|
MicrostockGroup Sponsors
This section allows you to view all posts made by this member. Note that you can only see posts made in areas you currently have access to.
Messages - Sadstock
Pages: 1 ... 19 20 21 22 23 [24]
577
« on: October 25, 2010, 15:26 »
578
« on: October 25, 2010, 11:39 »
I noticed on some of my private lightboxes that when I click on the main link to my lightboxes it gives one total for the number pictures in the lightbox. But when I actually go into the lightbox the actual number of pictures is less. I understand this happens sometimes if you add a picture to the lightbox that was just approved by iStock and hasn't been added to your portfolio yet, but I have this problem on some lightboxes where I haven't added any pictures in a long time either. Has anyone noticed this discrepancy before and happen to know what the cause/issue might be? Cheers...
--------------- Maybe some images have been deleted by contributor or istock, or moved to the doller bin?
579
« on: October 22, 2010, 16:42 »
Ratings used to be one of the top criteria in best match and once people figured it out they were able to achieve spectacular success. Once this became common knowledge and more and more ratings gangs sprang up, IS reduced the significance of ratings in I think the fall of 06, leading to one of the biggest best match shakes, but did not eliminate the effect of ratings entirely. http://www.istockphoto.com/forum_messages.php?threadid=43928&page=1A big ratings buying gang was busted in November 2007 (thread maybe was deleted?) that consisted of a number of contributors who had effectively figured out the best match formula in use at that time by buying their just uploaded images through a dummy account and giving 2-3 5 ratings all within the first 12 hours or so. Their images would go to the top of the best match and stick for quite a while leading to big big sales. This resulted in another big best match shake that all but eliminated the impact of ratings. While some have said the impact of ratings is gone, some admins have used weasel words to suggest that the impact of ratings is so small that they have virtually no effect. The current volume ratings people have me baffled. I cant figure out why anyone would invest that kind of time in something with so little apparent value. Are they so desperate to be approved of that they are willing to bribe people (giving out ratings) to get some recognition?
580
« on: October 22, 2010, 15:12 »
Maybe they are getting ready for the 2011 price hike and accidentally put the 2011 pricing on the live site?
581
« on: October 18, 2010, 19:22 »
oh.. and just if any besides me cares,  - today is my last day as an iStock exclusive. My 30 days are up today - so tomorrow my other ports start going live! I'm going to document this new excursion in case anyone cares to see how this new journey/chapter from exclusive to independent is faring for me. working on setting up a blog but for now just have it documented in a private journal.
--------------------- Hope it goes well! I'll be following you soon, so I'm very interested in your experience. Let us know when the blog is live.
582
« on: October 04, 2010, 10:56 »
Not trusting Istock at the moment, the first thing that comes to mind is that while the data likely has a valid purpose, it sure helps Istock better analyze who its contributors are and how they can best tailor future strategies to minimize the amount it needs to pay out to contributors, yet retain their content. Needless to say, Im not answering the survey.
Were Istock to offer a keywording service (presumably only to exclusives), I also wonder about Istock claiming some type of "ownership" of such keywords, preventing me from copying the entire list of keywords to other sites if I dropped exclusivity. Sounds farfetched, but I would not put it past them.
583
« on: October 03, 2010, 13:17 »
I just became a diamond contributor at Istock (a few minutes ago).
I knew this would happen somewhere in Autumn, and I was looking forward to this milestone for months.
Now why am I not celebrating 
------------- I turned diamond not too long ago and I at least had the opportunity to celebrate before the rug was pulled out. Its still a great accomplishment and I hope you can enjoy it some.
584
« on: September 28, 2010, 19:48 »
For those who did not see this. http://www.istockphoto.com/forum_messages.php?threadid=257202&page=3JJRD said "Over the course of the past 2 weeks, kkthompson & I have put our own asses on the line many, many times over for this community of artists... and we'll do it again and again every single time that we feel it necessary." Sounds to me like JJRD is saying the whole thing is a Getty or H&F idea and that he and KK have fought on our behalf to minimize the damage. But why "past 2 weeks", after the announcement? Seems like this would have been planned for much longer then that, so the fighting with Getty/H&F would have been months ago. So if the asses were on the line for something else, what would that be? Turning off the forums? He also said "Let me add the following, however: if one day I do not believe in iStockphoto anymore, I will be out of here in a snap. Faster than a speeding bullet. It is not the case at the very moment. I still believe in this place, just as on day one. I am in it for the long haul & for the well being of the entire community." His point about "not the case at the very moment" seems to suggest that he has had his own doubts, or that he fears that he may in the future.
