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Author Topic: Contributor forum deceased?  (Read 21104 times)

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« Reply #50 on: October 06, 2021, 13:06 »
+2
No surprise here, it fits in the stages of decline for stock companies.  The mistakes iStock did are being replicated almost as a mirrored copy. Frankly I don't mind it much as a forum where there can be no dissent is barely useful.


Uncle Pete

  • Great Place by a Great Lake - My Home Port
« Reply #51 on: October 06, 2021, 13:24 »
+2
I'm not surprised the SS forums will be shut down comes October 14th
I was on it for about 2 years and the only thing I learned was I should never
have joined it.
For you SS forum members who don't know who I am:
Upload, upload upload!
10,000 or bust

For those who can't remember and claimed on the SS forum, he doesn't have 10,000 images, they are right. "11,026 stock photos, vectors, and illustrations are available royalty-free." it's 11K  ;D

No surprise here, it fits in the stages of decline for stock companies.  The mistakes iStock did are being replicated almost as a mirrored copy. Frankly I don't mind it much as a forum where there can be no dissent is barely useful.

Good points, and iStock is still leading the way in absurd and stupid changes that usually do more to hurt contributors, but sometimes the company themselves. Don't they still have a forum, where you can't ask difficult questions, and threads are regularly locked. Somewhere buried in the forum rules, we aren't supposed to quote or link to the forum?

Also: If you post User Content to the Site

"If you post User Content to the Site, unless we indicate otherwise, you grant Getty Images and its affiliates a nonexclusive, royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable and fully sublicensable right to use, reproduce, modify, adapt, publish, translate, create derivative works from, distribute, perform and display such User Content throughout the world in any media. You grant Getty Images and its affiliates and sublicensees the right to use the name that you submit in connection with such content, if they choose. "
 
They have irrevocable rights to your posts, images and use of your name.  :o

« Reply #52 on: October 06, 2021, 14:20 »
0
Quote
For those who can't remember and claimed on the SS forum, he doesn't have 10,000 images, they are right. "11,026 stock photos, vectors, and illustrations are available royalty-free." it's 11K 

11K unique photos? I mean if I have 11K images of the same subject, so technically I have 1 image.

thijsdegraaf

« Reply #53 on: October 06, 2021, 14:20 »
+2
I'm not surprised the SS forums will be shut down comes October 14th
I was on it for about 2 years and the only thing I learned was I should never
have joined it.
For you SS forum members who don't know who I am:
Upload, upload upload!
10,000 or bust

For those who can't remember and claimed on the SS forum, he doesn't have 10,000 images, they are right. "11,026 stock photos, vectors, and illustrations are available royalty-free." it's 11K  ;D

With many photos of a man with a grey beard.  :) I was surprised that there were no rejections for similar. I was wondering how he/you was doing. His/Your name is still regularly on the Shutterstock forum
« Last Edit: October 06, 2021, 14:52 by thijsdegraaf »

KeremGo

  • IG/TWT: @keremgo3d

« Reply #54 on: October 07, 2021, 18:24 »
+1
I'm not surprised the SS forums will be shut down comes October 14th
I was on it for about 2 years and the only thing I learned was I should never
have joined it.
For you SS forum members who don't know who I am:
Upload, upload upload!
10,000 or bust

Hey good to see you here! I hope all is well with you ^_^

« Reply #55 on: October 07, 2021, 18:48 »
+1
Thank you.
I appreciate the welcome.

marthamarks

« Reply #56 on: October 10, 2021, 15:48 »
0

They have irrevocable rights to your posts, images and use of your name.  :o

Not to mine! It's been 10 years since I told iStock what I thought of it and left in disgust.

Independence felt good then, and it felt equally good after I told SS the same thing in 2020.

« Reply #57 on: October 10, 2021, 16:10 »
0
Change of pace:
I just looked at your Dreamstime portfolio.
You do beautiful nature shots. Really nice.

« Reply #58 on: October 10, 2021, 21:19 »
0
Quote
For those who can't remember and claimed on the SS forum, he doesn't have 10,000 images, they are right. "11,026 stock photos, vectors, and illustrations are available royalty-free." it's 11K 

11K unique photos? I mean if I have 11K images of the same subject, so technically I have 1 image.

