pancakes

MicrostockGroup Sponsors


Author Topic: Is This Spamming?  (Read 22188 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

« Reply #50 on: December 05, 2007, 01:48 »
0
It seems StockXpert is not going to do something about this obvious keyword spamming.

I have a suggestion, we all start adding a huge amount of keywords to our pictures, don't bother if they make sence or not.... now let's see how long this guy can keep up this practice.

And in the mean time our pictures would have more exposure because of the very good keywords. ;D

Patrick.


« Reply #51 on: December 05, 2007, 03:50 »
0
It's unfortunate that the practice of using irrelevant key wording exits on any website.
However, consider the fact that any stock photography company is free to practice and
set policy as they see fit.

We must remember that we are guest contributors of any stock site we submit too. We exist
as contributors at the pleasure of any site that will host our images. I know from experience
rocking the boat does more harm than good.

Your request for action can be seen as inappropriate, and harmful to the site you're partitioning.
Be careful you are not violating any terms of agreement you may have with the site you wish to
target.

My advice is to contact the site's support team and voice a complaint before you sound off, and put
your account in jeopardy. Be conservative, and realize it is not your place to set policy or call negative
attention to any site that is hosting your images.

Good luck,
The MIZ

« Reply #52 on: December 05, 2007, 04:14 »
0
It's unfortunate that the practice of using irrelevant key wording exits on any website.
However, consider the fact that any stock photography company is free to practice and
set policy as they see fit.

We must remember that we are guest contributors of any stock site we submit too. We exist
as contributors at the pleasure of any site that will host our images. I know from experience
rocking the boat does more harm than good.

Your request for action can be seen as inappropriate, and harmful to the site you're partitioning.
Be careful you are not violating any terms of agreement you may have with the site you wish to
target.

My advice is to contact the site's support team and voice a complaint before you sound off, and put
your account in jeopardy. Be conservative, and realize it is not your place to set policy or call negative
attention to any site that is hosting your images.

Good luck,
The MIZ


Numerous complaints have been done.... and nothing has been done by the site admins to this practice....

If you learn to read between the line than you will have noticed that i was not saying we should all start doing it.... just a sarcastic remark... nothing more.

Patrick.

« Reply #53 on: December 05, 2007, 06:44 »
0


Numerous complaints have been done.... and nothing has been done by the site admins to this practice....

If you learn to read between the line than you will have noticed that i was not saying we should all start doing it.... just a sarcastic remark... nothing more.

Patrick.

As are my comments about flooding every one of my pictures with spam!   Sarcasm. 

However....  I do not view it as negative to complain and yes, even rant about this event.   StockXpert has rules....  to allow a few to break those rules so publicly happens to be in violation of the law in the U.S.   and... any lawyer worth a pinch of salt could have a field day with discrimination suits if they cared to.  To reject my images or your images for keyword spamming and then allow this clown to do what he is doing is...
    discrimination.  Period.   

And don't take this wrong either...  beyond a few rants here.... it isn't worth my time or energy to  sue any micro site over   Bull___t.   I can vote with my portfolio.....and leave. 

By allowing this clown to continue with what he is doing... StockXpert is only showing the true    integrity   of their own business vision.

If they bend the rules here to suit their purpose and that of a select few,  who knows what  other rules they may be bending?  This only makes the rest of us raise question in our minds........  am I dealing with a company I can really trust?

Time will tell.  But really, how much time does it take to correct this issue.  It's  not like they have to spend $$$ searching for the spam... the folks here have been pointing to it for....... months... now.

Why no action?  That's the question.... 

If the answer is    "it's my football, my rules and how and when I want to apply the rules.."     then this isn't a business of integrity... and I'd make a different decision about my future with it.    8)=tom

   

« Reply #54 on: December 05, 2007, 10:16 »
0
redhat is not Lione, I wish I knew how to make images like that.  Now think about this, what if Lione makes one sale because of each keyword, is that wrong?  Just because a few people on microstockgroup.com see life, forest and cool as invalid keywords for this image does not mean that a customer will see them as invalid.  I think everyone should worry about their own images and let Lione worry about his or her images.  If Stockxpert has a limit on the number of keywords allowed then it is Stockxpert's and Lione's problem.

« Reply #55 on: December 05, 2007, 10:26 »
0
It is our problem because if StockXpert don't do something about this, everyone with appropriate keywords will find it hard to get their images seen.  This might put customers off StockXpert when they search for "forest" and have 500 photos of something else.  This could reduce our earnings.  StockXpert should sort this out, as it is going to damage them in the long run.

