Author Topic: How has the new Best Match affected your sales? (3/15/11) (Read 31623 times)

Difydave · « **Reply #25 on:** March 18, 2011, 14:56 »

Week started off well. Yesterday was slow. Today is like a Sunday. Whenever they mess with the best match I seem to take a few days to get back up to speed. Hope it's the same this time!

ShadySue · « **Reply #26 on:** March 18, 2011, 17:55 »

[Sorry, repeated post again

]

epantha · « **Reply #27 on:** March 18, 2011, 18:06 »

I've noticed an increase in downloads this week with quite a few 1st time downloads. SS has been ahead of IS the last few months for me, but this month they are both doing better than normal and are about even. Last year IS was #1 in sales.

ShadySue · « **Reply #28 on:** March 18, 2011, 18:33 »

Quote from: ShadySue on March 18, 2011, 17:55

They've really duffed up.
They've lost what was great about the DV. I just did a search for Highland Cattle, which is in the CV as a phrase, and got loads of photos of cattle which weren't highland cattle. On trying to wiki three of them, it turns out they have highland (region) and cattle as separate keywords.
That's what drives me nuts about Alamy's search system, and which I thought iStock used to have (mostly) right.
:-(
Added: better still none of my five pics of highland cattle show up in a search for highland cattle, neither in my portfolio nor in the general search.
I wonder how many other keywords aren't working properly?
Added later: So I tried office manager. "Office manager" isn't in the CV, so the words went into the box on the left as office and manager below it. Only two hits.
Office AND manager has thousands of hits as you'd expect.
"Office manager" has 32.
So why is it returning hits for highland AND cattle, but missing out at least five files with "highland cattle" in them, when "highland cattle" is in the CV, but with office manager, which isn't in the CV, you have to write AND between them?
I need to go to bed right now - early start in the morning - or I'd work it out myself.
Anyone enjoy a challenge?

wiser · « **Reply #29 on:** March 18, 2011, 19:41 »

Quote from: jsmithzz on March 18, 2011, 10:29

Some of the posts from Admins and Moderators never cease to amaze me. Kelvinjay is now telling everyone almost mockingly to just to calm down and take a valium when there are peoples' livelihoods at stake. Unbelievable.

http://www.istockphoto.com/forum_messages.php?threadid=314342&page=24

That is so rude and inaccurate. Valium is for pain, Xanax is the chill pill of choice. Can't even get medication right. Geez.

mlwinphoto · « **Reply #30 on:** March 18, 2011, 20:00 »

Sales? What sales??

donding · « **Reply #31 on:** March 18, 2011, 21:54 »

Quote from: wiser on March 18, 2011, 19:41

Quote from: jsmithzz on March 18, 2011, 10:29
Some of the posts from Admins and Moderators never cease to amaze me. Kelvinjay is now telling everyone almost mockingly to just to calm down and take a valium when there are peoples' livelihoods at stake. Unbelievable.

http://www.istockphoto.com/forum_messages.php?threadid=314342&page=24

That is so rude and inaccurate. Valium is for pain, Xanax is the chill pill of choice. Can't even get medication right. Geez.

Actually Valium is used mainly for people with anxiety disorders. It can be used for withdrawal symptoms from alcohol, muscle spasms, seizures, insomnia and sometimes used for pain by reducing the agitation by relaxing your muscles.

SNP · « **Reply #32 on:** March 18, 2011, 22:11 »

Quote from: wiser on March 18, 2011, 19:41

Quote from: jsmithzz on March 18, 2011, 10:29
Some of the posts from Admins and Moderators never cease to amaze me. Kelvinjay is now telling everyone almost mockingly to just to calm down and take a valium when there are peoples' livelihoods at stake. Unbelievable.

http://www.istockphoto.com/forum_messages.php?threadid=314342&page=24

That is so rude and inaccurate. Valium is for pain, Xanax is the chill pill of choice. Can't even get medication right. Geez.

um, no. Valium as far as I know is precisely for anxiety. and I think it's obvious that kelvin was joking. that book cover is all over the place, it's on t-shirts and journals.

ETA: oops, donding beat me to it.

