Hi, folks couple doubts:
1. Do you get to access the link: http://aboutpixel.de from your place? It isn't working here and I wonder if it is just from here?
2. Are you an AboutPixel contributor, if so how is it going?
Thanks.

Hi folks.

Does any one here uses the SD Toshiba Flashair (Wifi SD)? I wonder by using a camera with this wifi card, how to get to download to computer multiple files, or one right away I shot, to my computer to a folder I wish? By using the browser, it is a pain, you need to click one by one!

Does anybody uses another solution that would share? Thanks. 

Hi folks, I wonder if somebody is making some dime with affiliation programs (AP) from any Microstock Agency?
IMHO I just drive traffic to them with my banners and links and receive nothing in exchange. Do you feel the same way?

Is some AP working for you or bringing money for you? If so, what are the agencies that AP really works?

Have a nice day.

Hi folks, I'm wondering what is your monthly average income at POD sites such as:

Zazzle
RedBubble
Twenty20
Fine Art America
Society6
Crated
Displate
or any other from this 250 places list.

So, what is your POD site/average income. I'm wondering if it worths the effort and time consuming. I will appreciate your honesty. ;0)

I'd like to share with you guys the number of downloads on Mar/15 of each agency. The agencies are sorted by income. From high to low.
Here is my report of Mar/15:

Agency (#downloads)
iStock - (910) - (IS+PP+EL+Subs)
Shutter (658)
Fotolia (71)
Photodune (28)
Dreamstime (43)
123RF (28)
Depositphotos (68)
BigStock (34)

How was you Mar/15 Dls?

Hi folks,
Now a days I'm uploading to 8 agencies and I was wondering how is it going for you guys too. Let me share my data and it would be cool to have yours. ;0)

Assuming that iStock would be my 100% income (my 1st Top  tier), see the other agencies percentage compared to iStock income:

Data based on JUN/2014:
Agency (#files) - Percentage:
iStock (7545) - 100%
Shutter (4895) - 63%
Fotolia (5347) - 13%
Photodune (6213) - 6%
Dreamstime (4150) - 5%
123RF (6522) - 4%
Depositphotos (6345) - 4%
BigStock (4840) - 4%
GLStock (2446) - 0% (Canceled/quit)
Alamy (0) - 0% (Canceled/quit)

Data based on MAR/15
Agency (#files) - Percentage:
iStock (7763) - 100% Still 1st top tier.
Shutter (5287) - 72% ^
Fotolia (5565) - 15% ^
Photodune (6377) - 6% =
Dreamstime (5182) - 7% ^
123RF (6731) - 6% ^
Depositphotos (6575) - 8% ^
BigStock (5234) - 4% =

For those that uses the other method for calculation, the percentages related of total income, the percentages are:

Data based on MAR/15
Agency (#files) - Percentage:
iStock (7763) - 45%.
Shutter (5287) - 33%
Fotolia (5565) - 7%
Depositphotos (6575) - 4%
Photodune (6377) - 3%
Dreamstime (5182) - 3%
123RF (6731) - 3%
BigStock (5234) - 2%

So, as you can see, the really worth agencies are iStock and Shutter, not sure if all others worth the time and effort for uploading, categorizing and so on instead of using the time for taking shots, treating images and so on for the 2 first top tiers.

I still keep uploading to mid/low earnings because we have two common phrases in my country:
1. "The hope is the last one to die".
2. "Seed corn by seed corn, the hen fills its craw".

Here is a online calculator to help you calculate yours. ;0)

Have a nice day.

Hi folks.
In the microstock world we have the best top tier sites: Shutterstock and iStock.

I wonder:
1. What are the top tier sites for selling Instagram.
2. Is somebody making good money selling Instagram prints? Not the sit owners. :0)
3. If somebody here is working in the "Instagram" world selling prints and so on and is happy with the income results, and what is its month average and what is the "agency"?

Here are some sites I have heard that sells instagram, but I don't know how they are as a sellers, good or not, top tiers or not:
a) Twenty20;
b) Instaquadros (BR);
c) Hashpix (Page is not working from here);
d) Instaprints;

Have a nice day and waiting your feedback.

Hi folks.

You guys that are already selling direct, have tried several WP themes, Joomla and platforms. So, I wonder:
1. in your opinion what is the best platform, wp theme to sell images direct and why. It can be free or paid versions;
2. What is your monthly average selling direct?
3. Does it worth all your effort (Setting all platform, upload, keywording, payment gateway, and so on)?

