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Author Topic: Is it not just a tad ironic....  (Read 16558 times)

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Cogent Marketing

« on: August 25, 2011, 13:51 »
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... that iStockphoto seem to be having great difficulty in sending out emails to all contributors regarding the current survey but they appeared to get emails out double quick time to all contributors a few months back when they wanted to notify us they were taking back their royalty earnings as a result of illegal downloads.

Their email system seemed to work perfectly well then.

I received that aforementioned email and had dollars taken out my account then but this time? no survey received to the exact same email address.

Amazing that.


« Reply #1 on: August 25, 2011, 14:00 »
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what's the point here?

ShadySue

  • There is a crack in everything
« Reply #2 on: August 25, 2011, 14:23 »
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'Selective Inefficiency"?

« Reply #3 on: August 25, 2011, 14:25 »
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« Reply #4 on: August 25, 2011, 14:30 »
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You assume that everybody who had sales reversed got the email before they saw their balances attacked.  It's always risky to assume competence in anything iStock does.

nruboc

« Reply #5 on: August 25, 2011, 14:31 »
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Never attribute to malice what can easily be explained by stupidity.

« Reply #6 on: August 25, 2011, 14:36 »
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Isn't this typical? If you owe money to some institution you have to pay them immediately but when they owe you money they have n business days to process this transaction :-)

« Reply #7 on: August 25, 2011, 14:38 »
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It's like rain ... on your wedding day.

lisafx

« Reply #8 on: August 25, 2011, 15:20 »
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It's like rain ... on your wedding day.

Or a free ride... when you're already there ;)

lthn

    This user is banned.
« Reply #9 on: August 25, 2011, 15:26 »
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It's a tad repulsive

« Reply #10 on: August 25, 2011, 15:32 »
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It's like rain ... on your wedding day.

Or writing a break-up album... about Dave Coulier.
« Last Edit: August 25, 2011, 15:34 by cthoman »

« Reply #11 on: August 25, 2011, 16:13 »
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It'd be like seeing a company that can barely keep their main site up and running, and which felt the need to reduce contributor payments to make themselves more "sustainable", start a new site called Feast (seemingly to do the community stuff they just destroyed at iStock).

To be fair, I did get my survey e-mail right at the beginning (although never a reply to my last support ticket which was just "disappeared" with no reply), but getting the contact sheet with this perky copy about this wonderful new site they're starting set back my attempts to avoid ranting about iStock and how angry I still am...

« Reply #12 on: August 25, 2011, 16:53 »
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It is a weird initiative, eh?  I assume it's an attempt to draw designers/buyers back to the brand.

« Reply #13 on: August 25, 2011, 17:33 »
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an attempt to draw designers/buyers back to the brand.

I hate the whole "we're hip and cool" phoniness. Thanks, but no thanks.

Incidentally, also ironic, their "Create a better world" theme BS.
« Last Edit: August 25, 2011, 17:36 by caspixel »

nruboc

« Reply #14 on: August 25, 2011, 18:16 »
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Is it Feast or Famine?  ;D

Batman

« Reply #15 on: August 25, 2011, 19:59 »
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Is it Feast or Famine?  ;D

Feast like the cockroach that ate Cincinatti. That's what kind of creepy insects they are.

« Reply #16 on: August 25, 2011, 20:10 »
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an attempt to draw designers/buyers back to the brand.

I hate the whole "we're hip and cool" phoniness. Thanks, but no thanks.

Incidentally, also ironic, their "Create a better world" theme BS.

It is a bit overtly hip.

« Reply #17 on: August 25, 2011, 23:55 »
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Sounds like an overhip version of what istock was. Very strange.

Who is the target group? Students? Very young designers in their teens or early twenties?

I didnt get an email for feast, but maybe this is a US thing.

ETA: just read about the mentorship programm, so its apparently aimed at students (17-22)
« Last Edit: August 26, 2011, 00:21 by cobalt »

« Reply #18 on: August 26, 2011, 00:26 »
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Sounds like an overhip version of what istock was. Very strange.


