Author Topic: Is Zym actually sometimes usable ? (Read 19508 times)

gustyx · « **Reply #25 on:** February 25, 2009, 13:30 »

and the site is still down.

1) somtimes you cant log in
2) no art manager
3) no e-mail notifikation
4) severly slow
5) the changing of keywords seems not to work, as i changed every of my uploaded pictures to english keywords, with the effekt to get a mail that there are a high percentage of german keywording.
6) can´t find the realesed pict with the search engine
7) seems to be the private platform of Lynx (searchengine only find pict of this contributor)

.... and above all the rejections are very high, despite these picts are accepted at every other side i contribute to.

I am a pit astonished to read how fine this site works ...

?!!!

zymmetricaldotcom · « **Reply #26 on:** February 25, 2009, 14:48 »

I can understand you would be frustrated from such problems but here is the best answer I can give from the limited descriptions you provided:
1) somtimes you cant log in
Need more info. Cookies enabled (probably if you're posting on a forum like this)? Security settings in browser? Error messages?

2) no art manager
We release features when we release features- I am taking time out from work on the Art Manager at this moment to write this message to you.

3) no e-mail notifikation
If you would like email notifications or any other new feature please go to http://www.zymmetrical.com/info/labs/ and suggest or vote on existing ideas.

4) severly slow
As you are in Austria, try http://www.zymmetrical.de - most images will be geo-served from Europe in that case, should improve loading time.

5) the changing of keywords seems not to work, as i changed every of my uploaded pictures to english keywords, with the effekt to get a mail that there are a high percentage of german keywording.
No worries if it hasn't worked out for you with the translation, our Reviewers can also take care of it if for some reason it's missed or gone buggy. We just prefer the native speakers take care of it as there is a higher degree of accuracy, especially as you know your own keywords better than us in most cases.

6) can´t find the realesed pict with the search engine
Don't know what this means exactly but there are always some files being processed - your files may experience a delay between approval and going live on the site. We can only push pixels so fast.

7) ftp dont work, conection failed
Had we not resolved this issue with your account? I am seeing FTP uploads come in at this moment so it shouldn't be a general thing.

picts I uploaeded 3 days before dont appear in the descibe area
Definitely not right. Will look into it.

madelaide · « **Reply #27 on:** February 25, 2009, 15:38 »

I don't have a problem logging in, but I have noticed the page loads and sort of refreshes itself, looking like a hiccup.

Regards,
Adelaide

zymmetricaldotcom · « **Reply #28 on:** February 25, 2009, 15:51 »

Hi Maria,

If you mean after clicking the login it does a little refresh, that's the switchover from https: back to normal http: mode (SSL to non-SSL). This means the page is no longer required to be encrypted so we change it back to normal mode for speed.

I have never found this to be much of an annoyance since you don't have to logout from our site unless you want to (as you should when you're on a public terminal or at any other computer where you know someone else nefarious may have access). The average user will be having a computer on their home office desk which can safely stay logged in to the site for extended periods.

MikLav · « **Reply #29 on:** February 25, 2009, 15:58 »

Quote from: zymmetrical on February 25, 2009, 14:48

I can understand you would be frustrated from such problems but here is the best answer I can give from the limited descriptions you provided:
1) somtimes you cant log in
Need more info. Cookies enabled (probably if you're posting on a forum like this)? Security settings in browser? Error messages?

2) no art manager
We release features when we release features- I am taking time out from work on the Art Manager at this moment to write this message to you.

3) no e-mail notifikation
If you would like email notifications or any other new feature please go to http://www.zymmetrical.com/info/labs/ and suggest or vote on existing ideas.

4) severly slow
As you are in Austria, try http://www.zymmetrical.de - most images will be geo-served from Europe in that case, should improve loading time.

5) the changing of keywords seems not to work, as i changed every of my uploaded pictures to english keywords, with the effekt to get a mail that there are a high percentage of german keywording.
No worries if it hasn't worked out for you with the translation, our Reviewers can also take care of it if for some reason it's missed or gone buggy. We just prefer the native speakers take care of it as there is a higher degree of accuracy, especially as you know your own keywords better than us in most cases.

6) can´t find the realesed pict with the search engine
Don't know what this means exactly but there are always some files being processed - your files may experience a delay between approval and going live on the site. We can only push pixels so fast.

