Author Topic: August best match shift? (Read 66846 times)

asiseeit · « **Reply #50 on:** August 10, 2011, 14:49 »

Remember, our searches are now location-specific. So many of us will get different results depending on where we are.

fotografer · « **Reply #51 on:** August 10, 2011, 15:21 »

Quote from: lisafx on August 10, 2011, 09:50

Are other diamond independents experiencing this big increase in sales?

Not me !!

BaldricksTrousers · « **Reply #52 on:** August 10, 2011, 15:59 »

Quote from: Slovenian on August 10, 2011, 14:41

Quote from: franckreporter on August 10, 2011, 13:42
Quote from: Slovenian on August 10, 2011, 13:12
Quote from: franckreporter on August 10, 2011, 12:33
I have no charts to show, but the real change in the best match, there is bringing the price level to 1 / 4 .....
most of the images are non-exclusive, and not all of these have thousands of downloads

Where are you seeing this? In the images you posted it's clear that 80% of the photos are still exclusive;)
the image that i posted the filter shows all type price of image....try to check only with the one point in the filter (1/4)...
the shake is evident
15/44 are independents (using your search term, it was less with another I tried). Still, only a third of the results, when we all know the vast majority of the contributors are independent.

Yes, but an awful lot of those independents are the not-reached-250-sales brigade. If you are sorting with some sort of realistic assessment of how popular individual files/contributors are, then the ratio of exclusives to independents goes up sharply. 2:1 could be reasonably close to reality, taking account of the number of exclusives among the diamond and gold ranks.

PaulieWalnuts · « **Reply #53 on:** August 10, 2011, 17:20 »

Quote from: asiseeit on August 10, 2011, 14:49

Remember, our searches are now location-specific. So many of us will get different results depending on where we are.

This is what I was thinking might be happening but I haven't seen anything about this being implemented. How do you know this?

asiseeit · « **Reply #54 on:** August 10, 2011, 20:43 »

I can't find the IS thread, I think it's hidden in a thread with several other announcements. I do remember people in it sharing their differing search order results. Searching from different continents (and/or countries) served up different ordered results.

Gio · « **Reply #55 on:** August 11, 2011, 02:46 »

Just to give you some screenshots.

I searched the keyword "Morocco" with the iPhone and with the iMac. Same username and same moment, of course. The results are totally different.

iPhone:
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/3399038/Photo%20ago%2011%2C%209%2037%2051.png

iMac:
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/3399038/Schermata%202011-08-11%20a%2009.38.03.png

This new best match shake has some problems with the cookies and the localization.

travelstock · « **Reply #56 on:** August 11, 2011, 02:57 »

Quote from: gioadventures on August 11, 2011, 02:46

Just to give you some screenshots.

I searched the keyword "Morocco" with the iPhone and with the iMac. Same username and same moment, of course. The results are totally different.

iPhone:
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/3399038/Photo%20ago%2011%2C%209%2037%2051.png

iMac:
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/3399038/Schermata%202011-08-11%20a%2009.38.03.png

This new best match shake has some problems with the cookies and the localization.

The results I get for the same search are also completely different currently in Spain) - maybe it would be interesting to line up a time to do some searches and compare the results in different places?

Gio · « **Reply #57 on:** August 11, 2011, 03:07 »

Just to give you some more info.

I deleted the cache of my browser. The results are now the same, back to normality.

It seems iStock sent out some new cookies to many of us, shaking the best match. Many customers now have a lot of non exclusive files in the searches.

I wonder who will say to this customers to empty the cache...

Atwim · « **Reply #58 on:** August 11, 2011, 05:50 »

Quote from: holgs on August 11, 2011, 02:57

Quote from: gioadventures on August 11, 2011, 02:46
Just to give you some screenshots.

I searched the keyword "Morocco" with the iPhone and with the iMac. Same username and same moment, of course. The results are totally different.

iPhone:
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/3399038/Photo%20ago%2011%2C%209%2037%2051.png

iMac:
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/3399038/Schermata%202011-08-11%20a%2009.38.03.png

This new best match shake has some problems with the cookies and the localization.

