Quote from: hawk_eye on September 26, 2010, 22:00

you're wrong on this. I'm no Lise Gagne and I got a call warning me of the announcement. I'm not a top producer, just an active and fairly involved contributor.

You got an official call about the announcement, to warn you of it (in detail or just in generalities?) - prior to the announcement?

I'll take you at your word and not call you a liar, though I find what you're claiming seriously difficult to believe.

Seems the iStock Kool-Aid is also laced with hallucinogens. LOL

I don't want to pick on caspixel, but if I were to make a constructive comment.....she has truly been threatening to stop buying at iStock since I joined, which was four years ago. it was one of the very first things I noticed about her username in the forums.

so, to suggest that loop's comment was anything but correct just makes you look as biased as you clearly are. seriously tired of watching you attack people, it's completely unproductive.

Unless you can prove it, if I were to make a constructive comment, I suggest you shut the f*ck up too. I can point to posts right here on MSG just from last year that say my purchasing has decreased, but not that I have been purchasing elsewhere. What I have done is commented about OTHER buyers that have gone elsewhere.

As for posts on iStock, oh, here's a post from 2007 from me about a the price increases:

Geez, I just came upon this thread. Didn't even know that the pricing structure was changing and the credit price was going up again. Couldn't they have done one without the other. I think the change in vector pricing is very fair, but wasn't one price increase for the year already enough?

I guess I better get submitting some designs to the designer spotlight and attempt to play Steel Cage battles more often in order to get some extra credits. Maybe they could also come up with some more incentives for buyers. It seems all about giving incentives to the contributors, yet the buyers seem to keep getting the shaft with these price increases.

Nothing about purchasing elsewhere there...

One from 2008:

I thought they already tried this. It was called iStock Pro. And it went bye bye.

As far as the price increases, I knew it was coming...

Three things you can be sure of in life:

1. Death
2. Taxes
3. Price increases at iStock

Signed,

A Depressed Buyer

See anything about threatening to stop buying there? I don't.

And another from 2008:

I've already drastically reduced my spending here. Sorry contributors.

Still nothing about not purchasing from iStock. And I'm pretty sure I didn't even say anything about the 2010 increases, because a) I knew it was coming, and b) I didn't feel like subjecting myself to the wrath of all the contributors...again. Though I did say something here on MSG (referenced above).

And actually, looking back on those old threads, my posts are few and far between, even in protest. So, there is no proof to back up either of your claims. You must have me mistaken for someone else.

It is you whose memory is faulty. I have consistently said my purchases have decreased while OTHER buyers that I communicate with have left the site. You can look right here on MSG. Anyway, what's it to you where I buy images?

It may have been the level system at Dreamstime. The more sales an image has the more expensive the image becomes. After you searched for it, others could have bought copies increasing the price. When you purchased it the first time you could of bumped it up to a new price level. When DT removed the sale the image dropped back to the previous level. As a seller the rising level system is one of the best things about DT.

While I'm glad for the seller, I found it a little annoying that the price suddenly changed without notice, in the course of an hour. It almost felt like a bait and switch. Still, the price was reasonable enough so it didn't deter me.

I actually originally found the image I wanted to use on Shutterstock, but since I just wanted to buy the one image I didn't want to buy their lowest PAYG package, so, just for the heck of it, I popped on over to Dreamstime to check and see if the image was there. While it didn't show up on the first page, similar photos from that photographer did, so finding it was pretty easy using general keywords.

I did have a slight problem with the purchase though. I actually had a client sign up and buy the credits and when I went to buy the image the site wanted me to finish filling out her profile. I did and went back to the image page. Unfortunately, I did not notice that the Medium size was selected by default (since I thought by going back to the image page it would remember the option that I clicked). So I contacted customer service and they immediately refunded the credits so I could buy the correct size.

The one thing that I did find strange though was that the price of the image changed three times thoughout this process. When I first searched for it, it was priced at 9 credits. When I went to purchase it, it changed to 11 credits, and then after I accidentally purchased the wrong size, it went up to 15 credits. After they refunded my money it went back to 11 credits. What is with that?

banning from sitemail may be so that the person can't then start blasting everyone on their CN with their rants.  that would be the only logical thing to me about the sitemail.

Maybe, but I've got a couple sitemails that I can't respond to now. And it could be regarding a potential sale because, at the time of the ban, I had an active request for new content. I can't even see who the sitemails are from. Again, this doesn't hurt me. I can shop elsewhere, but iStock may have lost a sale. Oh well. I just feel bad for the contributors.

