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Mon Apr 15 2024 23:28:56

Sellers Learn Private Posts on Etsy Teams Laid Bare

By: Ina Steiner

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Etsy created "Teams" on the discussion boards where team leaders can make them private or public (open, closed, or hidden). But it recently introduced a backdoor where posts in supposedly private Teams are accessible to non-members.

Etsy explains on its help page, "Etsy Teams is a community feature where you can gather with peers to socialize, get advice from experienced members, and share information about running a business in your area."

A reader told EcommerceBytes, "There is a serious breach of privacy going on within the Etsy teams space. The changes they made on March 26 resulted in all teams being visible to all shop owners. Anyone can comment as well."

The reader explained the problem: "If you go in the front door of teams, it'll say the team is closed. However, open the profile of anyone who's commenting in the forms. Look at the comments they've made, you can enter private team threads that way."

Sellers explained that posts meant to be kept private include discussions about removing members and posts with member contact information.

On Saturday, an Etsy moderator posted the following response to reports in a thread on the Technical Issues board, and we haven't found any more recent response:

Thank you for bringing this to our attention! We're working with our platform provider to investigate these reports. Please be sure to reach out to us directly if you believe there's a problem with your team settings via community[at]etsy[dot]com.

Etsy Teams are only available to logged in visitors, and Team Captains can choose between three settings for their teams:

Open: All registered community members can join the team, as well as see and create content.

Closed: Access requires approval, and only approved members can see the contents of the team.

Hidden: The team and its contents are not visible to those without access and will not appear in the directory or search results.

These settings are only accessible by registered users with the Team Captain role. You can read more about Etsy Teams here.

"Etsy admin does not use their own team space for their own important discussions," the EcommerceBytes reader told us - "they use Facebook. It really has been seeming for a while like they're trying to kill teams which is a shame."



Comments (8) | Permalink

Readers Comments

Perminate Link for Sellers Learn Private Posts on Etsy Teams Laid Bare   Sellers Learn Private Posts on Etsy Teams Laid Bare

by: LDWCallsOut This user has validated their user name.

Tue Apr 16 10:15:40 2024

The original Etsy Street Teams may have been about socializing with professional peers and getting/giving business advice, but they've been -- IMO anyway -- kind of worthless for a while.  There's a hilarious thread in the Etsy Forums about a Team leader outraged by ''cheating'' infiltrators who used this glitch (or whatever is going on here) to post but not join in on the silly Hearting Game for Team members.  

If Etsy staff don't use the Teams ''space'' for business discussions, maybe they know something about Teams security that has been happening for a while -- or maybe from day one.  And what braintrust would post their personal, financial, or business private info in a setting like Etsy Teams anyway?  Can't you get or give advice on the bases of hypotheticals?  

Perminate Link for Sellers Learn Private Posts on Etsy Teams Laid Bare   Sellers Learn Private Posts on Etsy Teams Laid Bare

by: Shanna This user has validated their user name.

Wed Apr 17 21:23:20 2024

Etsy Teams are run by bullies, and Etsy allows it.

Perminate Link for Sellers Learn Private Posts on Etsy Teams Laid Bare   Sellers Learn Private Posts on Etsy Teams Laid Bare

by: Lynze This user has validated their user name.

Sat Apr 20 17:58:34 2024

This disaster of people able to post anything to a closed team is extremely problematic.
I am a Team Captain of one of those CLOSED teams and have had the displeasure of having a non-member able to circumvent the process of applying for membership. We vet everyone that applies and there is a reason for this process. I research their shop to see if the contents are appropriate for the team. Among those are: No profanity, nudity or offensive items are allowed or items that go against Etsy policy. I also review their posts in other teams to determine their integrity.
We do have marketing threads but also much more. We have a monthly shot out message board for conversations, team issues that members might be having including Etsy glitches, bugs or anything. We know better than to include any sensitive personal information.
I post a special featured message if a glitch is encountered to make my members aware and contact Etsy if appropriate. I did contact them on this issue along with the names of 7 other teams that I knew were having this issue.
I am also available to my members if they encounter a problem (I try to help them fix it) or questions about how to interact with buyers if they have an issue.
I think that many teams serve a valuable role.
The person that hacked into my team would never have been allowed to join.

Perminate Link for Sellers Learn Private Posts on Etsy Teams Laid Bare   Sellers Learn Private Posts on Etsy Teams Laid Bare

by: Lynze This user has validated their user name.

Sat Apr 20 18:00:49 2024

Sorry. I meant Shout Out

Perminate Link for Sellers Learn Private Posts on Etsy Teams Laid Bare   Sellers Learn Private Posts on Etsy Teams Laid Bare

by: Lynze This user has validated their user name.

Sat Apr 20 19:55:57 2024

Etsy is not being truthful about this. Before this change, when I went to the profile of someone applying to join my team I would NOT be able to see any postings that person did to a closed team.
I know this for a fact. We require a certain level of team thread experience. When I was vetting shops that looked like a good fit to my team, but saw no thread experience, I would send them a message and ask if they belonged to any closed teams and if so which ones. I explained why I need that information.
When I went into the profile of the person that hacked into my team (thanks to Etsy creating this debacle) I saw she was posting to many closed teams.
I tried to follow her postings to the different teams and ALWAYS got the message that it was a closed team and I had to apply to join. Your “readers” and my experiences are different.

Perminate Link for Sellers Learn Private Posts on Etsy Teams Laid Bare   Sellers Learn Private Posts on Etsy Teams Laid Bare

by: Lisa This user has validated their user name.

Sun Apr 21 02:12:45 2024

etsy teams have  been obsolete since right before  etsy went public. Muted people cannot even join teams regardless what they were muted for, including already being on a team, Overnight gone. Etsy has always had access to what you post in your teams and it's not a wise decision to criticize etsy for anything. Teams that  have  an impact, and  have something substantial  to offer, have moved off the etsy platform years ago, and branched out to handmade in general, (Including vintage) and all platforms, fair venues, show circuits, etc.

This is the same sabotage the 'thingy' by etsy, in order to create the solution,and  make you think it's your idea. This was purposely done.

AKA  Etsy Gaslighting

Etsy will remove teams. I suggest if you value your team, you move it off etsy sooner rather than later. There are many places to host a team.

If you haven't noticed, etsy is having MAJOR problems, It is in everyone's best interest to expand your team's knowlege of ALL platforms and alternatives. You can't speak freely on etsy and the 'new' etsy doesn't want you to network with each other, It is painfully obvious etsy is making the sellers communal, and not an individual shop operated by you.

Perminate Link for Sellers Learn Private Posts on Etsy Teams Laid Bare   Sellers Learn Private Posts on Etsy Teams Laid Bare

by: Lynze This user has validated their user name.

Sun Apr 21 15:22:03 2024

The topic of this conversation should be around the fact that Etsy changed the rules again. Allowing anyone, that is not a member, to post on a closed team.
It’s the same nefarious behavior that they used when invading your listing pages and continued doing so on numerous occasions.
This is not the space for team bashing but should concentrate on what Etsy did and was it conscionable.

Perminate Link for Sellers Learn Private Posts on Etsy Teams Laid Bare   Sellers Learn Private Posts on Etsy Teams Laid Bare

by: Lisa This user has validated their user name.

Mon Apr 22 00:13:12 2024

my point is

etsy did this on purpose, it is a calculated move on their part, in order  to look like they are 'solving'  a problem when they abolish teams.

I'd recommend a plan B. you may wake up to 24 hours or less before your team is dismantled for "privacy" "security" & "safety".



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