Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Etsy and the atmosphere of fear


When I joined Etsy awhile back, one of the things I appreciated most about the site was the ease of asking questions, getting and giving help, and striking up conversations and friendships. This happened mainly in the forums. At any time of the day or night, I could drop into the forums, ask a question, and get a quick answer. I might get several opposing quick answers, but at least there was valuable information to be had and exchanged.
Information is my drug of choice!
Since the forum changes, Etsians no longer know what they can and cannot post. Even admin doesn't seem to clear on the new rules. There have been any number of thinly veiled promotions all over Business and Site Help. Some people are working the system, but most seem to have no idea where to go, or what they can say, or how to behave in this New Etsy Order. New people have the door slammed on their questions and concerns, and are told to "go find a team. Any team. Start a team. There's a team." No real information or assistance.
It even reached a point where admin instructed people to email their forum posts to Etsy to see if it might be all right to post them. Because that is quick and efficient. . .
What I find most unsettling is the number of people who are talking about being afraid. "If I post this, will I be muted?" "I started a thread that was closed, and I don't know why. I'm afraid to ask." "I have been muted. If I tell people, will my shop be closed?"
There's a reason why I'm anonymous here, friends.
Etsy has turned from a small town of friendliness into a hostile environment of fear for a lot of people. Some of this fear is quite justified; many have been muted in the past few weeks, shops have been closed in the past after Etsians have spoken out, threads have been closed with disparate warnings. There's a heavy hand with no logic behind it.
And fear brings paranioa. Paranoia brings more fear. How can this be remedied?

8 comments:

  1. Oh, but it's so much nicer for the newbie and the faint of heart to be afeared of Etsy mods that the totally awful, rude, abusive, and even pornographic forum members who stalked the fora ready to smack down every new thing with a bellowing, screaming mob!

    At least according to the resident TVP crowd.

    ReplyDelete
  2. The new gangs of snarky "helpful" people are going to scare newbies as much as the old people they got rid of. They are getting more and more bold with their rudeness because they feel immune from all consequences.

    It's kind of like, if you kill all the cats, the rats will breed out of control and take over. The natural ecosystem of the forums has been disrupted, and the vermin are overrunning it.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Fuck 'em! Come to Artfire where Freedom of Speech rules and the search works! (not to mention incredible forums!)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Even if the "new gangs of snarky people" as you put it exist, it's still refreshing to at least get to see a new round of faces and names doing it, don't you think?

    *No animals, cats or rats, died in the making of this post*

    PD

    ReplyDelete
  5. the only thing i've found hateful about the forums are those who hate etsy injecting their venom into it every chance they can...that's been the bigger turn off than anything else...

    there's 'free speech' and then there is purposefully (unless you are too stupid to realize you are breaking a rule after repeated warnings) pushing it to make sure you are seen and heard and make your point...some folks who have been muted need to grow up and face the fact they did it to themselves...


    and as far as af forum - as long as you don't piss off the rulers in that forum, sure...you can avoid getting dinged or having a thread pulled to the privacy of the 'pro' area where the basics can't go...

    ReplyDelete
  6. the only thing i've found hateful about the forums are those who hate etsy injecting their venom into it every chance they can...that's been the bigger turn off than anything else...
    _____
    You obviously have missed a lot.

    ReplyDelete
  7. the only thing i've found hateful about the forums are those who hate etsy injecting their venom into it every chance they can...that's been the bigger turn off than anything else...
    _____
    You obviously have missed a lot.


    -----nope...been paying attention for years.
    folks get upset or flustered by changes and the same group of folks swoop in injecting their 'see - told you etsy hates you and only wants your money' mantra without giving any change a reasonable chance. i thought artists were more capable of adapting to change than the non-artist type.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I actually don't hate Etsy, or I wouldn't have put the time into this blog that I have. I have loved and supported Etsy for a couple of years, and appreciated having a selling venue that stated that it was geared toward what I do. I've brought them traffic, both buyers and sellers, helped people there, and been very positive.

    I was never negative in the Forums. I never said that Etsy was bad in the Forums, and I still have not.

    I greatly dislike the changes. Etsy is short-changing their most lucrative paying customers, the sellers who actually use the site daily AND sell regularly. We also buy frequently. The majority of those users have issues with the changes.

    Also, several of the Etsians muting have been extremely positive about Etsy until recently. echoart comes to mind.

    I don't think that can be broken down into all or nothing, black or white. This effects my business, which effects my money, and the businesses of my friends. That's why I'm angry.

    ReplyDelete

Dish the dirt here.