Author Topic: noticing big change at Stockxpert? no sign of life ??? (Read 34313 times)

haap · « **Reply #50 on:** April 19, 2009, 02:28 »

I removed some topics and created a sticky one with official info. The sort order is already fixed, and I'm very glad because I was about to go crazy just like everyone else.

rinderart:
You just have to upload the files to the FTP, press a button, and tag them with the bulk editor. That's it.
You can't skip the FTP part, somehow you have to get the files online.
You can't skip the button pressing part, you have to tell the system somehow that you are done.
Finally, having folders give you the ability to edit many files at the same time.
There aren't a lot of things to simplify here...

We could group images by upload date, but that's the same thing.

click_click · « **Reply #51 on:** April 20, 2009, 18:22 »

Quote from: haap on April 19, 2009, 02:28

I removed some topics and created a sticky one with official info. The sort order is already fixed, and I'm very glad because I was about to go crazy just like everyone else.

rinderart:
You just have to upload the files to the FTP, press a button, and tag them with the bulk editor. That's it.
You can't skip the FTP part, somehow you have to get the files online.
You can't skip the button pressing part, you have to tell the system somehow that you are done.
Finally, having folders give you the ability to edit many files at the same time.
There aren't a lot of things to simplify here...
We could group images by upload date, but that's the same thing.

Thanks for chiming in - seriously at least we get information straight from the source!

However,
the FTP upload IS extremely tedious. It's not just Laurin feeling that way, and not just me either I'm afraid.

I understand that this FTP issue is not an urgent matter for StockXpert at the moment but Laurin was explaining correctly that Shutterstock set up their FTP system in a way that does not require hitting any buttons to tell the server that the uploader has finished transferring files - nor moving files around in various "Briefcase" folders etc (it is annoying AND time consuming).

This might be a technical challenge for StockXpert to achieve but I have to agree that this is the easiest way to upload files.

Drag and drop into your FTP client AND DONE!

Please Peter keep posting here about the progress of StockXpert.

stockastic · « **Reply #52 on:** April 20, 2009, 18:35 »

Quote from: click_click on April 20, 2009, 18:22

Drag and drop into your FTP client AND DONE!

Amen.

batman · « **Reply #53 on:** April 20, 2009, 18:56 »

Quote from: stockastic on April 17, 2009, 20:13

Quote from: batman on April 17, 2009, 17:59
not getting any views is not a good reason to stop uploading...
I disagree. Like many (most?) sites, StockXpert includes both 'popularity' and newness in their search ranking, which is something of a circular reference. As your new image ages, there's a popularity 'curve' it has to stay on or it sinks out of sight. So iIf your image doesn't get any views while it's new, it's lost. Something happened at StockXpert a few weeks ago and new images stopped getting views. Many submitters noticed this ans some decided to stop uploading now, and not waste their images, in hopes that StockXpert gets fixed in the future.

hmm, what dya know. we live to learn something new every day. thx stockastic
. so what now? should we delete those images? no point of having them there if they are to sink out of sight, as you put it.

stockastic · « **Reply #54 on:** April 20, 2009, 19:15 »

I had a small number of images on StockXpert but they were getting views and making a few sales. Then "the trouble", whatever it was, began a few weeks ago. After that point, new images I submitted got essentially no views. And not a single sale, old or new, since that time. Zero. If the search ranking problem has now been fixed, that's had no impact on the images I already have there.

So I've quit submitting to StockXpert - of course, your mileage may vary. I've thought about deleting my images and re-submitting - not sure if that would be allowed though.

goldenangel · « **Reply #55 on:** April 21, 2009, 00:29 »

My views and sales have dropped drastically as well.

fotografer · « **Reply #56 on:** April 21, 2009, 00:50 »

Things seem to be picking up there the last few days. Lots more credit sales and just had a set of images reviewed overnight.

haap · « **Reply #57 on:** April 21, 2009, 02:24 »

Quote from: click_click on April 20, 2009, 18:22

The FTP upload IS extremely tedious. It's not just Laurin feeling that way, and not just me either I'm afraid.

I understand that this FTP issue is not an urgent matter for StockXpert at the moment but Laurin was explaining correctly that Shutterstock set up their FTP system in a way that does not require hitting any buttons to tell the server that the uploader has finished transferring files - nor moving files around in various "Briefcase" folders etc (it is annoying AND time consuming).