Beach Bum · « **Reply #33 on:** March 19, 2011, 00:12 »

Sales have plummeted for me this week. For the whole week I've made less than what I would normally make in a day.

traveler1116 · « **Reply #34 on:** March 19, 2011, 01:17 »

Can't tell here yet, but I agree with jsnover that this shouldn't be done midweek unless you are 150% sure it won't cause disruption especially during a normally busy month.

rubyroo · « **Reply #35 on:** March 19, 2011, 06:08 »

Although traditionally an anxiety medication, my other half was once prescribed (and refused) Valium for back pain. I'm not aware of it being prescribed for a pain in the ar*e though

Of course, now he knows an iStock admin has recommended medication he might take it more seriously...

traveler1116 · « **Reply #36 on:** March 19, 2011, 07:58 »

Since I'm in Bangkok now I just did a search for "bangkok" with the slider all the way to the right (most relevant isn't it supposed to be) and the second image has "bangkok" listed as the 10th most relevant keyword. This can't be correct, I know we were told there are no bugs but the most relevant images should be better than that shouldn't they?

aluxum · « **Reply #37 on:** March 19, 2011, 08:33 »

I think search results with the slider all the way to the right are returning not very logical results at the moment. Similar files of mine get ranked in a way that less downloaded files with same keywords and same upload date get a better position that files with 10x more downloads. If the slide is at the middle or to the left the results have much more sense.

For me as a new contributor, the best match shake, if it is staying like now, might be detrimental to my portfolio as I think it favours older files with a good sales record (you see many more blue flames in the search results). To reach the top will be harder now, but who knows if this behaviour will change tomorrow. Everything is very unpredictable and fast changing in the microstock world. So for good or bad we will have to swallow it,ride the wave and keep producing great images till next change......

ShadySue · « **Reply #38 on:** March 19, 2011, 09:15 »

Quote from: traveler1116 on March 19, 2011, 07:58

Since I'm in Bangkok now I just did a search for "bangkok" with the slider all the way to the right (most relevant isn't it supposed to be) and the second image has "bangkok" listed as the 10th most relevant keyword. This can't be correct, I know we were told there are no bugs but the most relevant images should be better than that shouldn't they?

Pay attention up there at the back.
This isn't a 'bug' it's a 'feature'. RoberMexico said that in the new best match, 'most relevant' means 'median relevancy'.
New tagline; iStock repurposes the English Language.
(apparently you get the 'best' results by having the slider in the middle)

ShadySue · « **Reply #39 on:** March 19, 2011, 09:59 »

They've clearly done their best match 'adjustment' as promised. My editorial files (all new, obviously) which were at the very bottom of my on portfolio by best match moved up to halfway, i.e. they were mixed in between the middle of p6 and the middle of p8 of 11 pages of a best match search.
Now they are all at the bottom of page 11.
Checked a sitewide search for Memphis. Yes, there are my new editorial files, right at the bottom (a small search) by best match.
Thanks for that, iStock.
So much for me making an effort with the new editorial programme.

wiser · « **Reply #40 on:** March 19, 2011, 11:17 »

Quote from: donding on March 18, 2011, 21:54

Quote from: wiser on March 18, 2011, 19:41
Quote from: jsmithzz on March 18, 2011, 10:29
Some of the posts from Admins and Moderators never cease to amaze me. Kelvinjay is now telling everyone almost mockingly to just to calm down and take a valium when there are peoples' livelihoods at stake. Unbelievable.

http://www.istockphoto.com/forum_messages.php?threadid=314342&page=24

That is so rude and inaccurate. Valium is for pain, Xanax is the chill pill of choice. Can't even get medication right. Geez.

Actually Valium is used mainly for people with anxiety disorders. It can be used for withdrawal symptoms from alcohol, muscle spasms, seizures, insomnia and sometimes used for pain by reducing the agitation by relaxing your muscles.

Mea culpa.

My better half took valium for four days after throat surgery and my boss became addicted to it (and went to rehab) for back pain. Did not know it was for anxiety. Either way it is a very powerful and addictive drug and should not be made light of...

KB · « **Reply #41 on:** March 19, 2011, 11:21 »

I've been complaining about the best match change, as all my new work has fallen towards the end of the best match search results.

But in all fairness, my sales haven't suffered, they've just shifted. Older files that hadn't sold in ages (or had never sold) are selling. I had above average days on Thursday and Friday.

