Do you guys think that after they get the technical problems fixed, downloads will return to normal? My earnings are small potatoes compared to people who do microstock full time, but the few hundred dollars it's been earning every month is important to my budget : /

It's hard to say. It hasn't been this bad for this long without any sensible action being taken, especially in what is for many people traditionally the best month of the year.
No one at HQ seems to gave a rat's *rse about the problems and two more contributor-facing employees have left silently.

Maybe there are bigger and better things ahead, or maybe the sky has really fallen in this time.

Whatever, they're not telling us.

Quote from: ShadySue on November 15, 2012, 16:27

No one at HQ seems to gave a rat's *rse about the problems and two more contributor-facing employees have left silently.

I knew that Andrew has gone but who else left?

Quote from: fotografer on November 15, 2012, 16:31

Quote from: ShadySue on November 15, 2012, 16:27

No one at HQ seems to gave a rat's *rse about the problems and two more contributor-facing employees have left silently.

I knew that Andrew has gone but who else left?

MichaelJay, apparently, has left the Berlin office.

Quote from: ShadySue on November 15, 2012, 16:34

Quote from: fotografer on November 15, 2012, 16:31

Quote from: ShadySue on November 15, 2012, 16:27

No one at HQ seems to gave a rat's *rse about the problems and two more contributor-facing employees have left silently.

I knew that Andrew has gone but who else left?

MachaelJay, apparently, has left the Berlin office.

OK thanks.  I didn't know that.  It's like a whole era is over!!

Quote from: fotografer on November 15, 2012, 16:38

Quote from: ShadySue on November 15, 2012, 16:34

Quote from: fotografer on November 15, 2012, 16:31

Quote from: ShadySue on November 15, 2012, 16:27

No one at HQ seems to gave a rat's *rse about the problems and two more contributor-facing employees have left silently.

I knew that Andrew has gone but who else left?

MachaelJay, apparently, has left the Berlin office.

OK thanks.  I didn't know that.  It's like a whole era is over!!

It might be just cost-cutting necessitated due to falling revenues. My own earnings from iStock peaked in March 2010 and are projected to be slightly less than half that this month. If you read the disgruntled reports in the monthly sales threads it is difficult to believe that overall revenues for iStock haven't also fallen. If so then it is natural for any business to let people go.

As it happens there are currently lots of opportunities at Shutterstock. There are 34 named positions available, in various locations around the world, plus they are also inviting general applications.

http://www.shutterstock.com/jobs.mhtml

Quote from: gostwyck on November 15, 2012, 16:57

Quote from: fotografer on November 15, 2012, 16:38
I knew that Andrew has gone but who else left?

MichaelJay, apparently, has left the Berlin office.

OK thanks.  I didn't know that.  It's like a whole era is over!!
[/quote]

It might be just cost-cutting necessitated due to falling revenues. [/quote]
I think that's what we're worrying about, plus speculation as to whether honour and looking at themselves in the mirror made them resign.

Quote
As it happens there are currently lots of opportunities at Shutterstock. There are 34 named positions available, in various locations around the world, plus they are also inviting general applications.
http://www.shutterstock.com/jobs.mhtml

And only 12 at iStock:
https://gettyimages-openhire.silkroad.com/epostings/index.cfm?fuseaction=app.allpositions&company_id=15531&version=1

Quote from: ShadySue on November 15, 2012, 17:07
And only 12 at iStock:
https://gettyimages-openhire.silkroad.com/epostings/index.cfm?fuseaction=app.allpositions&company_id=15531&version=1

Ugh __ no thanks! I wouldn't want to work in a place that has the smell of death about it.

Wow. So they're actually looking for new programmers and developers? So maybe some heads are rolling after all? That's a little hopeful I guess. But maybe it's too late... 

Quote from: Monkeyman on November 15, 2012, 17:28
Wow. So they're actually looking for new programmers and developers? So maybe some heads are rolling after all? That's a little hopeful I guess. But maybe it's too late... 

It's possible they laid off the person responsible for updating the job listings...

Quote from: jsnover on November 15, 2012, 18:15
It's possible they laid off the person responsible for updating the job listings...

Have you seen the iStock forum over the last few hours? Seems like the normal heavy moderating isn't happening, as if nobody's around. There's a thread about the best match which would normally be squashed immediately and the Monthly Sales thread has got well off-topic too __ another no-no. Weird.

Quote from: jsnover on November 15, 2012, 18:15

Quote from: Monkeyman on November 15, 2012, 17:28
Wow. So they're actually looking for new programmers and developers? So maybe some heads are rolling after all? That's a little hopeful I guess. But maybe it's too late... 

It's possible they laid off the person responsible for updating the job listings...

Very Good 

As for Michael and the Berlin office, I was under the impression there is no more Berlin office.

My sales stink, yesterday was 62% less than last year with 51% more images.

Quote from: gostwyck on November 15, 2012, 18:36

Quote from: jsnover on November 15, 2012, 18:15
It's possible they laid off the person responsible for updating the job listings...

Have you seen the iStock forum over the last few hours? Seems like the normal heavy moderating isn't happening, as if nobody's around. There's a thread about the best match which would normally be squashed immediately and the Monthly Sales thread has got well off-topic too __ another no-no. Weird.

There's a Best Match thread that has actually made it to two full pages. Those normally get hammered after one or two responses.

Quote from: gostwyck on November 15, 2012, 18:36
Have you seen the iStock forum over the last few hours? Seems like the normal heavy moderating isn't happening, as if nobody's around. There's a thread about the best match which would normally be squashed immediately and the Monthly Sales thread has got well off-topic too __ another no-no. Weird.