This might be a technical challenge for StockXpert to achieve but I have to agree that this is the easiest way to upload files.

Drag and drop into your FTP client AND DONE!

Please Peter keep posting here about the progress of StockXpert.

It's not really a technical issue, it's just that when I wrote that part of the site a long time ago I thought the users would want to decide when to transfer the files to their accounts.

I think it can be changed.

You don't have to move the files around though, they are just grouped for easier editing. Maybe that's not the best concept so please share your favourite way to edit files and we'll definitely consider implementing it.

I'll try to post here from time to time. There are a lot of things happening.

Phil · « **Reply #58 on:** April 21, 2009, 05:09 »

funny I always thought of StockXpert as one of the easier to upload to. set the ftp, hit transfer, open folder, check they are ok and then done. every now and again when I remember I delete the folders that have piled up and the images are then shown in my normal all images folder. I actually find I can get through StockXpert quicker than ss. maybe because I dont have many with model release.

Phil

RT · « **Reply #59 on:** April 21, 2009, 07:01 »

Quote from: haap on April 19, 2009, 02:28

I removed some topics and created a sticky one with official info. The sort order is already fixed, and I'm very glad because I was about to go crazy just like everyone else.

rinderart:
You just have to upload the files to the FTP, press a button, and tag them with the bulk editor. That's it.
You can't skip the FTP part, somehow you have to get the files online.
You can't skip the button pressing part, you have to tell the system somehow that you are done.
Finally, having folders give you the ability to edit many files at the same time.
There aren't a lot of things to simplify here...
We could group images by upload date, but that's the same thing.

Peter, as you've pointed out the upload process is simple, but then again so are some people!

Dreamframer · « **Reply #60 on:** April 21, 2009, 08:15 »

I have sales every day or two. All of them except one are sub sales, but to me StockXpert doesn't look dead.

araminta · « **Reply #61 on:** April 21, 2009, 08:34 »

Quote from: Whitechild on April 21, 2009, 08:15

I have sales every day or two... but to me StockXpert doesn't look dead.

Well, considering that StockXpert has been #1 for me some times in 2007 and that with twice the portfolio size I should earn this month less than 1/5th of my BME... it may not be dead, but I would not tell it's alive either $:-\$

tan510jomast · « **Reply #62 on:** April 21, 2009, 08:45 »

Quote from: araminta on April 21, 2009, 08:34

Quote from: Whitechild on April 21, 2009, 08:15
I have sales every day or two... but to me StockXpert doesn't look dead.
Well, considering that StockXpert has been #1 for me some times in 2007 and that with twice the portfolio size I should earn this month less than 1/5th of my BME... it may not be dead, but I would not tell it's alive either $:-\$

Well, we all know why StockXpert was acting strange the past few months, and they tell us it's now over and things are slowly getting back to normal. My relief is to hear that the old reviewers are still with them,
and from what some of you say , reviews are getting back to brisk.

I say that we be patient with them , considering that they have been good for us until that troubled point. Seems a bit unfair on our part to go around saying how cool StockXpert is when things were going great for us, and then as soon as they had a bit of trouble we crap on them.

So what say we keep our fingers crossed, knock on wood, and wish StockXpert a quick recover, huh?

click_click · « **Reply #63 on:** April 21, 2009, 08:50 »

Quote from: RT on April 21, 2009, 07:01

Peter, as you've pointed out the upload process is simple, but then again so are some people!

OK RT, it's on.

First of all, I do agree that bulk editing in itself is an important feature during the upload process. However, since the FTP upload process is designed the way it is, I'm forced to go through the Briefcase thing even if I upload images that are not a group or don't require sorting.

I tried to express in my first post that other sites don't require the push of a button to tell the server that file transfers have completed. It's pretty much a redundant process when (again) you look at SS where the uploads are instantaneously available after they are completed in your FTP client.

Another thing that I accidentally forgot what "simple" Laurin" brought up was the simplicity of having no categories. Look at Crestock, 123RF etc. who make my life a whole lot more efficient by dropping categories. I really would like to hear one day why the category system is sooo important to other agencies.

Then again:

Quote from: haap[quote author=haap on April 21, 2009, 02:24

You don't have to move the files around though, they are just grouped for easier editing. Maybe that's not the best concept so please share your favourite way to edit files and we'll definitely consider implementing it.

