Вот интервью "как оно было" с минимальными правками (я убрала то, что по моей просьбе было вырезано из интервью, а также некоторые уточняющие вопросы и ответы на них). Заранее прошу прощения за свой английский, он у меня далеко не на высоте.
Жирным выделены вопросы Кнешке, курсивом - мои примечания.
Can you please introduce yourself? (name, age, city etc.)Elena (aka art_of_sun), Russia
(тут я дала больше информации, по моей просьбе после публикации из интервью ее убрали). I've been working as graphic designer (polygraphy, illustrations, kids games for iPad etc.) about 10 years. And last 1,5 years I'm full-time stocker.
Can you tell us how you got started into microstock?Firstly I knew about it in 2007-2008 from friends blog - a lot of people that time proposed to be their referrals. So I registered at some stock sites and tried to get some money but without real success. I've got about 20-30$ in a month. But 1,5 years ago one of guys from my friend-list (Oleg SkillUp) wrote that he is going to make "mega-workshop" and teach everyone who become his referral how to get 1000$ in a month with Shutterstock. I was disappointed with my job that time so I quit and decided to try
And I succeeded ^_^
Can you give us a rough estimate how much files you have online at the microstock sites now and how much you earn with that per month?At Shutterstock for today I have 4170 files (about 2500 vectors + raster copies and some photos), at other stocks - less. And from all stocks I work with I get between 2000 and 3000$ in a month.
together for all sites, I assume?yes
Who had the idea distributing your files at warez sites?It was a common activity. We had a chat of people who participated in mega-workshop and many of us has problems with pirates. So we were thinking about ways to stop them. And that time I wrote a lot of DMCA and after one of them fotoramka wrote to one of girls in our chat (she made so cute DMCA with pictures but forgot to put links) and he helped us to write DMCA correct and proposed to delete our files from Letitbit without DMCA (by writing him directly by Skype). He told us how warez sites works (in fact pirates can get from their activity the same money as we have from stocks), so somebody jokes maybe we post our pictures to the wrong sites?
But then it comes an idea to try posting unsold pictures (and some pictures that most popular at warez sites) there with own license (something like people sell fonts) and with text and links like "This pictures are only for non-commercial use. If you want to have commercial licence you can buy it here:...". I decided to try because I had big portfolio and many pictures that didn't ever sold at Shutterstock.
Have you been the only person trying it?Yes.
How many files did your test include?I had about 4 or 5 posts like this:
http://www.gfxtra.net/vectors/vector-sp ... ipart.htmlSo it was about 40 files (7-10 in one archive). If it is important I can count.
How did the process work? (from selecting the images, preparing for upload, creating preview images, linking from warez site to filehoster...)We registred my accounts at few fileshare-sites, not only where fotoramka works but at others where it was possible to get money for downloads. And also I've been registred at 3 warez sites (gfxtra, allday and heroturko if I remember well).
Then I've made a header for posts (red one with sign "posted by author"). With fotoramka we wrote a license.
Then I choosed a pictures, made a previews and archive with works and license and uploaded them to filehoster. Then we made posts from my computer to warez sites (fotoramka wrote the post with html tags, links and description).
What filehoster-sites did you register at?Letitbit and Keep2Share and Rapidgator.
How would you compare the uploading process compared to uploading to the microstock sites in terms of ease and time spent?It takes almost the same time like preparing pictures to CreativeMarket for example. And a little bit more time to upload. So the second idea (if experiment will work) was to make a constructor of previews, archives and posts at independent site.
stockalliance.org?yes
The licence you offered allows only personal use, but no commercial use?Yes
(отправила ему файл лицензии, он опубликован в интервью)Do you think, people who are used to download from warez sites, would care about that difference?As fotoramka works in support he told that sometimes he has requests from people who downloaded something "for free" and then want to know where they can buy it legal. And also I had few sales of pictures I posted and pictures from the same sets (had 0 sales before) in time of experiment.
In my opinion (after experiment), it seems really small percent of people who taking pictures at warez sites are really care about rights. Maybe someone who don't really know that it isn't free and legal and some who maybe use it because of thematic sets of popular pictures. But most of them doesn't really care.
How much money can you earn with these free downloads?I didn't earn something serious (only about few dollars), but as far as I know if people who download your archive buying "fast download" in a moment, you can get up to 60$ for that.
Can you see how many people downloaded your files?Yes, you can see it in statistics in account on filehoster.
How long have your files been online and how many downloads they had in total?About one month. This is statistics for November (since we start the experiment):
http://i.imgur.com/lQjWcvb.pngDate | Downloads | Sold | Rating
And do I read correctly? it would be 0,80 dollar earnings for November?Yes, you count correct. I found out that if you want to get a money at warez sites you need to post a lot of content every day. And it has to be different content. It is easy when you have a lot of stolen pictures but quite hard if you have only your owns.
But we got another result: pirates saw our project and in same time with posting my pictures we also quickly deleted their posts. So they stopped taking my pictures almost at all.
That's good news for you!Yes, not so bad
Why did you stop uploading to warez sites?It takes a lot of time to prepare pictures, archives and posts, and I had to start my day from watching warez sites (looking for my stolen pictures). And it demotivate some way. I prefer to draw new pictures and upload them to stocks to get money than to work only for PR at a such dubious place.
I mean it took allmost all time I could spend to make new pictures.
Do you have the possibility to delete your files if you like?Sure
I deleted almost all archives after we stop the experiment.
I noticed that the download links for you files do not work anymore.yes
What was the total income from your experiment?2$, some solds of posted pictures at stocks (I can't prove that it was because of experiment but anyway) and 90% less stolen pictures from my portfolio at warez sites.
I mean they almost do not stole my pictures anymore.
Are there written contracts for distributing your image at warez sites?Only rules of posting.
What kind of rules?Let me find...
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All details such as information and images must be centered in main content;
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Thanks. Did you know the people you worked with by real name or did they stay anonymous?You mean people at Stockalliance?
The people helping youYes, sure
Thanks for the interview.
Is there anything else that you think is important?I think it is very important that after your article and after similar articles in Russian language a lot of people started to think that boycott was made by "warez-people". But it is wrong and important not only to our reputation but because people don't see real situation and what Fotolia is doing now.
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Надо отдать ему должное, он пошел и проверил. Однако ожидаемого абзаца "это подтверждает, что я в прошлой статье поторопился с выводами" не вижу. Хмм. Пока что имеем "Я сказал А, а сейчас сказал Б". 
