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Thu Jan 4 2024 14:39:20

Etsy Shuts Access to Discussion Boards in the Name of Security

By: Ina Steiner

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Three days after EcommerceBytes pointed out a potential issue that helps fraudsters scam new Etsy sellers, the marketplace announced it would limit access to most discussion boards where sellers openly share information about scammers as well as many other issues.

The decision to wall off the Etsy discussion boards means that reporters and bloggers will be unable to spot trends and gain insight into sellers' successes and failures on the marketplace. And it will make it harder for us to discover issues like the one we described in our January 1st blog post. In it, we pointed to three discussions on the Etsy boards where sellers described being contacted by scammers posing as Etsy customer support reps as soon as they had registered their new seller accounts - before they had even listed any items for sale.

In the unprecedented move, Etsy announced today that only people signed into a selling account will be able to view posts in the discussion boards with the exception of the Announcement and Technical Issues boards, which will remain visible to everyone.

It's a stretch to think that closing the forums to unregistered sellers would make sellers more secure. Etsy made no mention of actions it would take to prevent scammers from registering for seller accounts so they could access forums, while leaving reporters and industry watchers in the dark. 

It's also naive (or disingenuous) given the fact that conversations by Etsy sellers take place on social media sites and platforms such as Reddit.

Etsy did mention one initiative to improve security for its buyers (not sellers) in today's announcement:

"We're limiting the buyer info some integrations can access using our public API
"Many companies use the Etsy API to build tools and services for Etsy sellers (we call these integrations). To help protect shoppers' privacy, we're putting some additional limits on the buyer info we share with these third-parties. We've reviewed this info carefully to ensure we limit the impact on the tools you depend on to run your business. Any sellers impacted by this change will receive an email from Etsy this week about the changes we're making."

In another example of Etsy's push for secrecy, when a seller pasted the text of the letter they received about the API changes today on the discussion boards, an Etsy moderator immediately deleted it and referred to the following policy:

"Do not use community spaces to discuss interactions with Etsy representatives, or to share verbatim extracts of such conversations ( i.e., emails, DMs or messages, live chats etc.). Remember, most messages between you and Etsy are considered private correspondence and we ask that you respect this confidentiality. Please refer to our Privacy Policy for more information."

According to a YouTuber named Scott Voelker, sellers panicked upon receiving the email thinking it meant they would no longer have access to buyer email addresses through seller tools as of February 5th, you can watch the reaction from him and fellow marketers in the following video:


One of the marketing companies affected is Aweber, which explains how the Etsy integration works on the Aweber help page.

Today's announcement from Etsy comes in the wake of an 11% workforce reduction - in mid-December, Etsy announced it was laying off 225 employees, including its Chief Marketing Officer and its Chief Human Resources Officer.

Whether Etsy is operating its discussion forums with fewer moderators is unclear, nor is it clear whether that may have been a factor in turning its discussion boards private.

Let us know if you have a favorite forum where you discuss Etsy issues, and know that David and I appreciate your news tips and perspectives about selling online now more than ever.



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Perminate Link for Etsy Shuts Access to Discussion Boards in the Name of Security   Etsy Shuts Access to Discussion Boards in the Name of Security

by: LDWCallsOut This user has validated their user name.

Thu Jan 4 15:22:00 2024

I discovered late last year that I can post in the Etsy Forums now when I log into my shops, so I may be able to still read the Forums if I want to bother with it.

Sellers will still be discussing Etsy in social media, as mentioned above and by Lisa in the comments to the post about scammers.  This looks like limiting access to the press, industry bloggers, and investors.  A poor choice IMO rather than fix the security leaks all over the site.

This development reeks of cover-up disguised as protecting members of the Etsy community.  

Perminate Link for Etsy Shuts Access to Discussion Boards in the Name of Security   Etsy Shuts Access to Discussion Boards in the Name of Security

This user has validated their user name. by: Rexford

Thu Jan 4 18:26:01 2024

Jack Nicholson to Etsy: YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH!!!

Etsy can build a moat filled with hangry crocodiles around their discussion board but the stench of the scammers will still exist.  This reminds me of book banners who ban books because they don't like the content.

Is this also an opportunity for a plaintiff's attorney?   If an Etsy seller is scammed could their attorney point the finger at Etsy for shutting down a source of information that could have prevented it?    Sound far fetched?  No more than a certain ex-politician's ridiculous law suits.

Perminate Link for Etsy Shuts Access to Discussion Boards in the Name of Security   Etsy Shuts Access to Discussion Boards in the Name of Security

by: Fruitylovesyou This user has validated their user name.

Thu Jan 4 21:20:46 2024

That's ok. That just means everyone should start saving everything because suddenly.. Mysteriously... Etsy seems to want to bury something. I highly suggest you all go back and save the money issues, that will really get an regulator up their hiney.

Ina & David...why not use Twitter/X spaces? You could broadcast maybe a weekly what you're hearing..you don't necessarily need to take callers, more like public service announcement.  

Perminate Link for Etsy Shuts Access to Discussion Boards in the Name of Security   Etsy Shuts Access to Discussion Boards in the Name of Security

by: LDWCallsOut This user has validated their user name.

