Author Topic: iStock's Mevans Passed In the Night (Read 15333 times)

cobalt · « **Reply #50 on:** December 10, 2013, 08:32 »

I´ve added a link to mevans portfolio on my homepage and added him to my list of artists I recommend. I hope it brings some traffic to his portfolio and a few sales. I also bought some files for my workshops and will keep looking back there for more.

Mantis · « **Reply #51 on:** December 10, 2013, 08:36 »

Quote from: cobalt on December 10, 2013, 08:32

I´ve added a link to mevans portfolio on my homepage and added him to my list of artists I recommend. I hope it brings some traffic to his portfolio and a few sales. I also bought some files for my workshops and will keep looking back there for more.

Very nice of you to do this.

cobalt · « **Reply #52 on:** December 10, 2013, 11:31 »

Well I saw Michaeljay mentioning Marks passing and a link to his portfolio on his blog and others did it on Facebook as well. I guess buying files and driving traffic to his portfolio is one of the few things we can actually do that will benefit his family.

I remember how he blogged his custody struggle to see his daughter and he was anyway very open and forthcoming with his feelings online. His family and his friends meant everything to him.

So linking to his portfolio is an easy way to pay tribute.

We will miss you Mark, R.I.P.

BaldricksTrousers · « **Reply #53 on:** December 10, 2013, 12:38 »

I've had a private message from an insider at iStock, whom I knew well in the old days. I'm told that Mark's colleagues as inspectors and admins did extend their condolences, individually and as a group, to his family, and that they feel that their feelings and actions are not something to be made public in anonymous forum posts.
My interlocutor clearly felt that stuff written here (probably some of it by me) was inappropriate and hurtful to the inspectors and admins.
I've been told it's ok for me to pass on a precis of what I was told and I hope and believe that was a fair summary.
For myself, while I don't doubt (and have never doubted) the sincere sorrow of Mark's friends in iStock, I still don't really understand why it wasn't announced. If you have a "community" then it is normal to exchange infomation about what is happening with members of that community. That is what "a community" is: a group of people who share.

cobalt · « **Reply #54 on:** December 10, 2013, 14:42 »

istock started as a group of strangers from across the globe that over many years became friends by sharing and interacting. The internet made it possible to interact daily with amazing people on other parts of the globe. So I really don´t think anyone doubts the sincerity or grief of friends or admins.

There is a standard procedure for how many companies react that most people are familiar with from normal business life in a situation like this. I guess this is what people writing on different Facebook groups and forums were expecting, which is normal.

I think it is good Sean started this thread, I also don´t see anything wrong with the one on istock. In Germany many people make announcements in the newspaper when people pass. I did it for my father. In the year 2013 I would consider memorial threads to be something equivalent. A place to talk and share and remember.

SNP · « **Reply #55 on:** December 10, 2013, 21:51 »

gostwyck · « **Reply #56 on:** December 10, 2013, 22:22 »

Quote from: SNP on December 10, 2013, 21:51

I think it's shameful that there was no official post made on iStock's forums.

I never met Mark in person, but felt I knew him anyways. He was helpful, kind, funny and connected as an inspector....especially nice to those of us who tried our hands at 3D and made all the classic newb mistakes.

I was very sad to see his wife's post and I still find myself thinking about him. just not something anyone expected to hear and it does remind me how much of a community we all still are in our industry. I know Mark loved his 3D cars, but my favourite image of Mark's was always this one...

http://www.istockphoto.com/stock-photo-11215246-teamwork.php?st=d43ef28

Very nicely worded post SNP. It is indeed shameful that IS have yet to acknowledge the passing of one of their earliest, most popular, most talented and influential contributors. Please can you provide a link to 'his wife's post' as I'm not aware of it?

SNP · « **Reply #57 on:** December 11, 2013, 01:09 »

Jo Ann Snover · « **Reply #58 on:** December 11, 2013, 01:45 »

I think this should be visible to anyone - Mark's Facebook page which his wife says she will be maintaining as a memorial for him

https://www.facebook.com/MarkEvans4

cobalt · « **Reply #59 on:** December 11, 2013, 11:11 »

It is a beautiful memorial page and lovely to see everyone sharing and connecting in the same way they always did on istock. Facebook is offering a great platform that brings strangers together and makes them comfortable and at home. And although Facebook is not a private environment people are not holding back. Just like the old days, you can just dive in and remember.

istock was my first online community experience and I am grateful for all the wonderful people I met through the site including Mark. And now with msg, Facebook and Google+ the community will always be connected and growing irrespective of whoever company we are working with.

The community is here to stay.

Bonnie Schupp · « **Reply #60 on:** December 11, 2013, 11:58 »

I was sorry to learn about this. In 2006 my husband and I met Mark at a minilypse in Adelaide and he invited us to stay with him when we passed through Melbourne. He was a talented and kind human being. We are glad we had a chance to connect with him in this way and our hearts go out to his family.

