Catching Up

Hey everyone, just checking in to see how the Refugees are doing this holiday season!  Post some comments and tell me all about it!

I'm doing alright, making a few sales in my new shop, definitely keeping busy.  How are you guys?

Hunger Worst Its Been in 15 Years..

Hunger in the USA is the worst it has been in 15 years. As we gear up for our Thanksgiving feast, please take a moment to see what you can do to feed a hungry person this winter.


Feeding America: Hunger-Relief Charity | FeedingAmerica.org

Are You Sick Of Putting Up With Etsy's Disrespect And Incompetence?

I just found this great site that offers people recourse when they feel they have been wronged by a company.  I think everyone who has a legitimate bone to pick with Etsy and its policies, should SERIOUSLY contribute.  Don't just be pissed.  Take action!  It will make you feel lighter!

  TELL YOUR STORY on Groubal.

Share The Joy! (And The Savings!)

Time To Start Your Holiday Promos, Folks!!

I do Hope that by now the Original Refugees reading this have set up a new shop somewhere.  Are you running any promotions?  Artfire lets us use coupon codes!!  WOW!!  So, here are some coupons for you, and I hope you will share your new locations and special discounts in the comments section so we can all share the joy!

Enter the coupon code CORALGATE10 and receive 20% off your order of $40 or more!  Good now through January 1st, 2011!!  Come check out my awesome NON-ETSY STUDIO and stock up on your Holiday gift-giving needs!!

Don't forget to post promos for your new non-etsy shops in the comments section.  Let's show the big E what integrity, customer service, and real success looks like by supporting each other this holiday season!!

McDonald's, Pepsi, KFC Tapped To Help Write UK Obesity, Alcohol Policy

Why does this remind me so much of Coralgate?!

 McDonald's, Pepsi, KFC Tapped To Help Write UK Obesity, Alcohol Policy 

I read an article in an advertising trade paper yesterday about faux-greening, it was really interesting and an indication of the times, I think.  I felt that Temple St. Clair was a perfect example.  According to the article more and more people are starting to figure out that just because companies like Exxon Mobile, certain paper manufacturers, etc, claim to be green, doesn't make it so, and to put on that pretense makes them look pretty bloody silly.  It's something we should all hopefully take a lesson from as we little guys move forward with our business goals.

Great Opportunity To Promote Your New Shop!

Dear Refugees,

Many jewelry sellers left Etsy recently over Coralgate and other Etsy blunders and have begun to work on their new shops elsewhere.  It can be difficult to make such a move so close to the holidays, but I have some great news for you! Sagescupboard recently ran a feature of my jewelry on her amazing blog Inspirational Beading and she is seeking more refugees to feature!!  I can tell you that I have received incoming URL traffic to my Artfire Studio as a result of the feature on IB.  Sagescupboard says:

“I really admire all of the sellers who are taking a chance and moving on to lesser known, more respectable venues, and those who have been booted and battered by the Etsy machine, but haven’t given up on the true spirit of handmade. 

There are a lot of sellers out there who are taking this time of change as an opportunity to carve out a new niche in independent markets, and I want to help give them a leg up!  So, right now I’m offering interview spots on my blog exclusively to sellers who are leaving Etsy behind for greener pastures.

Inspirational Beading focuses on all types of bead and jewelry art, so I’m looking for sellers that offer:

Any style of handmade or altered jewelry
Handmade beads
Beaded art, clothing or accessories

There are a variety of interview segments to choose from, and I’ll work with interested sellers to find the topic that best suits their wares.  Each interview includes SEO tagged images and backlinks to shops, blogs, Facebook fan pages, and other sites we like to use to market our products.”


I highly recommend you take her up on this generous offer of support!  Contact her for more details by sending an email to sagescupboard (at gmail dot com) with your NEW shop link.  I'd like to personally extend my thanks to Inspirational Beading for the show of support and generosity!

More Fun With Badges

Sometimes this feels a little like "The First Wives Club" of e-commerce. Declare Etsy your Ex with this new badge.

Remember, Etsy was built on word of mouth... so any conversation piece you can use to strike up a chat about how Etsy REALLY treats its sellers... should be utilized!  <3

Nominate Your Favorite Online Marketplace

From AuctionBytes: One of the most popular features we've run on AuctionBytes during the past 11 years has been our "Sellers Choice Awards." The Sellers Choice Awards allow sellers to rate their favorite online marketplaces in five important areas - Profitability, Customer Service, Communication, Ease of Use, and whether or not you would recommend the venue to other sellers.
_____________________

Ok, guys, time to let your voices be heard. I know who will NOT be receiving my vote this year! To Nominate: CLICK HERE.

