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Funny how so recently most of us considered the biggest threat to our microstock incomes to be our fellow contributors and the volumes of images being produced. How wrong we were.

And if what you suggest will happen at iStock does happen, artists screwed into the ground, you think it won't start happening a your agency next?

it will if we bend over to IS and beg them for more...

I don't see why they would refer someone either. But actively canvassing for istock buyers to leave is a whole other thing. And based onisinformation. I hope buyers see through it.

No its not, its actually pretty much the same, think it through, you'll get this eventually and understand, I have faith in your cognition.

I don't see why they would refer someone either. But actively canvassing for istock buyers to leave is a whole other thing. And based onisinformation. I hope buyers see through it.

From all your comments I see only fear of leaving Istock. This kind of fear I often see in people who live in a horrible marriage, but are still afraid to break it. The "marriage" between Istock and it's exclusives right now I see only as a weird, little bit sick relationship, where Istock is a sadistic partner, and exclusives are the partner who suffers.
Go out people, branch to other agencies, you can't lose. If you could just look at the situation from outside..... I really don't understand what more do you expect from a business partner like this? Do you expect that you will somehow prosper if you stay exclusive there??
I see only the next "good" change coming next year, and then you will realize that you lost one more year in trusting to someone who doesn't appreciate your talent, your work, and you as a person.
I'm seeing this every day. Istock did something that I see in my country all the time, and that's what scared . out of me.

Quote from: hawk_eye on September 15, 2010, 15:40

Lisa - I'm not an apologist, I think your approach on this one couldn't be more wrong. Sadly, hate seeing you on this bandwagon. I resent you and others gouging my livelihood. I hope they don't kowtow, it will set another terrible precedent and I'm tired of these protests.

you should resent "iStock" gouging your livlihood...one of us just doesn't get it... *sigh*

Wow, I've been away and I'm just getting caught up. What a mess.

This thread shows why a union won't work. We're all in the same boat but ultimately it's still everybody for themselves. Even more disturbing, but not surprising, is how many people are happy to worsen the situation for other contributors. Guess what. Bring your vaseline and your torches with you because the rest of the micro sites you're rushing to support are all now thinking "Look what Istock just got away with. We can make whatever changes we want". 

And do you really think the majority of buyers care? A small percentage of buyer/contributors care. Another small percentage of buyers active in the community care. The majority of them have jobs and budgets and that comes first. Do they feel bad? Probably some do. Most don't know what we make and don't care as long as they keep getting good cheap images and keep their jobs.

Most of you will probably stay with istock but you're all for driving buyers away? One more time. You are driving buyers away from a place you still earn money at (). How do you know they'll go to another microstock site? Like a buyer here recently posted that they're fed up with micro and found "good enough" images at free sites and Flickr Creative Commons.  Or maybe they're tired of micro and will go to macro where most people here probably don't have portfolios. If you're unhappy, why not just pull your images and stop supporting the site? Does driving buyers away really help any of us?

From all your comments I see only fear of leaving Istock. This kind of fear I often see in people who live in a horrible marriage, but are still afraid to break it. The "marriage" between Istock and it's exclusives right now I see only as a weird, little bit sick relationship, where Istock is a sadistic partner, and exclusives are the partner who suffers.
Go out people, branch to other agencies, you can't lose. If you could just look at the situation from outside..... I really don't understand what more do you expect from a business partner like this? Do you expect that you will somehow prosper if you stay exclusive there??
I see only the next "good" change coming next year, and then you will realize that you lost one more year in trusting to someone who doesn't appreciate your talent, your work, and you as a person.
I'm seeing this every day. Istock did something that I see in my country all the time, and that's what scared . out of me.

This is wise advice and an excellent metaphor, we would do well to heed it.

Its all too easy making deals, promisses, analysis, etc, over something like the Internet.

Congrats to the OP for taking a stand.  Many talk the talk; very, very, very few walk the walk.

No, they  haven't, and I don't think they could if they wanted to.  Too much legal risk, considering I have a signed and witnessed document that they acknowledge receipt of, that essentially guaranteed me a future 40% royalty in exchange for becoming exclusive at the start of the year.

Quote from: hawk_eye on September 15, 2010, 16:31

I don't see why they would refer someone either. But actively canvassing for istock buyers to leave is a whole other thing. And based onisinformation. I hope buyers see through it.

From all your comments I see only fear of leaving Istock. This kind of fear I often see in people who live in a horrible marriage, but are still afraid to break it. The "marriage" between Istock and it's exclusives right now I see only as a weird, little bit sick relationship, where Istock is a sadistic partner, and exclusives are the partner who suffers.
Go out people, branch to other agencies, you can't lose. If you could just look at the situation from outside..... I really don't understand what more do you expect from a business partner like this? Do you expect that you will somehow prosper if you stay exclusive there??
I see only the next "good" change coming next year, and then you will realize that you lost one more year in trusting to someone who doesn't appreciate your talent, your work, and you as a person.
I'm seeing this every day. Istock did something that I see in my country all the time, and that's what scared . out of me.

Well put. That about sums it up. Sometimes you need to back up yo get ahead.