Views in BM

Oh look another post by someone who refuses to believe there is a problem with BM.

Oh look another opportunity for me to lock a thread. Responses to response that are inane double the inane.


ETA: For the record, we are always looking at how BM is working in relations to a number of factors. The one thing that would prevent these discussions from going bad is less commentary that isn't adding to the discussion. This would include the following:



"Oh great another BM thread..."++ helpful rating = zero

Furthermore, responding to comments like that just as useless. So, quit it.

We appreciate the comments provided by those of you discussing the current situation. I respectfully suggest anyone not adding to the discussion to consider not posting.


Hugs and kisses, lobo




(Edited on 2008-12-05 13:32:18 by Lobo)

I don't think I would fall into the Istock rock star category at all ( I wish ), yet I noticed something unusual happening to one of my file I never noticed before.



I know what you are saying, it is good to remember that not everybody searches with only one term but I try to explain what I experienced in the last few days, and easily can be measured with the one tag search:

I had a file which started to get dls early on (maybe because it was for a buyer's request), naturally it was climbing up in the BM search. It reached first page, hurray, I never take first page for granted so I was really happy. But after few days and 10 DLs it went way back in the search. It is not a big deal just unusual.

If I search for napkin, white and from above I am sure it is on the front page but if I use one tag, napkin, it is gone even though it was there few days ago.

(Edited on 2008-12-06 07:06:06 by DOConnell)

BM has changed again, I hope they changed the views/download ratio

Doesn't seem to have changed by much if my port is anything to go by:





top one 26th Nov, bottom one ten minutes ago.

Can't say about views/downloads: I seem for whatever reason to get super high views per download. The shift seems to be files selling better recently. Howeever, the two accepted and downloaded this week (unusual for me) are at 94 and 109, but similars shot/uploaded at the same time and not downloaded are lower.

I have no vectors, so the screenshot can't reflect any change in their standing in BM.



ETA: one of my general (i.e. not my port) 'checks' is "African Elephant".


Top one was 21st Nov, 2nd one five mins ago:




Again, not an awful lot of difference in 'photos only', but vectors not included.

(Edited on 2008-12-06 05:03:19 by SoopySue)

(Edited on 2008-12-06 05:07:50 by SoopySue)

I've never complained about BM, in fact I've never participated in a thread that was discussing it, BUT something seems very weird right now. As many others have mentioned, I too have a recent file that started selling quite quick (my best seller out of my last 10 uploads) and for some reason, it's on my last but one page! That just seems ridiculous for a file that clearly has some interest to buyers.

I have one file so far that I thought had real potential to do well. Maybe even my first 'flame,' I hoped. The pic has 145 views and 21 dls (DLs/Mo=15.7) since upload a few weeks ago, and now it sits in absolute, rock-bottom last position now in my small port of 184 files.


I have no idea how it fares in searches, but probably not well.

The problem of the views:downloads ratio smaller than 10 however is still obvious, even if there has been a recent change. In my own portfolio it seems only to affect one file which is very old anyway. But just out of curiousity I did a little test search with "office building" and "night" and there you can see lots of images with up to 600 downloads buried on the last few pages because they do not have enough views...

I noticed exactly the same thing this morning. I had a christmas bauble image just a few days in my portfolio and it was selling well and climbing in the best match to number 4 in my portfolio but after the 10th sale it dropped way back in the best match. Weird and kinda anoying.

Not being a designer, I don't think in concepts, but when I thought about your photo, I eventually thought of Christmas, recession - but unless I've missed it, you don't seem to have recession as a keyword?

I think that would be stretching it a bit.

I'd think so too, but less than some of the keywords which have already been accepted IMO.


Also there is a concept there: what would you search for if you wanted this image?