7) ftp dont work, conection failed
Had we not resolved this issue with your account? I am seeing FTP uploads come in at this moment so it shouldn't be a general thing.

picts I uploaeded 3 days before dont appear in the descibe area
Definitely not right. Will look into it.

I am sorry Keith but that way of answering make think whether I need to stay patient, or Zymmetrical is really useless and ignorant. The issue #6 is the same I told you several times and yet you are claiming you don't know what it is about. Issue #3 is something every stock has and you are suggesting to vote for it - and you do that when it could be the only possible workaround to missing Art Manager.

Basically my experience is very similiar to gustyx's and your response doesn't make me optimistic. A few weeks ago I submitted a few pictures to try how Zymmetrical works. What I see is that they're gone! No art manager to me means that I can't check where are my images. I don't care about new features, but when I upload something I expect to have a way to see my uploads. No email notification means the same - my images are gone and I can't see whether they are approved. And I can't find my images via search engine either.

So I don't see a reason to upload to Zymmetrical, and I read your answer above as just "we don't care". Well, I don't care either - I have enough sites to upload my pictures to.

zymmetricaldotcom · « **Reply #30 on:** February 25, 2009, 16:24 »

Well Miklav, I quote you from our earlier Beta days last summer on Lee Torrens blog (in the comments):

http://www.microstockdiaries.com/zymmetrical.html
Mikhail Lavrenov on 2008-08-26 11:17:05
I am not going to bother either. Doubtful business model; slow site and no sales… Stays at the bottom of my list next to mostphotos.
Talking about new sites I have better hopes for YAYmicro - this autumn should show if they are capable to take off.

So, we have professional photographers who want to work with us, and expect a perfect website and perfect service, yet put down the same businesses they wish to work with.. in production mode I can understand some honest criticism but last summer in -beta- you canned us. Can you understand how hard it is to please everyone in these conditions? We work with everyone, from an anonymous username to someone we know is an established pro, on the same level and expect a modicum of decorum in public communications, and not a witchhunt regarding bug reports on public forums.

"useless","ignorant","claimed".. etc. Come on, we are honest and direct about every single issue, whether people call or email us, post it here, or (a real messy one), both at the same time. Karma will banish those who disobey the universal law of tech support "help us help you" to three reincarnations working in Dell tech support.

At any rate.. your 3 uploads have been online for some days now, I apologize for not notifying you directly as I know this was a matter of importance that you verify your uploads worked:
http://www.zymmetrical.com/artists/artist-profile/uid/51882/

**EDIT as a followup I just wanted to again say, honestly, we -do care-, this is our business and livelihood - I personally have a pain in my chest every time I find something has gone wrong .. but we are trying to fulfill a big role here and it ain't simple or clean all the time, but always improving.

gustyx · « **Reply #31 on:** February 25, 2009, 17:31 »

.... as you don´t like bugs to be published, I sent you another mail (in privat) - Keith, but it doesn´t change the mentioned, please be fair, if there are bugs, there are bugs. And it doesn´t make sense to slag Miklav, or any other user off. I´m also a new user on your site, I also want to give a trial, which really goes wrong – similar to Miklav´s experiences. Seems to me you don´t really belief, that something went wrong.

So we all should keep cool, because it was a trial went wrong for the first time – and there will be another chance.

MikLav · « **Reply #32 on:** February 25, 2009, 17:55 »

Quote from: zymmetrical on February 25, 2009, 16:24

At any rate.. your 3 uploads have been online for some days now, I apologize for not notifying you directly as I know this was a matter of importance that you verify your uploads worked:
http://www.zymmetrical.com/artists/artist-profile/uid/51882/

That's very cool indeed but:
a) I uploaded 4 pictures
b) none of the 3 can still be found via the keywords

perhaps it's my bad carma, but I would call it web site bugs.

null · « **Reply #33 on:** February 25, 2009, 18:03 »

Give the guy a break

zymmetricaldotcom · « **Reply #34 on:** February 25, 2009, 18:08 »

You're right, I will not candy-coat it- looking in the database for those files the english version of the keywords are blank. Other languages are ok.

