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Poll

Did you boycott iStock's partner programme?

Yes (ind)
43 (36.8%)
No (ind)
37 (31.6%)
Yes (exc)
19 (16.2%)
No (exc)
17 (14.5%)
Not sure (ind)
0 (0%)
Not sure (exc)
1 (0.9%)

Total Members Voted: 102

Voting closed: December 29, 2011, 06:34

Author Topic: POLL: Did you boycott Thinkstock?  (Read 24510 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

rubyroo

« Reply #25 on: November 29, 2011, 12:08 »
0
http://www.usingenglish.com/reference/idioms/hobson%27s+choice.html


Wait? We weren't supposed to choose the alternative in their ultimatum? Nobody told me that. ;D


 :D :D :D

I just meant that that's how it would have felt for some people.


traveler1116

« Reply #26 on: November 29, 2011, 12:13 »
0
Check on thinkstock, there appear to be thousands of editorial images from iStock there and they all say "no release required" and are not listed as editorial. 

RacePhoto

« Reply #27 on: November 29, 2011, 12:31 »
0
Only way for me to boycott, beyond closing the IS account was close the StockXpert account. As an IND we have no choice. Either lose the sales and IS account or have things available on ThinkStock.

« Reply #28 on: November 29, 2011, 12:37 »
0
I didn't respond to the poll because I'm not sure which option to pick.. but for what it's worth:

when I was exclusive (prior to last November), I did not participate in the Partner Program (PP)- when I went Indpendent I still did not opt in to it.  Now that they are forcing us into it, I have no choice, as others have stated, unless I pull my whole portfolio from IS.  I do not plan to do that at this time.  So I'm currently in a "wait and see how it pans out" mode with regard to the sThinkStock PP.

« Reply #29 on: November 29, 2011, 13:44 »
0
hell, nobody is making anything over there, I havent heard of anybody happy with their earnings.

Except me

« Reply #30 on: November 29, 2011, 13:46 »
0
I didn't respond to the poll because I'm not sure which option to pick.. but for what it's worth:

when I was exclusive (prior to last November), I did not participate in the Partner Program (PP)- when I went Indpendent I still did not opt in to it.  Now that they are forcing us into it, I have no choice, as others have stated, unless I pull my whole portfolio from IS.  I do not plan to do that at this time.  So I'm currently in a "wait and see how it pans out" mode with regard to the sThinkStock PP.

You should be down for boycotting, exc or ind is your choice

« Reply #31 on: November 29, 2011, 13:59 »
0
hell, nobody is making anything over there, I havent heard of anybody happy with their earnings.

Except me

True. Why is it that everyone except you reports pathetic earnings from the PP ... and always has? The traffic stat's alone indicate that TS has barely more than 1/50th of SS's unique visitors. Maybe you are the 'Yuri' of the PP.

« Reply #32 on: November 29, 2011, 14:04 »
0
I wouldn't want to encourage him to come back here and proselytize, but the Shankster is always saying he has good PP results...so that's at least two.

I do think that for some IS exclusives who've never really seen the subscription model in full flower (as it were) the download numbers are seductive. As is the thought that they could have SS plus IS exclusivity at the same time (where the hope would be that the PP takes SS's place over time, which I don't expect would happen for reasons I've already elaborated elsewhere)

« Reply #33 on: November 29, 2011, 14:14 »
0
I wouldn't want to encourage him to come back here and proselytize, but the Shankster is always saying he has good PP results...

Yes I know __ but you don't actually believe the figures he spouts do you? One moment he's made enough for fish and chips for his dinner, the next he's flicking through a Ferrari brochure. Shanks doesn't do 'serious' or 'facts'. I thought that was understood.

« Reply #34 on: November 29, 2011, 14:24 »
0
hell, nobody is making anything over there, I havent heard of anybody happy with their earnings.

Except me

True. Why is it that everyone except you reports pathetic earnings from the PP ... and always has?


I honestly don't know. This month, of course, no discussion was allowed because a PP thread was not opened by a moderator, last month there was a short thread with three or four people saying they did well, so it's not just me. Maybe people are intimidated by all the propaganda against PP and just keep quiet, maybe they don't want all the people outside getting a slice of the cake (in the days when there was a choice).

However, you should know me well enough to know that I'm telling it the way it is as far as I am concerned.

Maybe iSTock have me on a special list feeding me dls so that I can proselytise for their PP prog. There's a good conspiracy theory to run with.

« Reply #35 on: November 29, 2011, 14:33 »
0
However, you should know me well enough to know that I'm telling it the way it is as far as I am concerned.

Oh yes, I don't doubt what you're saying, but if your numbers were 'normal' then the PP would be an astonishing success. When I visit the PP sites I can find almost no reason why anybody would buy there in preference to any of the 'Big 4'.

« Reply #36 on: November 29, 2011, 14:35 »
0
exclusives can opt in/out regarding thinkstock no? all ind dont have other choice right?

so confusing really, people here are talking this and that but they have files on IS (so there too) thats why I pop the question

from my very small numbers PP means 650$ from 1800$ (total)

(I dont believe I would be better without PP, I wouldnt have IS as my 2th best earner)

not saying PP is a cool thing, thats just my stats

« Reply #37 on: November 29, 2011, 14:39 »
0
The question is about the past, Luis, when we all had a choice.

It looks as if the percentage of earnings you get from PP is about the same as mine.

« Reply #38 on: November 29, 2011, 14:42 »
0
I'm independent and boycotted the PP until I was forced into it. Since then I have not seen even a penny of earnings from the PP.