I have tried Symbiostock, but never had a single sale or even a single registration. :0(

Thanks.

Eu Lucato, contribuinte com mais de 11 anos na indústria de banco de imagens (microstock), elaborei um um curso para quem quer vender suas imagens ou já vendem através do agente iStock by GettyImages via Internet.


Assista neste link (Youtube) um vídeo com trechos do curso.


O curso Entendendo melhor o seu agente iStock tem mais de 5 horas de muita informação útil para todos com transmissão on-line via Eventials. Trabalhe em casa e tenha uma renda extra vendendo suas imagens através do agente iStock. Na iStock você pode vender suas criações como imagens, ilustrações, vídeos e sons.


Acesse o curso agora em http://www.eventials.com/lucato e veja maiores informações.


Obrigado.


Apoio: Eventials.com

How do I add a city name in the keywords in Dreamstime. Example: "Arraial dajuda Eco Resort", "Sao Paulo", "Ribeirao da ilha".
DT is breaking the keyword phrase into single keywords and as a result rejections about keywords are received.

Is there some way to insert a keyword phrase without braking it into single words at DT?

Thanks

Hi folks, I'd like to hear from those that opted out why you did it and what are your CONS thoughts on the contributors side and from those that opted in Dollar Photo Club, what are the PROS on the contributors side and how are the sales doing, and etc.
Feel free to mention your Pros/Cons toughts also on the buyers side too.
Thanks and have a nice day.

When we perform a search in the MSG forum , it would have the option to show only: Messages | Topics | Attachments as we have when we see in our profile our own posts that we get to filter by these "Messages | Topics | Attachments".
Sometimes, I don't want to see all messages with the same serch results, and just the topics that have such serch results.
Well, just a suggestion.
Thanks.

Hi folks,
On the top left, there is "Hello username" and bellow it:

Show unread posts since last visit.
Show new replies to your posts.
How do I get to see just the topics I have created (OP)?

Below the two links above would have a new link:
Show your topics.

Does iStock inspectors think that the keyword "World Cup" (Championship term) is FIFA trademark?

All my images (fans in studio with a costume) are going to executive pending and other receiving the rejection about FIFA trademark. What a pain!

Is anybody else facing the same?

Hi folks, I need a little help by using labels in Bridge.

Please, I do not want to edit or rename the 5 existing labels in Bridge. I just want to create new label. (6th, 7th and so on....).
So I want to add extra labels to have more than 5 labels. Does anybody know how to add extra labels into Bridge CS5?
Thanks.

Hi folks, any idea how to get to check all downloads history from a single image ID at Shutterstock?

Thanks.

Hey folks, getting your agency that brings you the highest income, I wonder how are for you the other agencies percentage compared to it.
In my case, just 2 agencies worths really the income, the rest are very low earners.
Let's take as base my highest agency income (last month data) which was iStock as 100%, see the other incomes agency related to iStock income:

Mainly image contributor and non-exclusive (#files):

iStock (7545) - 100%
Shutter (4895) - 63%
Fotolia (5347) - 13%
Photodune (6213) - 6%
Dreamstime (4150) - 5%
123RF (6522) - 4%
Depositphotos (6345) - 4%
BigStock (4840) - 4%
GLStock (2446) - 0% (Dropping this month)
Alamy (0) - 0% (Dropped last month)

How was yours?

#Trabalheemcasa e/ou tenha uma #rendaextra vendendo seus arquivos através do seu agente iStock. Na #iStock você pode vender suas criações como #imagens, #ilustrações, #vídeos e #sons. Entendendo melhor o seu agente iStock é um curso para #fotógrafos amadores, intermediários e profissionais e #artistas que querem #vendersuas imagens ou já vendem através do agente iStock by #GettyImages via Internet.

Este curso foi criado por #Lucato, um contribuidor iStock com mais de onze anos de experiência na iStock. São mais de 5 horas de muita informação útil. Saiba mais sobre o conteúdo do curso vendo este vídeo e adquira este curso agora em: http://www.eventials.com/lucato

Obrigado.

Hi folks, I wonder what what tools are you using to run your own site and if it worths to sell your work directly your own site?

