What?

Translation anybody?

I believe he is referring to Microstockphoto, not Microstock Monitor.

He is pointing to how badly they run microstock industry

1. instead of finding new clients they just compete with each other
2. prices are too low and that makes images look cheap and sales are declining
3. all of this is happening since amateurs are running the business of microstock sites. 

 am I close, lobby ?

I think you are close enough to what he was trying to say.
He is, unfortunately (for himself), wrong on all counts.

well microstock is still very young so I suppse everyone involved is an 'amateur'
I do feel though that those running to top sites do know what they are doing

I don' know about "amateurs", but I do believe they are run by investors whose only interest is in their own profits.  The decisions they make are not based on what is good for the industry, but rather what is good for their own bottom line.  Of course, you could say the same about MOST businesses today.  That doesn't make it right, just reality.

Of course, if people truly have an issue with it, it is their own fault for letting things get this way.  Photographers are just as greedy as those running the sites they despise.  They allow sites to continue doing things that hurt them in the long run because they are more interested in the next check they are gonna get and not about the much lower check later down the road for even more work on their part.

If they were smart, they'd all close down their portfolios on any site which offers subscriptions.  And upload only to those which offer the ability to opt-out of the subscription model.  Microstock sites are only as good as the photographers who submit to them.  Without good photographers, a site will wither and die (or make the changes necessary to attract good photographers).

The "mini-rebellion" at StockXpert is a perfect example of how they can band together to effect positive change.  Sadly, they stopped when they got "most" of what they wanted.  It got to a point where their own greed caused them to cave before getting EVERYTHING they wanted.

So, if you want to blame anyone for the state of things on MS sites, blame the people who continue to contribute despite the changes made that are not in their favor.  As long as they continue to contribute, sites will feel emboldened to continue taking money away from photographers and putting it in their own pockets.  As long as they do it a few dollars at a time so that it's not a massive change, they'll get away with it.

Quote from: dnavarrojr on September 06, 2008, 08:28

If they were smart, they'd all close down their portfolios on any site which offers subscriptions [...]
So, if you want to blame anyone for the state of things on MS sites, blame the people who continue to contribute despite the changes made that are not in their favor.

1- You are contributor and opted in for StockXpert subs 
2- You are contributor at DT, where there is no choice to opt out for subs. 
Why not apply your policies to yourself first?

First, I do not claim intelligence.

Second, I am not a photographer trying to make a living (or even decent income) from stock photography.  I am an idiot that someone allowed to have a computer and I love playing with digital art tools.  It's the fault of StockXpert and DT for allowing my stuff to be online.

Third, even though I have a tiny portfolio, when the cry went out about StockXpert, I joined the disgruntled and opted out and was going to pull my pitiful amount of items from StockXpert if they didn't change their ways in order to support the greater good.

If those with the larger portfolios wake up and start a movement, I will join and support it.  Obviously, in this industry I have no right to be a leader because I have built up zero credibility with a tiny portfolio and a big mouth.

I'm just tired of people whining about not getting paid enough, having to work twice as hard for the same pittance and yet they keep their portfolios on the sites who are doing this to them.  It's like the people who b*tch and moan about government in the US, but never vote.

I think we are all slightly dumber now for having read this thread.