Author Topic: iStock Best Match Theory/Idea (Read 5970 times)

ichiro17 · « **on:** November 01, 2011, 10:04 »

I'm not saying this as fact - just pointing out an observation/trend that is becoming more prevalent.

I've noticed that the downloads don't follow an "ebb and flow" and now go by a weekly trend whereby downloads are torrid for one week (aka best week ever) and then die off 60% the next week, only to go back to best week ever status the week after that.

I have a feeling that the best match is juggling the searches for some topics weekly which is changing the results and screwing with the downloads making them less consistent and its been doing this for quite a while.

michealo · « **Reply #1 on:** November 01, 2011, 10:06 »

Quote from: ichiro17 on November 01, 2011, 10:04

I'm not saying this as fact - just pointing out an observation/trend that is becoming more prevalent.

I've noticed that the downloads don't follow an "ebb and flow" and now go by a weekly trend whereby downloads are torrid for one week (aka best week ever) and then die off 60% the next week, only to go back to best week ever status the week after that.

I have a feeling that the best match is juggling the searches for some topics weekly which is changing the results and screwing with the downloads making them less consistent and its been doing this for quite a while.

I think it's likely that they are diverting dls to users who won't hit their RC targets, thus saving the extra payouts ...

ichiro17 · « **Reply #2 on:** November 01, 2011, 10:11 »

i won't hit the next target level, they should divert all the downloads to me

if thats true, its a stupid strategy and bad long-term business management. however, I'm not sure that they can program the site to do that without breaking it completely

lagereek · « **Reply #3 on:** November 01, 2011, 11:18 »

Whatever. Any best match, certainly isnt there to do you or buyers any favours. When you get a computer wizard to scan this best match, he will tell you its nothing, nothing special at all, just a simple search and not a good one at that. Its also easy to see its leaning towards their bread and butter suppliers.

Jeez! another best match thread is the last thing we need around here, I guess.

Sadstock · « **Reply #4 on:** November 01, 2011, 12:01 »

Quote from: ichiro17 on November 01, 2011, 10:04

I'm not saying this as fact - just pointing out an observation/trend that is becoming more prevalent.

I've noticed that the downloads don't follow an "ebb and flow" and now go by a weekly trend whereby downloads are torrid for one week (aka best week ever) and then die off 60% the next week, only to go back to best week ever status the week after that.

I have a feeling that the best match is juggling the searches for some topics weekly which is changing the results and screwing with the downloads making them less consistent and its been doing this for quite a while.

-----------------------------------
I've noticed this in my sales as well.

sharpshot · « **Reply #5 on:** November 01, 2011, 12:53 »

My sales have been bad one week, then bad the next

They definitely don't seem to be diverting sales to people who wont hit the next RC target because my sales have slumped and I'm just past an RC target.

I think there's been a big shift of buyers to the other sites and perhaps those that went to Thinkstock have now used up the last of their istock credtis?

aeonf · « **Reply #6 on:** November 01, 2011, 13:13 »

Ichiro17: your theory does make sense to me.

lisafx · « **Reply #7 on:** November 01, 2011, 14:21 »

I haven't experienced this at all. Like Sharpshot, my sales go from bad one week, to bad the next.

Perhaps they are shuffling sales from one batch of exclusives to another and leaving independents out altogether... I just posted in the stats thread that I had to go all the way back to April 2006 - when I had been on the site a year and had 1/7th of the portfolio - to find sales numbers this low!

PaulieWalnuts · « **Reply #8 on:** November 01, 2011, 18:34 »

I've noticed the volume surges but I've been tracking the best match an it doesn't seem to have changed much or at all for me in the past month.

For "Evil" Isock it would make financial sense for the best match to favor, and continue changing to favor, contributors with low RC levels. It would make the most profits.

For "Good" Istock changing the best match regularly could also give a chance to buried files where they could get some fresh exposure and be given an opportunity to take off. Or if the files sucks it would sink back down to loserville. Could be a good way to do a rolling optimization of the collection.

Good or Evil? Who knows...

cathyslife · « **Reply #9 on:** November 01, 2011, 20:30 »

Quote from: ichiro17 on November 01, 2011, 10:11

i won't hit the next target level, they should divert all the downloads to me

if thats true, its a stupid strategy and bad long-term business management. however, I'm not sure that they can program the site to do that without breaking it completely

Of course it is, but how many times do they have to spell it out...it's not about long-term business, it's about short-term gains.

eyeidea · « **Reply #10 on:** November 01, 2011, 20:53 »

I too have noticed some very strange, almost discriminatory results with Best Match. I did a video only search for "technology" - I was zero of the 100 results. Why? I have over 400 "technology" videos in my portfolio. Left out because I'm at 40%? Because I was one of the first video contributors? Because iStock wants to level the playing field?

I don't know. I have no clue.

kalevitamm · « **Reply #11 on:** November 02, 2011, 11:30 »

Quote from: ichiro17 on November 01, 2011, 10:04

I have a feeling that the best match is juggling the searches for some topics weekly which is changing the results and screwing with the downloads making them less consistent and its been doing this for quite a while.

Hi Ichiro17,

I'm feeling exactly same (photos only), the weekly Best Match Distortion affecting to weeks with zero views and downloads and next week it is ok again.

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Author Topic: iStock Best Match Theory/Idea (Read 5970 times)

ichiro17

michealo

ichiro17

lagereek

Sadstock

sharpshot

aeonf

lisafx

PaulieWalnuts

cathyslife

eyeidea

kalevitamm

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