So you guys would post like that:

My stock site: http://www.arquivoscriativos.com.br
Engine (CMS): Wordpress
Theme/Plug-in: Symbiostock / premium;
Total of files: 300;
2013 average sales monthly: zero;
2013 average downloads monthly:zero;
Total users: zero;
Comments on my engine and others I think relevant:
The Symbiostock theme has an amazing idea behind it by using the network between photographers and a nice structure, unfortunately the developer stopped or postponed the project. 

Thanks.

Dear MSG dev team, it would be better if the agency names at the Microstock Group Monthly Survey Vote page would be sorted alphabetically. Would be much easier to vote.

Also talking about votes, on the right column (Microstock Poll Results) should have a button on the top "Submit your vote". IMHO I think a lot of people don't vote because they don't find how to vote at Polls menu.

Thanks.

Hi folks, I hope you have had great xmas time.

Well, when I click on download button, it is sending to the page: mysite.com/customer-licence-and-file-management-area/ and does nothing. All PayPal setting are set. How do I do to it go to payment page or something like that?

BTW, what is the template that I've to pick in the template dropdown list?

Thanks in advance.

Hi folks, I did my first upload and it gave the image ID# 203 instead of #1.

Any Idea why? Is there some way to change it to ID#1 or was it some reason to give a higher ID# on the 1st upload?

Thanks.

Hi folks, not sure if it is just happening with me, but in the SS theme back-end at Symbiostock > Author Options tab, I have entered once the text I wanted into the "Append Text to Tittle" input field, but now, when I try to change it and click on "Save Changes", it brings back the previous text and do not keep the new typed text. So it isn't saving the changes at "Append Text to Tittle". I've tried on Chrome and FireFox and the same issue on both.

Are you guys facing the same issue or you get to change it normally?

Thanks.

P.S.: I just got to change it by changing directly into the database (phpMyAdmin). SS theme 2.9.9 and WP 3.8.

Hi folks,

My SS theme isn't getting to read the .mo files within the languages folder and the language was defined correctly  into wp-config.php:

define('WPLANG', 'pt_BR');

My .mo/.pot/.po files are within the correct folder as well, into the wp-content/themes/symbiostock/languages and the files are:

pt_BR.mopt_BR.po
pt_BR.pot

Any idea what can be wrong?

Thanks.

Dear MSG admins.

I want to inform when I click under my nickname on:
- Show unread posts since last visit.
- Show new replies to your posts.

It isn't showing the new replies I've received on Symbiostock parent/child categories/threads also If I post a new topic, it doesn't show when I click on - Show unread posts since last visit.

Thanks and have a great week.

Hi folks, I wonder how to sort Symbiostock Image Categories Alphabetically.

I mean, it seams that it is sorted by ID. I have a multi-language site and when translating, the categories isn't sorted alphabetically. I have seen a lot of single-language sites (English) that the categories aren't ordered alphabetically too.

Any idea how to solve it? Even by hacking the code.

Thanks.

Hi folks, good morning.

I wonder if somebody else is facing issue with Image Categories?

Here is the weird behaviour I have faced:
1. I have edited the category Animals, and it starded to show twice in the menu. The weird thing is that by looking into the database (wp_terms) there is only one record (ID 4). After happening it, I decided to delete this record, added new category (ID 40), and the result was that the new Image Category Animals (ID 40) doesn't show in the Menu at the front-end;

2. Still in this database, The "Symbiostock Featured Images" is repeating from ID 43 to 48  (6 times), and none of them show in the category menu front-end.

Tries I have done and nothing solved:
1. Desactivated all plug-ins;
2. Changed the theme;
3. Override the WP files from the downloaded files (Like new install);
4. Tested in other browsers such as FireFox and IE (Using Chrome).

If you have faced the same issue and got to solve it, please share it here. ;0)

Thanks in advance and have a great weekend.

Hi folks, good morning.

I got the following structure in the menu:

1. Symbiostock (Main menu shows ok - "Link")
L 2. Legal docs (Submenu level 1 shows ok - "Link")
    L 3. End User License Agreement  (Submenu level 2 doesn't show - "Page")

Any idea how to get to make the submenu level 2 (#3) shows up?

Thanks.

Hi folks, I wonder how to add an icon to the main menu item.