When they get back Mini-Me is going to write down all the names in his naughty book

Quote from: aspp on November 15, 2012, 18:48
When they get back Mini-Me is going to write down all the names in his naughty book

... assuming that Mini-Me is still employed there.

Things were burbling along okay for me until the site changes in September. I had seen an uptick in August and had expected a strong second half of the year. But, since then, suddenly not good at all. Not quite as bad as some people seem to be reporting, but around two-thirds of what I'd conservatively projected to be earning these past two months.

So is it systemic, business-related and terminal or just a (big) site glitch? I don't know. Can't figure out how to tell.

Speculation welcome. It would distract me from having to change my underwear so much more often.

Quote from: RapidEye on November 15, 2012, 19:43
Things were burbling along okay for me until the site changes in September. I had seen an uptick in August and had expected a strong second half of the year. But, since then, suddenly not good at all. Not quite as bad as some people seem to be reporting, but around two-thirds of what I'd conservatively projected to be earning these past two months.

So is it systemic, business-related and terminal or just a (big) site glitch? I don't know. Can't figure out how to tell.

Speculation welcome. It would distract me from having to change my underwear so much more often.

Similar here as far as being OK until September goes. Been pretty bad since then though. Autumn isn't normally my best time of the year but this time it's been much worse than I expected.
I don't know what they've done now, but I've had ONE DL so far today. Now I may not have the best, or the most commercial PF, but this is just getting silly!
As I've said before I'll take ebb and flow. That's to be expected. Somehow though I get the feeling more and more that the fact that we're there to make money too is just being ignored.
As to the whys and wherefores. I'm as much in the dark as anyone else. Some sort of input from management would be welcome. Is it a glitch, or is this what we need to expect from now on?

MichaelJay, apparently, has left the Berlin office.
[/quote]


Not really correct - he had to leave because there is NO Berlin office anymore ...

Quote from: guenterguni on November 15, 2012, 20:59
MichaelJay, apparently, has left the Berlin office.

Not really correct - he had to leave because there is NO Berlin office anymore ...
[/quote]

I did read speculation about that here, but hadn't noticed an announcement of that there. I guess it was discussed in the German language forum.

Quote from: ShadySue on November 15, 2012, 21:24

Quote from: guenterguni on November 15, 2012, 20:59
MichaelJay, apparently, has left the Berlin office.

Not really correct - he had to leave because there is NO Berlin office anymore ...

I did read speculation about that here, but hadn't noticed an announcement of that there. I guess it was discussed in the German language forum.
[/quote]

Yes, indeed... even the offical statement from iStock (in the German forum) is: there is still a telephone number for German speaking customers. But from other sources it was of course confirmed - after only a short time after a big opening the german office dissapeared very quiet...

Quote from: gostwyck on November 15, 2012, 18:58

Quote from: aspp on November 15, 2012, 18:48
When they get back Mini-Me is going to write down all the names in his naughty book

... assuming that Mini-Me is still employed there.

Do you know something that we don't or is it just wishful thinking??

Quote from: fotografer on November 15, 2012, 21:46

Quote from: gostwyck on November 15, 2012, 18:58

Quote from: aspp on November 15, 2012, 18:48
When they get back Mini-Me is going to write down all the names in his naughty book

... assuming that Mini-Me is still employed there.

Do you know something that we don't or is it just wishful thinking??

No, I know nothing. I expect it's just yet another Canadian holiday or the iStock staff are all playing paper, scissors, stone or something. I mean the site is working like a dream so they might as well go off and enjoy themselves.

Quote from: RapidEye on November 15, 2012, 19:43So is it systemic, business-related and terminal or just a (big) site glitch? I don't know. Can't figure out how to tell.

Speculation welcome. It would distract me from having to change my underwear so much more often.

I draw comfort from the fact sjlocke seems to be reasonably happy, not too worried. And a few others, some have done very well in October and are not heard complaining in November.

It is clear iStock is able to distribute sales almost at will, and this has caught many of us off guard. So iStock's share of the proceeds have increased, and increased further with CC sales. Given such success (for iStock, not us), it's difficult to see our perceived decline as terminal. Maybe they really are doing well overall. Or perhaps they're engineering lower royalties for a lot of contributors, or sending traffic deliberately to Getty and TS.

It is also quite possible they have announcements in the pipeline that require desperate contributors to launch successfully. I guess we'll get a clearer picture of things in the next few months.

There you go, i hope that's useful speculation.

Quote from: gostwyck on November 15, 2012, 22:24
No, I know nothing. I expect it's just yet another Canadian holiday or the iStock staff are all playing paper, scissors, stone or something. I mean the site is working like a dream so they might as well go off and enjoy themselves.

Rock, paper, scissors, lizards, Spock. (for those Big Bang fans) 

I am going to speculate, just from common sense.

As we know, 3.3 billion dollars have changed hands for Getty,  it is unlikely just for a piece of junk. Just imagine if you spend 330,00 to buy a new house, will you do some house cleaning and fixing before moving in? Will you hire a new nanny if you can afford it? Will you dismiss the old housekeeper and doorman if you cannot afford it? If the door was not answered, it is most likely the new owner has not moved in and no one was inside. But the new owner will take over. It's hard to say if the new owner can maintain the house well though. I will give it sometime before I believe it's the end of the world.

Besides, where else can you go? SS? DT? FT? Have we heard complaints about slow sales everywhere?

Alamy? I have sales there every month, but I only get paid no more than 3 times a year. They are in no hurry to collect money and distribute it.  I will starve to death if I wait for Alamy money. The whole year's sales in Alamy often is only a month's worth in IS.

Just a reality check for myself.