How many unique photos do you have?

« Reply #59 on: October 10, 2021, 22:00 »
+2
 
Quote

With many photos of a man with a grey beard.  :) I was surprised that there were no rejections for similar. I was wondering how he/you was doing. His/Your name is still regularly on the Shutterstock forum

Just before I quit SS forums some pos rat made a big complaint to SS about my selfies. I got a note from somebody in management about similars. Turns out he was very polite, very educational and with some great suggestions.
So I deleted about 100 or so images that really were too similar. He gave his official OKY DOKY and I then quit the forum because I had no use for vindictive, damage happy, stupid little kids trying to hurt me.
I mean why?
You sound like one of them. So you know I think I will quit this forum as well.
I have absolutely no use for people who can't mind their own business.
And about sales, yes, my selfies sell all the time. Daily. There is not a lot of money in the sales but I average 75 cents a sale. That's with the reduced sales commission. So I'm not complaining.
I don't know why you and the rest of the SS refugees have a problem with other people's ports. It's really not any of your business.
So yes, I prefer SS management over the forum dwellers, who for the most part simply attacked other people on the forum and never did much with their portfolios. I learned a lot from the managers who saw my port growth and did what they could to help me.
I don't blame them for closing the forums. They were worthless.
I have not done many selfies since last Christmas but the sales have not slacked up any at all. They just keep on coming.
What I'm going to do next is add video selfies and to totally change the settings of my selfies to make them for interesting.
It's a fun challenge, does not cost much and pays huge dividends.

 

marthamarks

« Reply #60 on: October 10, 2021, 23:21 »
0
Change of pace:
I just looked at your Dreamstime portfolio.
You do beautiful nature shots. Really nice.

Thank you for that! 

I think Adobe has the better collection, however, and it's presented more nicely. So please take a look at that when you get a chance. :D
« Last Edit: October 10, 2021, 23:44 by marthamarks »

thijsdegraaf

« Reply #61 on: October 11, 2021, 02:22 »
+2

Quote

With many photos of a man with a grey beard.  :) I was surprised that there were no rejections for similar. I was wondering how he/you was doing. His/Your name is still regularly on the Shutterstock forum

Just before I quit SS forums some pos rat made a big complaint to SS about my selfies. I got a note from somebody in management about similars. Turns out he was very polite, very educational and with some great suggestions.
So I deleted about 100 or so images that really were too similar. He gave his official OKY DOKY and I then quit the forum because I had no use for vindictive, damage happy, stupid little kids trying to hurt me.
I mean why?
You sound like one of them. So you know I think I will quit this forum as well.
I have absolutely no use for people who can't mind their own business.
And about sales, yes, my selfies sell all the time. Daily. There is not a lot of money in the sales but I average 75 cents a sale. That's with the reduced sales commission. So I'm not complaining.
I don't know why you and the rest of the SS refugees have a problem with other people's ports. It's really not any of your business.
So yes, I prefer SS management over the forum dwellers, who for the most part simply attacked other people on the forum and never did much with their portfolios. I learned a lot from the managers who saw my port growth and did what they could to help me.
I don't blame them for closing the forums. They were worthless.
I have not done many selfies since last Christmas but the sales have not slacked up any at all. They just keep on coming.
What I'm going to do next is add video selfies and to totally change the settings of my selfies to make them for interesting.
It's a fun challenge, does not cost much and pays huge dividends.


Were they selfies? I thought you were using a relative or friend for that. Most on the forum enjoyed what you did and also the discussions with you.
Unfortunately, there is always someone who is so childish as to complain about such a thing. That's why you left? Too bad, because many really missed you.

But I actually have no right to speak, because I immediately left the Alamy forum.  ;D As I describe here. https://discussion.alamy.com/profile/9555-thijsdegraaf/?tab=field_core_pfield_14
« Last Edit: October 11, 2021, 02:30 by thijsdegraaf »

« Reply #62 on: October 11, 2021, 02:36 »
0
Quote
Were they selfies? I thought you were using a relative or friend for that. Most on the forum enjoyed what you did and also the discussions with you.
Unfortunately, there is always someone who is so childish as to complain about such a thing. That's why you left. Too bad, because many really missed you.

