Archive for Miscellaneous
December 21, 2009 at 4:25 pm · Filed under Etsy Staff, Miscellaneous, Site Maintenance, Tags · By GreenMamba
According to this just-published Storque article, Rob Kalin/Rokali will be returning in 2010 as Etsy’s CEO. Maria Thomas, acting CEO for nearly two years, will be leaving Etsy. Here is the article (authored by pesmou and Rokali) in it’s entirety:
Rob Kalin, a.k.a. Rokali, is an Etsy founder.
As 2010 begins, I will return to Etsy as CEO, and Maria will leave the company.
Maria joined Etsy in the middle of 2008 and led Etsy through an important foundational phase. We are a profitable company now, and Maria helped us reach this major milestone. She worked day and night, weekday and weekend; she traveled around the globe meeting up with hundreds of Etsy folks. Her long experience and business skills were hugely helpful.
As Fred Wilson, an Etsy investor and board member, says: “Maria took the helm at Etsy nearly two years ago and has led the company through a critical period of retrenching, rebuilding and significant growth. Beyond the financial, Maria worked tirelessly to right the ship and to focus the company on being true to its founding vision and values.”
Jim Breyer, also an investor and board member, adds: “Maria made important contributions to building the operations of the company during her tenure, and we appreciate it.”
From all of us at Etsy, a big Thank You! and a friendly embrace, Maria. We are grateful for your dedication.
I will be sharing much more with everyone in the near year. I look forward to seeing familiar faces again, and all the new ones, too.
Rob
————————————————————————————
Dear Friends and Colleagues,
When I came to Etsy nearly two years ago, we were a young start-up with grand ambitions and great potential. Today, Etsy is a thriving, global community fueled by millions of buyers and hundreds of thousands of sellers.
Thanks to the tireless efforts of Etsy’s remarkable employees, we’ve created a vibrant marketplace and a brand that’s on the leading edge of a cultural movement. I am so proud of the progress we’ve made since early in 2008. We’ve overcome incredible challenges…from our honest beginnings dealing with departing colleagues, endless technical challenges, and broken elevators, we’ve persevered to welcome new members to the team, shore up the technical infrastructure, celebrate our new office space, and – most importantly – to deliver more services to our customers. I want to thank all of you for the opportunity to work together and for teaching me so many things about this extraordinary community.
Etsy is a now profitable company; in the last two years, revenue has increased seven-fold. In the past month alone, around 11 million visitors have stopped in to be inspired, to shop, and to connect. Last week, we announced our first major acquisition and in January, Etsy will open its doors in Berlin. In many ways, the journey is just beginning.
I want to communicate heartfelt thanks to Etsy sellers and shoppers. I have had the privilege of personally meeting or interacting with thousands of you from New York to Vancouver to Minneapolis and Paris and all across the globe. The spirit of craftsmanship is present in your varied and beautiful work and in your collective pride to do a job well, always adding a personal touch. It was incredibly motivating to hear your stories of hope, confidence and economic empowerment. It is this sense of humanity and connectivity that attracted me to work at Etsy in the first place. You reinforced for me the importance of Etsy honoring personal, individual connections even as business blossoms.
I will continue to shop on Etsy and look forward to watching it grow. And, I hope to continue learning from the difficulties and possibilities inherent in all our crafts.
Thank you and I wish you all a joyous and productive 2010.
Maria
___________________________________________________________
There will be a Town Hall meeting with Rob in Etsy’s Virtual Labs in the New Year that will be recorded for those who cannot attend. For now, happy holidays!
Follow the discussion in this thread.
March 9, 2009 at 8:43 pm · Filed under Miscellaneous, Treasury · By JB
This is just a short post to introduce our readers to craftopolis.com/, another new third-party site with useful tools for Etsy users. Craftopolis currently has a treasury search tool called the Treasure Hunt. This lets you type in your shop name and see a list of all the treasuries you are featured in, including treasury west and alternate spots. It’s a nifty time saver from having to scan every page of both treasuries looking for the gold or silver stars.
The site was designed by the husband of Etsy seller StudioMarlene, and UEN hopes to have an interview with the creators coming soon.
Also coming soon, according to Craftopolis, is a search for the gift guides.
