Author Topic: Boycott Shutterstock (Read 25035 times)

vector99 · « **on:** June 09, 2020, 12:47 »

Shuttestock's new payment policy is unacceptable. A total disregard for all those who have long contributed to the growth of the company. They bet on garbage published in astronomical quantities ... I refuse to earn 10 cents per photo. I will not post more photos until them go back!

NeonRobot · « **Reply #1 on:** June 09, 2020, 12:50 »

Quote from: vector99 on June 09, 2020, 12:47

Shuttestock's new payment policy is unacceptable. A total disregard for all those who have long contributed to the growth of the company. They bet on garbage published in astronomical quantities ... I refuse to earn 10 cents per photo. I will not post more photos until them go back!

https://www.microstockgroup.com/shutterstock-com/stop-uploading-to-ss-join-the-action/msg552251/

Ronib · « **Reply #2 on:** June 09, 2020, 12:50 »

Quote from: vector99 on June 09, 2020, 12:47

Shuttestock's new payment policy is unacceptable. A total disregard for all those who have long contributed to the growth of the company. They bet on garbage published in astronomical quantities ... I refuse to earn 10 cents per photo. I will not post more photos until them go back!

Dumc · « **Reply #3 on:** June 09, 2020, 13:10 »

Quote from: Ronib on June 09, 2020, 12:50

Quote from: vector99 on June 09, 2020, 12:47
Shuttestock's new payment policy is unacceptable. A total disregard for all those who have long contributed to the growth of the company. They bet on garbage published in astronomical quantities ... I refuse to earn 10 cents per photo. I will not post more photos until them go back!

Spread the word

fritz · « **Reply #4 on:** June 09, 2020, 13:16 »

http://shuttercounter.ddns.net/

slow but...

microvideo · « **Reply #5 on:** June 09, 2020, 15:18 »

I have an idea. If you still have your pictures online on SS go to your catalog manager and change the title of your photos to something like Don't buy from Shutterstock, Shutterstock is Stealing from Artists or something similar so buyers can see it.

marthamarks · « **Reply #6 on:** June 09, 2020, 16:34 »

Quote from: fritz on June 09, 2020, 13:16

http://shuttercounter.ddns.net/

slow but...

Very well done chart. Please keep it up!

GrayMouse · « **Reply #7 on:** June 09, 2020, 16:53 »

Quote from: microvideo on June 09, 2020, 15:18

I have an idea. If you still have your pictures online on SS go to your catalog manager and change the title of your photos to something like Don't buy from Shutterstock, Shutterstock is Stealing from Artists or something similar so buyers can see it.

And what they are stealing? Nothing. Next idea?

cathyslife · « **Reply #8 on:** June 09, 2020, 17:03 »

Here’s an idea. Instead of playing games, just go to Shutterstock and delete your images.

noodle · « **Reply #9 on:** June 09, 2020, 19:47 »

Quote from: FastRacer on June 09, 2020, 17:03

Here’s an idea. Instead of playing games, just go to Shutterstock and delete your images.

BINGO!!

art_of_sun · « **Reply #10 on:** June 12, 2020, 02:10 »

Hi guys. Russian contributors made the NEW petition to Shutterstock against new royalty system. Hope you can support it: https://www.change.org/p/change-the-humiliating-system-of-royalties-for-shutterstock-contributors
Also they plan to massive opt-out their accounts at June 15th. Please join and share!

Wine_wine · « **Reply #11 on:** June 12, 2020, 03:45 »

Quote from: art_of_sun on June 12, 2020, 02:10

Hi guys. Russian contributors made the NEW petition to Shutterstock against new royalty system. Hope you can support it: https://www.change.org/p/change-the-humiliating-system-of-royalties-for-shutterstock-contributors
Also they plan to massive opt-out their accounts at June 15th. Please join and share!

FULLY SUPPORT! THIS ACTION CAN REALLY HURT SHUTTERSTOCK

reisegraf · « **Reply #12 on:** June 12, 2020, 05:33 »

So, before I decide what to do with SS, boycott or no, I checked the average SS royalties of the first days in June. I'm on -.41/DL, what is much lower than the average of the previous months, about -.55/DL.

But my problem is, if I would boycott SS, I would have to do the same with 123rf (-.47/DL), Bigstock for sure (-.28/DL) and iStock (-.43/DL) - all low paying agencies...
And I would then cut 66%! of my total income! You most probably ask yourself why I still work with Bigstock? I just sell totally different pics there, they sell images what I never sold with others, I don’t know why, but it's additional income for me.

Btw, I'm selling about 600 images/month.