It's an old perverted greedy man (Getty) trying to masquerade as a hipster youth. LOL

Feels creepy.

« Reply #19 on: August 26, 2011, 00:40 »
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Well maybe it works for the target group. I suppose kids communicate differently and so feast is probably perfect for them.

I just wonder, because the average age in the stock world seems to be over thirty. Or the endless 29.

« Reply #20 on: August 26, 2011, 03:04 »
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I thought they deliberately staggered the survey?  I received mine a long time after people mentioned it here but of all the things istock get wrong, this isn't one I'm bothered about.

« Reply #21 on: August 26, 2011, 06:53 »
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I like this at the end of the Feast promo:

Quote
And we hope to bring you some kick-ass offline events in the future because sometimes it's nice to hang out with people in real life, away from the internets.

There always seems to be enough money for kick-ass events and istockalypses.  >:(

« Reply #22 on: August 26, 2011, 07:22 »
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I like this at the end of the Feast promo:

Quote
And we hope to bring you some kick-ass offline events in the future because sometimes it's nice to hang out with people in real life, away from the internets.

There always seems to be enough money for kick-ass events and istockalypses.  >:(

WOW, they have taken up Bush-speak :)

« Reply #23 on: August 26, 2011, 09:55 »
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It reminds me of Dreamstime's Assignment. Each month they ask for images with a certain theme.

« Reply #24 on: September 07, 2011, 14:10 »
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And while they are struggling to fix what they broke over a week ago with search preferences getting reset, adult content filter, copyright text, etc., etc. they decide to say that Feast is launched.

If it weren't so ridiculous it'd be funny.

I made a somewhat snarky post hinting at my point that I think they should have all software hands on deck fixing the site via which we sell stuff not playing around with a new "initiative". May not hang around as Lobo had already warned people to stay on topic and keep it "light".

Bread and circuses - distract us with trivia so we won't pay attention to the other more serious stuff that affects our earnings.

I thought I might try a post suggesting we  should be able to nominate people for the Protg slot. My nomination would be EdStock

But I'd probably be banned and I want to keep posting about all the bugs in the Help forum...

nruboc

« Reply #25 on: September 07, 2011, 14:19 »
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And while they are struggling to fix what they broke over a week ago with search preferences getting reset, adult content filter, copyright text, etc., etc. they decide to say that Feast is launched.

If it weren't so ridiculous it'd be funny.

I made a somewhat snarky post hinting at my point that I think they should have all software hands on deck fixing the site via which we sell stuff not playing around with a new "initiative". May not hang around as Lobo had already warned people to stay on topic and keep it "light".

Bread and circuses - distract us with trivia so we won't pay attention to the other more serious stuff that affects our earnings.

I thought I might try a post suggesting we  should be able to nominate people for the Protg slot. My nomination would be EdStock

But I'd probably be banned and I want to keep posting about all the bugs in the Help forum...


LOL... EdStock is a good recommendation, maybe he can mentor folks on getting around upload limits, and other tricks to pass inspection without following the rules.

« Reply #26 on: September 07, 2011, 15:40 »
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Well I have now been banned - told via the email revoking my forum posting privileges to "Have a little break" by Lobo

It's probably for the best as I should just stop wasting mental energy on iStock's soap opera of broken site, anti-contributor changes, etc.

« Reply #27 on: September 07, 2011, 15:52 »
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Well I have now been banned - told via the email revoking my forum posting privileges to "Have a little break" by Lobo

It's probably for the best as I should just stop wasting mental energy on iStock's soap opera of broken site, anti-contributor changes, etc.

I just read your post on the Feast thread...too funny! Sorry you got banned, but yeah, you could probably use the time for something better. They just kind of ignore Sean's questions. Pretty sad, really.

edit: I wonder if this Feast gem was some suggestion from the survey.

« Reply #28 on: September 07, 2011, 16:00 »
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Feast stuff is useless, they killed all inspiration with the RC target.