Here's an interesting scenario I've never seen discussed either here or on the iStock forums. Photos shot at an iStock minilypse can only be uploaded to iStock. That's part of the photographer's agreement going into the minilypse. Also, the model releases for the minilypse can't be used anywhere else. Therefore, unfortunately, minilypse photos must stay on iStock if I ever hope to recover some of the cost of making them. It would be very easy for me to walk away from iStock if most of my best sellers weren't taken at minilypses.

« Reply #39 on: November 29, 2011, 14:48 »
0
Ah ok.. I never boycotted it

« Reply #40 on: November 29, 2011, 15:11 »
0
I voted yes... deleted my entire portfolio over there.

Ditto

lisafx

« Reply #41 on: November 29, 2011, 16:25 »
0
...with the Daleks in charge, resistance was futile.


;D

lisafx

« Reply #42 on: November 29, 2011, 16:39 »
0
I put that I boycotted it.  However, shortly before it was announced that we would all be forced into the partner program, I discovered my stuff had all been moved over to TS.  

I don't know why it was there.  There was a period of time when the checkmark for PP was checked on everybody by default.  Whenever that stopped, I don't know, but I guess I didn't get it unchecked in time.  I didn't even realize it was something I had to worry about because I had always been opted out, as far as I knew, and at the time my stuff was moved over, I thought the connector was broken anyway.  

Considering that shortly after this discovery it was announced we would all be moving over to TS, I didn't see any point in getting my stuff removed.  

I can back up what Balderick is saying.  I am making about 1/3 in the PP of what I make at IS.  Downloads are roughly equal.  I expect when everyone else is moved over that amount will go down though.  
« Last Edit: November 29, 2011, 17:19 by lisafx »

« Reply #43 on: November 29, 2011, 16:54 »
0
I'm independent and boycotted the PP until I was forced into it. Since then I have not seen even a penny of earnings from the PP.

Here's an interesting scenario I've never seen discussed either here or on the iStock forums. Photos shot at an iStock minilypse can only be uploaded to iStock. That's part of the photographer's agreement going into the minilypse. Also, the model releases for the minilypse can't be used anywhere else. Therefore, unfortunately, minilypse photos must stay on iStock if I ever hope to recover some of the cost of making them. It would be very easy for me to walk away from iStock if most of my best sellers weren't taken at minilypses.

I thought about this, too, when I was contemplating dropping the crown last year as I have been to a lot of minilypses  (and even hosted one) and have some best sellers from those.  What I ended up doing when I went independent last November was to opt all my minilypse images into the photo+ program since I knew they had to stay exclusive to iStock and wanted to get the most money from them that I could.  I started with my best sellers until I used up all my slots.  then, having learned a lot from my attendance at minilypses, I took that knowledge and expanded on it to create new images that sell well and have been uploading those to the other sites as well as istock.

to reiterate (because I'm guessing someone might read this wrongly) I have not duplicated/copied my images from minilypses, I have just been more thoughtful in setting up shoots that are more stock-like when I schedule work with models.  I get a specific theme and location set up and get models and wardrobe to go with it.  I also work with a fellow photographer and together we have our own little "microlypse" type shoot.  It has worked very well for me. 

« Reply #44 on: November 29, 2011, 16:57 »
0
I can back up what Baldrick is saying.  I am making about 1/3 in the PP of what I make at IS.  Downloads are roughly equal.  I expect when everyone else is moved over that amount will go down though.  

Holy goat's droppings, what's wrong with me then? Incredible. In October, the PP made me 1.5% of what I made on IS. PP downloads were 23% of those on IS.
« Last Edit: November 29, 2011, 17:39 by RapidEye »

lisafx

« Reply #45 on: November 29, 2011, 17:01 »
0
I can back up what Balderick is saying.  I am making about 1/3 in the PP of what I make at IS.  Downloads are roughly equal.  I expect when everyone else is moved over that amount will go down though.  

Holy goat's droppings, what's wrong with me then? Incredible. In October, the PP made me 1.5% of what I made on IS. PP downloads were 23% of those on IS.

Most likely it was because ALL my images were shuttled over, not a select few.  Also, I have only been there a couple of months.  Maybe there was a "fresh meat" factor.  Sales in October were slightly down from September.  

Also consider that since I am non-exclusive, what I make on IS is probably a LOT less than what you make.
« Last Edit: November 29, 2011, 17:20 by lisafx »

« Reply #46 on: November 29, 2011, 17:04 »
0
the last time I looked at thinkstock none of my images where there.  I just checked this morning and 3 random images of mine were there, one from my most recent uploads the other two from years ago.  Then I just now looked again and one more image is there.  

Are they starting to move the stuff over there?   I don't understand how the PP works but now I guess I need to since my forced inclusion in the program appears to be underway.

« Reply #47 on: November 29, 2011, 17:09 »
0
I'm independent and boycotted the PP until I was forced into it. Since then I have not seen even a penny of earnings from the PP.

Had any of your files actually been moved before the end of October? Even before the latest mess they said it would take until the end of the year to move everything across.

So far, the payments have been made for the month of October but nothing has been paid for November and won't be until sometime towards the middle/end of next month.

« Reply #48 on: November 29, 2011, 17:11 »
0
I can back up what Balderick is saying.  I am making about 1/3 in the PP of what I make at IS.  Downloads are roughly equal.  I expect when everyone else is moved over that amount will go down though.  

Holy goat's droppings, what's wrong with me then? Incredible. In October, the PP made me 1.5% of what I made on IS. PP downloads were 23% of those on IS.

Nothing of yours newer than 18 months will be there. It might work against you in the search (but I don't know)
« Last Edit: November 30, 2011, 05:31 by leaf »

« Reply #49 on: November 29, 2011, 17:14 »
0
Lisa and Baldrick, good points both. I'll stop spluttering now.


 

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