How about you, how are you proceeding, and did you compare your sales these days?

Greeez, Martin

cascoly · « **Reply #13 on:** June 12, 2020, 18:56 »

Quote from: marthamarks on June 09, 2020, 16:34

Quote from: fritz on June 09, 2020, 13:16
http://shuttercounter.ddns.net/

slow but...

Very well done chart. Please keep it up!

but what shows is the futility of any boycott -- even removing 2 million images would only reduce the total by 1%. no one will notice. delete 20 million and SS will replace them quickly (and no portfolio consists of all best sellers - likely 20% of a portfolio produces 80% of income)

delete your images for other reasons, but don't imagine it will affect SS at all. you'd have a better chance of boycotting the post office
-- W.A.S.T.E (we await silent trystero's empire)

douglas · « **Reply #14 on:** June 12, 2020, 19:45 »

Quote from: cascoly on June 12, 2020, 18:56

but what shows is the futility of any boycott -- even removing 2 million images would only reduce the total by 1%. no one will notice. delete 20 million and SS will replace them quickly (and no portfolio consists of all best sellers - likely 20% of a portfolio produces 80% of income)

delete your images for other reasons, but don't imagine it will affect SS at all.

When I disabled my images I thought the same thing: it would not make a difference to Shutterstock but, to hell with that, it was a statement which had to be made and I was not going to sell images for 10c.

I was encouraged to see the figure for uploaded images per week fall from 1.6M on 1 June to below 1M today, probably more important than the total number in the collection as much content ages quickly.

I needed an image this evening which I would normally have strolled out the door and shot. However, I am still in partial lockdown at the other side of Europe but knew I had one pretty close to the view required, formerly on SS, now on DT. I found it on DT (happy to see it on the first row after only uploading last weekend) but, because I was curious, was stunned to see how few images now matched those keywords on SS.

So a boycott is not going to make a difference to searches for “happy smiley people doing happy smiley things” or “isolated tomato”. It will be the specific images missing from SS, because it covered almost everything and everywhere, and these will not be instantly replaced by image factories, rather than the generic which will be their undoing as the result of frustration on the part of buyers.

whtvr · « **Reply #15 on:** June 13, 2020, 01:26 »

Quote from: fritz on June 09, 2020, 13:16

http://shuttercounter.ddns.net/

slow but...

Videos and vectors still go up, is it mass uploaders like Blackbox or similar or what?

cathyslife · « **Reply #16 on:** June 13, 2020, 14:03 »

Quote from: douglas on June 12, 2020, 19:45

Quote from: cascoly on June 12, 2020, 18:56

but what shows is the futility of any boycott -- even removing 2 million images would only reduce the total by 1%. no one will notice. delete 20 million and SS will replace them quickly (and no portfolio consists of all best sellers - likely 20% of a portfolio produces 80% of income)

delete your images for other reasons, but don't imagine it will affect SS at all.

When I disabled my images I thought the same thing: it would not make a difference to Shutterstock but, to hell with that, it was a statement which had to be made and I was not going to sell images for 10c.

I was encouraged to see the figure for uploaded images per week fall from 1.6M on 1 June to below 1M today, probably more important than the total number in the collection as much content ages quickly.

I needed an image this evening which I would normally have strolled out the door and shot. However, I am still in partial lockdown at the other side of Europe but knew I had one pretty close to the view required, formerly on SS, now on DT. I found it on DT (happy to see it on the first row after only uploading last weekend) but, because I was curious, was stunned to see how few images now matched those keywords on SS.

So a boycott is not going to make a difference to searches for “happy smiley people doing happy smiley things” or “isolated tomato”. It will be the specific images missing from SS, because it covered almost everything and everywhere, and these will not be instantly replaced by image factories, rather than the generic which will be their undoing as the result of frustration on the part of buyers.

Removing 2 million QUALITY images will leave massive holes in the collection, not to mention create frustration for customers who lightboxed images, only to return to buy and find the images are gone. Will SS care? No. Will customers care? You bet. Will shareholders care that they are losing customers? You bet. And the images that are disappearing are being replaced with mostly similars garbage. Yes, some quality images are being still uploaded. But still, I’m pretty impressed with what has happened so far, and can’t wait until the 15th. #boycottshutterstock

microvideo · « **Reply #17 on:** June 13, 2020, 14:36 »

Quote from: whtvr on June 13, 2020, 01:26

Quote from: fritz on June 09, 2020, 13:16
http://shuttercounter.ddns.net/

slow but...

Videos and vectors still go up, is it mass uploaders like Blackbox or similar or what?