« Reply #29 on: September 07, 2011, 16:04 »
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Well I have now been banned - told via the email revoking my forum posting privileges to "Have a little break" by Lobo

It's probably for the best as I should just stop wasting mental energy on iStock's soap opera of broken site, anti-contributor changes, etc.

I guess it's been brewing for you.. because I didn't think that post was so bad.  Lobo was probably just waiting for you to post something sarcastic so he could ban you.  what an ass.

« Reply #30 on: September 07, 2011, 16:12 »
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edit: I wonder if this Feast gem was some suggestion from the survey.

The contact sheet with the Feast announcement was August 10th. The email I got about the survey was August 18th. So they came up with this idea all on their own :)

« Reply #31 on: September 07, 2011, 16:23 »
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edit: I wonder if this Feast gem was some suggestion from the survey.

The contact sheet with the Feast announcement was August 10th. The email I got about the survey was August 18th. So they came up with this idea all on their own :)

 :)

« Reply #32 on: September 07, 2011, 16:33 »
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edit: I wonder if this Feast gem was some suggestion from the survey.

The contact sheet with the Feast announcement was August 10th. The email I got about the survey was August 18th. So they came up with this idea all on their own :)

really?  I just got the contact sheet today.  it was announced last month?  I guess that shows how little I pay attention to iStock these days.

ShadySue

  • There is a crack in everything
« Reply #33 on: September 07, 2011, 16:37 »
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It reminds me of Dreamstime's Assignment. Each month they ask for images with a certain theme.
Oh, iStock did that for a while on the Logo forum until even the diehards lost the will to live.

« Reply #34 on: September 07, 2011, 16:40 »
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Well I have now been banned - told via the email revoking my forum posting privileges to "Have a little break" by Lobo

It's probably for the best as I should just stop wasting mental energy on iStock's soap opera of broken site, anti-contributor changes, etc.

Sorry you got banned ... and for nothing. Your posts are always amongst the most interesting and insightful. Just another reason why the IS forum is dying on it's arse. There's virtually nobody left there worth reading (Sean excepted obviously).

The Feast announcement has been greeted by a decidedly lukewarm reception too. So far only one Admin/Inspector has turned up to breathlessly deliver the obligatory "Woo Yay" or "Wow".

Does anyone actually understand this Feast thing? I have absolutely no idea what they are talking about. I'm obviously not "down with the kids" enough.

lisafx

« Reply #35 on: September 07, 2011, 16:48 »
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Does anyone actually understand this Feast thing? I have absolutely no idea what they are talking about. I'm obviously not "down with the kids" enough.

Thanks for saying it.  I thought I was the only one.  I have no idea what this is about either.  I skimmed over the announcement, but the point of it and the details completely elude me. 

« Reply #36 on: September 07, 2011, 17:14 »
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Hey, remember: money isn't going to be what makes you all happy.

(I'll feast on my 17%)

ShadySue

  • There is a crack in everything
« Reply #37 on: September 07, 2011, 17:16 »
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Does anyone actually understand this Feast thing? I have absolutely no idea what they are talking about. I'm obviously not "down with the kids" enough.

Thanks for saying it.  I thought I was the only one.  I have no idea what this is about either.  I skimmed over the announcement, but the point of it and the details completely elude me. 
The new guy must hae been the star of the iStock Communication 101 class.

« Reply #38 on: September 07, 2011, 17:24 »
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Does anyone actually understand this Feast thing? I have absolutely no idea what they are talking about. I'm obviously not "down with the kids" enough.


Thanks for saying it.  I thought I was the only one.  I have no idea what this is about either.  I skimmed over the announcement, but the point of it and the details completely elude me.  


sounds to me like another case of "The Emperor has no clothes"  -- you (we) all need to be hip to understand it.  ;)

« Reply #39 on: September 07, 2011, 17:25 »
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It reminds me of Dreamstime's Assignment. Each month they ask for images with a certain theme.
Oh, iStock did that for a while on the Logo forum until even the diehards lost the will to live.

wait.. what's this about Logos? 

seriously, though...  they can launch a feast but still can't get their act together for the logo program?

