To the all people that says: stop uploading!

This is bad for the business. Bad for YOUR business. The one who lose in the end is the one who stop uploading.
I am not agreeing with a lot of thinks on istock. But I am uploading. And if you don't uploading you make my sales grow. There are so many that register to istock, so many new people and more are coming. Wait until people in China will start to register. A lot of people there would be OK with 100$ per month for their living.

I am not showing my account on istock as well, but I like istock and istock made me grow actually. Fotolia, shutterstock or dreamstime are not better. Just another agencies. That probably sooner or later will face same difficulties.

Just my 2 cents.

It think it would be bad for me to invest my time any money in to something that is only going to lead to lower and lower earnings.  I'm sure a few billion people can live off $100 but that's impossible in the UK.  I think I would be much better of concentrating on doing things that aren't easy for the Chinese or other low paid workers to copy.  And I really don't see the sense in just putting up with being paid less and less each year until I can no longer pay the mortgage.

Quote from: sjlocke on April 14, 2011, 06:18

The type that will take whatever they are given, happily.

China can compete with people on shooting apples and pencils.  And Chinese people.  That's not my thing.

Sean, do you remember this post?
http://www.istockphoto.com/forum_messages.php?threadid=309532&page=1

"I am a Chinese videographer. What video do you want to see about China?"


They are coming....

What do you mean? Are you implying that the Chinese photographers have no rights to contribute to stock photo agencies?

To those who are advocating to stop feeding the beast, if I don't feed the beast, are you going to feed me or let me starve to death?

What do you mean? Are you implying that the Chinese photographers have no rights to contribute to stock photo agencies?

Peace man! Please don't put the words in my mouth. The main idea is that there will be more and more people that became contributors and they don't need to sell a lot (like Sean) to be happy. And this will make istock happy because the library will grow a lot even if the diamond or gold contributors will stop upload. And people with few downloads will get less money but they will contribute more than others because they will always grow in number. And istock will earn more by having less to pay. So no matter what you are doing we all are going to the same direction.

It would be totally other think if istock would stop accepting new contributors, but this will not going to happen and I would not want this either.

FYI, I love China, I've been in China, I cook Chinese food and I love the Chinese kung-fu movies.

As satisfying as it may be to lacerate IS in this forum,  the real discussion should be on finding and promoting alternatives.

We can't organize any action that would cause significant pain to IS or to any of the big microstocks.  They now have many millions of images in stock, and are waking up to the fact that they can cut commissions quite a bit and immediately boost profits, with no obvious harm done to their near-term prospects.  IS, bless them, has been leading the way.  This will continue, and the bottom isn't in sight.

Those of us that need this income will have to keep selling through IS.  In fact there is no logical reason not to, in cold economic terms.

We want "Fair Trade" sites, or other alternatives,  to start making some signficant sales, and for IS to keep on systematically hosing up  their business and alienating customers.   What can we do as contributors to make this happen?  Probably not much, other than submitting all our photos to Fair Trade sites, and trying to influence buyers, if we have contact with them.

As satisfying as it may be to lacerate IS in this forum,  the real discussion should be on finding and promoting alternatives.

We can't organize any action that would cause significant pain to IS or to any of the big microstocks.  They now have many millions of images in stock, and are waking up to the fact that they can cut commissions quite a bit and immediately boost profits, with no obvious harm done to their near-term prospects.  IS, bless them, has been leading the way.  This will continue, and the bottom isn't in sight.

Those of us that need this income will have to keep selling through IS.  In fact there is no logical reason not to, in cold economic terms.

We want "Fair Trade" sites, or other alternatives,  to start making some signficant sales, and for IS to keep on systematically hosing up  their business and alienating customers.   What can we do as contributors to make this happen?  Probably not much, other than submitting all our photos to Fair Trade sites, and trying to influence buyers, if we have contact with them.

