.

^^^ "...there is only lifetime earnings..."

I don't think so. There are both lifetime earnings and current (unpaid) balance.

I agree with Microbius, and yes, I'm from - more or less - one of those eastern countries. The further east you go in Europe, the higher % of people steal intellectual property. Although the progress in last say 10 years is significant (in the right direction).

Similarly with laws - while they are are approx. the same in most countries, the difference is in their enforcement.

Yes, people may not like to hear it, but it is extremely likely that large % of contributors from these countries use stolen software, especially PS. My guess would be that some legalized their software once they reached certain level and there are few that have it legally from the beginning but the the majority, especially those at lower levels, use stolen software.

That's not a theory. That's the reality of life in these parts of world.

Quote from: cthoman on October 21, 2010, 15:11

Quote from: cclapper on October 21, 2010, 14:46
On a similar note...
I experienced this whole "gosh, I don't think I should have to pay for it" mentality first hand yesterday...
I've been taking some college courses because I went right from high school into the work world until last year, when I became unemployed. Rather than sitting around turning into a slug, I am taking a Photography I class and one other this semester. A girl in my class just got a new imac and she was telling me all about it. She is in her early 20s. She mentioned she was taking her computer to a friend to have the CS5 software uploaded. Another person from class was there and said "Is it a friend doing it for you because all it takes is feeding DVDs into the drive and following the directions to install." She said yes, it was a friend and he was uploading AND GIVING her all the software, because gosh, there would be no way she could afford the computer AND the software. The other guy (who is also a young person, so not ALL young folks have that mentality) and I looked at each other and said at once, that's called pirating and it's illegal. She shrugged and said oh well, it's too expensive for both things.

In fact, I totally agree with her that the Adobe software is way too expensive, but that's not the point. Stealing is stealing whether it's $1.00 or $1000.00.

I don't know. I'm not sure you could learn the suite without stealing it as a student. Not that it is right, but even with the student discount, it is priced out of most students limited budget. It's a shame the prices are so high. I'd probably buy each version if it was cheaper. Now, I just buy every other version.

She could buy less stylish laptop (and probably even less powerful one) and the software for almost the same amount of money she had to spend on that Apple thing. So it is definitely not about money. It is about mentality. One feels it is ok to spend X number of dollars on Apple laptop but it is not ok to spend Y on the software. And the feeling is there just because that is how the value is perceived.

It is common on some other sites (SS for example), that the initial submission takes significantly longer than the regular ones once the initial application is approved. I'm not even sure if FT has anything like initial application as such. However even if not, the first submission may still be subject to different queue/schedule than submissions of regulars ;].

^ I think the complete plan is both ways. To sell stock images is available now, I guess. The second part is in discussion.

Quote from: Freedom on October 15, 2010, 04:33
When you shop elsewhere, be it Walmart or Saks Fifth Avenue, if you decided that you wanted to buy something last week and didn't buy, then the price is different this week, do you get upset at the store for not notifying you? You likely just regret that you didn't buy when the price was better or change your mind about buying, right?

Quote from: jsnover on October 15, 2010, 03:31
This isn't about the pricing of the Agency Collection on the existing Getty sites.

This is about existing (exclusive) content on istockphoto.com that cost one price yesterday and a very different price today and whether buyers have been notified about that. When buyers put files into a lightbox and later go to purchase and the price is 10X (or 5X higher), the Vetta experience tells us many of them get very upset.

Regardless of whether the files are worth the new price, the buyers IMO deserve to be notified about this rather than just find out when they get sticker shock.

Yes, I would be upset. Probably not because the store did not notify me but because something I chose to buy for $5 now costs $50. I would leave the store without buying the thing (obviously) and would promise myself to never enter the store again.

Quote from: rubyroo on October 12, 2010, 14:37
I'm still wondering why this thread is titled 'Intolerable Cruelty'(?)

It was intolerably cruel to reject the "credit card super macro shot".

^^^ Agree. No idea what is so wrong about that portfolio anyway.

Quote from: Perry on October 09, 2010, 13:58
Now they seem to have a new logo (?)

Yes and pretty ugly one (in my opinion).

As Sean pointed out in the IS thread, this is really creepy

http://bit.ly/bUEiS5

The first pages are literally polluted by irrelevant higher priced Agency and Vetta stuff.

^^^ I don't think you speak for majority of people here, which I believe much prefer the fact that Peter is coming here to try to explain stuff.

Your application is in queue? So is mine. Have you looked at portfolio of people who are in and at yours? I did that with mine and kind of see why are some in and some others not.