Old News

When WWII broke out, my Great Grandfather, a WWI veteran, suffered tremendous psychological and emotional pain. He had fought "The War To End All Wars" and had witnessed the horrors, the cost, the trauma of it all. Now another war was at hand, and it made all he and his generation sacrificed seem futile and meaningless. On top of this, it began to trigger what we now refer to as "Post Traumatic Stress Disorder". As a result, his doctor advised him not to read the newspaper, and advised his family that he should be kept away from the news about the war in general. My Great Grandfather let the war rage on, and instead focused on his own healing.

That is what I propose we, as refugees, begin to do. I know it is tempting to read the forums on Etsy, even after some of us have packed up and left. The issues we cared about are still being discussed, our friends are still interacting there, admin is still ignoring customer questions and concerns. If you have chosen to leave, or, like me, had your account taken out back and shot like Old Yeller, it is probably time to step away from the drama at the heart of the fray, and begin your own healing process. No amount of reading, or even weighing in with an opinion, will make a lick of difference, and will only leave you open to a bunch of sniping from defensive cupcakes. This only serves to further damage your spirit.

Going back in and reading or posting is only picking at an old wound. By now, most of us have realized that Etsy is the way it is, and responded by either grudgingly accepting it and trying to cope, or by closing up shop and finding a more satisfactory service elsewhere, so reading and posting in those forums wont do much to change our circumstances. However, there are still plenty of sellers who are unaware that Etsy is not the happy kingdom it pretends to be. When they run into Etsy's dark side, we will be here to help in terms of comfort, support, and practical advice, and for that, we need to be in good shape.

It can be hard to tear one's self away after months, or in some cases years, of daily participation in Etsy's seller community. We all have to go through a grieving process when we lose the illusions we once had about the site where we invested so much time, energy, and money. That is why, even after I closed my shop, I continued to read and post in the forums. Now that I am prohibited from commenting there, I don't really see the point in going back anymore. Another reason for me to stay out of the forums? Having to read obnoxious, passive-aggressive comments about my now closed account that I can't even respond to. It just doesn't do me any good.

Are you having trouble breaking away from the forums? How do you feel about it? The comment section is open for business!

Another Etsy Movie

For your viewing pleasure...

This. Is. The. Best. Thing. Ever.

This really is the best thing ever... a video about coralgate that will make you pee your pants.

How To Leave Your Abuser Safely...

If you are quietly preparing to leave Etsy, here is a basic action plan...

- Find a safe place to go:
Choose a new venue, or several.  There are many to choose from.  We have a list of alternative venues on this blog.  Once you have a safe place to go, it's time to get ready to make your move.

- Get your ticket:
Find your USER ID # - Etsy is trying to hide it.  See previous posts on how to find and save your user ID # so that you can smuggle your listings out of there using the Importers on other sites.  Then import your listings.  You will need to edit all titles and tweak descriptions if you want to get picked up by google.  If you have any questions about this, please ask.

- Pack your valuables:
Copy your feedback.  Copy all of your feedback and paste it into a document.  You can refer to it and display it on your new venue.  This will help you get established, and one more way to make "starting over" easier.  Take screen shots if you feel you need to.

- Take the kids:  
Be sure to go through your convos, sold items, etc. and retrieve the information you need to get in touch with your customers.  You an also find customer emails in your paypal history.  Remember- Etsy can and does read convos, so be careful what you say when you use the service.  Once you have the relevant information, you can let your customers know where to find you.

- Tie up loose ends:
Take care of any outstanding orders or shipments.  Save any information in your sold orders or invoices you want or need such as photos, descriptions, whatever.  Print a copy of your Etsy bill and keep it with you.  This is especially important if you want to try and get your money back.  Grab screen shots.

By  now you should have your affairs in order and you are ready to leave and start again.  These steps will minimize the damaging effects of moving venues.  You don't have to take the abuse anymore!  You deserve better!  If you need anything, we are here to support you.  Good luck!

The Saga Continues...

My Coralgate and banning story is now on EtsyBitch click the link to read!

Have you been muted, booted or banned recently?  EB wants to hear your story.

Sellers Silenced Sanctimoniously about Storque Scandal - it SUCKS.

The epic thread on Etsy's forums, and the one area of the site members were allowed to discuss the topic of the Storque coral article by Temple St. Clair - has been closed.

Expect mutings and bootings in the days ahead, as Etsy cleanses its image for an upcoming partnership with HGTV, and other corporate interests.  

Meanwhile, I have just finished writing up my experience with Etsy and sending it to EtsyBitch which has generously invited me to share my story.  Stay tuned for more details.