Very strange and of course we process hundreds of photos a day multi-language so it's a mystery at this point but will be patched shortly. That's all we need, just a precise report of what is wrong, preferably not in public for the very last reason that we are trying to hide anything - but it just makes things much more efficient and less dreary for readers of forums like MSG who are really here for juicy stock drama and not boring old bugs.

MikLav · « **Reply #35 on:** February 26, 2009, 04:21 »

Quote from: zymmetrical on February 25, 2009, 18:08

That's all we need, just a precise report of what is wrong, preferably not in public

The issue was reported on the 17th of February (here: http://www.microstockgroup.com/zymmetrical-com/can%27t-log-in-7113/msg84456/#msg84456).

The issues are the issues and nothing else, so I don't see why you keep trying to pinprick me. Is it because I hazarded a remark in public?

kaycee · « **Reply #36 on:** February 26, 2009, 07:52 »

Yep they don't like to go public .
Had also many issues with Zym. I'm glad I closed my account .
No more frustration about were my images went (several times). Also had some ghost images in my port (several times),keywords gone (several times).
But there is no bug in the system......... they assure me...........................Yeah right.....

I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one with problems............................They made me feel I was the only one with several problems........

zymmetricaldotcom · « **Reply #37 on:** February 26, 2009, 08:30 »

Simply asking to keep things organized. We are all for community communication that's why I and Paul participate here, however it's hard enough to sort out one specific technical issue based on user reports, because users are not system engineers (usually) and vice versa. For example the recent 'site is slow' report had, for one user, nothing to do with page speed but the CSS on a page wasn't getting loaded, which was clear after a screenshot being sent - so the user perceived the page as loading slow. Without specifics, it's just a mess to sort out, and a message forum thread is not the best place for it if you want the issue solved efficiently.

Kaycee - I'm a little bit disappointed you still feel persecuted: we point by point worked with your support requests, and even when it was pointed out there was corrupt IPTC data in some of your JPG's, you wouldn't believe it. We were courteous, quick, and as helpful as possible in your situation - in fact as I recall I was personally trying to fix your issues on Christmas day - but go ahead, you can continue to jump in on every single Zymmetrical thread and vent, that's how it goes.. 'in public'.

kaycee · « **Reply #38 on:** February 26, 2009, 10:31 »

@Zymmetrical.....
I was very thankfull for the quick respons and try to fix the problem and I let you know several times also public..........So no hard feelings regards this issue.......

What was bothering me is that you made me feel that I was the only person with Zymmetrical problems............

Regards the keyword problem I also said your agency was the only one who has had issues of corrupt keywording no other agency has had problems ever regards my keywords proces .............
So................................

zymmetricaldotcom · « **Reply #39 on:** February 26, 2009, 10:47 »

Ok glad to know it's not hard feelings. But really, some of the files uploaded through FTP - unprocessed by us at all. Download and try to open in Photoshop - and it says IPTC is corrupt. I had not seen this error message in 19 years of using Photoshop.. and FTP has been around since the 1970s so it is hard to say there is a problem with our website in that case.

Were there issues, are there issues now, that more than one member experiences - of course, there's no denying it because every computer system is imperfect. A modern ecommerce site is as complicated as a skyscraper's engineering - I am happy we have a solid foundation and it can only be expected there are some problems in the upper floors once in a while as we expand.

I think it might be a little sensationalized because we are always here to answer questions even in a public way, where many other agencies simply keep it to normal private support channels. Every agency gets bug reports and support issues daily - we just happen to have the MSG channel around, and some people choose to use it for questions that maybe would be better asked in a more one-on-one way.

Pixart · « **Reply #40 on:** March 02, 2009, 00:01 »

The Art Manager was live tonight. Stats still coming. Nice to see our info all in one place.

Xalanx · « **Reply #41 on:** March 12, 2009, 17:19 »

I sent 20 photos to them, to see how it goes. The interface is nice and idea is really cool, but as far as implementation goes, there are bugs. At least with Opera.

zymmetricaldotcom · « **Reply #42 on:** March 12, 2009, 17:36 »

I have to admit Opera may not have gotten a full run-through lately. Usually it's FF, IE and Safari on Mac and PC that get hammered in testing. Any specific problems reported would be greatly appreciated - browser version and OS info being important. (running to Opera now to try myself)

Xalanx · « **Reply #43 on:** March 12, 2009, 18:07 »

I'm into this kind of problem myself too, since my own website doesn't work with Mac + Firefox

but I don't really care.

