I find it amazing that people find 33 cents unreasonable at SS, when it's been that way forever and in fact used to be much worse.

I'm even more amazed by the "iStockholm Syndrome" that many folks seem to have been afflicted by around here. The common symptom of the disorder is the irrational notion that as long as you're getting good money on each sale, you're doing well, even if you only get a few sales per day.

A few sales a day can add up pretty quick depending on what you are getting paid.

Quote from: helix7 on April 01, 2012, 21:28

BME by a ton. BME at several of my top agencies, including SS, DT, GR. Made over $100 at my own site, which is pretty astonishing.

Congrats on that!  My own site pulled in over $100 in March too, for the first time.  Sales there seem to be gradually picking up steam.  And it is the most satisfying money I have ever made

Congrats to both of you. It is nice to see other people doing well with their stores.

It was my best month in a year.

CLO - 25%
SS - 20%
DT - 11%
MY - 11%
CanStockPhoto - 9%
123 - 8%
DS - 4%
BS - 3%
GL - 3%
Zaz - 1%

The rest were below 1%.

Interesting video, but I don't really see an extroverted or group philosophy taking over though. If anything the internet and telecommuting allows people to work and concentrate by themselves from home, but still check in and stay connected with groups or clients.

Like she said, most people are a balance which is good. You want to be able to be thoughtful and creative, but you also want to be able to explain and sell those ideas you create.

I would think this is a catch all for using images in any unsavory way...

Sensitive Subjects: use the Content in a fashion that is considered by Veer in its sole but reasonable discretion, or under applicable law, may be considered pornographic, obscene, immoral, infringing, defamatory or libelous in nature, or that would be reasonably likely to bring any person or property reflected in the Content into disrepute

Quote from: cthoman on March 22, 2012, 14:39

I received it too. I guess I can fill out their survey, but is burning the place down and starting over really an option for FT?

What do you mean by that?

I didn't get the survey either. I never really get any...

I meant there was really no point to having a survey. They are never going to come anywhere near doing anything that would entice me back. They'd have to change everything. Even if they did that, I still doubt I would trust them.

You realize that this stuff has been going on for over a decade now and yet we're all still here, all still able to earn a living. Matter of fact I'll make more money this year between stock work and client work than I've ever made in a calendar year in my life, ever. Design contest participants are undercutting my client work, and yet I'm still in business. All of the free imagery out there has been around longer than microstock and yet I'm making more per month in this business than ever before.

I'm not alone in this. Despite doom-and-gloom scenarios being suggested around the interwebs for as long as I can remember, people continue to persevere and clients/customers are still willing to pay for good work. Free work may slowly increase in quality over time, but so far it hasn't killed off the art/design/photography/illustration industry. Not in 10+ years, and probably not in another 10. Maybe by the time I'm ready to quit it will be a done deal, but we're talking 25+ years from now.

What will always keep things going and keep us earning is the fact that despite there being cheaper (or free) alternatives to everything nowadays, people don't want to wade through mountains of crap to get to some good quality work. I have a new client who could probably find someone to do ad designs for them much cheaper than me, but they come to me because they like my work, they can count on me in a rush, and I'm local so they can meet with me in-person whenever necessary. On the web they can find tons of people doing what I do. They could even get an ad designed through a contest for a couple hundred bucks instead of paying me a couple thousand. And yet they prefer to work with me.

People value good work, and will always pay for it. Free work, crowdsourced design, CC imagery, none of it will kill off anyone's ability to get paid. Unless you're not good at what you do.

I totally agree. There's still a big market for paying clients. People are still building web sites, starting companies and coming up with ideas that need artwork and design.

I guess my question is how do they determine who is a pirate? Is it flagged sites or just people that upload or download a lot? If it is just quantity of activity, I could see a lot of false positives for the customers they want to eliminate or charge more. 

Congrats. You're really making a name for yourself as an independent. Good work. 

I feel bad reviving this thread again, but I saw this and wanted to say thanks. I'm sure it will disappear again quick.

I fully agree. Therefore I did not buy an ipad.

But, it's cool. How are you supposed to be cool without an ipad? 

I think you guys over analyze everything.

 

Thanks for the info, guys. Yeah, I guess there are always those people out there. I'm just hoping they stay in the minority.

And I personally, in a dozen years, haven't had any issues with paypal, so I find them very reliable.

I haven't had any problems either. Other than fake spam/phishing emails, but I just delete that. Sure, Paypal charges fees, but I think it is worth it for the convenience of getting paid immediately.