I saw a thread explaining how to add to a submenu, bot not for the main mane as I have seen around. Here is the submenu thread:
http://www.symbiostock.org/community/viewtopic.php?pid=2926

Also I have tried just to add the Font-Awesome alias into "Tittle attribute" or "CSS class" into the main menu, once the SS has already in the style.css the @import url("css/font-awesome.css"), but they didn't work. Example: fa-legal or fa-question, etc.

Any idea how to set the icon for the main menu? How you guys have achieved that?

Thanks in advance.

Hi SS folks, I wonder how do you sell Extended Licenses into Symbiostock? What ways do you use to do it?

I have noticed that whithin the Author Options tab into the Pricing and Options I don't get to see any input field to set EL prices.

Maybe we would have 5 extra fields like EL1, EL2, EL3...(Or give it a name) to set different prices for each Extended License and also have it when buying the image to pick one of them.

Thanks in advance.

Hi folks, good morning.

I wonder if is there some Symbiostock link to a reference/template for the End User License Agreement (EULA) and other documents.

I know each "SS owner" has its own license for your SS site, but I'm looking for a staring/base document. :0)

Questions:
1. Who can share your document that don't mind I use?
2. What documents are you guys using in yours SS sites besides EULA?

Thanks in advance and have a great day.


 

Hi folks,

I'm newbie with Symbiostock.
Now a days I'm using qTranslate plug-in to make my Symbiostock theme works with two languages.

I wonder if somebody else has Symbiostock in multiple-language and how have you achieved it? Not sure if it has another easy way to have Symbiostock as a Multi-language site.

Just for sharing with you guys, for me qTranlate has solved a lot of things by translating Widgets and others, but on the other hand a lot of other things on the Symbiostock theme doesn't support by qTranslate. I'm not good with programming not sure how I would do it myself in the theme and in the back-end theme option to get to make Symbiostock accept qTranslate in the option input fields for tittles, texts and others that it is missing. Anyway if you are good at it, you can check this thread to make Symbiostock theme compatible with qTranslate:
http://www.qianqin.de/qtranslate/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=9

Share with us the ways you have done your Symbiostock a multi-language site and if you are getting to translate everything, widgets, themes, back-end options, etc. ;0)

Have a nice day.

Dear developers, an "Urgent request".

I'm newbie with Symbiostock and not sure if it has another way to easy have Symbiostock in Multi-language. Now a days I'm using qTranslate plug-in to make my Symbiostock theme works with English and Brazilian Portuguese languages. qTranlate has solved a lot of things by translating Widgets and others, but on the other hand a lot of other things on the Symbiostock theme aren't support by qTranslate.

I would suggest Symbiostock developers to give a look at this link to make Symbiostock compatible with qTranslate:
http://www.qianqin.de/qtranslate/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=9

As I'm not good with programming not sure how I would do it myself in the theme and in the back-end theme option to get to make Symbiostock accept qTranslate in the option input fields for tittles, texts and others.

Thanks and have a nice day.

Hi folks, I'm sorry for the dumb question, but I have looked into all options and didn't get to find.

Also went to symbiostock>author options tab and didn't find a place to upload de avatar or select the media.

Where do I get to replace the Symbiostok avatar with the ladybug to my own avatar?

Thanks

Hi folks,

I wonder if is there Symbiostock in another languages or it is just distributed in English?

I'm looking for Brazilian Portuguese (pt-br) as the main version.

Actually I intend to use in two languages, pt-br and en-us, so a few doubts:
1. Is that possible? How have you set yours in two or more languages?
2. Is it compatible with xLanguage?

Thanks in advance.

Hi folks, I intend to start to get in the Symbiostock community, but I'm very newbie and got a doubt.

I have already a Wordpress blog with an active theme, that I don't want to change at www.ilucato.com.br - I wonder if it is possible to install and use the Symbiostock in the same Wordpress structure and I would create a subdomain, something like mysub.ilucato.com.br, and use the Symbiostock theme within this subdomain without changing the main theme or another folder like www.ilucato.com.br/mysymb/... Well something like that.

Sean Locke seems to have achieved that.

Is that possible? How to achieve that? Is there some link where I can read more how to use the Symbiostock theme in a subdomain nad so on?

Thanks in advance and have a great weekend.

Hi folks, I think it would be a great share for a lot of people interested starting microstock life.

