Author Topic: Shutterstock Contributor Expert Program? (Read 8589 times)

pixel8 · « **on:** October 20, 2018, 11:28 »

Has anyone heard of the Shutterstock Contributor Expert Program? If so are you a part of it and is it worth it?

nobody · « **Reply #1 on:** October 20, 2018, 12:52 »

Quote from: pixel8 on October 20, 2018, 11:28

Has anyone heard of the Shutterstock Contributor Expert Program? If so are you a part of it and is it worth it?

You mean the program where they pay you peanuts to train others, so they can compete against you

dpimborough · « **Reply #2 on:** October 20, 2018, 16:18 »

Just don't help these lazy ass (trying to think of a polite term but can't)

Theres too much of this roping in well meaning fools and getting their services for nothing in this business.

Other contributors are not our best friends they are competition in a business model

Jo Ann Snover · « **Reply #3 on:** October 20, 2018, 16:59 »

There was already a discussion about this when the invitations first went out 10 days ago

http://www.microstockgroup.com/general-big-6/make-extra-cash-while-helping-other-shutterstock-contributors!

Summary of reactions: "no thanks"

pixel8 · « **Reply #4 on:** October 21, 2018, 15:06 »

Thanks I didn't find it in the search so glad its already been covered. To me the other problem with this idea of contributors sharing their knowledge is that they are using an artificial intelligence program to record your answers so that once you have answered they will not keep coming back to you for the same question and of course ultimately you are giving away the secret to your own success for a few bucks or cents?

cthoman · « **Reply #5 on:** October 21, 2018, 17:03 »

I went through the process because I was curious. After approved, I read through the questions that were on there a couple times. It's mostly just customer service type questions at Directly. Nothing real nefarious. Pretty much the same kind of stuff you might answer for free in the forums (Upload problems, site outages, nuts and bolts stuff). I can't say it really interested me all that much to participate. That and I'm not necessarily overly plugged into any of these sites anymore that I know what is going on with there formats, systems or contracts day to day.

Brasilnut · « **Reply #6 on:** October 21, 2018, 17:27 »

I had an experience with them lately when I emailed the general shutterstock help desk. My question was "Spotted my image but was never downloaded - ID: 1155909112"

Answer:

"Hi I'm XYZ and have been submitting to Shutterstock for around 7 years. I have submitted stock of various types including model released and editorial. Hopefully I can be of help. It can take a little time for sales to be recorded through the system so hopefully your sale will appear soon"

"Hi
My name is XYZ and I’ve been a Shutterstock contributor since 2013. I am now also one of the expert users who are the first point of reference for queries about Shutterstock. I do not work for Shutterstock and I cannot see anything in your account (like your pictures or confidential information) but I should be able to help with your problem.

I don't think you need worry, the picture was clearly purchased correctly because you are credited in the text below the picture, this would be absent if it had been purchased illegally. Looking at the other pictures most of them are credited Shutterstock images so I am certain it is a genuine purchase. Well done!

I hope this answers your query if not please come back to me again. If you don't have any more questions, please feel free to choose a rating."

-----------

So they clearly work on some sort of Uber-style rating system, which rewards/punishes them accordingly.

As for answering my question...it's dubious and overly optimistic. Are SS the new Alamy where they use now and pay later? Strange.

Jo Ann Snover · « **Reply #7 on:** October 21, 2018, 17:34 »

Quote from: cthoman on October 21, 2018, 17:03

I went through the process because I was curious. After approved, I read through the questions that were on there a couple times. It's mostly just customer service type questions at Directly. Nothing real nefarious. Pretty much the same kind of stuff you might answer for free in the forums (Upload problems, site outages, nuts and bolts stuff). I can't say it really interested me all that much to participate. That and I'm not necessarily overly plugged into any of these sites anymore that I know what is going on with there formats, systems or contracts day to day.

