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Agency Based Discussion => iStockPhoto.com => Topic started by: Mantis on July 08, 2015, 15:43

Title: Is this replacing the old Istock forums?
Post by: Mantis on July 08, 2015, 15:43
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Title: Re: Is this replacing the old Istock forums?
Post by: KarenH on July 08, 2015, 15:45
I saw this a couple days ago.  I no longer have an account at iStock, but would sometimes peek back at the forums.   As of two days ago, I could no longer see the forums.   
Title: Re: Is this replacing the old Istock forums?
Post by: Semmick Photo on July 08, 2015, 15:48
Lets hope it will be the end of that culchie, Lobo
Title: Re: Is this replacing the old Istock forums?
Post by: ShadySue on July 08, 2015, 15:50
Lets hope it will be the end of that culchie, Lobo
Absolutely not.
Title: Re: Is this replacing the old Istock forums?
Post by: tickstock on July 08, 2015, 15:53
Yep this is what they've been talking about the past few months.
Title: Re: Is this replacing the old Istock forums?
Post by: Mantis on July 08, 2015, 17:33
Well, be careful what you post here from their site. I suspect this will get you banned and even your account terminated.

"Please Remember: All Information posted on the Contributor Website, including forum discussions, is confidential and may not be disclosed without Getty Images' prior written consent."


How is this possible if Lobo and his clan are forum moderators?

"Let's preserve our ability to have an open dialogue. Thank You."


"The forums sometimes host discussions of emotive issues, and it should always be kept in mind that the forums are monitored to ensure responsible discussion. Sometimes this means that a post may be deleted (without notice) because it falls short of a guideline, creates legal exposure, or just fails to meet our standards for discourse. All Information posted on the Contributor Website, including forum discussions, is confidential and may not be disclosed without Getty Images' prior written consent."


The underlined says it all.  Don't post anything that hurts or rebuts a claim made by said host of the forum. Same pig different lipstick.
Title: Re: Is this replacing the old Istock forums?
Post by: Shelma1 on July 08, 2015, 17:56
I can't imagine them keeping the iStock moderators now that everyone will move to Getty.
Title: Re: Is this replacing the old Istock forums?
Post by: Jo Ann Snover on July 08, 2015, 18:00
I am still an iStock contributor and didn't get this e-mail. I was banned from the iStock forums years ago by Lobo, so perhaps banned contributors don't get accounts in the new community web site?

If it's anything like the Getty forums introduced back when I was still exclusive, it was so sterile (and largely useless) that the term community really didn't apply. I'm not talking about courtesy, but a wish to keep it a platform for issuing press-release like information from the corporate end with no discussion (clarifying questions were OK as long as there was no negativity squirreled away).

I seem to recall Sean Locke making a point - politely, but about something they didn't want to discuss - and he was scolded about his attitude. It was all very "nanny state".
Title: Re: Is this replacing the old Istock forums?
Post by: ShadySue on July 08, 2015, 18:06
I am still an iStock contributor and didn't get this e-mail. I was banned from the iStock forums years ago by Lobo, so perhaps banned contributors don't get accounts in the new community web site?
I can read the new ones. Nothing of interest there so far.
Exclusives got the invite a while ago, indies are being invited from today, but in batches as there are so many.

It's a PITA. I'd rather it was all in one tab, whether I'm reading forums, checking something in my port or account or idly wondering if I might have an elusive sale. In fact I like having the handy bar at the bottom of the forum page from which I can do various useful things. Still, who cares what we think?
Title: Re: Is this replacing the old Istock forums?
Post by: Jo Ann Snover on July 08, 2015, 18:11
I saw this a couple days ago.  I no longer have an account at iStock, but would sometimes peek back at the forums.   As of two days ago, I could no longer see the forums.


If you look here, you should be able to see the "archive" forums - at least until the end of July

http://www.istockphoto.com/forums_archive.php (http://www.istockphoto.com/forums_archive.php)
Title: Re: Is this replacing the old Istock forums?
Post by: Titus Livius on July 08, 2015, 19:42
there's no point writing in the forum of one of your distributors, it's just too risky and it will only make you banned sooner or later, same reason i won't touch the Alamy forum.

Title: Re: Is this replacing the old Istock forums?
Post by: michaeldb on July 08, 2015, 19:45
Yes, Lobo will be gone. New forum admin: Peebert.
Title: Re: Is this replacing the old Istock forums?
Post by: Jo Ann Snover on July 08, 2015, 22:48
Yes, Lobo will be gone. New forum admin: Peebert.

Ha! Pete's a very, very funny guy, but was downright brutal as a moderator - sort of the polar opposite of Rob Sylvan :)
Title: Re: Is this replacing the old Istock forums?
Post by: PixelBytes on July 09, 2015, 00:19
Well, be careful what you post here from their site. I suspect this will get you banned and even your account terminated.

