I find the article extremely insulting.

Thanks for posting on this article and highlighting that gaffable Kelly quote.

I saw the article is open for comments. I just left a comment:

by risamay May 5, 2011 2:01 PM PDT
Expansion has been tough for the company, though, because of a contributor payment system that the company judged financially unsustainable. A switch last year to a performance-based compensation scheme was painful, but in the end, only about 0.1 percent of the more than 100,000 contributors were dramatically affected, Thompson said.

"It didn't really affect most people," Thompson said. "Everyone sort of settled down."

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I don't know if Kelly's numbers are accurate, but what I do know is that I trust him or iStock to be honest and do right by its contributors very little. After our experiences of the last year, it's crystal clear that the company does not have our best interests at heart.

Further, while we may have "sort of" settled down, that's sort of a line of BS because many of the contributors and threads in the iStock forums where "everyone" voiced their displeasure have been either banned (contributors) or deleted (threads). With that kind of censorship, yeah. It would appear that "everyone" has "sort of" settled down.

Is it any wonder why everyone would still be so unhappy?

While "everyone" isn't a posting member, many of us continue to discuss our displeasure and frustrations with the company on the Microstockgroup Forums where, thankfully, Kelly & Co. can't censor us.

http://www.microstockgroup.com/istockphoto-com/

I used to think he was a really bad communicator and even felt slightly sorry for him at times, now I just regard him as an outright liar. His remarks make me angry.

If %.1 of contributors were dramatically affected, why do it? What gains does that provide to iStock to go from unsustainable to expanding?

Because in truth,

more than %.1 of people have been dramatically affected,
many more people have been seriously affected,
many more people have been moderately affected,
and oh by the way, all non-exclusives have been affected.

Perhaps %.1 is the percentage of contributors who benefit from this scheme.

Normally this would be the type of thing to create a survey and see if we could get firm numbers from more than 100 contributors who have been significantly hurt from this change, but it's so obvious, it would be a waste of time.

Source:
http://www.istockphoto.com/forum_messages.php?threadid=328488&page=3

Well said, adamkaz.

You ungrateful contributors! He worked his ass off and he's jet-lagged! Poor KKT

Hmm, I wonder how much 3 hours of KKT's time is worth, for such dubious publicity. How much traditional advertising could that have bought - and I know it worked.

Hmm, I wonder how much 3 hours of KKT's time is worth, for such dubious publicity. How much traditional advertising could that have bought - and I know it worked.

Yes. And how nice, a requisite trip to Italy for a jet-lagged, confused interview. I'm sure that in-person was the only way. Telephone, email, video conferencing via Skype, etc. were (of course) outside of the realm of possibilities. But of course.

The only reason I can think of for an exec to be publicly pumping out this  BS is - as others have suggested - that the company is being set up for possible sale.   

Is he drunk? He sounds like he's been emptying the mini-bar in that fancy London hotel we're all paying for.

And notice he doesn't even touch the comment about "Everyone sort of settled down."

Did you actually say that crap or not, Kelly? Not that I would believe you if you said you didn't. Because it sounds a lot like something you'd try and claim well-rested and in the comfort of your own home. Really don't think you can blame blunders like that one on jet lag or "I was confused."

...BTW, Kelly, it's 'arse'. An 'ass' is a donkey.

I know KKT is Canadian, but in the US 'ass' does double duty as both - so convenient

Quote from: halfshag on May 05, 2011, 12:52

"Everyone sort of settled down.", really? I guess getting tired of ranting to a brick wall on the forums constitutes agreement. I won't forget what they did.

I got a site mail from LOBO warning me about my postings in their forums when they made the big announcement.  All I was doing was speaking my mind and not using any cuss words (like others did) but I figured it was because I was non-exclusive and a nobody in the eyes of ISTOCK. 

Oh, I can assure you that it's not only independents. I'm banned and exclusive. And I certainly didn't swear. In fact, I only told the truth.

Kelly's answer:

You know what, Kelly does read, and worked his ass off to get the interview so millions of people could read it and remember to come to iStock to buy stuff. As did the rest of the team. And the 15-some interviews we did in the last two weeks in Italy & London.

But I do apologize as I may have botched what I was trying to say. The PR team warned me after the interview I had been very unclear in that section and was jumping around. I think I answered his questions out of order. The fraction of a percent was definitely about the total change in royalties paid out, not the number of people it affected. So I don't think I said that, but it was a 3 hour interview. And I'm jet lagged. And I've screwed up worse before--it's not out of the realm of possibilities.

We announced some important things on CNET today. Please concentrate on which of all your files will work as PNGs. That's exciting news, and we'll be the first agency to have them. And hopefully enjoy the bump in sales these articles (usually) give us.

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Really?  This is the best he's got?  Reading this sure sounds to me like he's saying he really does not have what it takes to be a CEO/COO.  Its a really hard and demanding job, which is why few people are cut out for it.  Successful ones get this stuff right regardless of how long the interview is, even when jet lagged, even if it means reaching out to the writer a couple of hours/days later to ensure they have the information you want them to have.  Successful ones sure don't whine to/about their key suppliers for being pissed when the he admits that maybe he screwed up again (not as bad as before, really) but he can't be sure (though his people thought he muffed it). 

Wow

Kelly's answer:

Please concentrate on which of all your files will work as PNGs. That's exciting news, and we'll be the first agency to have them. And hopefully enjoy the bump in sales these articles (usually) give us.[/i]

Ah.  OK.  If they're keen to be the 'first agency to have them', I won't let them have them.  I'll wait until Jon Oringer wants them thanks.