So did you get any idea of what they were paying for the advice (although reading the answers to Brasilnut's query, I think the "experts" should have cash deducted from their contributor accounts for giving 100% useless answers)?

Brasilnut · « **Reply #8 on:** October 21, 2018, 17:41 »

Quote

So did you get any idea of what they were paying for the advice (although reading the answers to Brasilnut's query, I think the "experts" should have cash deducted from their contributor accounts for giving 100% useless answers)?

Please give me a + for my comment above

nobody · « **Reply #9 on:** October 21, 2018, 17:54 »

Quote from: Brasilnut on October 21, 2018, 17:41

Quote
So did you get any idea of what they were paying for the advice (although reading the answers to Brasilnut's query, I think the "experts" should have cash deducted from their contributor accounts for giving 100% useless answers)?

Please give me a + for my comment above

I just deducted, you didn't have much anyway, some cash from your account and transferred to mine

Shelma1 · « **Reply #10 on:** October 21, 2018, 18:21 »

Oh jeez...that was quick. I asked about some recent rejections and also got an answer from a SS contributor/expert who can't see the files in question and whose answer is therefore not helpful in the least. I'm surprised they did away with customer service so quickly. You can have your question routed to a real customer service person (supposedly), but it sounds like that option leaves a black mark on the "expert's" record.

I googled Directly and found a blog that claims the user decides whether to pay for answers to their questions and how much they're willing to pay, and the "expert" gets half and Directly gets half, and someone made "as much as $8 in one day." But I don't see any request about me paying for an answer, so I have no idea what sort of deal they have with Shutterstock.

I guess a lot of customer service reps are out of a job.

Shelma1 · « **Reply #11 on:** October 21, 2018, 18:45 »

I can't seem to find the blog I mentioned, but I did find this:

"Take my advice and before you sign for an expert for Directly, make enough time to read carefully the Terms of Service. Registration is free, however, Directly requires fees for certain services. Once you sign the agreement, you become responsible to pay all fees the company will require."

"Bottom Line

Although this is a flexible opportunity allowing you to work remotely whenever you want, the money you get won’t be enough to reach the minimum wage. Being an expert will only help boost your main source of income. I would recommend you look to other companies providing Q&A services."

https://www.workfromhomebuzz.com/get-paid-to-work-as-an-expert-at-directly/

Sean Locke Photography · « **Reply #12 on:** October 21, 2018, 18:54 »

“I don't think you need worry, the picture was clearly purchased correctly because you are credited in the text below the picture, this would be absent if it had been purchased illegally. Looking at the other pictures most of them are credited Shutterstock images so I am certain it is a genuine purchase. Well done!
”

That is a terrible answer.

cthoman · « **Reply #13 on:** October 21, 2018, 19:38 »

Quote from: Jo Ann Snover on October 21, 2018, 17:34

Quote from: cthoman on October 21, 2018, 17:03
I went through the process because I was curious. After approved, I read through the questions that were on there a couple times. It's mostly just customer service type questions at Directly. Nothing real nefarious. Pretty much the same kind of stuff you might answer for free in the forums (Upload problems, site outages, nuts and bolts stuff). I can't say it really interested me all that much to participate. That and I'm not necessarily overly plugged into any of these sites anymore that I know what is going on with there formats, systems or contracts day to day.

So did you get any idea of what they were paying for the advice (although reading the answers to Brasilnut's query, I think the "experts" should have cash deducted from their contributor accounts for giving 100% useless answers)?

That I didn't quite understand. I didn't see any flat rates. That and it was sort of a first come first served kind of system. You go through the recent queries and answer them if you want. You could also piggy-back on other answers if you felt you had something to add. I think it mentioned something about splitting commissions in those cases. Seemed like it could become a feeding frenzy though with splitting a penny or whatever the commission is a million ways. Sounded too familiar to me to be excited about. That and I felt like I'd be giving half-informed answers too often.

noodle · « **Reply #14 on:** October 21, 2018, 19:40 »

Quote from: Sean Locke Photography on October 21, 2018, 18:54

“I don't think you need worry, the picture was clearly purchased correctly because you are credited in the text below the picture, this would be absent if it had been purchased illegally. Looking at the other pictures most of them are credited Shutterstock images so I am certain it is a genuine purchase. Well done!
”

That is a terrible answer.