It is surprising that iStock did not announce this. One thing that used to set iStock apart from other stock businesses was its strong sense of community and personal connections. Apparently, this is no longer so.

cobalt · « **Reply #61 on:** December 11, 2013, 18:14 »

There still is a very strong community but it has moved "underground" to various facebook groups and g+ circles. The people are all still there, just no longer visible on istock.

But I agree that looking from outside it is odd that in a situation like this the admins appear to be avoiding the company forums and are not interacting with their own community on istock itself.

I am grateful artpuppy opened a memorial thread there. Not everyone reads here and istock is where many exclusive contributors expect to find community information. At least now the regular contributors get a chance to express themselves.

And like others have said, I don't understand why it would have been wrong for an admin to lead the way with a few words of kindness and empathy.

EmberMike · « **Reply #62 on:** December 12, 2013, 09:35 »

Sad to hear of Mark's passing. He was way too young, for sure.

As for istock, I think it's a bit of a situation of people still sometimes expecting them to be the istock of old, even though we know they aren't that company anymore. Several years ago, you know this would have been a company-wide discussion kicked off from within the company itself. But istock stopped being a community-driven business years ago.

So I don't fault them at all for not making a public statement. It's just not in the company culture to do so anymore, and I think we all need to stop expecting them to ever be that type of company again.

tickstock · « **Reply #63 on:** December 12, 2013, 16:42 »

Just saw this:
https://fundrazr.com/campaigns/df06d

Jo Ann Snover · « **Reply #64 on:** December 12, 2013, 17:52 »

Thanks for posting the link - it's nice to be able to do something concrete

Sean Locke Photography · « **Reply #65 on:** December 12, 2013, 19:43 »

Quote from: tickstock on December 12, 2013, 16:42

Just saw this:
https://fundrazr.com/campaigns/df06d

Has there been some expression from his family that they need money? I'd feel a little weird sending cash if they didn't need it.

Noedelhap · « **Reply #66 on:** December 13, 2013, 06:38 »

Quote from: BaldricksTrousers on December 08, 2013, 17:46

I wonder if he seriously upset someone. Was there a head on row? Was he still an admin/inspector at the end? It doesn't make sense otherwise. The iStock forum is almost defunct, 20 threads per month, yet a few of the older members of the community have still picked up the remembrance thread, but Lobo hasn't bothered to offer sympathy, it's crazy. What does that make Lobo look like? What does it make iStock look like?

I think it's ridiculous to bash Istock or Lobo for this. How iStock handles this or how Lobo responds to this (or how anyone responds to the death of a relative) is an entirely personal matter. You can't blame them for dealing with it their own way, nor can you force them to publicly express their grief. Besides, I'm sure they care about his death just as well as you do.

But I can see you've already spoken to someone from Istock, so that's that.

cidepix · « **Reply #67 on:** December 13, 2013, 07:52 »

Quote from: tickstock on December 08, 2013, 14:18

I have to say it makes me sick to see people on here using Mark's death to criticize iStock. I'm really feeling like this forum has lost any value it once had. I wish the best to his family and offer my condolences.

as long as it's based on a valid argument, what's wrong with criticizing istock?

please make a list to let people know "on what grounds they can criticize istock".. so next time, they will do it without touching the subjects that you don't like..

ARTPUPPY · « **Reply #68 on:** December 13, 2013, 08:07 »

Quote from: Sean Locke Photography on December 12, 2013, 19:43

Quote from: tickstock on December 12, 2013, 16:42
Just saw this:
https://fundrazr.com/campaigns/df06d

Has there been some expression from his family that they need money? I'd feel a little weird sending cash if they didn't need it.

It's good to see a donation page set up. I was wondering if we should each purchase one of Mark's images from istock, but this is a better idea. And if the family doesn't need the money, then I'm sure they can do something positive with it. Perhaps they can donate it in Mark's name to a charity or set up a little scholarship in tribute to him.

jjneff · « **Reply #69 on:** December 13, 2013, 08:55 »

While I can not compare myself to his talent this warms my soul to think the community would reach out to my family if something happened to me!

Sean Locke Photography · « **Reply #70 on:** February 05, 2014, 09:05 »

This was a little weird, but of all the FB lookback links people have posted, this is the only one I took a few seconds to look at:
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10202393351609514

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Author Topic: iStock's Mevans Passed In the Night (Read 15333 times)

cobalt

Mantis

cobalt

BaldricksTrousers

cobalt

SNP

gostwyck

SNP

Jo Ann Snover

cobalt

Bonnie Schupp

cobalt

EmberMike

tickstock

Jo Ann Snover

Sean Locke Photography

Noedelhap

cidepix

ARTPUPPY

jjneff

Sean Locke Photography

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