585
« on: September 28, 2010, 19:30 »
That isn't surprising.
Not at all. And I would think it would put a damper on the whole idea.
Most folks early work would not qualify now. Also, if IS has had the benefit of selling these images for months and/or years, who's to say they will want the bulk of them that don't sell well. They may just accept bestsellers and forget the rest.
----------------------------- Also one of the most valuable assets in a portfolio is best match placement. I suspect that many contributors, myself included, could delete our top selling images, upload them again, and find that they just don't sell all that well because they did not get lucky with best match. Of course there are lots of images that really are that good and would succeed again too, but its a gamble.
586
« on: September 27, 2010, 15:56 »
I understand calling BD's, but I am curious how they decided who else deserved a phone call.
-------------- I can imagine a stratagy of contacting people who they think might be able to shape the discussion as it unfolds in the forums at least in an attempt at damage control. If so, it seems like jsnover is behind the whole plan 
587
« on: September 27, 2010, 08:55 »
.
588
« on: September 25, 2010, 16:59 »
I'd be really surprised if Istock would go for this. Lots of overhead in working out the transfer (internal to Istock) and assuring themselves that IP ownership was clear. Bigger issue is that they might actually find themselves paying out royalties they claimed were possible but never expected to actually have to pay out. They might also worry that as consolidation within Istock took place, a few big contributors would eventually have lots more negotiating power because they could threaten to walk with lots and lots of images.
589
« on: September 25, 2010, 11:56 »
As I posted in the other thread that touched on this, Rob Sylvan is a wonderful guy and I'm very sad to see him leave his job as iStock's Site Director.
I was lucky enough to meet him in person last August (at the iStockalypse HQ), although we didn't get much time to chat, unfortunately. He was everything he had seemed to be via the many virtual meetings - except much taller than I expected (I'm short, but even accounting for that lack of perspective, he's tall!).
I think he has done an outstanding job in keeping the iStock forums in order, and the contrast in style when things do have to be reined in between Rob doing it and some of the other admins (not you pieman, you're more acerbic, but your sense of humor more than compensates) only serves to highlight what a gentle, respectful touch he had in doing his job.
Any other organization he joins will be very lucky indeed. I think I'll buy his Lightroom for Dummies book - I've recently started using it after a long time of brushing it off as not for me - and I'm definitely a dummy who could use some avuncular wisdom.
Oh, and he does look so good in boots
Cheers mate!
----------------------------- Note that his book is for lightroom 2 and lightroom 3 just came out with significant changes, so despite Rob's inherent goodness, the book will still be a bit dated :-). Try Kelby's book for version 3. I did buy Rob's stock book but have not had a chance to read yet
590
« on: September 25, 2010, 11:53 »
Sad day for Istock, but I'm sure he will do well
591
« on: September 25, 2010, 07:50 »
Rogermexico hasn't shown up since the announcement either. I'm worried he's another person departing from his official role.
He's iStock's offical spin doctor. Maybe he hasn't been given any 'spinning' to do? Or maybe it's just too unpalatable.
[Pollyanna] Or maybe there will be some news coming sometime, just 'not yet'. [/Pollyanna]
Or maybe not.
Seems he's very busy with the Japan Lypse arrangements.
------------------------ He actually quit once before to focus on his writing, but then came back. I've met him a couple of times and he's another class act. Would not be surprised to see him quit too.
592
« on: September 24, 2010, 14:36 »
Rob has always been a class act and I will miss him too.
I think its safe to assume that Rob's departure is linked to the compensation structure change. Note that he stopped posting shortly after the initial announcement, though his departure was not confirmed until today. If it was anything else, I think it is quite likely he would have delayed his departure by a few weeks to avoid the appearance of them being linked. Obviously there are things like a family illness that might also necessitate a quick exit.
I'm sure Rob will never say they are linked, much like Peabert never said why he left either.
On the assumption that they are linked, I do tip my hat to him for having the guts to stand up for what he believes is right.
I'm guessing a number of inspectors will also depart over the next few months, as many of them will be taking a big hit, and they can't drop exclusivity and remain inspectors.
Pages: 1 ... 19 20 21 22 23 [24]
|
Sponsors
Microstock Poll Results
Sponsors
|
Show Posts
