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Messages - michaeldb
Pages: 1 ... 30 31 32 33 34 [35] 36 37
851
« on: August 14, 2008, 17:40 »
TAnd uploading to a bunch of others takes so much time and energy..
Yeah, but you can upload to all the other sites in the same amount of time as uploading to Istock; Yuri Arcurs did an study:
http://www.arcurs.com/uploading-time-average
Great link and very true. And if you think the submission process at IS is slow for photos, try uploading a vector. You have to submit 2 files per submission and enter all metadata by hand. IS requires the most time to submit, is the slowest to review, and is by far the most likely to reject stockworthy images for arbitrary or non-existent 'reasons'.
852
« on: August 12, 2008, 17:40 »
My projected sales for Aug are down 10% from July. But I am surprised that it isn't a lot worse for 2 reasons:
-stockers have been reporting massive declines in sales at IS
-there are signs that traffic at IS has fallen badly in the last couple months
-Is has drastically changed its Best Match search algorithm, which is its default search of course. IS has apparenlt eliminated or almost eliminated vectors from best match search results. And almost all my images at IS are vectors.
I did a best match search at IS on 'business concept'. The first 10 pages of results had NO vectors! Not one. (I quit looking after 10 pages.)
To give you an idea of how far off this is, a Most Popular search on 'business concept' at SS returns over 90% vectors.
IS main forum had a thread about this, but they locked it and now I can't find it at all.
What's going on there? Does anybody know?
853
« on: August 12, 2008, 17:22 »
I used their "most popular" tool to see what people are buying and I noticed that every single one of the images/videos listed was from someone who is exclusive to IS.
So, I'm guessing if you're not exclusive, they don't promote your work?
Interesting..
I have 65 files, I am a non-exclusive and I make $1000 a month.. and thank god I keep going up everymonth..
I wonder what would happen if they were to promote me  I would then go exclusive in a heart beat..
If it's true, I would like to see that.
So would I.
854
« on: August 12, 2008, 12:13 »
fixed that for you michael.
Added function to read the IPTC data from the uploaded JPEG of ZIPPED files of vectors so that vectors that are uploaded and have IPTC data are moved to the submit page. thanks for the heads up Michael and let us know what else we can do.
John
Thanks John!!! Cutcaster looks great & I am excited about submitting.
855
« on: August 11, 2008, 17:25 »
"NOTE: For files that have IPTC data, they will be automatically placed on the Submit page of the upload system. "
I submitted some vectors. The thumbnails have metadata descriptions, titles, keywords. But my submissions are not placed on the Submit page but rather the page requesting that data be entered by hand.
Does the metadata have to be entered by hand for vectors?
856
« on: August 06, 2008, 14:22 »
I was in business for many years. I dealt with suppliers (which is what we are to StockXpert et al). I made the suppliers offers and the suppliers behaved in a business-like manner. I wonder what Wal-Mart or Macy's would do to suppliers who sent them emails such as the posts here and on StockXpert's forum?
The 'technical' aspects of StockXpert's and SS's offer aside (because no one knows for certain how little or how much money will be or would have been made from them): If I were StockXpert I would have locked that thread and kicked out the bawling babies who threatened to leave, and tell them to go peddle their snapshots somewhere else and never come back.
That is probably what IS would have done, although I doubt that many photographers would have dared take the tone toward IS which they did to StockXpert.
StockXpert made their suppliers an offer; their suppliers, or at least many of them, responded like hysterical ninnies. They did the same thing to SS back when SS offered them a raise they didn't deem large enough. I would say that I am amused, but I am actually rather appalled.
857
« on: August 06, 2008, 13:01 »
The mgment at StockXpert must be scratching their heads.
Yesterday SS announced a policy change which :
-cuts contributors' percentage of sales to 25%
-allows no opt-out choice whatsoever, as I understand it
And there are no hysterical threats to pull portfolios, no idiotic calls for unionization of microstocking, no name-calling and insulting of the SS management such as the StockXpert people received.
Oh well. SS got its share of childish and irrational attacks from photographers back when it announced its last pay raise. I guess its StockXpert's turn now.
858
« on: August 02, 2008, 19:01 »
I requested a conversion of $209 on 7-22-08 and it was paid on 7-25-08. Maybe I was just lucky? Or FO loves me especially for some reason? Somehow I doubt that. Anyway, they have always paid me in a timely manner.
I just requested a payment today so I will see how it goes I guess.