The site is brand new and there have been some bugs reported, most notably when they had used up their allowed 5000 hits to the Etsy database and users got the error message that the name they typed in was not a registered user. Craftopolis has requested an increase in their daily hit limit from Etsy to alleviate the problem.
I have also added the link to our sidebar with all the other great third-party sites.
February 28, 2009 at 2:03 am · Filed under Etsy Communications, Miscellaneous, The Future · By GreenMamba
In this Storque article, Maria Thomas touches base with the Etsy community, addressing such topics as 2008 (a very brief retrospective); operational updates and a short list of product-related priorities; reaching out to Etsy sellers, which includes a focus on non-US shopowners and an upcoming trip to Europe; and the introduction of two new consultants: Sep Kamvar, “one of the world’s brightest minds in personalized search, computational methods and data mining”; and Louis Sagar, “a recognized innovator in home interiors, artisan craft and lifestyle retailing.”
Under the heading of ‘The Bigger Picture’, Maria concluded by asking a few questions of the Etsy community: (excerpted)
I’d like to close with a question: what business do you think Etsy is in?
[Followed by a paragraph about Zappos.com and a quote from its CEO, Tony Hsieh.]
So, what do you think? What has Etsy tapped into that’s bigger than creating a marketplace for handmade items, vintage goods and supplies? I will be curious to read your thoughts and will post again on this subject in April. Please join the discussion in this forum thread (we’ll close commenting here to consolidate dicussion in one thread).
Be sure to read the full article here, and add your comments and questions to the companion forum thread linked above.
February 7, 2009 at 4:28 am · Filed under Email Notifications, Marketing, Miscellaneous, Site Use · By JB
On January 9th, 2009, Etsy added a little check box to the login page. Right below the password box, this box said “Yes, send me emails about hot items and gift ideas.”
Matt explained it here
matt says:
Hi,
The Etsy news alert email sign-ups have been integrated into the seller sign up process.
Thanks, Matt
Posted at 6:05 pm, January 8 2009 EST
The box was removed on February 6, 2009.
Editorial: I am glad they removed it. The location right under the password box was where most sites put their box for “remember me” or “keep me logged in all the time”, so I tended to check that box just out of habit, even though I knew it was for something else. Then I would have to opt out of those emails immediately after. It was counter-intuitive, and felt like I was being “tricked’ into checking it. Also, it was not for Etsy “News”. I am already signed up for that. It was for Etsy FINDS, purely promotional emails. Also, it was not only on the registration page to make a new account- it was on the login page for existing accounts and you had to avoid it every single time you logged in.
Thank you Etsy for removing that.
January 10, 2009 at 2:00 am · Filed under Copyright / Branding, Laws & Regs, Miscellaneous · By quirke
Almost a year ago UEN reported on a site called Polyvore, which allows users to upload, alter, clip and assemble images from the internet into collages or “sets”. This site was brought to our attention when Etsy users noticed that their images were being taken and used without their permission. After much pressure, Polyvore agreed to block imports from Etsy.com.
At some point during the past year, Polyvore surreptitiously lifted the block. Etsy user Artandghosts, noticing dozens of her images had been taken and manipulated by Polyvore users, started a thread in the fora about the issue. Since then many other Etsy users have since chimed in to say that their photos and artwork have been used without their knowledge or permission. Although Polyvore claims that all of the uploaded images on its site are linked back to the original source, artists have found that many are not. Furthermore, some people have discovered personal photos of themselves and even the interior of their homes have been taken from their blogs and Flickr accounts. Others have discovered that their watermarked images have had the watermarks removed using Polyvore’s alteration tools, an illegal act punishable by fines between $2,500 and $25,000. Many have found their images used in multiple collages, bastardized, distorted, and otherwise altered by the user.
We at UEN respect the rights of artists to control how and where their images are used, and support any efforts to prevent intellectual property theft. Some individuals may be content to let Polyvore users manipulate their work, and we encourage all readers to investigate Polyvore’s use of images for themselves. This article serves as a notice to our readers so that they may take appropriate action whichever their perspective.
For more information and to view some of the altered works, you can visit this article at ArtandGhost’s blog.
Etsy artist SagittariusGallery has also started this petition against unauthorized use of copyrighted material on Polyvore.
Should you find your works being used on Polyvore and wish to have them removed, you can contact Polyvore here.