I don't know about vectors but video was already getting 30% commission. You can get to level 3 with only 51 downloads and to level 4 with 251. It's not affected yet. But it will when customers start getting the new $9 per video subscriptions. Uploads will go down eventually.

cascoly · « **Reply #18 on:** June 13, 2020, 15:44 »

Quote from: douglas on June 12, 2020, 19:45

Quote from: cascoly on June 12, 2020, 18:56

but what shows is the futility of any boycott -- even removing 2 million images would only reduce the total by 1%. no one will notice. delete 20 million and SS will replace them quickly (and no portfolio consists of all best sellers - likely 20% of a portfolio produces 80% of income)

delete your images for other reasons, but don't imagine it will affect SS at all.

...
I was encouraged to see the figure for uploaded images per week fall from 1.6M on 1 June to below 1M today, probably more important than the total number in the collection as much content ages quickly.

...
So a boycott is not going to make a difference to searches for “happy smiley people doing happy smiley things” or “isolated tomato”. It will be the specific images missing from SS, because it covered almost everything and everywhere, and these will not be instantly replaced by image factories, rather than the generic which will be their undoing as the result of frustration on the part of buyers.

what does a drop in images uploaded have to do with images DELETED? - w worldwide lockdowns (esp asia & russia), it's not unexpected to see fewer images being produced

Quote from: FastRacer on June 13, 2020, 14:03

Removing 2 million QUALITY images will leave massive holes in the collection, ...

how do you know 2 million QUALITY images have been deleted? (or importantly, quality images that are actually SELLING?)

Quote from: FastRacer on June 13, 2020, 14:03

...And the images that are disappearing are being replaced with mostly similars garbage. ...

and you know this HOW? how many images leaving are those that weren't selling (or even [shocking!], 'similars garbage')

Shelma1 · « **Reply #19 on:** June 13, 2020, 17:11 »

Quote from: cascoly on June 13, 2020, 15:44

Quote from: douglas on June 12, 2020, 19:45
Quote from: cascoly on June 12, 2020, 18:56

but what shows is the futility of any boycott -- even removing 2 million images would only reduce the total by 1%. no one will notice. delete 20 million and SS will replace them quickly (and no portfolio consists of all best sellers - likely 20% of a portfolio produces 80% of income)

delete your images for other reasons, but don't imagine it will affect SS at all.

...
I was encouraged to see the figure for uploaded images per week fall from 1.6M on 1 June to below 1M today, probably more important than the total number in the collection as much content ages quickly.

...
So a boycott is not going to make a difference to searches for “happy smiley people doing happy smiley things” or “isolated tomato”. It will be the specific images missing from SS, because it covered almost everything and everywhere, and these will not be instantly replaced by image factories, rather than the generic which will be their undoing as the result of frustration on the part of buyers.

what does a drop in images uploaded have to do with images DELETED? - w worldwide lockdowns (esp asia & russia), it's not unexpected to see fewer images being produced

Quote from: FastRacer on June 13, 2020, 14:03

Removing 2 million QUALITY images will leave massive holes in the collection, ...
how do you know 2 million QUALITY images have been deleted? (or importantly, quality images that are actually SELLING?)

Quote from: FastRacer on June 13, 2020, 14:03
...And the images that are disappearing are being replaced with mostly similars garbage. ...

and you know this HOW? how many images leaving are those that weren't selling (or even [shocking!], 'similars garbage')

Seriously? Even if fewer images are being produced, the numbers would still be going up, not down. I would venture to guess that with lockdown vector artists, for example, would have more free time to sit in their PJs drawing stuff. That might be why, even though many vector artists have turned off their ports, vector numbers have remained steady.

Jo Ann Snover · « **Reply #20 on:** June 13, 2020, 18:14 »

Quote from: cascoly on June 13, 2020, 15:44

...what does a drop in images uploaded have to do with images DELETED? - w worldwide lockdowns (esp asia & russia), it's not unexpected to see fewer images being produced

...how do you know 2 million QUALITY images have been deleted? (or importantly, quality images that are actually SELLING?)

...and you know this HOW? how many images leaving are those that weren't selling (or even [shocking!], 'similars garbage')

You know as well as I do that Shutterstock has been piling on the images with little regard to quality for a few years now. However that's not really the point with respect to #BoycottShutterstock.

Shutterstock reports images "added daily" and "added weekly" and those numbers have been dropping. They didn't start dropping when the pandemic started. They started dropping after their May 26 announcement of royalty cuts.