The question is:
How was your 1st year as microstocker? Answering the following:
- How much did you do in your 1st year income? (1st income:)
- How many agencies have you contributed in your 1st year and what agencies were them? (Agencies:):
- How many files have had you in your portfolio in your 1st year? (Portfolio size:)
- How many downloads did you get in your 1st year?
- Extra info if wished.

So you can answer like that, my case:

1st year (2003): US$ 130.00
Agencies: iStockphoto (non-exclusive)
Port size: 150 (Fotos and vectors)
Downloads/y: 1294
Extra info: In that time I just used to upload scanned paper photos, once I had no digital camera and also used to upload vetors.

Have a nice day.

Hi folks, I'm wondering how Pixersize is selling my images in their stuffs if I never uploaded there and never heard about any paternership with them from other agency.

Here are my images: http://pixersize.com/wallmurals/absolute-secrecy-41406538#tab (lucato)

Is anybody else facing the same thing or has some explanation about it?

Thanks in advance and have a great Sunday.

Hi folks,

I wonder if does it worth to sell your work directly setting your own site?
I mean, I have heard about Symbiostock theme or other themes. So I have do questions:

1. How are your sales doing in your own site (Symbiostock/Other theme) monthly compared to the big 4 Top tier?
2. Does it worth to spend time setting it and uploading all your portfolio to your own site, keywording, adding categories, prices and so on instead of using the time to upload to the big 4 top tier?

Thanks in advance and have a great week.

Hi folks, good morning.

I know people that would like to work as a Keyworder/Keymaster. So I wonder if you guys know:

1) Where to find Crowd-work (crowd-sourcing, crowd-whatever) sites where these friends can apply to work as keworder/keymaster;
2) If you're a Photographer that would like to hire them, how much are you willing to pay per image (keyword/tittle/description) and what is your needed workflow;
3) Any other tip is welcome regarding keyword/keymaster hiring.

Thanks in advance

Hi Folks,

I wonder if it worths to work with RF images at Alamy. I saw their prices are very high and people commenting that it isn't "fair" to put the same RF images in ALAMY and other agencies because customer can find a cheaper place and get mad and so on. Well, I don't agree with this part once if you are going to buy a camera, you will find several stores with different prices, so it is up to you to do you research. ;0)
Well, going back to the main subject, selling RF at Alamy, I saw some graphic that it seams that worth to submit image to them, but here at MicrostockGroup it doesn't show at any TopTier, Middle Tier or LowEarnigs.

A few questions:
- What are your comment on it?
- What is the RF Alamy ranking for you among the agencies you sell your images? Is is on the Top tiers?
- Do they accept FTP file transfer?
- After uploading is it needed to categorize every single image on their site?
- After uploading is it needed to attach MR or PR image by image?

Thanks in advance.

Hi folks,

I wonder which microstock agencies now a days you don't need to edit your file after submit it with IPTC filled. So, you don't need to add anything such as categories or check that agree with terms one by one, but can agree in batch.

I know that PhotoDune is one of them, what are the others? Let list them here...

1) PhotoDune;
2) ...

Thanks.

Hi folks, I will post here all ideas that came in mind while using this site, so it doesn't get spread everywhere. Here are they:

1) Message icons for new topic
I'd like to suggest to add in the dropdown list "Message icon:" an icon SOLVED with a green check, sometimes users have doubts, and when they get to solve it, they would edit the message and change this "Message icon:" status to SOLVED. Also would rename the "Lamp" to "Ideas/Suggestions" and the "Question mark" to "Doubts/Help".

2) Signature
It would be cool if MG would increase the signature max limit from 300 to 500, even using the shortener links it is still a low limit.

3) Coming soon...

Hi Microstockgroup team,

Just a suggestion regarding polls.
The Currently voting on: would have an option downloads, so we would have an idea how the sales are going.

Just a draft idea. The poll would have the questions:
Portolio size from each agency:
0-100
101-500
501-1000
1001-2500
2501-5000
>5001
Downloads range from each agency:
0-10
11-50
51-100
101-250
250-500
>501

This way we would have an idea how the sales are going from each agency/portfolio size.

Well, something like that. ;0)

Hi folks,

I wonder which one is better to work and use to manage portfolio, upload to multiple agencies, Prostockmaster or CushyStock and why do you think so? If you know other, please mention here.

Prostockmaster (Free)
CushyStock (Paid)

Thanks.

