If it isn't a 'glitch' in the system, Fotolia has changed the ranking levels. From today to get to Emerald require 25K sales when till last week it was 10K (so must be thankful we did get there in the right time!). To Sapphire will now require 100K sales. Bad news for who tought that just to go to 50K was hard...   

It looks like all the ranking changed :
Less than 1000       White
Between 1000 and 5000       Bronze
Between 5000 and 10000       Silver
Between 10000 and 25000       Gold
Between 25000 and 100000       Emerald
Between 100000 and 250000       Sapphire
Between 250000 and 1000000       Rubis
Above 1000000       Diamond

Now I'm far from silver, shouldn't even be bronze yet 

5000 for silver now damnit !

I always liked the communication style of Fotolia, sneaky , sneaky.....
I guess a lot of thread will be blocked on the FT forum the next coming days 

DDAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH...... I have been watching my sales one at a time for the last 12 months watching my stats get closer and closer to emerald........ waiting for the day to set up my prices... now i was literally a FEW days away from being emerald.... and it was ripped out of my hands   boooooourns

Please say it isn't so 

wow! and no official announcement either? 

Mat has posted that he's trying to find out what happened in the FT forums.

http://us.fotolia.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=15671

Quote from: leaf on November 26, 2008, 18:22
DDAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH...... I have been watching my sales one at a time for the last 12 months watching my stats get closer and closer to emerald........ waiting for the day to set up my prices... now i was literally a FEW days away from being emerald.... and it was ripped out of my hands   boooooourns

same here thats insane the Emerald was already incredible elusive if they change it i give up i hope its just a glitch but hard to believe it.

Quote from: azurelaroux on November 26, 2008, 19:18
Mat has posted that he's trying to find out what happened in the FT forums.

http://us.fotolia.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=15671

can you post it as i banned from their forums

That's bad news indeed! but I wouldn't be surprised to   see others make such move too since a lot of contributers reaching high ranks resulting in smaller cut for the sites.Unfortunately things are changing:(
I was hoping to become gold early next year but it seems impossible now.  at least they havn2t lowered the existing ranks,I know I am being too optimistic:(

sorry to hear you've just missed  missed the chance to become emerald Leaf!

Quote from: grp_photo on November 26, 2008, 19:29

Quote from: azurelaroux on November 26, 2008, 19:18
Mat has posted that he's trying to find out what happened in the FT forums.

http://us.fotolia.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=15671

can you post it as i banned from their forums

he didn't give any info other than that he was trying to find more about what happened himself.

Well if people become emerald and above fotolia will earn MORE because people will raise their prices.

I checked and luckily they do seem to have "grandfathered" people in. I would have died loosing my emerald status and all my files going back to 1 credit! Especially with the Istock fiasco. That would have been a double whammy! I guess I'll be hitting saphire in about 5 years!

Quote from: leaf on November 26, 2008, 19:42

Quote from: grp_photo on November 26, 2008, 19:29

Quote from: azurelaroux on November 26, 2008, 19:18
Mat has posted that he's trying to find out what happened in the FT forums.

http://us.fotolia.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=15671

can you post it as i banned from their forums

he didn't give any info other than that he was trying to find more about what happened himself.

Well if people become emerald and above fotolia will earn MORE because people will raise their prices.

Thanks i think it is stupid on their side too the flow of one credit photos will be unbroken as new contributors join the game on a daily basis and for big buyers there is still subscription. And 10.000 wasn't an easy goal at all with 25.000 its start to become nearly impossible if i remember correct Sapphire was before 25000 and only Andres and Yuri passed that line

Quote from: leaf on November 26, 2008, 19:42
Well if people become emerald and above fotolia will earn MORE because people will raise their prices.

that's right actually.but could they be worried  about loosing customers because of increasing prices?
please don't get me wrong I am not trying to justify their move I am just trying to understand the reason behind it.

Funny thing the "Almost there" - section in the ranking page. Ahhhh yes the golds have only a little bit over 15.000 sales to go too reach emerald - thats really "almost there" 

Quote from: leaf on November 26, 2008, 18:22
DDAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH...... I have been watching my sales one at a time for the last 12 months watching my stats get closer and closer to emerald........ waiting for the day to set up my prices... now i was literally a FEW days away from being emerald.... and it was ripped out of my hands   boooooourns

Really sorry Leaf...      I still hope that this is some kind of hacking or a joke. If you have seen the 'best sellers' pages in the last period there were 'weird' things going on as well, with images in all time best that are the same of last month and today... and is changing with the hours. I'd still wait to hear some official communication from Fotolia if that thing is for real. Small hope, I know, but still a hope!   

The contributor ranking has changed :
http://us.fotolia.com/Info/Ranking

yeah. I guess I was lucky to turn gold in 5000+, by old system. I am still gold, I hope they wont back me to silver....

sorry to hear in FT forum from Moderator that the ranking change is for real....    

As usually they didn't communicate about it... Think/hope it will just be applied to new members...

I could have understand a little adaption but that radical change makes me really sick. They more than doubled emerald ranking i'm speechless i will reconsider my stock-strategy!

The official word from Matt at FT is that the new ranks are correct. They've decided to change them. If you already earned the rank then you will keep it because you met the requirements at the time that you earned it.

So no one will be going backwards but it will take more to go forward.

Another response by Mat:

QuoteI got a brief overview of what's going on.  The change to the required number of sales for rank increases was made today.  The numbers posted are accurate.

Your current rank will not change however.  If you are silver for instance, you had earned that rank based on the existing criteria when you hit your sales goal.  You will need to hit the new, current goal for the next rank increase however.

If I hear anything else, I'll be sure to share it with you right away.


Thanks,

Mat

yesss! I can keep my gold! Sweet! But I can say goodbye to emerald in next 3 years lol!

I am going to change links for buyers from Fotolia to Dreamstime. I see no point in referring buyers to FT now.