« Reply #56 on: December 05, 2007, 11:00 »
0
SS has the right idea with a 50 keyword limit.  Lione is known as PhotoPrince at SS, and there's no keyword spam from what I can see in him portfolio.

http://www.shutterstock.com/gallery-84354p1.html

« Reply #57 on: December 05, 2007, 11:10 »
0
I buy from time to time, and I get very annoyed when looking for something like "smiling woman sitting" and return head and shoulders of someone who is very clearly not smiling.  If you search for smiling half of the returns are not smiling at all, but photos in a series that the photographer was too lazy to check the keywords after he cut and paste.

To be fair - like I asked before, how the heck do you keyword an illustration like that anyway?  What does it represent?  All I know is if I was looking for an airplane or a hippie I would be ticked if thirty shots like this came up first.  I have a problem hitting the keyword spam button too - it seems like betraying the brotherhood or something.  I'll let the full time designers do that.

« Reply #58 on: December 05, 2007, 14:52 »
0
Keyword spamming continues to go on for the very reason that is proven here. It gets your image seen with a better chance of sales.

How many of you would be doing the same if you weren't worried about getting caught and your account disabled?

With sites controlling what is seen and not seen you can be sure that many are going to spam in order to make sales. These are the hustlers and they'll make money before they are caught. Then they will just open a new account and begin again.

Personally, I'm more concerned about sites controlling image rank and placement than I am about how someone else sells their work.

And, if the site is making good sales off the image do you really think they care?

« Reply #59 on: December 05, 2007, 15:33 »
0
.
if the site is making good sales off the image do you really think they care?

They may not care, but it is doing them more hurt than sales.

Go to StockXpert and key in the word hippie.  I don't know about you, but I would expect to see on the first row some long haired, peace loving homo sapiens, but 8 images on the first page are by lione and one is by photoprince (who I would guess is the same contributor - or major keyword stealer).

If I was thinking about going to StockXpert from Istock and this is how my first few search results went, I certainly wouldn't stay long enough to buy credits. 

« Reply #60 on: December 05, 2007, 16:07 »
0
I can't imagine when I would use one word to find an image. This is just asking for thousands of non-related images.

Those that know how to use a search engine aren't having a hard time finding what they're looking for. On occasion you will see someone post to a micro forum about having a hard time finding an image and usually it's due to them not keying in the proper words to find the image.

« Reply #61 on: December 05, 2007, 17:13 »
0
Keyword spamming continues to go on for the very reason that is proven here. It gets your image seen with a better chance of sales.

How many of you would be doing the same if you weren't worried about getting caught and your account disabled?

With sites controlling what is seen and not seen you can be sure that many are going to spam in order to make sales. These are the hustlers and they'll make money before they are caught. Then they will just open a new account and begin again.

Personally, I'm more concerned about sites controlling image rank and placement than I am about how someone else sells their work.

And, if the site is making good sales off the image do you really think they care?

Not to offend.........but...

Do we not rob the corner deli............  for fear of being caught?
Do we not do 75 in a 25 zone .......... for fear of being caught?
Do we not  write cheat notes up and down our arms for the final exam... for fear of being caught?
Do we not punch out our boss .... for fear of being caught?
Do we not shoot the person we hate most ... for fear of being caught?
Do we not bomb the the offices of any organization we think is satan personified.... ... for fear of  being caught?
Do we not pay our taxes ............for fear of being caught?

Yeah....  not quite the same as keyword spamming.....

But the principle is the same!!!

Most of us living on the planet don't do those things because they are
socially, legally or morally wrong!!!
  We do not do it simply because the person in authority has asked us not to... thus we have opportunity to show our level of integrity to our fellow humans.

would some do it? does fear stop some?  no doubt. 
However,  most of us don't do it because..... we are not supposed to!  Not because we're   ...afraid......

Just because these  "huslters'  go about making money this way.. and then cheat their ways into another account to do it all over again...
doesn't make them any less the scumbag!

And any that  'admire'  them....  or wink an eye at them....  do not have much more integrity than they do.

We don't do it because it's wrong!  Period.

The day they change the damned rule and say you can have 200 thousand keywords... THEN.... maybe the majority of us might add them!! 
« Last Edit: December 05, 2007, 17:17 by a.k.a.-tom »

« Reply #62 on: December 05, 2007, 17:53 »
0
I agree such obvious spamming should be punished.  One thing is stretching a concept, another is what we see in these examples. 

If this goes one, more and more people will do that and searches will be useless.  Buyers will move away. I wished StockXpert would be attentive to that.

That's why I in fact liked BigStock policy of not allowing keyword edition, but then many inspectors clearly did not analyse keywords.  I think now only FT does not allow editions?  I don't know however if they check keywords in inspection.