The results I get for the same search are also completely different currently in Spain) - maybe it would be interesting to line up a time to do some searches and compare the results in different places?

What part of Spain are you? I live in Madrid

Slovenian · « **Reply #59 on:** August 11, 2011, 06:11 »

I also see a change in buyers DLing larger sizes. After months of mostly XS and S DLs (even that sale hasn't done much for me) this is really nice

pancaketom · « **Reply #60 on:** August 11, 2011, 13:47 »

My results for "Morocco" look more like the iphone screenshot, but not in the same order.

The conspiracy theorist in me figures that they are making the best match shifts too hard to keep track of by implementing them at different times for different locations and soon they will push wholly owned content to accounts that aren't submitters. In reality they are probably trying to push their best guess of what the buyer wants with an accent on expensive and exclusive content.

I can see the value of showing local results for a search like "coins", but in general I don't like it when sites try to guess what I want instead of showing me what I am asking for.

Gannet77 · « **Reply #61 on:** August 11, 2011, 14:00 »

If you ask for "Best Match", you ARE asking them to guess what you want!

My understanding of how this country specific display thing is supposed to work is that they try to identify the area you are in, then weight the results based on what other buyers from that area have downloaded in the past. That's all. Nothing sinister about that as far as I can tell; if it's not what you want, ask for a different sort.

travelstock · « **Reply #62 on:** August 11, 2011, 17:38 »

Quote from: Atwim on August 11, 2011, 05:50

What part of Spain are you? I live in Madrid

I'm in Granada at the moment - but just stopping through, probably to Alicante next week, then heading east.

SNP · « **Reply #63 on:** August 11, 2011, 20:02 »

Today's sales are atrocious. Certainly hoping this best match shift is temporary

VB inc · « **Reply #64 on:** August 11, 2011, 22:05 »

its been going downhill since march. i cant even tell if its a best match shift or the result of less buyers/more competition.

Snufkin · « **Reply #65 on:** August 12, 2011, 15:36 »

I think the new best match is quite good. One of my new files has made it to the top of a very popular search, and I'm an independent

cathyslife · « **Reply #66 on:** August 12, 2011, 15:45 »

Quote from: pancaketom on August 11, 2011, 13:47

My results for "Morocco" look more like the iphone screenshot, but not in the same order.

The conspiracy theorist in me figures that they are making the best match shifts too hard to keep track of by implementing them at different times for different locations and soon they will push wholly owned content to accounts that aren't submitters. In reality they are probably trying to push their best guess of what the buyer wants with an accent on expensive and exclusive content.

I can see the value of showing local results for a search like "coins", but in general I don't like it when sites try to guess what I want instead of showing me what I am asking for.

I don't think you can call yourself a conspiracy theorist when time and time again, many people prove the theory that you are putting forth. The only people who don't think it's a conspiracy are the ones that keep making good money even when the best match shifts. And that is a very small percentage of the total number of contributors at istock. They just keep posting over and over again that all is well and sales are good so that it seems like all is grand for everyone.

The best match shifts are always going to benefit someone at istock. But the majority are going to (continue to) get screwed.

gostwyck · « **Reply #67 on:** August 12, 2011, 15:54 »

Quote from: cclapper on August 12, 2011, 15:45

The best match shifts are always going to benefit someone at istock. But the majority are going to (continue to) get screwed.

Surely, if the same number of sales are being spread between the same number of contributors, shouldn't the number of winners and losers of any best match change be roughly equal?

SNP · « **Reply #68 on:** August 12, 2011, 16:07 »

Quote from: cclapper on August 12, 2011, 15:45

The best match shifts are always going to benefit someone at istock. But the majority are going to (continue to) get screwed.

I don't see how you can state constantly that the majority of contributors are being screwed. perhaps the majority of contributors here - particularly independents admittedly hit very hard at iStock of late. but you can't speak for the majority of iStock contributors though you often state these 'facts'...MSG isn't exactly a statistically relevant sample group of microstock contributors

franckreporter · « **Reply #69 on:** August 12, 2011, 17:56 »

seems that members who have photo before 2005 are selling well, instead, members after 2005/2006 are selling too bad, is it possible ?