Quote from: Magnum on October 01, 2010, 23:55
I´d be laughing all the way to the bank with that many flames in my port.  You´ve reached a temporary plateu maybe, that´s all, I think.

Plateu? Look at SS and FT on the same graph. They do not look very flat to me.

Quote from: Tom on September 29, 2010, 17:23

Quote from: sjlocke on September 29, 2010, 17:17
What did they use, some kind of beam splitter in the middle so both cameras "saw" the same thing?

I presume it is somehow aligned/merged in software, in a similar way that HDR software can align photo-exposures when the camera position slightly changed.

They said they used beam splitter...

Quote from: ShadySue on September 27, 2010, 22:36

Quote from: Danicek on September 27, 2010, 21:09
Does anyone know if the Vetta taking so many spots in the searches is recent adjustment or if it was always this way? I know there were always quite a few Vetta files in the top results, but recently it looks like 90%+ spots on the first and second page are occupied by Vetta images. I wonder if this is part of a greater scheme of things. Or just thing I did not notice before.

Try New York City or Fashion (Phoho only) searches.

It seems to depend on the search. Try 'men'.

True Sue. Actually that's pretty interesting. Could it be that the weight of the many flames on the regular collection files outweigh the Vetta preference? Do not know, but the men results are so hugely different. Actually there appear to be no Vetta file on the first page although there is plenty of them within the search.

^^^ I think many new people are coming as result of the IS stuff.

Quote from: Hawk_Eye on September 27, 2010, 21:27
Good

Great

Does anyone know if the Vetta taking so many spots in the searches is recent adjustment or if it was always this way? I know there were always quite a few Vetta files in the top results, but recently it looks like 90%+ spots on the first and second page are occupied by Vetta images. I wonder if this is part of a greater scheme of things. Or just thing I did not notice before.

Also, unless I'm missing something, it now appears to be more complicated to exclude Vetta files. One has to first do the search and then access the advanced tab and limit the results.

Try New York City or Fashion (Phoho only) searches.

Maybe someone was force to change the license type they bought? Like from standard to extended license?

^^^ Yeah, how about stopping this bashing that you guys pollute this forum with (and in multiple threads)? I know this is an open arena, not a kindergarten, but, we almost always managed to self-moderate here, so...

This may not be really related to this topic (on the other hand it can be). Just read at IS forums that Rob Sylvan left the admin (official staff) team

http://www.istockphoto.com/forum_messages.php?threadid=257422&page=2

I wonder if it has to do anything with the changes or if he leaving at this time is just coincidence.

Quote from: traveler1116 on September 22, 2010, 19:43

Quote from: LostOne on September 22, 2010, 19:40

Quote from: traveler1116 on September 22, 2010, 17:30
I'm still waiting for the pentax mf or that nifty new fuji x100, looks like a fun camera to have.  This would be nice if it was in a compact but a dslr has to have 21+ mps now or it's just not worth it for me.

Foji looks very promissing. The price range should be around 1000$ and if that's true I think I'll get one.

Yeah I will too if I get to the 35% level at IS that will be my reward.  If one the other hand I get about 10,000 ELs in the next 3 months to get 45% I think I'll get a leica m9.

^^I'm not too sure about upsizing all my images though.

I would suggest reading the chapters "Comparison to Bayer filter sensors – operational differences" and especially "Spatial resolution" in here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foveon_X3_sensor

I believe it quite nicely sums up the difference and the difficulty of comparing the Faveon and Bayer sensor it terms of MPS.

Quote from: click_click on September 12, 2010, 18:48

Quote from: gostwyck on September 12, 2010, 18:24
The results are interesting. Note that over 50% of all the current 181 respondents are independent contributors that will be dropping to 15% or 16%. Added together that probably generates a very significant increase to Istock's profitability.

That's how it appears. I would love to get 1000 votes to get a much better result but it shows already that iStock did not publish numbers that are the reality.

I think that their later statement that 76% exclusives won't be dropping is technically correct. Most of bronze and silver will keep what they have. Add to that some gold and few diamond level contributors and you are at 76.

Quote from: Sylvie on September 11, 2010, 11:46
How many of the top one hundred contributor participate in forums anyway,in this matther i do not think %10 have participate,like Lise Gagné,Hidesy,Yuri Acurs,jhorrocks,ducan1890,Andresr,webphotographer,jgroup,enjoynz,etc,correct me if i am wrong those top earners makes the majority of sales with IStock....

Top 100 has around 12% - 15% of total IS downloads all-time. Is that majortiy? Besides many of them participated, far more than 10% (nico blue, webphotographer, 4x6, sean, duncan1890 and others).

^ agree