859
« on: July 31, 2008, 02:05 »
Someone correct me if I'm wrong:
It sounds like this new arrangement does not affect those who are already opted in for subs and it does not (in theory) affect overall earnings for people like me who almost never get ELs anyway.
Is that accurate?
I believe you are right, the changes will have little or no effect on vectorists who get few ELs (I get about 1 per month). Also, looking at Photo.com it seems that they are not much interested in selling eps files. They are photo-oriented, as their name suggests. And I believe I read in a post early in this controversy that StockXpert vectors will NOT be sold on Photo.com at the low prices charged for small sized photos.
860
« on: May 27, 2008, 19:25 »
The addition of subscription sales at IS took effect on May 26, I believe. This is a big change for them, and I expect it is too much to hope that it will happen without some big glitches.
As for me, after a terrible 3 day weekend there, sales were up a little today.
861
« on: May 23, 2008, 14:08 »
Big changes at BigStock for the review of vector illustrations too.
BigStock used to accept jpg versions of the vectors and the eps files as separate submissions (sort of like SS does). A few days ago BigStock started to reject jpgs with the keyword 'vector'. Then soon they began to reject the jpgs themselves and to request the submission of the eps files only.
862
« on: May 22, 2008, 21:42 »
I like the UI of brightcube a lot. Well done.
I agree. I typed 'shiny web icons' in the 'everyday' search and most of the images in the top row are mine. I am happy.
863
« on: May 22, 2008, 21:28 »
How about letters? Business, professional, personal, even love letters and Dear John letters.
EX:
Dear [Insert Recipient's Name Here],
I really enjoyed our time together, but it isn't working for me. Your mother is much too hypercritical of me, she dresses you in funky styles from the 80s (that's 1880s, mind you), and you have yet to learn proper oral hygiene.
Still, you are funny, but then, looks are not everything.
Have a wonderful life.
Yours truly,
[Insert Sender's Name Here]
I would buy that letter, 5 credits seems like a reasonable price. 10 credits if the recipient has more than one cat. MY SUGGESTION FOR IS's NEXT VENTURE: 3D meshes, to compete with tsquid, daz, rosity, etc.
864
« on: May 15, 2008, 20:16 »
The 2 theories always extant regarding Spring sales slumps are:
1. Ebb and flow
2. Spring is a slow time in micrstock, year after year. Spring is when a young man's fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love, and some other things happen in Spring too. People go outside just to enjoy the weather who will not go outside again until next Spring. And in the US people get depressed about having just paid their taxes. The other slow time is December, and that's just the way it is.
Regarding the elevator:
What an excellent question! I have never thought about it. Could it be that riding up or down at speed in a closed windowless container just naturally causes people's thoughts to turn inward? Or upward or downward?
865
« on: May 10, 2008, 17:15 »
Is there actually concern that the XS size is taking away from larger size downloads?
I see your point Helix7 but what I referring was selling xs size instead of S I think sites created xs size so they could still advertise their prices staring from one dollar,or one credit. had there not been xs size buyers would be taking the S instead.that's what I meant.
I agree with this completely. Most of my S sales migrated to XS when they introduced that size. And it was pretty obviously created so they could still advertise images for a dollar.
That said, I don't get too bothered about XS sales. Any sales are good as far as I'm concerned. Mostly they seem to be in the .20-.25 range rather than the dreaded .19<
I agree completely with Lisafx's complete agreement. It iscalled 'micro'stock. I would be happy if IS sold one of my images for .01, if they could sell it a million times.
866
« on: May 10, 2008, 17:10 »
Any bets on who's next to go? (My money's on CanStockPhoto.)
867
« on: April 25, 2008, 19:51 »
The only way I could ever consider going exclusive at IS is if they let you re-submit elsewhere those images which IS rejects as "not suitable for stock".
If those images are really unsuitable for stock, then why would IS care if I submit them elsewhere?
868
« on: April 23, 2008, 18:04 »
The advantage of 3D and vector is that "objects" you create are easily reusable: the bigger your library of objects is, the easier and faster you are able to produce new pictures.
Another advantage is that the only limitation with vectors and 3D is your imagination... and your skills.
True, and yet another advantage is that the skills used to do vector drawing and 3D modeling are almost identical. If you have done 3D modeling, then learning to do vectors is very easy, and vice versa. Vectors and vertices, filled-areas and polygons are essentially the same things. And, of course, ai10 files can be imported into Max, Carrara, and other 3D programs to make instant 3D objects, yielding yet another way to use and re-use your 'library of objects'.