On a personal note, I took most of yesterday off to rest and unwind from a stressful month of Etsy-related upheaval.  Thanks to all for your messages of sympathy and support, I sincerely appreciate it.  I didn't realize how exhausting the whole thing was until it was really over.  I swear, I could sleep for a month.

I look forward to re-connecting with my Etsy friends in the weeks to come, (off-site), as well as working on getting my Artfire shop ready for the holidays.  Incidentally, I just found out that sellers there have organized themselves to tweet about #artfire all day Thursday to get the term to trend worldwide!  I will definitely be participating in that to some extent.

yours,
Joan

My Banner...

This is the very same banner I had up in my shop when I was booted, muted and banned.

I've Been Perma-Banned by Etsy Today

I was actually catching up reading the coral thread when I got a weird error message.  I was then prompted to sign in.  I got this message, and this was the first inkling I had that I'd been booted and banned.

Then lo and behold!  I checked my email and read their obnoxious fuck-off message.  Just incredible.

At least I already moved my shop.  At least I got to say goodbye.  But I am totally flabbergasted.  Honestly.

Editorial note: I was "flabbergasted" because Etsy allows others, including their blog staff, to break their Terms of Use, and get away with it slap free. Some, on the other hand, they can't expel fast enough. It is these inconsistencies that make my head spin.

The Coral Corral

For the last few weeks many of the refugees have been protesting Etsy's Corporate Fuckery (ECF) in the admin-created "storque coral article discussion thread" in Etsy's forums.  They put us in there like a bunch of livestock, or mental patients at the start of this whole thing, and if any of us escaped, more thread closures, and "gentle yet firm" shepherding back into the pen ensued.  We took to calling it the Coral Corral.  I've met the most amazing people in that funny farm, and I love them all.  But after about 3 weeks we are all starting to move on to the next stage.  For some of us, that means starting over somewhere new, for others, staying and struggling to cope with the changes taking place there.  We are all saying tearful goodbyes, and here, for posterity, is mine...

I just want to start off by apologizing for losing my temper on the topic of cupcakery earlier today. I've taken some time to reflect on my anger and I have found the potential for growth. That said, I think it is time for me to move on from Etsy, and focus on the future. As all of you know, I have elected to close my shop here and move to another venue. I will take with me all that I have learned from you good people in this experience we have shared together. All of you who have kept this thread going and shared your thoughts, feelings, ideas, plans, dreams, and disappointments have affected me in ways more profound and long-lasting than Etsy Corp ever will, or ever has. I love and respect you all, and I will miss our daily discussions. I really hope you will visit the blog I set up for us so we can stay connected and keep influencing each other. I feel like I have discovered a gold-mine of wonderful people that I never would have met if it weren't for our shared cause. I simply can't express how grateful I am to each and every one of you for your patience, your empathy, your dedication to justice for all in Etsyland, and for all of the laughter, joy, frustration and tears we've shared. The sun is setting over the coral corral, and the campers are saying their goodbyes. To all of you, I wish success, fulfillment, peace, and the respect you deserve from this cockamamie corporation. Thanks for opening my eyes, and opening your hearts. Love, Joan


This would be the time to break into a group version of Carol King's "You've Got A Friend". Sing it with me!!!


When your down and troubled 
And you need a helping hand 
And nothing, whoa nothing is going right. 
Close your eyes and think of me 
And soon I will be there 
To brighten up even your darkest nights. 
You just call out my name, 
And you know whereever I am 
I'll come running, oh yeah baby 
To see you again. 
Winter, spring , summer, or fall, 
All you have to do is call 
And I'll be there, yeah, yeah, yeah. 
You've got a freind. 
If the sky above you 
Should turn dark and full of clouds 
And that old north wind should begin to blow 
Keep your head together and call my name out loud 
And soon I will be knocking upon your door. 
You just call out my name and you know where ever I am 
I'll come running to see you again. 
Winter, Spring, summer or fall 
All you got to do is call 
And I'll be there, yeah, yeah, yeah. 
Hey, ain't it good to know that you've got a friend? 
People can be so cold. 
They'll hurt you and desert you. 
Well they'll take your soul if you let them. 
Oh yeah, but don't you let them. 
You just call out my name and you know wherever I am 
I'll come running to see you again. 
Oh babe, don't you know that, 
Winter Spring summer or fall, 
Hey now, all you've got to do is call. 
Lord, I'll be there, yes I will. 
You've got a friend. 
You've got a friend. 
Ain't it good to know you've got a friend. 
Ain't it good to know you've got a friend. 
You've got a friend.

Quote Of The Day

"We should practice by showing one another love and helping one another. It is a mistake to pursue happiness and to seek to the avoid suffering by deceiving and humiliating other people. We must try to achieve happiness and eliminate suffering by being good-hearted and well-behaved." -Dalai Lama