"Please Remember: All Information posted on the Contributor Website, including forum discussions, is confidential and may not be disclosed without Getty Images' prior written consent."


How is this possible if Lobo and his clan are forum moderators?

"Let's preserve our ability to have an open dialogue. Thank You."


"The forums sometimes host discussions of emotive issues, and it should always be kept in mind that the forums are monitored to ensure responsible discussion. Sometimes this means that a post may be deleted (without notice) because it falls short of a guideline, creates legal exposure, or just fails to meet our standards for discourse. All Information posted on the Contributor Website, including forum discussions, is confidential and may not be disclosed without Getty Images' prior written consent."


The underlined says it all.  Don't post anything that hurts or rebuts a claim made by said host of the forum. Same pig different lipstick.

I got their notice, but don't see any reason to sign up.   I lost interest in the Istock forums years ago, and signing up to read sanitized versions of Getty propaganda doesn't sound worth the time.
Title: Re: Is this replacing the old Istock forums?
Post by: MichaelJayFoto on July 09, 2015, 01:36
I am still an iStock contributor and didn't get this e-mail. I was banned from the iStock forums years ago by Lobo, so perhaps banned contributors don't get accounts in the new community web site?

I didn't get it either. I think they mentioned that they will at first invite exclusive contributors only and have the non-exclusives join in a second stage.

In the mean time, the old forum still "works" - in the sense that it technically can still be used.
Title: Re: Is this replacing the old Istock forums?
Post by: Titus Livius on July 09, 2015, 04:40
and signing up to read sanitized versions of Getty propaganda doesn't sound worth the time.

exactly.
and ultimately, as a contributor there's no clear benefit writing in the forum of an agency you work for.

i mean, what's the point ? propaganda, people getting banned, mods deleting entire threads ..

moreover at this point the trend is that many forums are closing down and moving to private groups on social networks, even Lightstalkers gave up and now is only on FB.

i mean seriously the important news about stock agencies are what .. 1-2 topics per month maybe, anything else are the usual topics going on forever .. useful for newbies but not much for professionals.


Title: Re: Is this replacing the old Istock forums?
Post by: sgoodwin4813 on July 09, 2015, 06:53
I am nonexclusive and received the e-mail yesterday.  I just signed up to check it out.  It looks like the usual forum stuff.  I will take them at their word that they want to start up a vibrant user forum until I see evidence otherwise.  So far it looks like posters are being cautious - we will see what happens.

Maybe that is where Ron and Pete have gone  ;D
Title: Re: Is this replacing the old Istock forums?
Post by: MilanLipowski on July 16, 2015, 07:11
Also I was banned from the iStock forums years ago by Lobo, so I am not expecting any access to their forum. To be honest, I am not missing it.
Title: Re: Is this replacing the old Istock forums?
Post by: Noedelhap on July 28, 2015, 08:15
Yes, Lobo will be gone. New forum admin: Peebert.

Did Lobo lose his job or will he stay with Istock?

I don't expect to receive my login credentials either, as I was banned from the old forum as well. But maybe we get to start with a clean slate?
Title: Re: Is this replacing the old Istock forums?
Post by: PROStalkFatagopher on July 28, 2015, 09:27
El lobo...that bad wolf chased me down and I was stuck in my tunnels for days on end. He snarls and bears his teeth no matter what I say. I got tired of him and now I steer clear of Lobo's forum, Yes sir! I'm sure he's eating the customers too because there are no regular Istock sales anymore. It's all the PP stuff that sells these days. Hope he doesn't get a hold of those PP folks. 
Title: Re: Is this replacing the old Istock forums?
Post by: Noedelhap on August 02, 2015, 10:30
And I didn't get my login details. Thank you iStock, what a service.
Title: Re: Is this replacing the old Istock forums?
Post by: ShadySue on August 02, 2015, 10:42
And I didn't get my login details. Thank you iStock, what a service.

http://www.istockphoto.com/forum_messages.php?threadid=367497&messageid=7111017 (http://www.istockphoto.com/forum_messages.php?threadid=367497&messageid=7111017)
Don't worry, there are even fewer people posting there than on the old forums - the new ones have a worse UI, IMO.
A lot of the people who are posting there seem to be newbies and quite happy with the way things are going. Everyone seems to be treading very carefully, not wanting to rock the boat.
So what? They don't listen to constructive criticism anyway, putting it down with a snide comment, or banning people who don't toe the line.
Title: Re: Is this replacing the old Istock forums?
Post by: Jo Ann Snover on August 02, 2015, 11:42
And I didn't get my login details. Thank you iStock, what a service.

I didn't get information either, but I checked the old forums and Lobo had posted that if you ever had a Getty Contributor account, that would be what you could use and there'd be no e-mail coming.

I had tried the old Getty account earlier and the login failed, but today I tried the password reset procedure and my old account is now accessible.