« Reply #40 on: September 07, 2011, 17:36 »
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Does anyone actually understand this Feast thing? I have absolutely no idea what they are talking about. I'm obviously not "down with the kids" enough.

Neither understand it, nor care enough to try to understand it. Personally, I think their Feast is going to turn into a Famine pretty quick.

ShadySue

  • There is a crack in everything
« Reply #41 on: September 07, 2011, 17:49 »
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Does anyone actually understand this Feast thing? I have absolutely no idea what they are talking about. I'm obviously not "down with the kids" enough.


Thanks for saying it.  I thought I was the only one.  I have no idea what this is about either.  I skimmed over the announcement, but the point of it and the details completely elude me.  


sounds to me like another case of "The Emperor has no clothes"  -- you (we) all need to be hip to understand it.  ;)

Ah, you mean like Twitter.  ;) ::)

« Reply #42 on: September 07, 2011, 17:52 »
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Neither understand it, nor care enough to try to understand it. Personally, I think their Feast is going to turn into a Famine pretty quick.

I thought the 'Famine' programme was introduced last September, no?

Ok, they might have called it the 'RC System', in their crazy management-speak gobbledygook, but we all know what it was really about. Boy, has that backfired on them or what?
« Last Edit: September 07, 2011, 18:32 by gostwyck »

« Reply #43 on: September 07, 2011, 18:31 »
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maybe after shafting all their existing customers and contributors they've realised that they need to start farming more lambs to slaughter.
They've already feasted on the carcase of the old istock and running out of koolaid.

Of course there will be a line up of people who will congratulate Istock on their great initiative.

BTW I Just retained my RC level from last year.   woooyay !

lisafx

« Reply #44 on: September 07, 2011, 18:35 »
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Personally, I think their Feast is going to turn into a Famine pretty quick.

Thanks Carolyn, for literally making me LOL!  ;D

« Reply #45 on: September 07, 2011, 19:14 »
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Does anyone actually understand this Feast thing? I have absolutely no idea what they are talking about. I'm obviously not "down with the kids" enough.

Thanks for saying it.  I thought I was the only one.  I have no idea what this is about either.  I skimmed over the announcement, but the point of it and the details completely elude me. 

I don't really get it either.  If it were a site for 'creative ways to use IS content' or something, ok, something really integrated into the site.  But tossing cash at development for an unrelated site just for the heck of it, seems like an odd choice to me.  Really, it's time and cash that could have been spent on making IS really rock, but now were drawing people away with mentors an whatnot.  I guess it doesn't really affect me directly...

PaulieWalnuts

  • We Have Exciting News For You
« Reply #46 on: September 07, 2011, 20:21 »
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From what I can tell it seems to be a sharing and learning community to attract newbie buyers. If it actually works and draws buyers to Istock then great.

« Reply #47 on: September 07, 2011, 20:46 »
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I don't really get it either.  If it were a site for 'creative ways to use IS content' or something, ok, something really integrated into the site.  But tossing cash at development for an unrelated site just for the heck of it, seems like an odd choice to me.  Really, it's time and cash that could have been spent on making IS really rock, but now were drawing people away with mentors an whatnot.  I guess it doesn't really affect me directly...

Time and cash that could have been spent on getting the site up and running!  Really, taking days to back out of a code change that broke things is crazy.  Or . . . site outage I guess is what they called it in the beginning, although the tech guy said they did a code push.  Who knows.

« Reply #48 on: September 07, 2011, 21:11 »
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From what I can tell it seems to be a sharing and learning community to attract newbie buyers. If it actually works and draws buyers to Istock then great.

Well that's what I asked.  There's no shame in actually saying it's an attempt to increase IS brand awareness and "cool" factor as a marketing drive.