However, some info for you:
- Latest version of Opera (9.64)
- Vista 64 Ultimate
- quad core, etc... hardware is very good

- Problems:

page refreshing sometimes twice, by itself
page NOT refreshing after apply & submit - in fact it's showing a blank page
wrong number of files "to be described" and "submitted", but not always.

So you have to submit with Flash (couldn't get it with FTP because there's no folder "PHOTOS" so my files just stay there on FTP and I can't even delete them - I uploaded with Flash in the meantime, same 20 files) and after that to go with Opera through all the steps up to "submitted" state.

Cheers,
Catalin.

zymmetricaldotcom · « **Reply #44 on:** March 12, 2009, 18:21 »

Thanks so much for the info.

- the page refreshes normally come after one of the popup windows (model releases for example) is closed. It's the only practical way to reload the most current info, at least for now. I'm not sure if this is what is falling into the behavior you're describing.
- not refreshing is definitely a new one, will have to try and reproduce that
- without a full page refresh (vs the little cutout loading animation), it may occur some info is slightly out of date.. it's just a tradeoff between doing things without reloading the entire page (a couple seconds of pageload time) vs updating everything instantly.. there should be a way to make those total counts dynamic too though, we will get 'er fixed.

Xalanx · « **Reply #45 on:** March 13, 2009, 02:35 »

Alright, checking the stuff - I sent in 20 photos, 4 of them appear as approved last night, very fast, 16 are in pending. I can't see the approved ones. On the submission page says "Approved files appear in your art manager."
And Art Manager says "You currently have no uploaded files that are approved and live on the site."

How long it takes for the files to get live? Of course, I'm not in a big hurry but it's a step where you don't really know where your files are. The statistics show them as approved, but they don't appear anywhere. Maybe a new section to submission page would be good to have. Something like "approved, waiting to go live" with a list of those files.

sharpshot · « **Reply #46 on:** March 13, 2009, 03:07 »

I logged in yesterday to see my first sale for a few months. The site seems quicker and I uploaded some using firefox with no problems. I hope sales will pick up again now.

zymmetricaldotcom · « **Reply #47 on:** March 13, 2009, 05:56 »

Quote from: Xalanx on March 13, 2009, 02:35

Alright, checking the stuff - I sent in 20 photos, 4 of them appear as approved last night, very fast, 16 are in pending. I can't see the approved ones. On the submission page says "Approved files appear in your art manager."
And Art Manager says "You currently have no uploaded files that are approved and live on the site."

How long it takes for the files to get live? Of course, I'm not in a big hurry but it's a step where you don't really know where your files are. The statistics show them as approved, but they don't appear anywhere. Maybe a new section to submission page would be good to have. Something like "approved, waiting to go live" with a list of those files.

You are right about that, it's just one setting in the database but has been noted, there can be a delay between them being approved and going online, from minutes to hours. We will see if that can be changed, in the meantime the file (if they aren't already) will be shortly. The queued files are reviewed in first-come first-serve order generally but the approved files come online purposefully random to make sure there's always good a mix of content.

Xalanx · « **Reply #48 on:** March 13, 2009, 06:00 »

Quote from: zymmetrical on March 13, 2009, 05:56

the approved files come online purposefully random to make sure there's always good a mix of content.

That's a very good approach.

I have 1 file online now.

Xalanx · « **Reply #49 on:** March 17, 2009, 01:12 »

Just wondering - how long is an average waiting time for images to get reviewed? I still have some of the images I said in the previous post under pending status. 11 accepted, 9 to go for some days.

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Author Topic: Is Zym actually sometimes usable ? (Read 19508 times)

gustyx

zymmetricaldotcom

madelaide

zymmetricaldotcom

MikLav

zymmetricaldotcom

gustyx

MikLav

null

zymmetricaldotcom

MikLav

kaycee

zymmetricaldotcom

kaycee

zymmetricaldotcom

Pixart

Xalanx

zymmetricaldotcom

Xalanx

zymmetricaldotcom

Xalanx

sharpshot

zymmetricaldotcom

Xalanx

Xalanx

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