this is the secret of success: What else can you say about Microstock Toilets?

https://www.shutterstock.com/search/similar/558729838

these 100 bulps are from one and the same contributor:

https://www.shutterstock.com/g/PictureStudio?search_source=base_gallery&page=2

every image has hundreds of variations....

And the point is? The studio has 150,000 vectors. The light bulbs are with shadow, with background, with some small change. They all have the same name you used for the search, Bulb Icon. Vector Eps and all are the same basic image, so of course it's going to be all there's.

How about https://www.shutterstock.com/search?search_source=base_search_form&language=en&searchterm=bulb+icon+vector&image_type=all instead of similar to something that's of course going to be similar, because they all came from the same artist.

Yes I'd agree 100 of the same light bulb with minor variations makes no sense. But a search for what the buyer wants, looking at similar, will always get more from the identical source and artist. And when it does, then people are complaining it should have their similar images, not other peoples.

Which is it then, or just finding things wrong, no matter what SS does?

Quote from: Microstockphoto on January 27, 2017, 16:07

70 downloads in one week, from bad to worse , i am afraid the end for me is near, the decline is really rapid now.

I have to agree!  never seen it like this. I'm getting an uncanny feeling its a lot more to this story like a Gordon Gekko squeeze the last drop of blood out of the business before the end.

There was a time when 20+ downloads a day would have made me very happy, but it was back in about 2008. Now, having worked so hard to build a solid portfolio, it feels like a slap in the face to see such a huge decline.

I used to get a buzz out of watching my stats, and loved the days where the total crept over the 100 mark, but now the daily average of 70-80, (weekday average of 90), is lucky to hit 30.

I guess we should have seen this coming when the required payout went from $75 to $35, as that's proportionately in line with my monthly income drop.

Shutterstock was the flagship of the microstock industry - such a shame to see it hit an iceberg.

It's hard to say when if you don't know when. Troubleshooting is a tricky business in IT. Good to know they are aware of problems though.

70 downloads in one week, from bad to worse , i am afraid the end for me is near, the decline is really rapid now.

u keep uploading new stuff or rely on old photos?

Quote from: derek on January 28, 2017, 02:54

Quote from: Microstockphoto on January 27, 2017, 16:07

70 downloads in one week, from bad to worse , i am afraid the end for me is near, the decline is really rapid now.

I have to agree!  never seen it like this. I'm getting an uncanny feeling its a lot more to this story like a Gordon Gekko squeeze the last drop of blood out of the business before the end.

There was a time when 20+ downloads a day would have made me very happy, but it was back in about 2008. Now, having worked so hard to build a solid portfolio, it feels like a slap in the face to see such a huge decline.

I used to get a buzz out of watching my stats, and loved the days where the total crept over the 100 mark, but now the daily average of 70-80, (weekday average of 90), is lucky to hit 30.

I guess we should have seen this coming when the required payout went from $75 to $35, as that's proportionately in line with my monthly income drop.

Shutterstock was the flagship of the microstock industry - such a shame to see it hit an iceberg.

I don't doubt your personal numbers at all. But you might want to consider some changes since 2008  http://www.microstockgroup.com/shutterstock-com/countdown-to-100-million-on-ss-is-over/25/

There are 165,000 contributors and 110 million images. In 2008 17,000 contributors and 5 million images. Can you see why we are all losing downloads and making less? Pretty simple math when you look at it.

5 million images then, 110 million now. How thin can you make a slice of the pie when there are 165,000 asking for some?

Competition has gone up 115 million more competing images than in 2008. What should we expect, that our percentage of sales with that volume, we'd stay the same?

Might be down the toilet is right, but the reason why is fairly self evident. Competition is the answer.

Quote from: KuriousKat on January 28, 2017, 03:22

Quote from: derek on January 28, 2017, 02:54

Quote from: Microstockphoto on January 27, 2017, 16:07

70 downloads in one week, from bad to worse , i am afraid the end for me is near, the decline is really rapid now.

I have to agree!  never seen it like this. I'm getting an uncanny feeling its a lot more to this story like a Gordon Gekko squeeze the last drop of blood out of the business before the end.

There was a time when 20+ downloads a day would have made me very happy, but it was back in about 2008. Now, having worked so hard to build a solid portfolio, it feels like a slap in the face to see such a huge decline.

I used to get a buzz out of watching my stats, and loved the days where the total crept over the 100 mark, but now the daily average of 70-80, (weekday average of 90), is lucky to hit 30.

I guess we should have seen this coming when the required payout went from $75 to $35, as that's proportionately in line with my monthly income drop.

Shutterstock was the flagship of the microstock industry - such a shame to see it hit an iceberg.

I don't doubt your personal numbers at all. But you might want to consider some changes since 2008  http://www.microstockgroup.com/shutterstock-com/countdown-to-100-million-on-ss-is-over/25/

There are 165,000 contributors and 110 million images. In 2008 17,000 contributors and 5 million images. Can you see why we are all losing downloads and making less? Pretty simple math when you look at it.

5 million images then, 110 million now. How thin can you make a slice of the pie when there are 165,000 asking for some?

Competition has gone up 115 million more competing images than in 2008. What should we expect, that our percentage of sales with that volume, we'd stay the same?

Might be down the toilet is right, but the reason why is fairly self evident. Competition is the answer.

I'm not doubting the reasons, although I'm sure it's not all about the image numbers, as I have seen two very distinct and overnight drops, which must relate to search changes I think.

I was managing to upload and just about maintain a level income until late June of 2016, and the library was around 100mil images at that point, so I'm not trying to make a comparison against 2008 numbers, I'm just looking at changes in the last six months.

In early July I saw a 30% overnight drop, and the same happened again in late November.

63% overnight drop last year in october.....

This january again 25% drop since last month....

Use to make decent money on SS; now i have days with only 1 sale.
SUCKS big time.

Been on SS since january 1st 2011; than 4 year of growth, than 2 year stable and than- the end of last year- the big drop.

There aren't many jobs where your salary continues to rise by large amounts every year... It's normal to work just to maintain - or not work and go down to zero.

I know that's not why we're doing this as it's a wonderful thing to be able to have a large passive income, but just to put things into perspective...

Quote from: derek on January 28, 2017, 09:57

For somebody to actually experience this sudden drop they obviously have to be one of the people affected! every "old" member coming on here is agreeing on this. For somebody thats been with SS for like 5 years they wont experience anything of this just keep uploading and uploading happy go lucky and it just seems like any old search change. Win some lose some.
Very different for an old member watching the sky fall just over night not all but many. Not an imagination.

Not sure if it's the search or just reaching overload. Many said they saw this drop in 2012. I can upload 1000 new a year and sales don't go up. That's the same as a drop.

1000 are nothing in this context...i don't understand why people don't accept this...
in 2010 there were 5 million file...very few stock house...nowadays there is invasion of stock production company...they come from serbia ukraine russia  mostly, cheap cost of production help them, they have 100000 minimum files...adding 100 k every year, especially in people category....how can you be competitive?
1000 files are good if you have a unique style and a niche...but how many can have this? how many niche you can find ion a pool of 55 million file...1 million added every week....shutterstock growth has been very small compared to the growth of files size.
micro stock right now is sustainable in a country where cost of living and production cost are very low....tha's why yuri archers went to south africa years ago for example.

jonbull,  still uploading

yada,  yes more competition,  but my sales are plunging faster than ever before.

what kind of files? stil life , food people travel?

people, life style, travel, food,  vector /illustrations, videos, etc.  I diversed  long time ago,  but the rot is  setting in

ok.

You can live in Africa on 5 dollars per day? I am moving...