I am both a contributor and a buyer. I can tell you I get really frustrated when, as a buyer, I'm searching for something, and a photo like that comes up under something unrelated. It turns me off totally.

As a contributor, I am very careful about keywording, because I just don't have it in me to cheat the way the spammers do. It is called integrity. It's more important to me than winning at all costs.

Thanks, cclapper!!        -tom

Quote from: sharply_done on November 28, 2007, 00:27

My rejection rate at SS has increased dramatically in my last few batches - anyone else seeing this, or is it just me?

Yeah.... 100% rejections ( but I only upload 3 or 4 at a time)...

And then......   the last batch.... 100% approved! 
                Go figure.   Just for the record in case the SS boss comes on as he has in the past......    overall,  I am very happy with SS. They are my #2 $$ earner.  Only IS surpasses them.  It's just that sometimes the rejections baffle me.  If I were really upset, I wouldn't be uploading twice a week, would I?    =tom

ManicBlu
Not talking to you directly......and not shouting....  I do considerable public speaking to groups of hundreds on a weekly basis. It's my job. Bold lettering can also highlight the jist of the non-verbal communication and should not be immediately taken as being hollered at. 

If you want to take it personal, that's your call... if you find it offensive, let me know why those statements offend you. If you were offended,  my apologies.

As you pointed out ( and as I did say in the first place)
yes, spamming is not murder.... but the principle  is the same.  If an authority figure, be it the gov't of the land,  or the owner of a stock site sets down rules and regulations... people of integrity (who have agreed to abide by the rules of said stock site when they clicked to join) ...obey what is requested of them. They don't do it out of fear of being caught.  They don't do it because they gave their word that they would do as the rules said when they clicked "agreed".

I am sure you would never consider murdering any one ...or robbing the local market, ...kidnapping someones child.. why? I am sure it is because you have a  conscience, moral values and integrity and are a responsible person...    Not because you are afraid you might get caught.   And, it's that simple.

That is the point I am making.  This person does what he/she does because he/she doesn't care about being responsible and they don't care about the consequences of their actions. Those consequences are not relevant to him/her as long as in the short term, they get their cash. He/she makes out better because most folks WON'T do what he/she does. 

One reply to your final comment.... Sounds good but sadly it ain't the truth in the world or in microstock land.

I have found in the time I've been a member here, that for the most part, folks around here do have integrity.  Just reading the comments they make it is obvious what they all think of this individual and what he/she is doing.  And obvious too,  they wouldn't do it. And finally.... judging from their comments, the reason they wouldn't do it, isn't  out of fear of being caught.  They won't do it because it is wrong on many levels.

Thanks for your feedback.   =tom

IS first,    2nd SS.  Then the rest  (10 more including Alamy) when I get around to it 
     Why?   IS & SS sell more pix than any of the others for me so they get priority upload.  I am very happy with IS & SS!   =tom

iStock is actually my favorite site to upload to in spite of how angry I get with them from time to time. They seem to judge my work on it's technical aspect rather than "oh it's a flower and we don't want it" and my acceptance rate is good there. I'm not one of their best sellers but they at least let me build my port with what I like and give it a chance.

Next to BigStock....   My highest acceptance rate is now with  IS  !!  And even with much that they reject... I am given direction and opportunity to fix it and resubmit.   My resubmits have been 100% accepted.  I never thought I'd would EVER say this...  but..  I have caught myself thinking about  .......exclusive ....with IS.   
     Go ahead, beat me up... I know I have always bad-mouthed that in the past... but...   IS works with me, they take my stuff and... man, they are selling it like no one else is!!   
      I'm starting to wonder if its the way to go....     =tom

Keyword spamming continues to go on for the very reason that is proven here. It gets your image seen with a better chance of sales.

How many of you would be doing the same if you weren't worried about getting caught and your account disabled?

With sites controlling what is seen and not seen you can be sure that many are going to spam in order to make sales. These are the hustlers and they'll make money before they are caught. Then they will just open a new account and begin again.

Personally, I'm more concerned about sites controlling image rank and placement than I am about how someone else sells their work.

And, if the site is making good sales off the image do you really think they care?

Not to offend.........but...

Do we not rob the corner deli............  for fear of being caught?
Do we not do 75 in a 25 zone .......... for fear of being caught?
Do we not  write cheat notes up and down our arms for the final exam... for fear of being caught?
Do we not punch out our boss .... for fear of being caught?
Do we not shoot the person we hate most ... for fear of being caught?
Do we not bomb the the offices of any organization we think is satan personified.... ... for fear of  being caught?
Do we not pay our taxes ............for fear of being caught?

Yeah....  not quite the same as keyword spamming.....

But the principle is the same!!!

Most of us living on the planet don't do those things because they are
socially, legally or morally wrong!!!  We do not do it simply because the person in authority has asked us not to... thus we have opportunity to show our level of integrity to our fellow humans.

would some do it? does fear stop some?  no doubt. 
However,  most of us don't do it because..... we are not supposed to!  Not because we're   ...afraid......