I read the rules and set up my profile, but the tumbleweeds are rolling through the forums (newest thing is 4 days old and most areas haven't had entries for weeks).
Title: Re: Is this replacing the old Istock forums?
Post by: lewis larkin on August 02, 2015, 20:01
I won't be troubling the 'new' forums with lots of posts.  I think I will only check to see what the latest lunacy   exciting developments are in the pipeline...   And try to avoid the snide and abusive posts of the  prize pillock sorry - 'Contributor Relations Manager' or some such inanity ...
Title: Re: Is this replacing the old Istock forums?
Post by: cobalt on August 03, 2015, 00:56
I guess this will make the facebook group even stronger, at least there is no legal warning that you cannot discuss what you read elsewhere. The disclaimer right at the entrance is a big pushback.

This might make sense if you have a private forum for paid employees, but it is counterintuitive for an online discussion place with your suppliers, especially if you want to build a community.

It will move even more traffic and attention elsewhere.

sad, very sad.

And if nobody is posting, will getty keep paying people from istock or will that money go to someone from getty?

Title: Re: Is this replacing the old Istock forums?
Post by: Difydave on August 03, 2015, 09:01
Another one here who will just be going on to see if there is any news. I haven't been bothering much with the forums there for a long time, but the no discussion elsewhere thing has killed it for me. Not because I post anything from there very often, unless it's something that might actually be useful, but because I don't see the point in yet more rules that can inadvertently be broken.
[size=78%] [/size]



Title: Re: Is this replacing the old Istock forums?
Post by: ShadySue on August 03, 2015, 11:28
There may have to be an msg auto answer for a lot of iS questions along the lines of "You'll need to read their forum as we can't post a link".
Title: Re: Is this replacing the old Istock forums?
Post by: Noedelhap on August 03, 2015, 17:12
And I didn't get my login details. Thank you iStock, what a service.

[url]http://www.istockphoto.com/forum_messages.php?threadid=367497&messageid=7111017[/url] ([url]http://www.istockphoto.com/forum_messages.php?threadid=367497&messageid=7111017[/url])
Don't worry, there are even fewer people posting there than on the old forums - the new ones have a worse UI, IMO.


Might be, but every once in a while, important news will be announced via the iStock forums. Without access, I might miss out on news. Then again, thanks to the MSG forums I can stay updated anyway.
Title: Re: Is this replacing the old Istock forums?
Post by: ShadySue on August 03, 2015, 17:20
And I didn't get my login details. Thank you iStock, what a service.

[url]http://www.istockphoto.com/forum_messages.php?threadid=367497&messageid=7111017[/url] ([url]http://www.istockphoto.com/forum_messages.php?threadid=367497&messageid=7111017[/url])
Don't worry, there are even fewer people posting there than on the old forums - the new ones have a worse UI, IMO.


Might be, but every once in a while, important news will be announced via the iStock forums. Without access, I might miss out on news. Then again, thanks to the MSG forums I can stay updated anyway.

I don't know why you wouldn't get access (I've been banned for years, but I have access). Did you try the method in the link?
Note that a condition of entry to the new forums is that info there was not shared outwith the forum.
Title: Re: Is this replacing the old Istock forums?
Post by: Digital66 on August 04, 2015, 21:00
The old forum has just bitten the dust :(  R.I.P.
Title: Re: Is this replacing the old Istock forums?
Post by: ShadySue on August 04, 2015, 21:07
Is it just me, or does the new forum look like you're looking through white mist?
Title: Re: Is this replacing the old Istock forums?
Post by: Jo Ann Snover on August 04, 2015, 22:21
The old forum has just bitten the dust :(  R.I.P.


For the moment, it's still there if you know the URL. Not sure if it will stay around

http://www.istockphoto.com/forums_archive.php (http://www.istockphoto.com/forums_archive.php)

Title: Re: Is this replacing the old Istock forums?
Post by: Noedelhap on August 05, 2015, 03:54
And I didn't get my login details. Thank you iStock, what a service.

[url]http://www.istockphoto.com/forum_messages.php?threadid=367497&messageid=7111017[/url] ([url]http://www.istockphoto.com/forum_messages.php?threadid=367497&messageid=7111017[/url])
Don't worry, there are even fewer people posting there than on the old forums - the new ones have a worse UI, IMO.


Might be, but every once in a while, important news will be announced via the iStock forums. Without access, I might miss out on news. Then again, thanks to the MSG forums I can stay updated anyway.

I don't know why you wouldn't get access (I've been banned for years, but I have access). Did you try the method in the link?
Note that a condition of entry to the new forums is that info there was not shared outwith the forum.



I tried your link and I received my password today, thanks.
Title: Re: Is this replacing the old Istock forums?
Post by: Luka on August 05, 2015, 15:41
I used to open the forum to see what others say about monthly sales, but the new forum is unfriendly and most of it, it doesn't allow me to stay incognito. Does anyone here know how to make your user invisible on that forum? What about the forum of shutterstock? Thanks