Thanks to you, our 450+ registered users, the Microstock Charts project is going great so far. What's not going so great is our plan to build new features while maintaining the service for free. We have two great advertisers who are giving us great financial support - thankyou to BigStock and CandyBox Photography. But it's not enough. We want to earn enough to pay for the new features as quickly as possible, but so far we haven't even earned enough to pay for the initial build of the system. So, while the current site is in no danger of being discontinued, we're looking at two changes to fund version 2 and all the great featured you've suggested:

Option 1 - Charge for the Service

Making Microstock Charts free for you, the end users, has been part of our planned business model from the start. We'd really prefer not to have to charge, though we realize this is often what it takes to keep projects like this moving forward and increasing their usefulness.

Option 2 - Sell Anonymous and Combined Statistics

We've had expressions of interest from some agencies and industry people about getting access to the statistics behind Microstock Charts. As we've made very clear on the home page, the Terms & Conditions page, and the About page, we've build this system so it can be completely anonymous for you, the end user. Besides that, we would never sell or publish or reveal in any way the data without first combining it and making it 100% anonymous. And finally, if we do decide to sell anonymous and combined data, we would emphasize the data of the Trusted Accounts, which is only a small portion of the total user base. But this is another option we're considering.

Tell us What You Think

We've setup a this poll and thread to get your feedback on these two ideas. Of course if you have a different idea, we're open to suggestions.

Thanks,
Lee & Amos

if i have to pay, i guess i will just use excel files..neither i feel comfortable to have my statistic sold for a chart service like that.. unless the upgraded version gave more analysis tool to user like lookstats

I support the concept behind microstockcharts, but I was hoping those contributing the stats would get to see some aggregate data, rather than have it sold. I think providing this information will massively increase the traffic and advertising potential.

Looking at the poll results so far, 16 to 2 in favor of selling anonymous, combined stats, we're thinking we'll go that way.

However, we value the participation of everyone, including those who aren't comfortable with their stats being combined and anonymously sold to fund development. Given that, we are looking into making the participation optional so those who contribute their data get access to the new functions.

This will compromise the value of the data, but at least it will allow us to move forward with the project without upsetting anyone. Then in the future we can look at opening up the new functionality to everyone, once it has been fully funded.

We'll look into the development costs of all this and let everyone know what's possible.

Please also keep in mind that the service enables you to be fully anonymous, and that the sold statistics will always be combined (no data of any individual account) and totally anonymous (no usernames included).

However, we value the participation of everyone, including those who aren't comfortable with their stats being combined and anonymously sold to fund development. Given that, we are looking into making the participation optional so those who contribute their data get access to the new functions.

That sounds like a fair trade-off.  Those who offer their stats to be combed with others get access to the stats and/or other features.  Those who do not want their stats combined into anonymous totals don't get the benefits that combining data would provide.

Introduce option to Opt-In to share anonymous data collectively in order to get Enhanced features and help support site.

At the same time, announce something along lines of: "Around six months from now, if enough users haven't opted in to keep site afloat, those who have not yet done so will need to either Opt In or (we sincerely regret to say) Leave."

Simply put, they, and everyone else, will have to leave anyway if site isn't solvent - so at least this way you're giving them head's up about how level of their participation could effect the site's very existence.

The 16-2 results you speak of are possibly skewed by no "neither" option.  I saw at least 1-2 people said neither and I can see others would just not answer - maybe the low voting is a "neither" option... 

Myself, I'd vote for charge. Make those who want it pay. Make those who don't want it go away.

I can not access to the site - whats going on?

Maybe the funding didn't work out.

the site looks to be up now.