And I've tracked a bunch of data from the Wayback Machine that's part of the Internet Archive, if your next question is how do I know that

As far as the deleted images, we know quantities but I'll grant you that even the large portfolios (hundreds of thousands, tens of thousands) with great saleable images have a clunker or two in them. All of us have that. I know about the portfolios because the people boycotting have been telling me and I've been tweeting about them. I've looked at the work that's going and there's lots of really great work.

I have also been tracking the new uploads, both quantities and quality and he's telling you it's dreck because I've been finding the dreck and tweeting about it. As always, there are great images in there too.

As far as the dreck and tens of thousands of similars (see this if you don't believe me; there are more like this https://twitter.com/joannsnover/status/1271609402131271680), whether or not it's being encouraged by Shutterstock I don't know, but when you look at a page of fresh content for a search versus the "top" images, you get an idea of how useless most of the new uploads are to buyers. For example: https://twitter.com/joannsnover/status/1271679920997982208)

If you want to throw rocks, get better data first. I'd actually prefer it if you didn't throw rocks. You could join #BoycottShutterstock or not, but if not, why not leave us to it?

cathyslife · « **Reply #21 on:** June 13, 2020, 21:51 »

Quote from: Jo Ann Snover on June 13, 2020, 18:14

Quote from: cascoly on June 13, 2020, 15:44
...what does a drop in images uploaded have to do with images DELETED? - w worldwide lockdowns (esp asia & russia), it's not unexpected to see fewer images being produced

...how do you know 2 million QUALITY images have been deleted? (or importantly, quality images that are actually SELLING?)

...and you know this HOW? how many images leaving are those that weren't selling (or even [shocking!], 'similars garbage')

You know as well as I do that Shutterstock has been piling on the images with little regard to quality for a few years now. However that's not really the point with respect to #BoycottShutterstock.

Shutterstock reports images "added daily" and "added weekly" and those numbers have been dropping. They didn't start dropping when the pandemic started. They started dropping after their May 26 announcement of royalty cuts.

And I've tracked a bunch of data from the Wayback Machine that's part of the Internet Archive, if your next question is how do I know that

As far as the deleted images, we know quantities but I'll grant you that even the large portfolios (hundreds of thousands, tens of thousands) with great saleable images have a clunker or two in them. All of us have that. I know about the portfolios because the people boycotting have been telling me and I've been tweeting about them. I've looked at the work that's going and there's lots of really great work.

I have also been tracking the new uploads, both quantities and quality and he's telling you it's dreck because I've been finding the dreck and tweeting about it. As always, there are great images in there too.

As far as the dreck and tens of thousands of similars (see this if you don't believe me; there are more like this https://twitter.com/joannsnover/status/1271609402131271680), whether or not it's being encouraged by Shutterstock I don't know, but when you look at a page of fresh content for a search versus the "top" images, you get an idea of how useless most of the new uploads are to buyers. For example: https://twitter.com/joannsnover/status/1271679920997982208)

If you want to throw rocks, get better data first. I'd actually prefer it if you didn't throw rocks. You could join #BoycottShutterstock or not, but if not, why not leave us to it?

Thanks for explaining that way better than I could have. The data’s all there, he just needs to read. LOL

Les · « **Reply #22 on:** June 13, 2020, 22:34 »

I don't have any illusions that the total number of SS images will continue to go down. At one point, they will have 400 million, and then 500 images. But the general quality will go down and the search times and frustration by the buyers will go up. Their Empire State building rent will go up too and the SSTK price will go down. Remember when it was almost $100?

NeonRobot · « **Reply #23 on:** June 13, 2020, 23:56 »

https://www.microstockgroup.com/shutterstock-com/stop-uploading-to-ss-join-the-action/

cobalt · « **Reply #24 on:** June 14, 2020, 08:30 »

The newest photo uploads to SS.

https://www.shutterstock.com/de/search?sort=newest&image_type=photo

It has just been 19 days since they announced the new rates.

Many people do very good quality, but just part time. Every day you have people coming in asking what happened, why the 10 cents? Especially the non English language communities, it takes a while to cross language barriers.

Can you imagine what the uploads will look like in 6 weeks??

But long before then, the customers will notice.

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Author Topic: Boycott Shutterstock (Read 25035 times)

vector99

NeonRobot

Ronib

Dumc

fritz

microvideo

marthamarks

GrayMouse

cathyslife

noodle

art_of_sun

Wine_wine

reisegraf

cascoly

douglas

whtvr

cathyslife

microvideo

cascoly

Shelma1

Jo Ann Snover

cathyslife

Les

NeonRobot

cobalt

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