Uhhhm, ok let me illustrate that:

1. I drag and drop my files into my FTP client - transfer starts
2. Once the transfer is over I navigate to StockXpert's "My images" folder
3. Here would be the perfect moment to apply check marks to images that don't need a release to be submitted by pressing submit! BUT NO!!!!

4. I have to click "StockXpert Briefcase"
5. I (human) have to tell the server "Pretty please move my transferred files to a place where I can actually edit them" - absolutely redundant and time consuming
6. Files will be moved to a new folder with a funny Briefcase identifier
7. Since I haven't uploaded via FTP in a looong time I'm not sure if now I have to select my briefcase folder from the dropdown menu on the upper right hand - let's assume this already happened and take a "shortcut"
8. My transferred files are happily sitting in the briefcase folder. As they include IPTC they were good to go since step 2 but here we are at step 8 and it's not over yet...
9. Assuming that we talk about image uploads that require the least effort possible (non-released) I happily select all the check boxes of my images that I want to dump in my home folder.
10. I will stop doing this now because everyone knows who to move files from the briefcase folder to the home folder.
11. One day when I have too much time on my hands (yeah right...) I come back to StockXpert to delete all those Briefcase folders that I simply don't need

So obviously I'm the simple one who wants ONE folder at StockXpert that contains my pics.

I think the files should all be dumped into the home folder after upload (no button pressing necessary). Then the non-released images should be check-marked and submitted (check marks could be defaulted on "ON" for all new uploads which makes it easier for sets without releases.

Files that require releases could be then check marked in order to hit the button Attach release (or have a look at Crestock's system - awesome).

This way you have to put in the work for images that do require work and not the entire uploaded batch.

Looks like everyone has his/her own favorite way of submitting.
Take a stop watch and process your uploaded (non-released) files on 123RF and then at StockXpert.
For image preparation with releases one can argue again which system is the best there.
Someone else can discuss that...

Of course I might be a simpleton and have used the system in a completely wrong way. So please enlighten me how to do it faster.

RT · « **Reply #64 on:** April 21, 2009, 09:04 »

Quote from: click_click on April 21, 2009, 08:50

Of course I might be a simpleton and have used the system in a completely wrong way. So please enlighten me how to do it faster.

OK for your non-released images:
FTP, when done move all the files into the images folder which takes less than a second. Go to the StockXpert site click on StockXpert briefcase and hit the 'transfer' button takes about two seconds. Then that's it, complete, done. The rest of the stuff is there for us to organise our files should we choose to, you don't have to use categories if you don't want to, and you don't have to move them from the folders if you don't want.

Not that I have a problem with the SS upload system either but if you want to make comparisons, you still have to click a button once your files have been uploaded by FTP, 'you have' to add categories, and then for anybody that's in the real English speaking world you have to click again to tell the SS system that their way of spelling things isn't always correct!

stockastic · « **Reply #65 on:** April 21, 2009, 09:27 »

I'm with click_click on this one. I never did get the "folders" thing. Sure one can defend this process and say that each step takes "about 2 seconds" but why not just make it simple? Categories. folders, I don't need. The extra "briefcase" step - ditto. It's not the time spent that annoys me, it's all the ditsy little stuff I have to remember, times the number of sites I submit too. And microstock isn't the only thing I do in a day.

Life gradually fills up with tiny annoyances like this, unless we continually kick back.

(But why do I care anyway - all the images I uploaded in the last 3 months are apparently dead, due to lack of views for new images - I'm not submitting any more to StockXpert. All those images are selling at SS...)

click_click · « **Reply #66 on:** April 21, 2009, 09:36 »

Quote from: RT on April 21, 2009, 09:04

OK for your non-released images:
FTP, when done move all the files into the images folder which takes less than a second. Go to the StockXpert site click on StockXpert briefcase and hit the 'transfer' button takes about two seconds. Then that's it, complete, done. The rest of the stuff is there for us to organise our files should we choose to, you don't have to use categories if you don't want to, and you don't have to move them from the folders if you don't want.

Not that I have a problem with the SS upload system either but if you want to make comparisons, you still have to click a button once your files have been uploaded by FTP, 'you have' to add categories, and then for anybody that's in the real English speaking world you have to click again to tell the SS system that their way of spelling things isn't always correct!

