Please Help Support Mature Sellers

There has been some changes in Etsy... possibly foreshadowing changes to come for the whole site. These changes have not been announced on the Front Page, emailed etc, ... they were just announced in the Forums where the vast majority of buyers and sellers do not go. They involve a change in the way etsy handles exposure for Mature sellers. If you would like to read what they have unveiled, please check out this forum post.

I, and many other people, find the placement of controversial artists that already follow the TOS automatically behind a 'black curtain' that most people dont even know exists through an opt-in style filter to be insulting, sneaky, mean and down right over board on the pearl clutching censorship. This filter will only encourage people to break the TOS.

If you agree, please read this petition here and sign it. I support mature sellers and artists. I believe in the validity and shocking nature of controversial art. Mature sellers already have to G-rate their first photo and warn people of their mature content in their listing name, please help us keep them from being shoved back into a corner and covered up.

Comments

  1. I agree, in principle, with everything you say, and there should be a better way to block views of certain "works of art" from those who are offended by them..this isn't a museum or gallery, this is a shopping site, and I have to say that I have seen some things, for instance, in Pounce, (totally unregulated for new sellers)such as an ugly, very graphic drawing of what looked like a small girl being forced to give oral sex to a giant penis...sorry, but something needs to happen..the 'rights' of mature sellers are not totally open, anymore than those preaching or selling hate-filled messages on T-shirts or white power publications would be..the question is, if sellers don't regulate themselves in a sensitive fashion, what recourse do the rest of us have?

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  2. From the TOS:
    Etsy aims to maintain a marketplace appropriate for general audiences, therefore the use of mature content must comply with the following policies. Mature content is defined as: visual depiction of male or female genitalia, sexual activity or content, profane language or graphic violence. Mature content listings will remain in all Etsy searches by default; users can restrict results by using the exclusionary search term "NOT mature" ("opt-out" search status).

    * Item listings containing mature content must be tagged with "mature" and include the word "mature" in the item title.
    * Mature content and/or profane language or images are not allowed in your username, Public Profile, item titles, tags, avatar, banner, Shop Announcement and/or shop section titles.
    * The first thumbnail image in your item listing should be kept appropriate for general audiences; additional images in the listing may show the item in its entirety. Mature content and/or profane language or images are only allowed in the second, third, fourth and fifth photos of an item listing and the description text of a listing.
    * Pornography is prohibited on Etsy.

    Listings that do not comply with Etsy's policies may be flagged for review (see Flagging). Members who do not comply with Etsy's policies may be subject to review, which can result in suspension of account privileges and/or termination. If Etsy removes an item listing for violating Etsy policy, the seller is still obligated to pay the listing fee for that item. Suspended or terminated members remain obligated to pay Etsy for all unpaid fees per our Terms of Use.

    Under the existing rules, your example would not be allowed... so there is nothing to worry about if Etsy would just enforce their own TOS.

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  3. mizdarlin', I agree and disagree with you, and thanks for bringing up that point. It's just like fuzzy said, the seller with the listing you described wasn't following the TOUs, because they used that image as the first photo in their listing. If that rule was being broken, that seller may not have even had their listing tagged as mature. This means they would evade any mature listing filter. That's part of the reason why this doesn't work.

    Also, I'm unhappy that this filter was placed on all accounts with nearly no notice. If they roll out a similar filter on the general search, some shops will become invisible and just die. That upsets me. At least inform your customers about this filter, and give them the option to opt in or out. Then, enforce the TOUs, so that those following the rules are not the ones who are penalized by this.

    Oh, and get rid of the resellers! :)

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  4. No filters.
    Enforce the ToU.
    People who already don't follow the rules to tag correctly will still not follow the rules and will now be getting a wider audience since so many others are 'behind the curtain" so to speak

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  5. That last statement is amusing... "Pornography is not permitted on Etsy"...as defined by who?
    What will happen is that those who are willing to tag and post according to the YOU's will be okay, and those who aren't (just like the resellers issue) will carry on the way they always do...no one who posts hate or kiddie porn really thinks they'll sell it, they do it for the shock value..
    Don't know what the answer is, but as I said in my first post, this is a shopping site, and whether we like it or not, Etsy has the right to offend the least amount of people, even if that means trampling on the 'rights' of a few..but just like you, I can't see this being enforced..it's a way of "being seen to enforce" their own rules without actually having to do anything, just like putting us in the position of having to do our own advertising...it's a tough one, for us and for Etsy...

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  6. Pounce, Treasury East, Suggested Sellers... what do these things have in common?

    They were all given to us by Etsy, unasked for, and they've all caused issues.

    Stop "helping" us and just enforce the TOU already!

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  7. I was going to sign the petition, but could not since I don't have paypal and a donation is required to sign.

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  8. You do not need to pay for anything. That page is after the 'sign this' part of the petition and they are asking for money to support the petition site. I didnt give, and my signature is on the page (under Fuzzy Izmit).

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  9. No filters!

    Off to sign petition.

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