bunhill, thank you very much!

This just shows how much thinking went into selection of examples for that article... If only the author would pick a unique image, not part of the series! Or the other one - with the feather....  Than I would simply read the article through and bin it without second thought. Humbly submitting my work for re-editing - I am not a native speaker after all.

IMHO the testers shot themselves in the leg allowing that slip. Twice - with Lobo deciding to defend the bad example.

Thank you, Mantis! I have done just that. Removed all pictures on May Day, than waited for 5 weeks, double-checked that the partners had removed them all, than requested a closure. As for remaining 20 pictures, I had no power to remove them manually. If I remember correctly, a few years ago images without sales had to be either deactivated or given to free section for 14 months. But than somehow 14 months turned into 5 years, arggh!..

I uploaded there 200 images shortly after an English Interface had appeared. First it looked interesting. But than the sales had dried out. I did ask a few times to lift me the monthly limit to put all portfolio through. Explaining otherwise it would take me up to 3 years to put all images online. They were not interested. So I waited until portfolio on Shutter would be more tempting and tried again this April. Via the stock and personally to some representative. No reply, and the limit stayed the same.

Meanwhile they announced Imasia, changes in the payments and new ranking system.. Trust me, the way they sell stuff, nobody will get to the decent ranks based on sales from 2013. Even people who were there early and managed to lift the limits. I had requested my hundred dollars to get out of there as soon as they transfer the money. So long and thanks for all the fish (c), including Imasia herring.

My two cents about time frame of the experiment. I have been in contact with a Dreamstime Support. According to my contact, the experiment will take "a few weeks time". And than they need to analyze the data. I expect it to be more like couple of months. With the agency probably not telling us the testing period is over, I bet.

Anybody knows approximate proportion of revenues on Dreams itself and via its' Partners? Just bracing for an extra loss here after opting out...

You know what?... I have exchanged 3 letters with one of the people from Support. As the result, a different picture emerges. A large number of images thrown in the pool. Only a few probably picked up by the end-buyers. The whole testing would take a few weeks, let's say, couple of months. And that the test run is done on already constructed interface with something like 0.1% of full capacity.

If they would send me a normal letter, with working links, explaining all that and kindly asking to participate in "subbotnik", mentioning that they also work for free... and mentioning that many contributors are invited, instead of all that "secrecy" and "you are outstanding" crap...

...I would have probably participated.

Because I do understand that the "opt-in" mode is easier to do, than the "opt-out". It can be done with existing button. No need to create a special one.

If such second letter would come within the next 3 days, I would be tempted to reconsider.