Agreed
That is the most non sensical answer ever.
SS has become somewhat of a sheetshow

Shelma1 · « **Reply #15 on:** October 21, 2018, 19:47 »

Quote from: cthoman on October 21, 2018, 19:38

Quote from: Jo Ann Snover on October 21, 2018, 17:34
Quote from: cthoman on October 21, 2018, 17:03
I went through the process because I was curious. After approved, I read through the questions that were on there a couple times. It's mostly just customer service type questions at Directly. Nothing real nefarious. Pretty much the same kind of stuff you might answer for free in the forums (Upload problems, site outages, nuts and bolts stuff). I can't say it really interested me all that much to participate. That and I'm not necessarily overly plugged into any of these sites anymore that I know what is going on with there formats, systems or contracts day to day.

So did you get any idea of what they were paying for the advice (although reading the answers to Brasilnut's query, I think the "experts" should have cash deducted from their contributor accounts for giving 100% useless answers)?

That I didn't quite understand. I didn't see any flat rates. That and it was sort of a first come first served kind of system. You go through the recent queries and answer them if you want. You could also piggy-back on other answers if you felt you had something to add. I think it mentioned something about splitting commissions in those cases. Seemed like it could become a feeding frenzy though with splitting a penny or whatever the commission is a million ways. Sounded too familiar to me to be excited about. That and I felt like I'd be giving half-informed answers too often.

I find it amazing that even after you've been approved and have been given questions to answer you still don't know how much you'll be paid. How is that even legal?

Jo Ann Snover · « **Reply #16 on:** October 21, 2018, 20:14 »

Quote from: Shelma1 on October 21, 2018, 19:47

I find it amazing that even after you've been approved and have been given questions to answer you still don't know how much you'll be paid. How is that even legal?

I think because there are virtually no laws in the US that regulate the Gig economy and all the corporate participants are fighting tooth and nail to avoid having to deal with anything that brings in rules that govern employer/employee relationships or permits class action lawsuits.

If you have a contract and don't get paid you can sue the person who didn't pay you. If the amount of money is small, unless you can get class action status, it isn't worth the costs of a lawsuit. Uber drivers have been struggling with this. When the FTC took Uber on, there was some (small) positive result

Perhaps SS is working on AI that will generate endless portfolios of pot photos and abstract vector backgrounds and then it won't need contributor support at all...

cthoman · « **Reply #17 on:** October 21, 2018, 21:47 »

Quote from: Jo Ann Snover on October 21, 2018, 20:14

Quote from: Shelma1 on October 21, 2018, 19:47

I find it amazing that even after you've been approved and have been given questions to answer you still don't know how much you'll be paid. How is that even legal?

I think because there are virtually no laws in the US that regulate the Gig economy and all the corporate participants are fighting tooth and nail to avoid having to deal with anything that brings in rules that govern employer/employee relationships or permits class action lawsuits.

If you have a contract and don't get paid you can sue the person who didn't pay you. If the amount of money is small, unless you can get class action status, it isn't worth the costs of a lawsuit. Uber drivers have been struggling with this. When the FTC took Uber on, there was some (small) positive result

Perhaps SS is working on AI that will generate endless portfolios of pot photos and abstract vector backgrounds and then it won't need contributor support at all...

I do wonder about the evolution of crowd sourcing, micro jobs or whatever all this is. It's a wild west right now that not many in the government are really talking about or probably don't even understand. It will be interesting to see when the first real story hits that changes that and how far they go down the rabbit hole.