    I agree 100%. We can't do anything to change Istocks direction, and those that have a vested interest in Istock will have to sink or swim with what they are given. they have no chance to influence anything. Look at the recent "conference call" with the chosen ones. Nothing has changed and nothing will change. As for alternative sites, right now thats the best way to get income coming in to pay the bills, but that is only going to work for those that are already contributing to those sites. For the long time contributors to Istock, a great deal of their port would not pass re-inspection at other sites because the standards have become much more stringent than the days of snapshots. But the long term growth will probably be in having your own site and dominating a certain style and subject niche. But to compete, you will have to be really good at shooting, and really good at driving traffic to your site. ( that's the 800lb gorilla in having your own site.) The best thing that can be said about contributing to all the microstock sites right now is that it gives you real time feedback on the market and the trends in that market, which in itself is quite valuable.

Well Im not going to waste time hanging around a crippled site like this. I give it to end of next week, if things havent changed at least a swing towards the "normal" I am without doubt removing at least some 60 blue and red files, some with 2K dls,  Im letting a large amount of buyers ( oh yes I have got to know quite a few from enquiries)  that these files are to be found at such and such a place.

Its NOT anemosity or anything like that, its business and if I can narrow down these files exposure to say just a few then I can also make a deal of getting 40 or 50% in commissions.

Its better then to find them on what?  page 15 or 20?

Quote from: lagereek on April 14, 2011, 10:49

Well Im not going to waste time hanging around a crippled site like this. I give it to end of next week...

Give it longer than that.  The craziness is going to continue, as management becomes a revolving door and key staff and technical people burn out and leave.  There's no telling when or how it will end, but it can't go on forever and it will end badly.  Let's wait for the inevitable "big shakeup" and see what happens.

Very good advice.  Best to wait a year or so until the sale, IPO, or whatever's on the horizon actually happens.  Then we will have a better idea where Istock is heading into the future.  

Doubtful that Istock will ever become the warm and friendly place a lot of us remember, but there is a good chance it will at least become functional and more consistent at some point after the dust settles.  

Youre right actually, better wait a year or something. No, IS, will never be the same again, the trust and the "know how" how to professionaly run an agency is forever blown away.
There are just certain things and even on moral grounds a business, any business just does not lend themselves to.

Just hate to see you throw in the towel yet, Christian.  You have put so much work into building your port and "brand" at IS.  Don't blame you at all for wanting to tell them where to stick it.  

Quote from: lagereek on April 14, 2011, 10:49

Well Im not going to waste time hanging around a crippled site like this. I give it to end of next week, if things havent changed at least a swing towards the "normal" I am without doubt removing at least some 60 blue and red files, some with 2K dls,  Im letting a large amount of buyers ( oh yes I have got to know quite a few from enquiries)  that these files are to be found at such and such a place.

Its NOT anemosity or anything like that, its business and if I can narrow down these files exposure to say just a few then I can also make a deal of getting 40 or 50% in commissions.

Its better then to find them on what?  page 15 or 20?

This is certainly a 180. Did you and Gostwyck touch an evil monkey skull and switch brains or something? Seriously though, is this all over the best match? It seems as crummy as it's been over the years that this can't be the worst permutation ever. I remember when I was on the last page for "cartoon dog" of the best match. I was literally the worst match. Those illustrations still got downloads though. I've always given buyers the benefit of the doubt for finding the images that are good regardless of what the search spits out or the agencies push.

No! as lisa says, Im not throwing in the towel but you have to admit, sometimes it feels like it, doesnt it?

No! as lisa says, Im not throwing in the towel but you have to admit, sometimes it feels like it, doesnt it?

Well, let me know if you decide to give up, so I can start working on my industrial photography. First, I have to learn which way to point the camera though. Also, does iStock accept shots with my thumb on the lens?  

no need to throw in the towel, better to persevere I suppose and like you said, wait and see what happens, whatever happens? it cant get any worse.

BTW. Your images are showing up in search here in Europe and Scandinavia, no need to worry.

best.

Oh, that's great to hear!  Thanks a lot for letting me know I am still showing up in Europe

Glad you are sticking around for awhile.  I would miss your particular style of commenting on this ongoing drama at IS!