People it doesnt matter what the BM is, If it favors an images it doesnt mean it will be a rock star forever....you find and create an images that is either unique or better than an existing, it gets blessed by BM and takes off, so for a while it shows up under new uploads and BM, after alittle time it moves up in the download category, once it gets there other contributors realize it's a winning subject/images, so now you have alot of competition created for your image. Better samples of your image are showing up in the Age category and maybe BM has blessed one of those images, so now you are just holding onto your position in the DL category, now what happens is that a BUYER can search for a subject/topic and under age he/she has a bunch of great images of that topic, he/can sort by BM and find a handful of the SAME, he/can sort by the DL's and find the few originals that started the craze. So, odds are that a designer has his sort set to show 100 images, out of any of the categories you are expecting them to pick your file daily, it's not going to happen. Files with go into the pool of 4 million files, like a bug hitting the water they will be on the surface for alittle bit of time and be seen by all. Then they will die and sink to the bottom where only a few will notice them. Some will be sucked in by the side filter and will be noticed again before going to the trash can....anyways, we have bout 10k active contributors throwing bugs into the pool, it's amazing that any file really gets it day. I've had my "runs" just to be stopped by either the BM or Competition, for me I just keep uploading and play the numbers game.....my 2¢

(Edited on 2008-12-07 11:33:48 by inhauscreative)


I suck at writing

(Edited on 2008-12-07 11:35:54 by inhauscreative)

Read your shampoo bottle. Apply. Rinse. Repeat. In other words, keep uploading and don't forget to take a shower!

Yes, I basically agree with what you're saying. But there seems to be an issue right now. I'll give you an example:


Let's say you upload 4 good files from a shoot you do. As always, one of these shots stands out and begins to get downloaded, while the others don't. The one getting downloads moves up in BM rank until it gets 10 downloads. If the view to download ratio is less than 10 (in other words it's showing signs of being a high efficiency seller), it suddenly loses it's BM 'strength' and gets buried far back in your port for some reason, thereby being eliminated from most BM searches. At this point that file is not going to have a chance to be one of your stars. In fact, of the original files you uploaded, the three that didn't grab the eye of buyers are now ranked higher than the one that stood out. This is not good for you or buyers.


I don't care what the BM algorithm is, as long as it works well for you (us) and more importantly, the people who want to buy good photos. Right now, I think a lot of potentially very good files are suddenly being hidden from buyers.

(Edited on 2008-12-07 14:32:40 by robh)

I would have liked to be able to use such conceptual keywords, but also thought they might be a stretch. As it is, someone obviously thinks the keywords I have chosen are too much, as the keywords for the pic are under review . . .


I was more concerned by the OP's point that files with high download-to-view ratios are being punished by the BM. That really makes little sense to me. I always thought it was the opposite, that such files would be rewarded, as they obviously indicate a file that buyers want. I think my poor little tree pic is being so punished by the BM, which seems kind of sad to me, cuz it really is a seasonal photo. If it doesn't sell now, it won't, and I think the BM works against it, even though it seems like it has potential to sell well.


It's clearly my most successful file in terms of sales and the speed at which those DLs have happened, and yet it shows up rock-bottom last in a BM search of my portfolio.

Using any combination of words that aptly describe that tree, it is one of just a few, so I don't see how BM can be blamed completely.

"bare tree" christmas 1st page of 100
Charlie Brown Christmas Tree
"christmas tree" sadness - 43 files

...

Oh, I agree completely, there are clearly ways for people to find the pic, if they have such a pic firmly in mind.


I think, though, the BM should not punish files in the manner described by the OP, that's all. It could be my little tree pic would be seen and purchased by many more people -- perhaps those searching more generically -- if the BM didn't send it right to the bottom, for the only reason being it's been selling efficiently right off the start.

Sean, I was looking in your port for an example of this and quickly found one (I'm sure there are many). I searched 'Christmas Tree' by age and got 297 results. I noticed this file, #7891481, is a new one which has the magical 10 DL's and only 67 views in a very short time, so it looks to have what buyers want. When I do the same search by Best Match, I find that this file now comes up number 295 out of 297 (I bet this was near the top a day or two ago). I'm guessing this file's sales are going to skid to a stop (or close to it) now as a result of its very poor BM rank. It's hard to understand the logic of that. Maybe that's by design and if so, well ok, I'm sure Istock has a reason. But you have to admit, it's strange and in the long run it doesn't seem like buyers are going to truly get 'Best Match'.