Hi folks, I have read a lot of threads here with some advices about quitting the iStock exclusivity, but these threads don't mention how are the things doing after the move made. So, I want to hear the experiences from members that have quitted the iStock exclusivity and started to work with other agencies.  I want to hear your experiences, sites you've submitted, if you're making much more money than you're doing as exclusive at iStock, size of portfolios, best sellers sites, how long did you take to reach the same income you were doing as exclusive at iStock, are you making more, and so on.

Feel free to express any experiences. ;0)

I'm seriously considering to move on after this terrible earnings cut and drop sales in 2011 and after 9 years of "partnership" with iStock and I'll appreciate your help sharing your experiences after quitting the exclusivity there.

Thanks in advance.

Hi folks!

Well, we have heard from iStock a lot of instructions and advices through several training manuals, articles, forums and so on. So, I think it is time to give some feedback to iStock and to our inspector team, for the new ones and old ones, and also iStock can hear their contributors/customers side. So I think it is interesting we as iStock contributor/customers share our experiences and knowledges with inspectors and iStock. Who knows one of them can be implemented in the official iStock inspectors training and manual.

I've posted this topic at iStock, but as usual it was moved to suggestion forum and was locked. It wasn't a rant at all, but I'd like to hear from other contributors and iStock would do the same instead of locking a thread. What is the problem by letting contributors continue to discuss this post and put their "instructions" that they think would be useful? It would be moderated. Will it hurt iStock reputation? I don't think so. Btw, the suggestion box forum should definitively excluded or renamed for something like "Land of the lost" or "trash can". :0)

Here are some topics that would be in the training/manual:

1. Always read the description field. Contributor use to use this field to add some extra info for inspectors.

2. When giving a rejection on isolation issue:
a) Mention what areas you saw the problem and send a crop image of the problematic area, so this way the contributors don't have to guess were he/she needs to fix the image;
b) If it is a 2nd rejection on the same issue, mainly in the isolation which has double meaning (rough/feathered) it's obligated to send a cropped image of the problematic area, so this way the contributors don't have to guess were he/she needs to fix the image. Otherwise the contributors will lose their times and inspectors times again. They will try to fix something that they don't have idea what inspector saw, will submit again, and inspectors will lose time checking a problematic image again.

3. Before rejecting an image due "Unnecessary addition of negative/blank space", make sure of:
a) Make sure if the content isn't using the whole/main area of the vertical/horizontal area of the native resolution. Several times the images can use the most area of the vertical or horizantal positon, leave a copy space, but still is in the native camera resolution without any white/whatever color addiction;
b) The width/hight pixels sizes really doesn't belong to the default equipments in the marketing, so which makes the image a native resolution (Check iStock table - It should have one).

4) Before rejecting the images due isolation issues, make sure the isolation wasn't made with lights. All isolations doesn't need to be necessary digitally or as a "cut". They can be achieved by lights, therefore a single image can have soft areas and/or hard ones and/or out of focus in some areas and all this are original from the taken image.

5) Coming soon from some iStock contributor or from myself...

Now iStock contributors, post you topic that you think would be in the inspector's training/manual:

I hope there is no padlock or a suggestion box at MicrostockGroup.com. ;0)

Hi folks, I'm wondering if you are not an exclusive member and upload in several sites such as Sutterstock, iStock, Fotolia, Dreamstime, etc. I'd like to hear from you how some stuffs like:

- How are your sells doing in percentage comparing to iStock?
- Have uploaded the same amount of files on all them?
- What is you amount of files average per site?
- What sites are you in and how much of your income in percentage they represent to you?
- What is your favorite you like to use?
- Which one brings you more income?
- etc.

Thanks in advance.

I'd like to know if somebody here has already given up on the iStockphoto Exclusivity, tried another sites, and gave up on all them and have returned to iStock exclusivity again.

Some questions if so,

1) Why did you gave up the exclusivity?
2) How long did you stay out?
3) What microstock sites have you joined?
4) Why did you give up and returned to iStock Exclusivity?

Hi MicrostockGroup team,

Some suggestions:
1) I'd like to suggest to add in the "Message icon:" an icon SOLVED with a green check, sometimes users have doubts, and when they get to solve it, they would edit the message and change this "Message icon:" status to SOLVED. ;0)

2) Would rename the "Lamp" to "Ideas/Suggestions" and the "Question mark" to "Doubts/Help".


Cheers.