Yeah, the bearded guy is me. I did all those selfies, (2100+) all by myself. I remember people debating endlessly how I did
it. I never let on because by that point I was in no mood to help anyone.  :)
I really got fed up with the forums and being on them interfered with my stock business.
It was more than childish, it was viscous attack on my port. So I got fed up and left.
That's why I'm not going to be posting a lot here. I much rather take photos and upload, upload, upload than be on the forums.
I have not done much in the past 8 months or so, mostly sitting around looking at my portfolio and seeing what worked and what
did not. So now I'm ready to go back to work, full blast doing both video and images.
I can't see much sense in running down people or agencies. Nobody forces anyone to use them.
People are free to use or not. I don't care about the discussions of evil and greedy agencies.
They are there to make money, not to be a charity. Same as me.
Crying about it does not change anything. Shutterstock is going to do as Shutterstock best sees fit.
I'm going to continue to be a contributor just like I also contribute to Adobe, Dreamstime, 123RF and Wirestock.
They are all agencies that do their best to sell pictures and make money. Yeah, the market is changing, crying about it does nothing.
Take care
« Last Edit: October 11, 2021, 02:45 by Bigbird »

« Reply #63 on: October 11, 2021, 12:28 »
0
How many unique photos do you have?

Good question. I think I would cut my portfolio at least five time if I remove duplicates. The problem is that I would most likely win if you have one wonderful photo of something and I have 1000 mediocre photos on the same subject. It would be hard to find your wonderful photo along the mess I created. :) 

marthamarks

« Reply #64 on: October 11, 2021, 12:55 »
+1
It would be hard to find your wonderful photo along the mess I created. :)

Bingo!  But at least you're honest about it.

Uncle Pete

  • Great Place by a Great Lake - My Home Port
« Reply #65 on: October 12, 2021, 12:38 »
0
How many unique photos do you have?

Good question. I think I would cut my portfolio at least five time if I remove duplicates. The problem is that I would most likely win if you have one wonderful photo of something and I have 1000 mediocre photos on the same subject. It would be hard to find your wonderful photo along the mess I created. :)

Yeah, there are people, not pointing at you either, who upload 50 of everything, and have 5,000 photos which is really 1,000 unique images. And for myself, I have 5,195 stock photos, vectors, and illustrations which are mostly one of a kind. But that doesn't make mine better or get me huge sales, it's just a number.

If someone has 11k and is happy, and I have 5,000 and I'm happy and someone else has under 500 and they are happy, then we're all fine in our own way. I don't understand why people got so bent on attacking another person for having his own view of how to go at this business. I disagree with the 10k in one year attack theory! So What? And a better laugh might be that I have 5,000 in 14 years and Joe probably gets more downloads than I do.

Also your other point is well made. Being found is worth much more sometimes than how many or if it's a stunning one of a kind image.

Anyway, I'm forced to try to go back on topic. The SS forum was more of a social forum than informational forum. SS didn't read or answer, except in a rare case. People discussed everything besides stock photos, about 80% of the time. The QC and review, or opinions on photos section got changed and became less useful for old and new. One post spam people took over, dropping stupid posts and quotes, just to get their links in a message for SEO. No real Moderation. The majority of posts from some people, were nothing but repeating how much they hated ShutterStock and how they were leaving. Some actually left.

If someone looks at the SS forum from the operators or agency point of view, why have it? I think SS sends everything to committee and they probably wanted to close it last year, but it takes that long for a decision when a bunch of suits, who are afraid they will make a wrong decision and get fired, are unlikely to take any action, without falling back on a way to have studies, review and someone else to blame if something fails.

Simple enough, with a single real moderator, standards and rules, the forum would be fine and viable. At this point, it's just a neglected, nasty waste bin. Not the small number of people who still post, but just the forum itself and how it is so dysfunctional.

« Reply #66 on: May 09, 2022, 19:45 »
0
I tried the links you posted and they redirect to the contributor dashboard. 2022 MAY


zeljkok

  • Non Linear Existence
« Reply #67 on: May 09, 2022, 19:59 »
+1
they probably wanted to close it last year, but it takes that long for a decision when a bunch of suits, who are afraid they will make a wrong decision and get fired, are unlikely to take any action, without falling back on a way to have studies, review and someone else to blame if something fails.