December 30, 2008 at 6:23 pm · Filed under Miscellaneous · By GreenMamba
As reported in this Storque article by admins sean11, twokb, and zakj, Etsy has provided easy-to-use links for sharing your favorite shops, listings, and articles. Excerpt:
Now on every item listing page, shop page and Etsy blog post, you can use pre-installed social bookmarking options to share and spread the cool stuff you find on Etsy. Whether you’re into Twitter, StumbleUpon, Facebook, Myspace, Google Bookmarks, Kaboodle, Stylehive, Delicious, ThisNext or Digg, we’ve got you covered.
Look for the link that says “Bookmark and share” at the bottom of blog posts like this one or under Page Tools on item listing pages and shop pages:
Click it to pop open a box with options and start sharing!
December 13, 2008 at 10:54 am · Filed under Laws & Regs, Miscellaneous · By GreenMamba
In this Storque article by Etsy admin Vanessa, Etsy Inc speaks candidly of the dramatic impact that new CPSC legislation, slated to take effect on February 10, 2009, will have on makers/sellers of handmade children’s items.
An excerpt:
The following is an open letter regarding the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA). This Act, which will go into effect on February 10th, 2009, puts forth much more stringent safety measures for products intended for children under the age of 12.
Under the very important auspices of child safety, the Act may have grave unintended consequences: fewer choices for families who are looking for handcrafted alternatives. Many Etsy artists and craftspeople have expressed fears that they won’t be able stay in business due to the burdensome cost of testing and certification pursuant to the proposed legislation.
As a venue for handcrafted and vintage items from small entrepreneurs, Etsy has invited the Ombudsman of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission to join us in a webchat in our Virtual Lab. Etsy would very much appreciate the opportunity to provide a forum for discussing the concerns of artisans who make toys and children’s products as well as their customers who support handmade products.
We urge members of the Etsy community and anyone concerned with both child safety and conscientious consumption to contact their governmental representatives; ask them to consider how the Act will impact independent craftspeople.
The office of the CPSC ombudsman: 888-531-9070.
Visit the Handmade Toy Alliance for information about writing your representatives.
Following the excerpt provided above, there is an Open Letter, drafted by Etsy admin, which can be copied and forwarded to the appropriate authorities. Read the full letter here.
This article was also sent out in an Etsy News e-mail. To subscribe, please go here.
Any members wishing to comment on this issue may do so in this official forum thread.
UPDATE 12.31.08 by GreenMamba
Today, Etsy admin Vanessa announced in this thread that she has published a follow-up CPSIA article in the Storque.
Article excerpt:
Cecilia, of the handmadetoyalliance.org and craftsburykids.com, is helping crafters and artisans get their voices heard. She is very active on the Alliance’s Facebook Group (join the group here). We wanted to share some updates and deadlines via Cecilia:
Midnight, this Wednesday, December 31, 2008 is the deadline for the first round of voting on the Change.org site. If you haven’t voted, please do, and pass the word on. Let’s remain in the number one spot! Here’s the link.
This coming Monday, January 5, is the deadline for comments to the CPSC. The CPSC has asked for comments regarding component testing and natural materials exemptions! This is our chance to speak directly to the CPSC and push them to include these important additions in the CPSIA/provide your personal feedback on anything that hasn’t been touched on. Here is the link to the CPSC forms.
December 3, 2008 at 11:08 am · Filed under Favorites, Miscellaneous · By GreenMamba
You asked for it, and you got it: a way to organize all your Favorite shops and listings. But, it’s not a product of Etsy engineering. etsyfeeder comes courtesy of Adam Kendall, husband of Etsy seller soapdeli.
I asked Adam to tell us a little something about his Favorites-sorting application, and this is what he had to say:
etsyfeeder in it’s original incarnation was a simple little application that allowed Etsy sellers to produce an RSS feed they could hand out that included pictures and “add to cart” buttons to help promote their shops. From there, it spiraled to other features that Etsy users were looking for that Etsy hasn’t seen fit to provide, or has basically been too slow in implementing. Like Etsy sellers, third party developers can often react to the marketplace quicker than can the larger entities like Etsy, Inc. So, since I don’t craft, but wanted to support my wife in her Etsy endeavors, and support Etsy itself, I decided to extend the original RSS feeds to managing favorite items and shops through a tagging interface. So my tagline is “handmade code for Etsy people”, because the site is crafted with my own two hands and knowledge.
