Archive for Forums
May 7, 2008 at 4:57 pm · Filed under Forums · By quirke
Starting today, forum-goers will no longer be able to use obscene words in forum post titles. The same filters used in the chat rooms and Virtual Labs will now replace such words with alternates. The filters do not extend to the body of the post - they apply only to titles.
Stellaloella explains why in this thread post:
stellaloella says:
While registered members of Etsy have to be over the age of 18, the site is viewable by the general public. We strive to keep the “first impression” public areas of the site friendly for all audiences.
We have certain rules for the marketplace side of Etsy regarding the use of language and imagery in listings. We’ve had this filter in the chat rooms and Virtual Labs for a long time already. We recently decided to carry this over in to the forums by adding a simple filter to thread titles. This doesn’t prohibit the use of those words in the body of forum threads — much like sellers can show all in the second-fifth photos of a mature content listing.
May 6, 2008 at 5:15 pm · Filed under Forums · By quirke
In this Storque article, Marymary explains the new flagging system for forum posts.
Today, we launched a report this post feature to Etsy’s forums. The Community Team at Etsy always appreciates your help in keeping a lively and fun community atmosphere when participating in the forums and we hope this new feature will help make your posting experience run much smoother! The report this post feature should be used when you see a post that doesn’t fit within Etsy’s forum guidelines and you want to alert the Community Team.
At the bottom of every post, after the timestamp, is a blue link reading “Report this post”. Clicking on the link will bring you to a new screen where you are presented with the following options to select as a reason for reporting the post.
-Thread is in the wrong section of the forums.
-Post discusses private matters (transaction detail, feedback, copying, etc)
-Post is abusive or insulting to another member
-Post negatively “calls out” a specific user by name or identifiable hints
-Post is from an alternate or “sock puppet” account
There is also a box for additional comments.
Once you have filled out the necessary information in the submission form, just click submit report and your report will be sent directly to the community inbox completely anonymously! This should make the forums run a lot smoother and help the Community Team stay on top of concerns amidst the community in a timely fashion.
There is an accompanying forum thread here.
UPDATE:
There has been some confusion as to who exactly the report is anonymous to, so Matt has clarified in the thread:
matt says:
Hi,
I was wrong.
The reportee does not know they have been reported, but we are able to see the username of the reporter. in short, only you and Etsy will know you reported a post. Sorry, I was confused and spoke too soon.
Thanks, Matt
March 30, 2008 at 6:06 pm · Filed under Forums · By JB
Today, March 30, many users have noticed gaps in their “threads you have posted in” section.
All previously locked threads on the Etsy forums have been deleted. This probably happened last night during the forum maintenance downtime.
This includes threads locked for length which did not break any rules, and threads which contained important admin announcements. All the old constitution discussions from last year, etc.
All are now brick walls.
some forum threads discussing the deletions, which may themselves be deleted soon
http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=5543222
http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=5543240
UPDATE 6:15 PM, EDT
The locked threads have been restored.
Locked threads are back but are no longer searchable. If you have the direct url you can read it but they will not appear in forum search.
March 20, 2008 at 4:52 pm · Filed under Forums, Search · By quirke
According to this Storque article, you can now search the fora by title as well as post.
Searching the Community section’s forums has become a bit easier today, as we’ve rolled out a forum “title only” search option. Previously, the only way to search the forums was to search all text across all posts.
You’ll find that “forum titles” is now the default search method when browsing forum pages. This will allow you to limit the range of your forums searches to only thread titles.
This is also a good time to remind everyone using the forums to use descriptive thread titles! Descriptive thread titles make it easier to scan through the forums, and they will now make it a lot easier to search the forums at large.
This is the first of a few near-term forum search upgrades — let us know if you like it!
You can make comments and suggestions in this thread.
February 26, 2008 at 5:57 pm · Filed under Etsy Communications, Forums, Miscellaneous · By quirke
Seller Peldyn was muted for 24 hours for a comment left in this now-closed thread regarding shop closures. Upon receiving the notification email, she sent a return email:
I posted what I did because I could not let your continued ignorance slide. You did not go to business school, yet you profess to know what business standards are, you did not go to law school yet you profess to know how laws are applied in a courtroom during a trial. You only make yourself and Etsy look stupid. Think before pressing the post button and you will make people a lot more happier.
Oh and it was not an attack, but a statement of fact.
[Please note that this email is the seller’s property and is reprinted with her permission. The contents are her own opinion and publication here does not imply endorsement or agreement by UEN.]
In response to that email, the admin increased her muting to a month for “personal attacks”. She was also told that if she continued, “further measures” would be taken. Please note UEN cannot reprint the email from admin due to their non-disclosure policy regarding admin communications.