Simple enough, with a single real moderator, standards and rules, the forum would be fine and viable. At this point, it's just a neglected, nasty waste bin. Not the small number of people who still post, but just the forum itself and how it is so dysfunctional.

To me forum is way to build sense of community more than anything else.  But, as you say, it needs moderation.  Moderation is not necessarily time consuming  - talking from experience. Real issue with SS Forum is that they didn't (don't) (stopped) caring about contributors   So someone said something to the effect "Just leave it, they can trash each other all they want".  And it went for awhile, but then these Asian spam posts started popping up & it was the last drop -- just close it and we are done.

It is a shame, because when managed the right way Forums can be invaluable source of info, support or even making friends.

Uncle Pete

  • Great Place by a Great Lake - My Home Port
« Reply #68 on: May 09, 2022, 20:36 »
+1
they probably wanted to close it last year, but it takes that long for a decision when a bunch of suits, who are afraid they will make a wrong decision and get fired, are unlikely to take any action, without falling back on a way to have studies, review and someone else to blame if something fails.

Simple enough, with a single real moderator, standards and rules, the forum would be fine and viable. At this point, it's just a neglected, nasty waste bin. Not the small number of people who still post, but just the forum itself and how it is so dysfunctional.

To me forum is way to build sense of community more than anything else.  But, as you say, it needs moderation.  Moderation is not necessarily time consuming  - talking from experience. Real issue with SS Forum is that they didn't (don't) (stopped) caring about contributors   So someone said something to the effect "Just leave it, they can trash each other all they want".  And it went for awhile, but then these Asian spam posts started popping up & it was the last drop -- just close it and we are done.

It is a shame, because when managed the right way Forums can be invaluable source of info, support or even making friends.

Yes, if they cared at all, but anyone who watched, it seemed they had no interest in moderation on the forum. Maybe some nice people like Kate came and tried, but I'd bet the forum was some "if you have time, go look at the forum." Not someone assigned to make it viable and useful or a sense of community or at the least, offer helpful contact from inside the company or some minimal answers to questions.

By the time there were 75 pages of angry posts about how the 10c and the reset had been a slap at pretty much every contributor, the forum was dead. You can't have your own forum, exposing the truth about how contributors were mistreated.

I know some people won't like this, but the way the forum could have been rescued would have been actual moderation, with guidelines and rules that were fairly and equally enforced. The forum was abandoned long before it had to be shut down for going feral.

zeljkok

  • Non Linear Existence
« Reply #69 on: May 10, 2022, 14:44 »
0


I know some people won't like this, but the way the forum could have been rescued would have been actual moderation, with guidelines and rules that were fairly and equally enforced. The forum was abandoned long before it had to be shut down for going feral.

That's exactly right.  Vast majority are "good" users interested in sharing and being part of community, but small % will always be trolls, stirring up trouble. If you don't deal with it, it will drag board down as few people are interested in online drama.  On top,  you had "10 cent" restructuring, which naturally made just about everyone unhappy;  it didn't take rocket scientist to predict eventual extinction, only question was when. Yes, Kate was nice, Anna too, but strings were pulled by someone way above them.

Alamy too removed public link to their Forum from main page, simply not wanting to make it directly visible to potential customers.  But at least they didn't take it down and it is still moderated.

« Reply #70 on: May 10, 2022, 16:38 »
+2


I know some people won't like this, but the way the forum could have been rescued would have been actual moderation, with guidelines and rules that were fairly and equally enforced. The forum was abandoned long before it had to be shut down for going feral.

That's exactly right.  Vast majority are "good" users interested in sharing and being part of community, but small % will always be trolls, stirring up trouble. If you don't deal with it, it will drag board down as few people are interested in online drama.  On top,  you had "10 cent" restructuring, which naturally made just about everyone unhappy;  it didn't take rocket scientist to predict eventual extinction, only question was when. Yes, Kate was nice, Anna too, but strings were pulled by someone way above them.

Alamy too removed public link to their Forum from main page, simply not wanting to make it directly visible to potential customers.  But at least they didn't take it down and it is still moderated.

Trolls played same role in that forum shutdown as traffic lights in GTA.


 

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