Brasilnut · « **Reply #18 on:** October 22, 2018, 05:58 »

Quote from: Sean Locke Photography on October 21, 2018, 18:54

“I don't think you need worry, the picture was clearly purchased correctly because you are credited in the text below the picture, this would be absent if it had been purchased illegally. Looking at the other pictures most of them are credited Shutterstock images so I am certain it is a genuine purchase. Well done!
”

That is a terrible answer.

That answer made me even more worried...

Sean Locke Photography · « **Reply #19 on:** October 22, 2018, 10:13 »

Quote from: Brasilnut on October 22, 2018, 05:58

Quote from: Sean Locke Photography on October 21, 2018, 18:54
“I don't think you need worry, the picture was clearly purchased correctly because you are credited in the text below the picture, this would be absent if it had been purchased illegally. Looking at the other pictures most of them are credited Shutterstock images so I am certain it is a genuine purchase. Well done!
”

That is a terrible answer.

That answer made me even more worried...

Right. If I'm querying a usage, I want someone with actual access to accounts that can verify it was licensed. Not "well, they credited you, so it's probably ok."

pancaketom · « **Reply #20 on:** October 23, 2018, 00:51 »

yay - you got credited. since money isn't what makes you happy that should be enough.

cthoman · « **Reply #21 on:** October 23, 2018, 08:55 »

Quote from: pancaketom on October 23, 2018, 00:51

yay - you got credited. since money isn't what makes you happy that should be enough.

After all those surveys, did they ever figure out that money really does make us happy and always did?

Pauws99 · « **Reply #22 on:** October 23, 2018, 09:03 »

Quote from: cthoman on October 23, 2018, 08:55

Quote from: pancaketom on October 23, 2018, 00:51
yay - you got credited. since money isn't what makes you happy that should be enough.

After all those surveys, did they ever figure out that money really does make us happy and always did?

No they will keep on with surveys until we give them the right answer.

wordplanet · « **Reply #23 on:** October 24, 2018, 22:42 »

Quote from: cthoman on October 23, 2018, 08:55

Quote from: pancaketom on October 23, 2018, 00:51
yay - you got credited. since money isn't what makes you happy that should be enough.

After all those surveys, did they ever figure out that money really does make us happy and always did?

Best answer.

Anja_Kaiser · « **Reply #24 on:** October 24, 2018, 23:08 »

Quote from: cthoman on October 21, 2018, 21:47

Quote from: Jo Ann Snover on October 21, 2018, 20:14
Quote from: Shelma1 on October 21, 2018, 19:47

I find it amazing that even after you've been approved and have been given questions to answer you still don't know how much you'll be paid. How is that even legal?

I think because there are virtually no laws in the US that regulate the Gig economy and all the corporate participants are fighting tooth and nail to avoid having to deal with anything that brings in rules that govern employer/employee relationships or permits class action lawsuits.

If you have a contract and don't get paid you can sue the person who didn't pay you. If the amount of money is small, unless you can get class action status, it isn't worth the costs of a lawsuit. Uber drivers have been struggling with this. When the FTC took Uber on, there was some (small) positive result

Perhaps SS is working on AI that will generate endless portfolios of pot photos and abstract vector backgrounds and then it won't need contributor support at all...

I do wonder about the evolution of crowd sourcing, micro jobs or whatever all this is. It's a wild west right now that not many in the government are really talking about or probably don't even understand. It will be interesting to see when the first real story hits that changes that and how far they go down the rabbit hole.

Wisely put. Not many in *any* government - worldwide -, unfortunately.

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Author Topic: Shutterstock Contributor Expert Program? (Read 8589 times)

pixel8

nobody

dpimborough

Jo Ann Snover

pixel8

cthoman

Brasilnut

Jo Ann Snover

Brasilnut

nobody

Shelma1

Shelma1

Sean Locke Photography

cthoman

noodle

Shelma1

Jo Ann Snover

cthoman

Brasilnut

Sean Locke Photography

pancaketom

cthoman

Pauws99

wordplanet

Anja_Kaiser

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