In response, Peldyn sent this email:
So you forum mute me for an additional 29 days for an
e-mail? I could see that if this was in the forum, but this
is not the forum. This is a personal communication between
you and me, you did not even use the convo system. I rarely
post in the forums anyways and the reason I posted in the
first place was because of the misinformation that you were
broadcasting. Do you not see what you are doing? It is so
easy to place the blame on others and not look to yourself.
You are supposed to be in a position of helping people and
moderating but unfortunately you are doing the opposite. You
are alienating those very people you are supposed to be
helping. Community has become meaningless.
In response she was told to take further complaints to Rob Kalin (Rokali) at rob@etsy.com.
The Communications section of Etsy’s Dos and Don’ts does not address conduct via email, only convos and the forum. Muting is addressed in this statement:
If a user continually breaks rules, that user’s ability to post in the forums may be suspended or Etsy account(s) terminated.
Consequences of breaking Etsy’s rules are addressed in this statment:
What are the consequences for breaking Etsy’s rules?
First and foremost, we try to work things out with users personally and privately. If this is not successful, Customer Support will issue an official warning letter. If the warning is not effective in curbing rule-breaking behavior, site abilities may be limited or an account may be terminated.
update by JB, Feb 27, 2008
Peldyn has been unmuted.
February 24, 2008 at 7:47 pm · Filed under Bugs, Forums · By JB
The “post a new topic” pages in the Help forum and Bugs forum have been edited to include a large warning.
Hey you!
Yes, YOU!
Are you posting a thread about view counts?
If so, please read this post in the Storque for the latest news about them.
Be sure to keep your eye on the “News” link at the top of the page for the latest announcements.
Thank you!
Edit 02-24-08 11:41 EST:
After several threads protesting the words of this statement, it has been changed:
RevolvingDork says:
I’m sorry if anyone was offended by the usage of “Hey you!” — we honestly didn’t think it would be construed as rude.
In response to your concerns, I’ve changed the notice to be a bit less colloquial.
Thanks!
February 18, 2008 at 4:42 pm · Filed under Etsy Staff, Forums · By Lis
Etsy has added two new forum categories: Critiques, where you can, “give and receive specific advice about your shop” and Techniques & Materials, where you can, “share and seek advice about creating items.” You can find out more about the changes in this Storque article.
According to the Storque article, some staffing changes are accompanying this new set-up. Daniellexo will oversee the forums as the “forum conductor”, and MaryMary will also now moderate the forums full-time. Robwhite will continue to keep an eye on the forums at night, while Stellaloella has been moved to “large-scale projects”.
edit Feb 19 by JB
The Storque article is closed to comments but the forum thread is still open for now.
EDIT by GreenMamba 2.24.08: FYI
Apparently, when the forum categories were updated, a change was also made to the forum link titled “Visit the Storque for Etsy News”, found in the upper right corner of the page, below “View topics you’ve posted in”. It now takes you directly to the News section of the Storque, rather than the Main Storque page. The ‘News’ link in the top grey nav bar, which appears on each Etsy page, still links to the Storque’s front page.
January 21, 2008 at 7:41 pm · Filed under Forums, Front Page, Miscellaneous · By GreenMamba
It will now take you two clicks to reach the Etsy fora. Etsy has removed the ‘Forums’ link in the main menu bar at the top of each page. Instead, a new link reads ‘Community’ (circled in red below) and takes you to a new page of links and info where ‘Forums’ is the first in a series of six clickable graphics including ‘Virtual Labs’, ‘Chat’, ‘Team’, ‘The Storque’, and ‘Resources’.
Note that the menu bar reference to The Storque has changed as well - now the link says simply ‘News’.
Also on this new page is a left menu bar filled with a variety of links to info of use or interest to the Etsy community, and a rotating Storque feed below the main graphic links (not pictured).
UPDATE by GreenMamba
The Etsy main navigation bar is undergoing a series of changes. The latest is the removal of the ‘Gift Guides’ link. Here is what stellaloella had to say about it:
stellaloella says:
Gift Guides have been moved to a sidebar link on the homepage. You can also find them linked under the Buy tab.
Posted at 10:57 am, January 22 2008 EST
and
(Since I can’t say this directly as I was sworn to secrecy, I’ll use a metaphor.)
We’re moving the furniture around to make room for a brand new sofa. A really big awesome new sofa that’s been on back order. And we’re really excited about this sofa. You will be too. I’m sure of it. ;)
Posted at 11:02 am, January 22 2008 EST
January 19, 2008 at 1:52 am · Filed under Customer Service, Forums, Site Terms · By JB
Today Etsynews has learned of two successful Etsy shops that were deleted under seemingly strange circumstances. This is complete account deletion- the shop is a brick wall. It’s not the same as being muted in the forums. Etsy has warned users with bills over 3 months overdue that their shops will be deleted, but neither of these cases seems to be related to overdue bills. Both sellers have received emails from Etsy which state the reasons for their stores being closed, and they are not bill-related.