Regards,
Adelaide

« Reply #63 on: December 06, 2007, 07:43 »
0
he is still there with all his spamming business.I think he has been tolerated far too long and too much. is it  because his work sells no matter how he does it.
is StockXpert aware of that this issue damages it's reputation very  badly?

« Reply #64 on: December 06, 2007, 09:51 »
0
Hi guys.

Sorry for not responding sooner. We are aware of this. We are going to take action, and I'm in the process of putting together a proposal to address this issue.

Thanks!
-Steve

« Reply #65 on: December 06, 2007, 11:03 »
0



Not to offend.........but...

Do we not rob the corner deli............  for fear of being caught?
Do we not do 75 in a 25 zone .......... for fear of being caught?
Do we not  write cheat notes up and down our arms for the final exam... for fear of being caught?
Do we not punch out our boss .... for fear of being caught?
Do we not shoot the person we hate most ... for fear of being caught?
Do we not bomb the the offices of any organization we think is satan personified.... ... for fear of  being caught?
Do we not pay our taxes ............for fear of being caught?

Yeah....  not quite the same as keyword spamming.....

Exactly

But the principle is the same!!!


Don't holler at me. If you were talking to me in person would you shout like this?.

Most of us living on the planet don't do those things because they are
socially, legally or morally wrong!!!
  We do not do it simply because the person in authority has asked us not to... thus we have opportunity to show our level of integrity to our fellow humans.

<<snip>>

[[/quote]

Sounds good but sadly it ain't the truth in the world or in microstock land.

« Reply #66 on: December 06, 2007, 18:49 »
0
ManicBlu
Not talking to you directly......and not shouting....  I do considerable public speaking to groups of hundreds on a weekly basis. It's my job. Bold lettering can also highlight the jist of the non-verbal communication and should not be immediately taken as being hollered at. 

If you want to take it personal, that's your call... if you find it offensive, let me know why those statements offend you. If you were offended,  my apologies.

As you pointed out ( and as I did say in the first place)
yes, spamming is not murder.... but the principle  is the same.  If an authority figure, be it the gov't of the land,  or the owner of a stock site sets down rules and regulations... people of integrity (who have agreed to abide by the rules of said stock site when they clicked to join) ...obey what is requested of them. They don't do it out of fear of being caught.  They don't do it because they gave their word that they would do as the rules said when they clicked "agreed".

I am sure you would never consider murdering any one ...or robbing the local market, ...kidnapping someones child.. why? I am sure it is because you have a  conscience, moral values and integrity and are a responsible person...    Not because you are afraid you might get caught.   And, it's that simple.

That is the point I am making.  This person does what he/she does because he/she doesn't care about being responsible and they don't care about the consequences of their actions. Those consequences are not relevant to him/her as long as in the short term, they get their cash. He/she makes out better because most folks WON'T do what he/she does. 

One reply to your final comment.... Sounds good but sadly it ain't the truth in the world or in microstock land.

I have found in the time I've been a member here, that for the most part, folks around here do have integrity.  Just reading the comments they make it is obvious what they all think of this individual and what he/she is doing.  And obvious too,  they wouldn't do it. And finally.... judging from their comments, the reason they wouldn't do it, isn't  out of fear of being caught.  They won't do it because it is wrong on many levels.

Thanks for your feedback.   8)=tom



« Last Edit: December 06, 2007, 19:03 by a.k.a.-tom »

« Reply #67 on: December 07, 2007, 08:48 »
0
I still disagree with your thoughts, Tom, although I do agree that it would be a better world if they were true.

Whether they're trying to make a dollar or a euro most people (I believe) rather than the handfull you see on forums see this issue as one of "All's fair in love and war" rather than an issue of integrity.

This doesn't mean it's right but it's the way of things. People will scam, spam, manipulate, cajole, pretend, lie, use and abuse the system and other people in order to get their files to the top of the pile. Why? Because they are trying to make money and in many cases they know their files will be buried otherwise.

I'm all for integrity and do have my own standards that I live by but I also believe site owners, administrator and inspectors should have integrity as well. If a person believes they are being abused by the system and they are powerless to stop it they will either quit the game because of their integrity or do battle in whatever way they can.

I am not arguing with you. My view of the world and it's inhabitants is just very different.



« Reply #68 on: December 07, 2007, 17:01 »
0
Fair enough, I can respect that.  We seem to agree and yet at the same time disagree. Seems it's only a matter of our individual perspectives and that's.. okay.
   