ShadySue

  • There is a crack in everything
« Reply #49 on: September 08, 2011, 03:43 »
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I wonder if this was what was behind the new ASA making it compulsory to opt our files into promotions. (I opted mine out last September - on principle, not under any delusion that they'd use my files). There had to be some reason for that, as presumably they had enough very good people (the top people who kept their %age rate) still opted in to cover their ad needs. I was curious at the time.

« Reply #50 on: September 08, 2011, 05:58 »
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I wonder if this was what was behind the new ASA making it compulsory to opt our files into promotions. (I opted mine out last September - on principle, not under any delusion that they'd use my files). There had to be some reason for that, as presumably they had enough very good people (the top people who kept their %age rate) still opted in to cover their ad needs. I was curious at the time.

My theory is that they did that to try and simplify the site. Every check box to be opted in or out of whatever never seems to work and randomly toggles to a whatever state you didn't want.  Easiest way to solve a problem is remove it not fix it.

lisafx

« Reply #51 on: September 08, 2011, 09:40 »
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From what I can tell it seems to be a sharing and learning community to attract newbie buyers. If it actually works and draws buyers to Istock then great.

LOL!  You mean after they priced all the multitudes of small buyers they already had out of the site?  While at the same time suggesting they were targeting corporate buyers and big design firms instead? 

Now they are finding they need to put together some big new initiative to scrape together some completely inexperienced "newbie buyers". 

You couldn't make this stuff up.... ::)

« Reply #52 on: September 08, 2011, 12:56 »
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It seems to be set up more like a school. IS picks an "Artist of the Month". That Artist hosts a conference call with all the "proteges" to tell them the assignment and answer questions. The proteges have a week to get their first draft in and then the resulting images are posted online so "everyone can benefit". The protege's will be given $500 or 500 IS credits at the end of the month. Anyone can apply to be a protege but only 2 to 4 applicants will be selected.

- Feast website.

« Reply #53 on: September 08, 2011, 13:34 »
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After reading this thread I'm glad I deleted the email without reading it, I've got better things to waste my time with....

Druid

« Reply #54 on: September 08, 2011, 19:26 »
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After reading this thread I'm glad I deleted the email without reading it, I've got better things to waste my time with....

Druid

^^ I did the same thing and I would also go as far as saying that the commission cuts are funding this crap.

lisafx

« Reply #55 on: September 08, 2011, 19:30 »
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^^ I did the same thing and I would also go as far as saying that the commission cuts are funding this crap.

I agree. 

I can't understand why we are being asked to fund a scheme that actually pulls designers AWAY from Istock, to another site.  Surely this could have been done on Istock itself, like designer spotlight and the steel cage. 

First they redirected buyers to Thinkstock for purchases, now redirecting them to Feast for social interaction.  Is Istock being made irrelevant? 

« Reply #56 on: September 09, 2011, 02:31 »
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Feast - what a creepy name. Reminds me of a 1970s zombie movie. Having red as the primary color on the site doesn't help much.

But I get what this is, starving artists and creatives, feeding off of each other. Sort of like the Donner party...

« Reply #57 on: September 09, 2011, 08:20 »
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Does anyone actually understand this Feast thing? I have absolutely no idea what they are talking about. I'm obviously not "down with the kids" enough.

Thanks for saying it.  I thought I was the only one.  I have no idea what this is about either.  I skimmed over the announcement, but the point of it and the details completely elude me. 

Glad i'm not alone. No clue about this Feast means.

« Reply #58 on: September 09, 2011, 17:57 »
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I like this at the end of the Feast promo:

Quote
And we hope to bring you some kick-ass offline events in the future because sometimes it's nice to hang out with people in real life, away from the internets.

There always seems to be enough money for kick-ass events and istockalypses.  >:(

WOW, they have taken up Bush-speak :)

And Obama spend :o

PaulieWalnuts

  • We Have Exciting News For You
« Reply #59 on: September 10, 2011, 20:50 »
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From what I can tell it seems to be a sharing and learning community to attract newbie buyers. If it actually works and draws buyers to Istock then great.

LOL!  You mean after they priced all the multitudes of small buyers they already had out of the site?  While at the same time suggesting they were targeting corporate buyers and big design firms instead? 