RT, I understand what you are saying and it is true that I'm not spending half an hour after every upload hitting useless buttons. It's just that it adds up everytime I upload to StockXpert.

Furthermore I seem to be a complete idiot as I think it's very, very, very confusing to leave files in folders with funny folder names - just because I'm "too lazy" to move them into my home folder (where they should be to begin with) in order to see all submitted images at once.

Anywho, it is a personal preference and I do believe it is a bit cumbersome at StockXpert - not impossible to live with but a bit clumsy. Hey, how boring would it be if everything would just work out great from the beginning...

Sales start to increase at StockXpert. I hope the bad times are over.

batman · « **Reply #67 on:** April 21, 2009, 09:58 »

Quote from: click_click on April 21, 2009, 08:50

edited -

Another thing that I accidentally forgot what "simple" Laurin" brought up was the simplicity of having no categories. Look at Crestock, 123RF etc. who make my life a whole lot more efficient by dropping categories. I really would like to hear one day why the category system is sooo important to other agencies.

i agree too. just the other day i was looking at some best sellers and was quite impressed to find one image with tons of downloads, and right on... category (none at all).

it sure would simplify things more. and the lack of categories sure didn't stop that image from being sold so many times.

lisafx · « **Reply #68 on:** April 21, 2009, 10:10 »

FWIW I have never assigned categories at StockXpert and I don't think it has hurt my sales at all there.

I pretty much do what RT suggested, with the addition of adding model releases.

Dreamframer · « **Reply #69 on:** April 21, 2009, 10:27 »

Quote from: lisafx on April 21, 2009, 10:10

FWIW I have never assigned categories at StockXpert and I don't think it has hurt my sales at all there.

I pretty much do what RT suggested, with the addition of adding model releases.

Really? You don't have to choose categories? Oh, thats great!I didn't know that. My laziness really costs me sometimes. Thanks for this tip.

melastmohican · « **Reply #70 on:** April 21, 2009, 14:58 »

I was usually 2nd earner for me but in last 2 months it was overshadowed by DT and 123RF.

haap · « **Reply #71 on:** April 22, 2009, 02:06 »

Thanks for the explanation... Gave me a few ideas!

As for folders, you don't need to use them at all. You don't even have to move images out one by one. Just delete the folder and the pics all "go home" automatically.

As for categories, you don't have to use those either. Only titles, descriptions and keywords are mandatory. You never know when they might be useful though. There are many different types of customers with different browsing preferences and habits. Some might like to use them. They can also be useful for disambiguation - for example when you're looking for an orange specifically, you don't want all kinds of orange coloured items there, and with the advanced search you can tell the site that you are looking for results in the Fruits category.

goldenangel · « **Reply #72 on:** April 22, 2009, 02:10 »

Quote from: haap on April 22, 2009, 02:06

As for folders, you don't need to use them at all. You don't even have to move images out one by one. Just delete the folder and the pics all "go home" automatically.

That's good to know! Thank you!

tan510jomast · « **Reply #73 on:** April 27, 2009, 11:22 »

just wanted an update here. my last sub sales was 3 days ago, so it seems to be alive. but my upload is still sitting in the queque and growing longer.
with my last posting, i had a few approvals but i did not upload many at that time.

how are you all doing with your sales and / or uploads?

m@m · « **Reply #74 on:** April 27, 2009, 12:03 »

I had to delete my last uploaded batch, they were taking way too long to be reviewed, just got tired of looking at them weeks after weeks, and besides the only pictures being sold seems to be the old ones (subscriptions only of course), I've notice that anything uploaded after the Getty transaction or to be exact Jan 24 2009 is dead on the water, hardly any views and 0 sales, so uploading anything there at this moment is a waste of effort and time, not to mention killing your own photos...nothing has change. Personally I won't be uploading to StockXpert again until I see some real activity like it was before the Getty crap. $:-\$

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Author Topic: noticing big change at Stockxpert? no sign of life ??? (Read 34313 times)

haap

click_click

stockastic

batman

stockastic

goldenangel

fotografer

haap

Phil

RT

Dreamframer

araminta

tan510jomast

click_click

RT

stockastic

click_click

batman

lisafx

Dreamframer

melastmohican

haap

goldenangel

tan510jomast

m@m

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