSG) the best.

[XeniaII]

i look at the forum at fotolia..but is it only the german ... we cant get in others one

[RT]

This is definately the best forum,

SS is full of people:
- telling you about every mundane thing their kid did that day.
- wishing everyone a happy birthday.
- trying to convince people you are an experienced successful photographer in a vain attempt to get them to buy your book/course.
- taking an image in the critique forum and writing a twenty step process in photoshop and posting an example that is far far worse than the original was.
- too eager to ban people who expose the resident b**sh**er

iS:
- is tooo slooowww to load
- has way too many people 'woohooing' for my liking (but I am British and we don't woohoo unless it's absolutely necessary)
- overly censored IMO

and the others don't have enough activity to warrant looking as far as I'm concerned.

[vonkara]

I go on Istock for professional advices and also to look at what is happening, because it's a good earner. But it slower than the other, though they improved the speed lately.

At DT there's less people writing and it's often not interesting at least for me.

Shutterstock is active and funny to read with lot of off-topic subjects with different opinions. But less photography subjects that I like.

I barely never go on Fotolia. I don't like their forum or the subjects never been interested for me.

MSG is like my second home page after Google, because it's a summary of all the forums on micros. But I have to say that the more regular users don't post anymore often or even have left the forum. Then it's a bit less convivial than what I see on Shutterstock for example. Only my opinion though

[bbettina]

I haven't checked DT in a while.  I managed a couple of times to get whatever moderate criticism I had removed faster than I could type it.  If they can't stand a tiny weeny bit of criticism I have no interest in that cleaned up version of reality presented there.

SS I check, mainly because the links to the most active ones are right there so it is tempting.  I actually like to read the Everything goes category - gives me a much better feel for the sentiments out there about certain controversial topics (e.g. political or religious) as going to political or religious forums where people of one particular believe system tend to aggregate and bash the poor guy/gal who happens by and voices a dissenting opinion.   That won't happen much anymore, though, as we were all reminded a short while ago not to be nasty and opinionated and keep it nice and civil and not say things that others might find offensive by any stretch of imagination.  It's going to get much more boring - but on the bright side: I won't be distracted by the latest post about Sarah P. and might finally finish that 100 page presentation for my client.

[vonkara]

Also I have made around 800 posts on Microstockgroup and never had a sale. I'm a poor writer

[RT]

Also I have made around 800 posts on Microstockgroup and never had a sale. I'm a poor writer

I've had more sales through this site than I have or most probably will get on Yaymicro 

[vonkara]

Also I have made around 800 posts on Microstockgroup and never had a sale. I'm a poor writer

I've had more sales through this site than I have or most probably will get on Yaymicro 

But the acceptance ratio here is pretty high. So I'll keep posting for a while

[dbvirago]

SS is the only one I spend much time in, but it isn't what it used to be. The politics and bickering has made it tedious. I hit the occassional pimp me thread, but not much else. On the other hand, I have a lot more time to process and upload images.

[gbalex]

Mostly I drop in and read DT, IS and SS

I visit SS more than any of them.  I was happy to see that they are reining in some of the questionable threads.  I was beginning to think the next world war was going to start on the SS boards

I used to enjoy that site, however as RT mentioned the resident bully/b**sh**er has run off many of the intelligent posters   Anyone smart or experienced enough to figure out the game has been banned if they mention it, you have to wonder why SS allows this

I have never understood why they let the certain people on those boards use it to troll for paying customers.  I can not even go to the critique forum any more it is painful to watch new comers being stalked

So more and more MSG is the place to be

[RT]

I have never understood why they let the certain people on those boards use it to troll for paying customers.  I can not even go to the critique forum any more it is painful to watch new comers being stalked

Very well put.

[RH]

It�s good, to read/search in every forum where you sell your images. You get hints, can learn something and have fun.

[phildate]

I check the forums at IS, DT and FT but rarely post. At IS I don't feel welcome there now as a non-exclusive and keep my opinions to myself. DT I will openly ask questions on the forums and give some advice back - same for FT.

The SS forums have become truly annoying of late and I don't bother even checking them anymore - it's all pimping and political threads.

[sam100]

Hmm...

Learned this week that fotolia is not the forum to visit...
The moderator (at least one of them) is deleting topics, answers at his own opinion/discretion.

Patrick H.

[Leo Blanchette]

For me, ISTOCKPHOTO -- VECTOR FORUM!

That place rocks. You can get away with anything, and nobody is out to get you. Really -- they have too much fun to really entertain anything negative. The moderation is awesome -- mostly Jenny Borton, and even if she has to knock down a thread for obvious reasons, its always in a nice and tactful way.

Of course, I used to think all the Istock forums were like this, but I find that a lot of the photographers can be pretty mean and sarcastic and the politics of the site are quite apparent (although I also know of some people who are very good at spreading cheer and a few you can count on for an honest critique without smashing your work).

For some reason, the vector forum is completely exempt to all of this!

Overall though I'd have to say Istock has it.

On that note, why don't you jump to my forum post here and show us your workstation!

http://www.istockphoto.com/forum_messages.php?threadid=76139&page=1

[vonkara]

For some reason, the vector forum is completely exempt to all of this!

It's because vector creator don't have to deal with noise and artifacts in photoshop like us poor photographers. LOL

[gbalex]

http://submit.shutterstock.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=46415

[gbalex]

That won't happen much anymore, though, as we were all reminded a short while ago not to be nasty and opinionated and keep it nice and civil and not say things that others might find offensive by any stretch of imagination.  It's going to get much more boring - but on the bright side: I won't be distracted by the latest post about Sarah P. and might finally finish that 100 page presentation for my client.

good luck with that report, the new rules have not changed much
http://submit.shutterstock.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=46297

steve got booted for the F word and dicey use of cilantro, the B word and more must be cool
http://submit.shutterstock.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=46465

[Karimala]

I mostly stick to MSG, although I'll pop into SS once in a while to see how friends are doing.  There's a fairly large group of us in California who get together a couple of times a year for a weekend of shooting, and SS is considered home base. 

The only time I visit IS is if I need an answer to a question on technique or post processing.  For some reason, I find more answers there than anywhere else.