All of the information we have about these two cases comes from the sellers. Bear in mind that there are two sides to every story, but Etsy will never discuss the cases in public so we will never hear both sides. Certain facts can be verified using google’s cached pages and posts in public forums.
The first deletion we learned of was Thaidreams.
This is a cached page of her shop on January 12, 2008.
As of January 12, she had 100% positive feedback and had made 466 sales.
She wrote about Etsy closing her shop in her blog here, and she posted the email that Etsy sent her in her blog here.
The reason allegedly given was “a history of conflicts”.
The second deleted shop is still trying to get reinstated, so I cannot publish the shop name.
(update, January 22: Closedshop has posted her full story on page 14 of the comments on this article, and has revealed her shops to be heyprettycupcake and thepromoshop)
They did create a second account “closedshop” to post in the forums about their situation, and Etsy has since deleted that account as well. They (originally) did not publicly reveal their main shop name and UEN will not reveal it either, but I have verified by cached google pages that the shop had 100% positive feedback on January 16, two days ago.
This is their forum post.
They have multiple posts in the thread giving their version of events.
Other sellers in that thread (aorta, automaton, magicjelly) described having similar treatment from Etsy. (shops closed without warning for one lost package)
aorta says:
youstink, a buyer never got something so they filed a report to etsy. i never found out till my shop was closed- brick wall. i talked to admin who explained they send out 3 emails before they close a shop, but i never got those emails so i was shut down.
the admin i talked to did quickly reinstate my shop though.
magicjelly says:
Haven’t read the whole thread yet, but just wanted to add that this exact same thing happened to me last year - a former feature seller with 100% positive feedback, just like Aorta.
I phoned NY & my shop was immediately reinstated. I was assured it was human error & that steps would be taken that this kind of thing wouldn’t happen again.
Both closedshop’s buyer and magicjelly’s buyer were told by Etsy to file cybercrime reports with the FBI.
The thread was locked with this admonishment:
RobWhite says:
We can’t discuss specific situations between Etsy admin and members of the Etsy community.
For clarification, sellers who have bills that are 2 months overview will not be able to list, relist or renew items in their shops. Sellers who have bills that are 3 months overdue may be suspended. You can find that information in the Storque here: http://www.etsy.com/storque/section/etsyNews/article/billing-alert-a-reminder-about-the-new-policy-for-the-new-ye/858/ , which is also referenced in the most recent post about overdue bills here: http://www.etsy.com/storque/section/etsyNews/article/cant-post-new-listings-overdue-etsy-bill/1038/
We also ask that you do not make alternate accounts on Etsy for the sole purpose of posting in the Forums and/or chat rooms. The best and most expedient way to handle this situation is to contact Abuse at abuse (!at) etsy dot com.
Robwhite later in another thread explained he posted the overdue bill information to answer some general questions from the thread, but NOT to imply that the OP had been deleted for having overdue bills. (which would be a violation of their privacy if that was the case and he had discussed it in public)
previous UEN coverage of shop/account deletions
http://etsynews.com/73/unwarrantedaccidental-shop-suspensions-sellers-be-warned/
http://etsynews.com/75/another-case-of-erroneous-shop-suspension/
http://etsynews.com/80/how-does-admin-handle-shop-suspensions/
http://etsynews.com/312/etsy-says-no-double-billing-has-occurred/?cp=5
(see comments, not main article)
other users who have had shops deleted without warning, although most have been eventually reinstated:
moxierings
walkonthemoon
ScrapScrap
magicjelly
aorta/automaton
retroattic
thepromoshop
heyprettycupcake
Lesliejewelry
update, January 22:
Closedshop has posted her full story here:
Please note again, that this is the seller’s version of events, and UEN does not guarantee the accuracy of comments.
http://etsynews.com/?p=584&cp=14#comments
She has revealed her shop names: heyprettycupcake and thepromoshop. (both accounts are deleted/closed)
Etsy will not be reinstating either shop.
Update January 31:
another case of sudden shop closure: Lesliejewelry
http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=5444820
That shop has been reopened
January 17, 2008 at 4:47 pm · Filed under Forums, Miscellaneous · By quirke
Today the Etsy fora were unfortunately subjected to a very offensive thread, which was quickly deleted by admin along with several other threads discussing it.
Admin also deleted the user account, but the user was apparently still able to post for several minutes after the “brick wall” appeared in their account.
RevolvingDork commented on the issue here:
RevolvingDork says:
There was no hacking involved, but it can take a few minutes for a user ban to fully propegate through the whole system. They’re fully gone now, however.
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