I'll be in my corner, making photos

I don't really see the point. Don't we already know what is good and bad with most sites? And, anything that most people don't know about will never get enough votes to be statistically significant.

Quote from: cthoman on January 15, 2013, 23:34
I don't really see the point. Don't we already know what is good and bad with most sites? And, anything that most people don't know about will never get enough votes to be statistically significant.

I believe it would make a great idea to show the "world" what agencies are really doing and their behavior/attitudes/plans etc etc not only in terms of contributors but even more in terms of buyers, a minimalist website that we would promote in our websites/signatures/emails etc

yes this forum is just a small universe but if we think that way we need to drop the monthly earnings poll too

Well , i don´t have to think a lot to find the worse upload.....LOL

Would some of the people against be swayed if it was only positive awards?

Most official industry awards would only be for the good stuff, then there's non official community raspberry type ones.

So the official MSG awards voted on could all be for the best XXX

Then if the community here wanted to do an "alternative" set of awards just for fun (e.g. biggest cheapskate) that can come down the line.

I am sure we can get some of the sites to display our badges with pride, like manufacturers do with product awards ("MSG stock site of the year 2013")

Quote from: cthoman on January 15, 2013, 23:34
I don't really see the point. Don't we already know what is good and bad with most sites? And, anything that most people don't know about will never get enough votes to be statistically significant.

If these become the official industry awards for micro sites will start sending people here to vote come polling time.

A side benefit could be a lot more contributors finding out about the forum, therefore becoming more informed about what is going on with micro in general and the alternatives out there. It could be another small catalyst to change.

Quote from: Microbius on January 16, 2013, 08:22

Quote from: cthoman on January 15, 2013, 23:34
I don't really see the point. Don't we already know what is good and bad with most sites? And, anything that most people don't know about will never get enough votes to be statistically significant.

If these become the official industry awards for micro sites will start sending people here to vote come polling time.

A side benefit could be a lot more contributors finding out about the forum, therefore becoming more informed about what is going on with micro in general and the alternatives out there. It could be another small catalyst to change.

I guess it's just me, but I think most of these companies suck. So, I shudder at the thought of them actually receiving positive awards for that.

Quote from: Microbius on January 16, 2013, 08:19
Would some of the people against be swayed if it was only positive awards?

Most official industry awards would only be for the good stuff, then there's non official community raspberry type ones.

So the official MSG awards voted on could all be for the best XXX

Then if the community here wanted to do an "alternative" set of awards just for fun (e.g. biggest cheapskate) that can come down the line.

I am sure we can get some of the sites to display our badges with pride, like manufacturers do with product awards ("MSG stock site of the year 2013")

Yes, I think that's a good idea.  I'd rather foster postive ideas / awards as apposed to raspberry awards as anything 'official' from the site.  If members wanted to run a casual 'worst' vote then that could be something different as you suggested.

It might help every one if we try and focus (as least once a year) on the good that was done at some sites. I think with everything happening lately we tend to look past the sites who has been at least stable over the past year, or have improved their site's functionality, or who still have friendly staff, etc.

Might lighten our spirits as well to focus a bit on the positives that was there and might even encourage other agency sites to follow suite of the winners.

These guys are in competition with each other and will love to place an award like this on their main page. It will show contributors who are not member of MSG also that the site has merit. So I am sure the agencies will love the opportunity to get such an award.

Quote from: SC on January 15, 2013, 21:14
Had to vote NO.
I hate this time of year with all the Awards Shows.
But I might be able to stomach it if there were no speeches.
And the presenters were actually funny.

Very Good point, I agree.

ps And do it, for the entertainment. I'm not against it, just saying, lets not take the results too seriously?

Quote from: RacePhoto on January 16, 2013, 21:02

Quote from: SC on January 15, 2013, 21:14
Had to vote NO.
I hate this time of year with all the Awards Shows.
But I might be able to stomach it if there were no speeches.
And the presenters were actually funny.

Very Good point, I agree.

ps And do it, for the entertainment. I'm not against it, just saying, lets not take the results too seriously?

If we do not take it seriously, no one will. Then I do not see the point of doing it at all.

At this stage we feel constantly that our negative commentaries are not taken seriously enough. Who knows, maybe our positive ones have better effect.