Since Etsy itself is a fairly interactive experience and pushes the boundaries of what the web is all about, I wanted to push that envelope as well. So the site now includes the following features:
— Allows you to dynamically add and remove tags
— You can drag and drop your items and shops into your defined tags
— You can quickly get a list of all items and even untagged items
— Hovering your mouse over an item or shop will popup a description and price if it’s an item
— You can sort your list of items by price or name, and shops by name
— For all your favorite shops, you can get an RSS feed with the pictures of all items
— You can still generate an RSS feed for your shop with pictures by using the link once logged in
The application is completely cross platform. I have tested it under Firefox on both Mac and Linux. It has also been tested under Safari for Mac, IE6 and IE7 for Windows and is functionally the same under all.
Something that I am considering for the next release of the software:
— Ability to save “templates” of items for sale so you can quickly “relist” items
I haven’t quite got all the details worked out on this feature, so I’m not sure I will be able to pull it off, but it’s on the horizon if I can submit the data in a way that Etsy is expecting.
Of course I am open to other suggestions from Etsy users for features that they would to see and will do what I can to get those features implemented as well.
So a big Thank you! goes out to Adam (and soapdeli) for this handy-dandy and much-requested tool: http://etsyfeeder.appspot.com/
If you take this application for a test drive, be sure to stop by this announcement thread to leave a bit of feedback for Adam (Etsy username akendall1 ).
PLEASE NOTE that this app will not currently work with private Fave settings.
update Dec 11 by JB:
The stats portion of the etsyfeeder site has been discontinued
http://etsyfeeder.appspot.com/stats
(you will only see the following message if you are logged in)
Statistical data from Etsy
Oops.
Etsy has decided to shut off access to these stats without warning.
What’s this mean for you? These stats may no longer work, or if they do, they are horribly out of date. I’m keeping them up for archival purposes at this point. Want these stats back? Perhaps an email campaign to Etsy.com would work. Who knows. I really wish I could keep providing services like these to folks, but it appears that those that be at Etsy just aren’t willing to work with folks. It’s about community my ass.
Update: 12-10-2008
Chad Dickerson, the new IT Guy in Charge has decided to reach out. This won’t necessarily bring these stats back, but at least it’s a start. Maybe Etsy does in fact give a damn about it’s users and those of us who are trying to provide tools that make your Etsy experience better. Only time will tell. I realize it’s hard to ask all of you to have patience when you’ve been waiting for these things for so long, but it’s all I can ask at this point. Thank you for your continued support.
November 22, 2008 at 11:08 pm · Filed under Miscellaneous · By Deja Vu
In this Storque article, Etsy advised that they have released an update which will make it easier to flag an item on Etsy. If you notice an item listing that violates Etsy’s site policies, you can “flag” it to notify the Etsy Support admin who work on Content. Previously, the “Report this item to Etsy” link would lead you to contact Support by email; now the link leads to a simple form you can fill out and submit right on Etsy.
Here is the related forum thread.
November 18, 2008 at 4:26 am · Filed under Miscellaneous · By quirke
We just found out about yet another useful 3rd-party application for Etsy sellers. Steve has put together Featsy, a simple RSS or email notification system for front page or gift guide appearances, plus some site stats.
Featsy! while it might immediately conjure up images of a podiatrist menacingly waving around cuticle clippers, it is in reality a concatenation for “featured Etsy”. As the name might suggest this site tracks featured items and users on Etsy’s front page and gift pages; armed with this information Featsy can than provide e-mails or RSS updates whenever the item or user that was searched for is featured. Featsy also provides exposure statistics, ranking featured users and placing them in their according percentile. currently the breakdown is by week and day, but as the Featsy database gathers more data, a month or even year breakdown will be added.
Featsy has two pages. The Search page is where you can enter your shop name and email address, and be notified by RSS or email when you appear either on the front page or in the Gift Guides. The Stats page lists the top 5 sellers appearing on the front page or Gift Guides for the past day or the past week.
Thanks Steve!
Edit 11/19/08:
Sadly, one of the sellers on the stats page has been abused and threatened by another individual. We have been in contact with both Steve and the threatened seller and in the best interests of all, Steve has suspended Featsy.
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