I see you've been onboard MSG since april but are still a 'Newbie'....  Nice to see your comments and hear your viewpoints.  Please continue, comment more...get out of that newbie status.. LOL
ManicBlu....... in my 59 years of life there has been many times my opinion has changed because someone such as yourself has given me a perspective I had never considered. I have no problem with folks challenging my opinions and I do listen to and consider what others have to say.  I value variety in life.

Looking forward to your future input and ...welcome to commenting side of the gang!  8)=tom

zymmetricaldotcom

« Reply #69 on: December 07, 2007, 17:55 »
0
Accepting art from anyone on the internet is a rough business, I for one look up to Stockxpert as a great site that has earned it's just rewards.  Something like this goes with the territory. 

If you run a popular blog, then you're going to get paid posters polluting your comments with spam for their sites, if you run a successful stock agency then there's going to be people trying to game the system. Wherever there's a dollar on the internet, there's cheeseballs, it's been like this in business in general since the beginning of civilization. 

Yes you can limit the quantity of keywords, but if a pic is worth a thousand then what's the point of that. Ultimately it should be the Searches > Return Clients that count. If Stockxpert didn't do a good job in this dept. then they wouldn't be where they are now. Some lone gunman polluting the keywords shouldn't be the basis for an uprising..
« Last Edit: December 07, 2007, 18:10 by zymmetricaldotcom »

« Reply #70 on: December 07, 2007, 19:22 »
0
Some lone gunman polluting the keywords shouldn't be the basis for an uprising..

I don't think that the problem is with one person polluting the keywords, but the fact that StockXpert still hasn't done anything about this in over two months.  Many other people on this board have reported getting images rejected for borderline keyword problems, but here is an obvious case of spamming and nothing is being done.  What type of message does that give to the rest of us?

« Reply #71 on: December 07, 2007, 22:04 »
0
Removed comment....
« Last Edit: December 07, 2007, 23:03 by a.k.a.-tom »

« Reply #72 on: December 09, 2007, 11:39 »
0
Here's a good one.  THIS IS SS NOT StockXpert.  I just uploaded a hockey player and doing a search for it...

This is the number 5 image under photos at SS.  (Right after the illustration when I checked photos only!!!)


I've hilighted the words I don't think fit.  Am I out of line here?  Or do I keyword incorrectly?

13-15, 25-30, activity, adult, blonde, boy, carefree, casual, caucasian, caucasian, cheerful, clothing, color, color, colour, compete, competition, confident, fashion, female, fresh, freshness, full, fun, game, girl, glowing, happy, head, health, hockey, ice, idyllic, image, image, joy, joyful, leisure, length, lifestyle, looking, male, multiethnic, natural, nature, one, one, outdoors, outdoors, outside, people, person, person, photograph, play, player, portrait, practice, pretty, recreation, relaxed, rink, sea, serene, shot, shoulder, sincere, skate, skating, slide, smiling, sport, square, stick, sunny, teenage, uniform, vertical, vitality, wellbeing, winter, winter, woman, years, years, young, young, youth

Funny, she's a boy, a girl and a woman.  That's one hot transvestite.  And she's both 13-15 and 25-30 years old.

« Reply #73 on: December 09, 2007, 13:31 »
0
I don't think you are out of line at all, Pixart. No, I don't see that girl playing hockey, ice, skates or anything like that in the photo. I call that spamming and I really hate it.

I am both a contributor and a buyer. I can tell you I get really frustrated when, as a buyer, I'm searching for something, and a photo like that comes up under something unrelated. It turns me off totally.

As a contributor, I am very careful about keywording, because I just don't have it in me to cheat the way the spammers do. It is called integrity. It's more important to me than winning at all costs.

« Reply #74 on: December 09, 2007, 14:32 »
0
I am both a contributor and a buyer. I can tell you I get really frustrated when, as a buyer, I'm searching for something, and a photo like that comes up under something unrelated. It turns me off totally.

As a contributor, I am very careful about keywording, because I just don't have it in me to cheat the way the spammers do. It is called integrity. It's more important to me than winning at all costs.

Thanks, cclapper!!        8)-tom


 

Related Topics

  Subject / Started by Replies Last post
1 Replies
2789 Views
Last post April 09, 2015, 14:23
by jakobdam
4 Replies
4211 Views
Last post July 04, 2015, 10:03
by Dodie
26 Replies
10391 Views
Last post January 13, 2017, 13:47
by Pauws99
2 Replies
2418 Views
Last post February 09, 2017, 09:11
by jonbull
2 Replies
4003 Views
Last post April 04, 2018, 16:58
by YadaYadaYada

Sponsors

Mega Bundle of 5,900+ Professional Lightroom Presets

Microstock Poll Results

Sponsors