Quote from: leaf on January 16, 2013, 19:18

Quote from: Microbius on January 16, 2013, 08:19
Would some of the people against be swayed if it was only positive awards?

Most official industry awards would only be for the good stuff, then there's non official community raspberry type ones.

So the official MSG awards voted on could all be for the best XXX

Then if the community here wanted to do an "alternative" set of awards just for fun (e.g. biggest cheapskate) that can come down the line.

I am sure we can get some of the sites to display our badges with pride, like manufacturers do with product awards ("MSG stock site of the year 2013")

Yes, I think that's a good idea.  I'd rather foster postive ideas / awards as apposed to raspberry awards as anything 'official' from the site.  If members wanted to run a casual 'worst' vote then that could be something different as you suggested.

+1 I have been swayed to this thinking, it will get rid of any disincentive for the sites to campaign for their users to come and vote.

What should they be called?  I've started a thread talking about it
http://www.microstockgroup.com/site-related/yearly-stock-awards-what-should-they-be-called/

Quote from: Microbius on January 17, 2013, 07:34

Quote from: leaf on January 16, 2013, 19:18

Quote from: Microbius on January 16, 2013, 08:19
Would some of the people against be swayed if it was only positive awards?

Most official industry awards would only be for the good stuff, then there's non official community raspberry type ones.

So the official MSG awards voted on could all be for the best XXX

Then if the community here wanted to do an "alternative" set of awards just for fun (e.g. biggest cheapskate) that can come down the line.

I am sure we can get some of the sites to display our badges with pride, like manufacturers do with product awards ("MSG stock site of the year 2013")

Yes, I think that's a good idea.  I'd rather foster postive ideas / awards as apposed to raspberry awards as anything 'official' from the site.  If members wanted to run a casual 'worst' vote then that could be something different as you suggested.

+1 I have been swayed to this thinking, it will get rid of any disincentive for the sites to campaign for their users to come and vote.

Any suggestions for categories?  Perhaps that needs it's own thread as well?

Quote from: cthoman on January 16, 2013, 17:58

Quote from: Microbius on January 16, 2013, 08:22

Quote from: cthoman on January 15, 2013, 23:34
I don't really see the point. Don't we already know what is good and bad with most sites? And, anything that most people don't know about will never get enough votes to be statistically significant.

If these become the official industry awards for micro sites will start sending people here to vote come polling time.

A side benefit could be a lot more contributors finding out about the forum, therefore becoming more informed about what is going on with micro in general and the alternatives out there. It could be another small catalyst to change.

I guess it's just me, but I think most of these companies suck. So, I shudder at the thought of them actually receiving positive awards for that.

Exactly!
Utmost caution should be exercised in wording the poll questions.
"Which is better" can be in the microstock world often stated more appropriately as "which is less evil".

The awards don't have to be positive.  I would think if they get a white or a bronze everyone will see there is a lot of room for improvement.

Interesting idea.

Lot of thing discussed here was also addressed in this thread:
http://www.microstockgroup.com/site-related/yearly-stock-awards-what-should-they-be-called/msg292456/#msg292456

I do not agree that there should be negative categories. Enough negativity in the industry as it is. Even your winners of the positive categories will have aspects which would need improvement and you can not bash one site for something, but then not mention the same problem in another.

Here was my suggestion from that thread:

Quote from: CD123 on January 19, 2013, 22:44
Seeing that they are our agents (although many do not act that way), but are not the agents of the buyers, we can perhaps indicate that the awards are based on our evaluation of who are good agents (representatives) by simply calling the awards:

THE MICROSTOCK AGENCY OF THE YEAR AWARDS
(MSA AWARDS)

3 levels - Gold / Silver and Bronze (3 positions most recognizable internationally)
Points awarded on all the categories and tallied up to end up with only the top 3, else it gets to complicated and difficult to manage. It also increases the value to the Agencies if there are only 3.

How does that sound?

I was starting to work on the results for the 2012 microstock survey and wondered if it would be just as easy to bake these awards into that survey.  I didn't ask the question this year but I could have easily asked something like "all things considered which is your favorite site to work with" .. and award the 'people's choice award' to that site.. and then give the best income award to the agency that people voted for etc.

The survey already gets quite a few responses and it may be the easiest way to gather the most information.

Sounds like a good idea, at least for the first one to see how it goes