Just because these  "huslters'  go about making money this way.. and then cheat their ways into another account to do it all over again...
doesn't make them any less the scumbag!

And any that  'admire'  them....  or wink an eye at them....  do not have much more integrity than they do.

We don't do it because it's wrong!  Period.

The day they change the damned rule and say you can have 200 thousand keywords... THEN.... maybe the majority of us might add them!! 

Numerous complaints have been done.... and nothing has been done by the site admins to this practice....

If you learn to read between the line than you will have noticed that i was not saying we should all start doing it.... just a sarcastic remark... nothing more.

Patrick.

As are my comments about flooding every one of my pictures with spam!   Sarcasm. 

However....  I do not view it as negative to complain and yes, even rant about this event.   StockXpert has rules....  to allow a few to break those rules so publicly happens to be in violation of the law in the U.S.   and... any lawyer worth a pinch of salt could have a field day with discrimination suits if they cared to.  To reject my images or your images for keyword spamming and then allow this clown to do what he is doing is...
    discrimination.  Period.   

And don't take this wrong either...  beyond a few rants here.... it isn't worth my time or energy to  sue any micro site over   Bull___t.   I can vote with my portfolio.....and leave. 

By allowing this clown to continue with what he is doing... StockXpert is only showing the true    integrity   of their own business vision.

If they bend the rules here to suit their purpose and that of a select few,  who knows what  other rules they may be bending?  This only makes the rest of us raise question in our minds........  am I dealing with a company I can really trust?

Time will tell.  But really, how much time does it take to correct this issue.  It's  not like they have to spend $$$ searching for the spam... the folks here have been pointing to it for....... months... now.

Why no action?  That's the question.... 

If the answer is    "it's my football, my rules and how and when I want to apply the rules.."     then this isn't a business of integrity... and I'd make a different decision about my future with it.    =tom

   

Larry?  He used the keyword Larry?!   Curly, Moe...where for art thou? 

and...... don't forget  curly joe and shemp....  LOL     =tom


hey, I was wondering....  do you think if I add the keywords     "Naked Women"  and "Free Beer"  to all my pix.... I might  get more views?

I'll bet if we all go in and jam 200 kw's on each our pictures we'll get some attention paid to it.... LOL     Maybe, just cut and paste his kw's  ...seems to be working great for him.....

Ditto!!  I was just rejected 10 for 10 and 8 were noise and 2 were lighting.  9 have already been accepted at other sites.  Although I'm sorry for those who were also rejected, I'm glad I'm not alone.

Do they look at these in a way I can't?  I looked at each one at 100% before submitting and trust me I wouldn't have submitted photos with noticable noise for my 1st 10!!

Smiles,
Connie

Connie, there's no rhyme or reason.... I'll give you a perfect example.... just now before I came here I checked my mail only to find my last batch at SS  was totally rejected.
Here's why I just sit back and laugh about it.   One of the pictures rejected was for  "focus... not where we think the focus should be"
Okay....your opinion.    However,  that picture is already on IS where it has sold 65 times in the last 8-9 weeks.  And it has sold in XL..... evidently the focus was where those 65 buyers thought it should be...  as do those that buy it on 5 other sites......

A second picture was rejected for noise.  The exact same picture is already on SS  AND it's sells.  All I did was flip it horizontal and cropped it for a bit different look.  It's the same file!!  Even though it sells there already.... now it has noise....  guess it was sitting around on the hard drive too long and collected dust or something...maybe it mildewed... maybe the mice were walking around on it... i don't know....

Personally,  I think the rejection  "not focused where we think it should be "  is .......lame.    I know exactly where I wanted the focus. Why would I post a picture that I thought wasn't focused?

But.... in the end... I really don't care that they were rejeceted.  I don't own SS.... It's their site, and they make the calls. And that's fine with me.... not a problem... no sweat, their reviewer called it.... it's out of focus....

 I suppose IS will just keep selling the heck out of it!! As will the other 5.   

That's why there's so many micro sites....   if one doesn't want to sell it,   another one will....     LOL
               =tom

It's great to hear good stories. The only queries I get though are to give a photo away for free.

Free is only my favorite price ...when I'm buying.......    =tom

Hello all,

Since this thread is opened I have a question about submissions in SS.
Browsing some portfolios, I came across different variations of the same picture : for example a picture of a door where color was red on one and yellow on the other.Is it ok to do that on SS, I though it was not ?

Thanks
L

I've done that with different subjects.... and there's not been a pattern for me as far as rejections.  In fact, I have never been flagged for  "same thing different color"..   I have one particular pic of chrome mechanics tools and an original red tool box.  I have altered the color of the tool box to 4 other colors.  One site took them all (at different times-don't submit them all the same batch). Another site took two and rejected two others for focus which I found humorous. Same pic. 
  The point.  I haven't been shot down for it.  One more point, it has sold in more than one color... go figure.  =tom