So as much as I do love to complain (there's so much to complain about at IS), I'm going to have to stop doing so about this. No more uploading until it changes, but in the meantime I just hope my sales continue at their recent level (Monday was my second-best day ever, after a dismal, dismal 2011 up until this week).

traveler1116 · « **Reply #42 on:** March 19, 2011, 11:25 »

Quote from: KB on March 19, 2011, 11:21

I've been complaining about the best match change, as all my new work has fallen towards the end of the best match search results.

But in all fairness, my sales haven't suffered, they've just shifted. Older files that hadn't sold in ages (or had never sold) are selling. I had above average days on Thursday and Friday.

So as much as I do love to complain (there's so much to complain about at IS), I'm going to have to stop doing so about this. No more uploading until it changes, but in the meantime I just hope my sales continue at their recent level (Monday was my second-best day ever, after a dismal, dismal 2011 up until this week).

My sales haven't really suffered either but the best match should have the most relevant results first when possible and when wanted, like putting the slider all the way to the right. It may just be that less relevant files are selling now ie the old ones with no prior sales, they definitely shouldn't be high up the list of relevant files but now are.

lagereek · « **Reply #43 on:** March 19, 2011, 11:41 »

Valium is mainly prescribed against anxiety, stress, etc but in some cases can also act as a pain killer, it relaxes for example a throat, stomach, muscular-pains, etc.
Its a benzodine based drug and extremly habit forming.
Not to be recommended nowdays.

OH! the best match? dont see much differance from the old one.

lisafx · « **Reply #44 on:** March 19, 2011, 11:57 »

It may not be best match related, but my Friday was the poorest non-holiday weekday I can remember for a VERY long time. Before Friday I was having an average to decent week.

rubyroo · « **Reply #45 on:** March 19, 2011, 12:03 »

Quote from: wiser on March 19, 2011, 11:17

My better half took valium for four days after throat surgery and my boss became addicted to it (and went to rehab) for back pain. Did not know it was for anxiety. Either way it is a very powerful and addictive drug and should not be made light of...

Exactly. That's exactly why my other half refused it.

caspixel · « **Reply #46 on:** March 19, 2011, 12:39 »

Quote from: ShadySue on March 19, 2011, 09:15

Pay attention up there at the back.
This isn't a 'bug' it's a 'feature'. RoberMexico said that in the new best match, 'most relevant' means 'median relevancy'.
New tagline; iStock repurposes the English Language.
(apparently you get the 'best' results by having the slider in the middle)

That slider is a stupid idea and a waste of IT resources. If you are typing in keywords, would you not always want the most relevant results? Why would you ever want results with "least" or even "median" relevancy to what you are searching for? Sure seems like it would waste a lot of search time.

ShadySue · « **Reply #47 on:** March 19, 2011, 12:44 »

Quote from: caspixel on March 19, 2011, 12:39

Quote from: ShadySue on March 19, 2011, 09:15

Pay attention up there at the back.
This isn't a 'bug' it's a 'feature'. RoberMexico said that in the new best match, 'most relevant' means 'median relevancy'.
New tagline; iStock repurposes the English Language.
(apparently you get the 'best' results by having the slider in the middle)

That slider is a stupid idea and a waste of IT resources. If you are typing in keywords, would you not always want the most relevant results? Why would you ever want results with "least" or even "median" relevancy to what you are searching for? Sure seems like it would waste a lot of search time.

In theory, it's not as bad as that. In theory, if buyers knew about it, and when it was working well, buyers could choose whether they wanted a close match to their search or a broader match, e.g. if searching on a concept. Depending on the designer or the project, they could choose one or the other.

madelaide · « **Reply #48 on:** March 19, 2011, 14:34 »

when did the best match change, so I can give a reply?

I've noticed many recent sales on images that had not been selling for 2 years.

PaulieWalnuts · « **Reply #49 on:** March 19, 2011, 14:36 »

Quote from: madelaide on March 19, 2011, 14:34

when did the best match change, so I can give a reply?

Tuesday

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How has the new Best Match affected your sales?

Author Topic: How has the new Best Match affected your sales? (3/15/11) (Read 31623 times)

Difydave

ShadySue

epantha

ShadySue

wiser

mlwinphoto

donding

SNP

Beach Bum

traveler1116

rubyroo

traveler1116

aluxum

ShadySue

ShadySue

wiser

KB

traveler1116

lagereek

lisafx

rubyroo

caspixel

ShadySue

madelaide

PaulieWalnuts

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