Well I'm banned from the forums & sitemail haha! Called a trolls response pathetic & responded to Lobo saying I wouldn't be intimidated by his bullish behaviour and thinly veiled threats to me on sitemail.

It would appear somone is a tad insecure in their authority... go figure.

How many others have felt the light touch of the wiffle hammer?

Anyhoo - had to register somewhere and voice my displeasure at censorship. Carry on all! (and hello all on these forums!)

I think it's too funny that they ban you from sitemail too. What is the point of that? The whole banning thing seems rather childish and vindictive anyway, especially considering the random nature of the whole thing. I see people on there who have posted much more than my 10 or so posts and have been way more critical and insulting and they apparently still have their posting privileges.

As a buyer who is taking my business elsewhere now, I still get the last laugh though.

Quote from: pseudonymous on September 21, 2010, 08:41

Oh they�ll pay for sure.  I�d be betting they�re already starting to feel the effects slightly but come January next year, it�ll hit them like a tonne of bricks.  Perhaps a few �mainly low selling contributors� with smaller portfolios have already left or are currently pulling their ports but the rest of the independents are doing the smart thing and hanging off till next year.  There is no point them leaving in a hurry when the change doesn�t happen till later.  I�d say most of them are hanging out for stockfresh to take off, and it will.  I seriously doubt any self-respecting non-exclusives will stay for 15%.  20% is already degrading, 15% is just criminal.  So independents will leave next year, no new contributors will sign up after this and it�ll be too risky for anyone to go exclusive.  Buyers have already had word that istock isn�t as spectacular as it says it is and they can find quality images for much less at other agencies where the contributor is paid a fair amount.  It�s inevitable... higher prices, lower commissions, and a smaller database to top it off, buyers will be forced to leave.  Exclusives will then be left there with their big dilemma... �but I�ve invested too much time to leave and start from scratch elsewhere� versus �but I�m losing money staying here�.  It�s going to be tough for exclusives and they�re going to have to be prepared with one foot already out the door.  They would be naive not prepare themselves.  I seriously feel for them... even you.

I agree. I think the effects will be felt more after the first of the year when a lot of independents as well as exclusives will pull their ports. It may be more independents leaving, but so many contributors have niche portfolio's or that one image that a buyer wants and when it's no longer there, the buyer will move on to other sites. They really won't have much of a choice. I do wonder though how many small contributors even understand what is going on or are even aware of it. I know they sent e-mails but how many actually bother reading them or even understand it. Many may not even know what % they are getting paid now. But I will say this....rather exclusive or independent...everyone has pictures on there and there is always that one picture that is perfect for the buyer.

And let's not forget that with each price rise over the last couple years, contributors have seen decreases in downloads. I communicate with several (former) buyers. They have all pretty much phased iStock out of their purchasing. Once the Agency collection is introduced and Vetta prices are increased, both of which will dominate the searches, more and more buyers will get sick of wading through higher priced stuff when they can find it cheaper at other sites. And once the logo program is unveiled...oh boy...

Edited

Quote from: gostwyck on September 20, 2010, 14:15

Quote from: traveler1116 on September 20, 2010, 14:10

Just a week here, but probably because there wasn't really a reason to do it.

You as well? Unbelievable.

Don't be surprised if your week turns into 10 days or two weeks. That sort of happens

I'm fairly certain mine is permanent.

I think you've misrepresented your role in having been wrist slapped. posting youtube videos, referencing competitor royalty percentages and websites, accusing TPTB of underhanded mismanagement and threatening them with your buying power...I'm not sure why you are shocked. angry maybe, but shocked...really? I don't know what was exchanged between you and Lobo, and it probably doesn't matter. I have seen you deride iStock on multiple occasions in their forums and I think today the negativity and speculation just wasn't allowed to continue, for you or anyone else. I don't blame them. I'm surprised how far they've let it go actually.

Much much less than any others did. And many of them still have posting privileges. Out of 9000 posts, I probably made 10. So, I don't think I've misrepresented anything. Anyone who was following that thread saw how many times I posted. That's if they can even find them in those behemoths.

And some of the stuff was just for comic relief.

Caspixel . . . you've been banned? I'm shocked . . .

Oh how the winds of change have increased.

Mostly I just thought it was odd because I've barely posted. Not nearly to the extent I've done in the past. The other weird thing is they ban you from sitemail too. Not that I care about that either because I rarely use that anymore. Not private enough. LOL

What is kind of funny, though is that I did have an open request in the "Request New Content" forum that I can't follow up on. Oh well, I guess I'll have to go buy from a different site then. Boo hoo. (Though I do feel bad for the contributors that responded to my request that I can't touch base with)