Slovenian · « **Reply #70 on:** August 12, 2011, 18:19 »

Quote from: franckreporter on August 12, 2011, 17:56

seems that members who have photo before 2005 are selling well, instead, members after 2005/2006 are selling too bad, is it possible ?

It seems so, since many report old non-sellers selling from the moment this constant best match shifting started. That's why my sales are stagnant at best, before that they were constantly rising for almost a year (from the day I started). BTW I usually upload more and better stuff then before, sales at other sites are proving that

RacePhoto · « **Reply #71 on:** August 13, 2011, 10:35 »

Quote from: gostwyck on August 12, 2011, 15:54

Quote from: cclapper on August 12, 2011, 15:45
The best match shifts are always going to benefit someone at istock. But the majority are going to (continue to) get screwed.

Surely, if the same number of sales are being spread between the same number of contributors, shouldn't the number of winners and losers of any best match change be roughly equal?

Yes, and the problem is, the best match shifts hourly if not by the minute and by location and by previous views and for all we know the phases of the Moon, day of the week and the Aztec calendar. People need to STOP obsessing about the best match and what it's doing. It's making them superstitious and insane. It's always changing, we can't do anything about it, and what you pointed out is absolute fact.

If someone goes down, someone else must go up. There's no way around it. There will be winners and losers, but there's no majority of anything happening to anyone except that everything keeps changing.

I had a terrible July. Does that mean there's some conspiracy or maybe people didn't need my images, so they didn't buy them. And if in December I suddenly have my best month in five years, is that some magic conspiracy too and I'm getting an unfair boost. Not in my opinion. It's random and depends on what buyers want. I seem to do better when school is in session, just the way it goes with what I have, which is not marketing or advertising oriented. Isolations, stuff and things, no people pictures. Makes sense that my buyers are on vacation for three months out of the year. Hey great, they are back...

Now if everyone is dropping and buyers are going someplace else, that has nothing to do with best match changes, does it?

jamirae · « **Reply #72 on:** August 13, 2011, 19:37 »

I've had a lot of older pics downloaded last week. so I'm happy about that! and downloads picked up a bit, too. at least for me.

SNP · « **Reply #73 on:** August 14, 2011, 13:35 »

sales may be sales, but I'm not happy when the best match favours old files. it means new files are being indexed and basically pushed to the back, potentially never to be seen. I stop uploading when this happens for the most part. best match right now is messed....I don't like it even though sales numbers are up and down, generally average for August.

gostwyck · « **Reply #74 on:** August 14, 2011, 14:46 »

Quote from: SNP on August 14, 2011, 13:35

sales may be sales, but I'm not happy when the best match favours old files. it means new files are being indexed and basically pushed to the back, potentially never to be seen. I stop uploading when this happens for the most part. best match right now is messed....I don't like it even though sales numbers are up and down, generally average for August.

With so many images, both old and new, there has to be a balance struck in the best match. Right now I think they have it about right. For example I've just searched on a subject (omelet) which had over 1400 results. Out of the first 100 images, when sorted by best match, 13 of them had zero downloads. New images are getting their time in the sun but not excessively so.

Don't forget every unproven new image is, at least for a time, displacing older proven work which may be far better. In the past Istock has rewarded artists who continually uploaded tons of mediocre images to the cost of artists who were more selective and uploaded fewer but much better images. In those days images were effectively being killed off once they were 6 months old. That's not the way to build a high-quality library.

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Author Topic: August best match shift? (Read 66846 times)

asiseeit

fotografer

BaldricksTrousers

PaulieWalnuts

asiseeit

Gio

travelstock

Gio

Atwim

Slovenian

pancaketom

Gannet77

travelstock

SNP

VB inc

Snufkin

cathyslife

gostwyck

SNP

franckreporter

Slovenian

RacePhoto

jamirae

SNP

gostwyck

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