869
« on: April 22, 2008, 17:14 »
I had luck finding books with my images with credit given using a9.com
Kiya, thank you for this link. My name is Michael D. Brown and it is such a common name that it got 58,800,000 results on a9.com. But to my surprise I was number 1! My little microstock image site (michaeldarcybrown.com) beat out : -wikipedia page for Michael D. Brown, the discgraced FEMA director -wikipedia page for Michael D. Brown a Canadian Liberal politician, a former Speaker of the Ontario legislature -and many, many others You made my day!
870
« on: April 21, 2008, 18:05 »
I love StockXpert. The vector reviews are the fastest and among the most consistent of any site. StockXpert is my 4th best paying site, after DT.
But last month my StockXpert revenue increased by 11% while my DT revenue actually decreased, so maybe StockXpert will pass DT one of these months.
The StockXpert site is fast and reliable, and the uploading sensible and efficient. What's not to like?
871
« on: April 19, 2008, 19:26 »
Very interesting!
I should have given more info -- it would be the case where "we want to own the character" for their own uses, usually having to do with a mascot or the happy overtone the character provides, or the very common request of being able to use it in a logo. Resale has never been mentioned to me.
I would think seeing 200 sold beside a character might clue them in that they will probably see it floating around the internet or Bob's Fish Mart or something, and that the rights don't leave the guys who originally bought it RF.
Its all very confusing! 
Unless you sold ELs of the image then the IP rights which the 200 buyers got are very limited. Bob at the Fish Mart can't legally do very much with the image. IMO the 200 dls do not very much diminish the value of the character. If your character is, for example, a 3D model it can of course be used to render literally thousands of new images. Think of Lumaxart's gold man. Was it worthless as a character after 200 dls of it were sold?
872
« on: April 19, 2008, 19:16 »
I think SS should keep the Top 50, but move it to the buyer's section of the site. It might even be useful to expand the list to Top 100 if they do this.
This might be the best idea. Personally, I voted "Keep it but offer an opt out." Although I doubt SS will do that, as it would require notifying, waiting for response, and so on. I'm ambivalent about the weekly Top 50. While it was down, I had an image which I am almost sure would have been on the Top 50. At first I was disappointed that I missed being on the Top 50 again, but then I thought maybe I should be happy, because of the image Helix7 mentions. Given the choice to opt out though, I think I would have opted in. Exposure is hard to get in this business, and I think I would like more, even if you are also exposed to copiers.
873
« on: April 18, 2008, 18:56 »
I think it is common knowledge that IS puts both non-exclusive and exclusive images in the first few hits on a customer's search. After those first few, IS packs the search results with the images of exclusives.
I don't think it is common knowledge, I think it is a commonly mistaken belief. People keep putting up single search results as, at most, anecdotal evidence, but the truth is that they don't "pack" search results with images of exclusives. You see slightly, and I mean slightly, more exclusive images in search results because, as the admins at IS have stated, the exclusives generate the majority of the images (myself excluded).
You may be right, maybe it is an urban legend that IS puts non-exclusives in an equal ratio with exclusives only in the first [n] search results, but I seem to recall having seen it stated as fact by reliable sources. Hm, if I'm wrong I'll be glad to eat crow.
874
« on: April 18, 2008, 18:45 »
I agree with all who are saddened. The hopes of a lot of people go with a business failure like this.
I liked the way LO reviewers took the time to make positive comments about submissions. And the way they have handled this is classy, as other posters have noted. Nothing I know prevented LO from just turning off the servers and leaving people logging to get a site-not-found message.
I got my first and only payment of $50.50 from them on 4-10. Guess I had my timing right on that one.
RIP LO!
875
« on: April 18, 2008, 18:34 »
istock -> primarily number of downloads or best match based heavily on number of downloads, number of views and age. I wouldn't be surprised to find it has a hidden starting rating, but I think after that its up to the image.
I think it is common knowledge that IS puts both non-exclusive and exclusive images in the first few hits on a customer's search. After those first few, IS packs the search results with the images of exclusives. Is this fair to non-exclusive submitters? Maybe, maybe not; after all, I can choose to go exclusive there any time I want, if Iwant to : -give up the 75% of my stocking which comes from other sites -give up the revenue from the 30-40% of my images which IS rejects because they are "not suitable for stock" but which sell very well elsewhere. (Although maybe they wouldn't reject those images if I were exclusive?) But is it fair to the customers? Shouldn't they see the best matches to their search terms, and not results packed instead with the images of IS's favorites and pets?
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