Fri Jan 5 08:35:47 2024

Recent article:  THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF ETSY at spy.com.

Perminate Link for Etsy Shuts Access to Discussion Boards in the Name of Security   Etsy Shuts Access to Discussion Boards in the Name of Security

by: quirkyantiques This user has validated their user name.

Fri Jan 5 11:02:09 2024

Rather than fix the scammer problem-and I can assure you there is a reddit for Etsy sellers and one for buyers so it's not like people aren't going to discuss it-Etsy would rather close the curtain thinking that will stop people knowing....newsflash-it's all over reddit daily. I know because I'm on THOSE forums too.  

Perminate Link for Etsy Shuts Access to Discussion Boards in the Name of Security   Etsy Shuts Access to Discussion Boards in the Name of Security

by: Lisa This user has validated their user name.

Fri Jan 5 22:48:20 2024

reddit is much better and balanced than the one sided toxic etsy forum.

reddit, a private frum consisting of etsy sellers from 2007 or earlier, and the pam duthie etsy news weekly overview, are my best places for news and discussion.

etsy forum, is basically white washed foo foo crap, highly censored and padded content.
 

Perminate Link for Etsy Shuts Access to Discussion Boards in the Name of Security   Etsy Shuts Access to Discussion Boards in the Name of Security

by: Lisa This user has validated their user name.

Fri Jan 5 22:49:05 2024

*forum

Perminate Link for Etsy Shuts Access to Discussion Boards in the Name of Security   Etsy Shuts Access to Discussion Boards in the Name of Security

by: GetAGrip This user has validated their user name.

Sat Jan 6 06:35:51 2024

What difference does it make??????? Why would you need to go to a site where you are bullied and banned if you don't think their way. To many other places to get in on the rumors and such without the blessing of etsy and their corrupt blogs.

Perminate Link for Etsy Shuts Access to Discussion Boards in the Name of Security   Etsy Shuts Access to Discussion Boards in the Name of Security

by: Snapped This user has validated their user name.

Mon Jan 8 05:33:45 2024

Sure, make it harder to discuss.  Nothing emboldens a criminal more than the cover of silence.  

Perminate Link for Etsy Shuts Access to Discussion Boards in the Name of Security   Etsy Shuts Access to Discussion Boards in the Name of Security

by: Queen of the Jungle This user has validated their user name.

Mon Jan 8 09:37:10 2024

As others have said- the forums are now and have always been highly censored.  

It's nothing to do with protecting the sellers!  In fact, NOTHING they do is ever to protect us.   Rather, it's ALWAYS about figuring out ways to screw us and put more money in their pockets.

I have not been allowed to comment on the forums for many years ever since I posted something that they considered politically incorrect.  

Etsy censorship is fascism at its finest.  They do not allow anyone to express viewpoints that are contrary to the political beliefs of the oh so woke overlords.

I look through the forums occasionally to see if there are any issues that I should know about but the vast majority of posts seem to be from illicit sellers who don't understand why they haven't made their first million yet for selling the exact same mass produced crap as every one else.

The hypocrisy of the Etsy overlords is breathtaking.  They pretend to be all about the little guy and gal when nothing is further from the truth.

They are typical NY elitists who basically hate their sellers and everyone else who does not conform to their world view and status.

Perminate Link for Etsy Shuts Access to Discussion Boards in the Name of Security   Etsy Shuts Access to Discussion Boards in the Name of Security

by: cvsharkey This user has validated their user name.

Mon Jan 8 13:01:57 2024

Etsy will end up left with vintage sellers, sellers of very high-end products and the Asian sellers. Hence, they'll turn into eBay.

Perminate Link for Etsy Shuts Access to Discussion Boards in the Name of Security   Etsy Shuts Access to Discussion Boards in the Name of Security

by: selling stuff This user has validated their user name.

Mon Jan 8 21:36:55 2024

eBay boards started downhill about 9 years ago & then accelerated to a full-speed head-on crash.

All the folks who used to help new sellers or buyers were either banned permanently by eBay or left on their own a long time ago never to return.

Perminate Link for Etsy Shuts Access to Discussion Boards in the Name of Security   Etsy Shuts Access to Discussion Boards in the Name of Security

by: LDWCallsOut This user has validated their user name.

Tue Jan 9 14:09:51 2024

There are still some vintage sellers on Etsy, but a lot of them have left or let their shops go inactive (like my Etsy shops).  Vintage sellers have been replaced by sellers of fauxtiques (items newly manufactured to look old or copy older styles) and resellers of newish stuff faked dated and listed as ''vintage''.  

There was a brief period (less than a year) when the number of listings for authentic vintage items on Etsy exceeded listings for the same types of items on eBay.  This happened more than a decade ago.  Etsy quickly started experimenting with moving around or removing any mention of Vintage on its home page.  Today the drop down ''category'' menu has no mention of Vintage.  It has a link to ''shoes'' but no vintage.  

Perminate Link for Etsy Shuts Access to Discussion Boards in the Name of Security   Etsy Shuts Access to Discussion Boards in the Name of Security

by: Whatever This user has validated their user name.

Fri Jan 12 10:27:02 2024

In the name of security? Who are they kidding? they just couldn't take the bad press - they forgot about uTube



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