Now they are finding they need to put together some big new initiative to scrape together some completely inexperienced "newbie buyers". 

You couldn't make this stuff up.... ::)

Who really knows what the intent of Feast is, but, new buyer doesn't necessarily mean small buyer. They could be a recent college grad who just landed at a large ad agency and can influence purchasing.

 

PaulieWalnuts

  • We Have Exciting News For You
« Reply #60 on: September 10, 2011, 21:05 »
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Feast - what a creepy name. Reminds me of a 1970s zombie movie. Having red as the primary color on the site doesn't help much.

But I get what this is, starving artists and creatives, feeding off of each other. Sort of like the Donner party...

Yep, kind of like the Donner party but even better. In the sequel some people in the group keep bringing more and more new people thinking that they're going to help but they just eat the food and deplete it more quickly.

Now that;s irony.  ;D

vonkara

« Reply #61 on: September 10, 2011, 21:26 »
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In the meanwhile, Bigstock try to attract Istock buyers  :)

I was on a designer forum and saw this.

« Reply #62 on: September 10, 2011, 21:33 »
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In the meanwhile, Bigstock try to attract Istock buyers  :)

I was on a designer forum and saw this.


I remember this, there is a black version too, not that long ago :)

« Reply #63 on: September 11, 2011, 08:45 »
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In the meanwhile, Bigstock try to attract Istock buyers  :)

I was on a designer forum and saw this.


They should leave out the 't'. :D

« Reply #64 on: September 11, 2011, 10:19 »
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In the meanwhile, Bigstock try to attract Istock buyers  :)

I was on a designer forum and saw this.


They should leave out the 't'. :D

I'll bet they sure wanted to!

RacePhoto

« Reply #65 on: September 11, 2011, 21:14 »
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In the meanwhile, Bigstock try to attract Istock buyers  :)

I was on a designer forum and saw this.


They should leave out the 't'. :D

That would be one of my sites for my pictures?  ;D

« Reply #66 on: September 22, 2011, 19:44 »
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Ok guys I think I'm a few days (weeks) late, but I HAVE to say something.

People were singing the song 'ironic' earlier.  If you've every sung or heard that song around anyone even remotely snobbish or smug, you have undoubtedly been told "not a single thing in that song is ironic, it's so stupid."  While this may be true, isn't that fact.... ironic?  So doesn't she win, after all? Alanis Morissette: the world's first meta hipster troll.  I love it.

ShadySue

  • There is a crack in everything
« Reply #67 on: September 22, 2011, 20:15 »
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So what's happened? Big launch then ...
Or was that just the pre-hype?

Pixel-Pizzazz

« Reply #68 on: September 22, 2011, 22:30 »
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ha ha ha ha ha ha  :D

hmmmm.... I wonder what it would be like to have a free place where creatives get together to share for free...until the community becomes a doable size and the site provider appoints all their unqualified, but hip, buddies and beaus to dicktate (sp) the masses and then decides to impliment user fees and only gives a pittance to the actual providers and becomes increasingly more incompetent, untrustworthy and greedy...

hmmmm...that seems more than vaguely familiar  ::)
« Last Edit: September 23, 2011, 02:18 by Pixel-Pizzazz »

« Reply #69 on: September 23, 2011, 03:10 »
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Feast wouldn't be an embryonic replacement for the iStock forums, would it? If it's full of touchy-feely goodness and devoid of nasty, touchy, feeling grumpy contributors it would be an ideal interface to let customers see.

Maybe the forums will become contributor access only and simply deal with the endless site problems and announcements. Any negative posts on Feast could be transferred to the semi-private forums and naughty people who insisted on spoiling the community atmosphere could have Feast access cancelled.

Possibly an initiative from the new CEO, who maybe noticed that the public image has taken a bit of a dive in the last year or two?

ShadySue

  • There is a crack in everything
« Reply #70 on: September 23, 2011, 08:15 »
0
Woo-way!


 

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