What can Etsy do? There are three options:
Option 1: Block a user mac address, therefore blocking the buyer and seller ids. Neither could log in. Kill two birds with one stone. Or more, depending on how many bogus buyer accounts have been created.
Option 2: Take away the ability to curate treasuries from the buyers. Really, why does a buyer need to curate a treasury anyway? No, not all buyers are fakes, but these people are spoiling it for everyone else.
Option 3: We throw all suspected sock puppets into a lake, if they sink they're witches and if they float, they're puppets.
This post is essentially the comment section. Questions, comments, snarkiness, etc. Post it here.
shevaun (joined Apr 29, 2008, first front page Sep 20, 2008)
27Mistakes (joined Nov 15, 2008, First front page Nov 29, 2008)
Robineggblue (Joined Nov 28, 2007, First Documented Front Page Jan 2008)
Kartoshka (Joined Apr 18, 2008, First documented front Page Aug 22, 2008)
Nicoleta (Joined Etsy Dec 2, 2008, First Front Page Dec 4, 2008)
JConnor (Joined Etsy Apr 19, 2008, First Documented Front Page Dec 8, 2008)
Polkadotdaisies (started as a mother/daughter team, then created their own shops)
Indiechick (Joined Etsy Jul 18, 2007, First Documented Front Page Jul 11, 2008)
Lizzywatson (Joined Etsy Apr 5, 2008, First Documented Front Page Jul 22, 2008)
Efratom (Joined Etsy Jan 15, 2008, First Documented Front Page Aug 20, 2008)
Katedesigning (Joined Etsy Aug 21, 2008, First Front Page Nov 23, 2008)
Olahav (Joined Etsy Nov 22, 2007, First Documented Front Page Aug 9, 2008)
Jonatolengo (Joined Etsy Mar 12, 2007, First Documented Front Page Sep 17, 2007)
Miaotsetse (Joined Etsy Jun 17, 2008, First Front Page Sep 24, 2008)
Lahua (Joined Etsy Mar 7, 2008, First Documented Front Page Jun 11, 2008)
Langston (Joined Etsy Oct 20, 2008, First Front Page Nov 2, 2008)
Yoom (Joined Etsy May 31, 2008, First Documented Front Page Aug 10, 2008)
BirdMuseum (Joined Etsy Nov 16, 2008, First Front Page Nov 20, 2008)
TreasuryTown (Joined Etsy Sep 11, 2008, First Front Page Oct 23, 2008)
Shuxin (Joined Etsy Nov 06, 2008, First Front Page Nov 14, 2008)
cmskok (Joined Etsy Jan 02, 2008, First Documented Front Page Oct 9,2008) May have started legit.
Aishatyler (Joined Etsy Jun 9, 2008, First Front Page Sep 1, 2008)
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12 comments:
Huh. Both langston and treasurytown changed their profiles to overly explain why they're at Etsy...lol. And to further attempt to legitimize the accounts, both of them just happen to make their first purchases on the same day. Because, as it says in BOTH of their profiles, they're "just here to shop". See? They're just here to shop!
Points to Ponder
• How many buyers feel the need to justify their existence with “just here to shop” or some other reason for being?
• How long did it take you to find the treasury? How much longer until you curated your first? How much longer until you made a treasury that hit Front Page?
• How many buyers know/care what the treasury is, and how does one join Etsy and instantly know how to make a front page treasury?
• Actually using a buyer account to buy, does not make it any less a sock puppet. It’s just a clever way to deflect suspicion and a not so clever way to use it for its intended purpose.
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1. I don't understand your first point. What else are buyers here for, but to shop? Granted, I myself don't particularly feel the need to justify anything I say or do to anyone else, period, but I don't get this point. Are you saying that because they make treasuries they are trying to justify their being? I don't get it.
2 and 3. I know what the treasury is, and I am a buyer, and I make treasuries all the time, that is when my flash is working, and I have had one make it to the front page. I found treasury immediately upon my arrival, but then my flash stopped working. I didn't make one right away, I agree, but only because I had flash problems for the first few months that I was there. But as soon as it installed I made my first treasury on my first try and have snagged one on every try ever since, which is quite often.
4. Sellers have enough problems trying to get sales without launching another witch hunt on buyers, dontcha think? Quite frankly, I find the ones who spend time bitching and griping about every little thing most likely can look to that as the cause for their lack of sales. All the front pages, gift guides, storque articles, and featured seller blurbs in the world can't really overcome some of the "sunny" dispositions of some sellers, unfortunately.
PussDaddy
I admit that some of these account that don't buy might look sort of fishy, but what pains me is the attitude that buyers in general should just shell out money to buy stuff and not take part in any other part of the Etsy community, be it forums, making treasuries, or whatever. What I get out of making treasuries is the ability to use other's work in an artsy way by curating a treasury, and I am not only doing it for myself as I don't profit much from it, but it also thrills me when something from one of my treasuries sells, especially if it is a newbie or low feedback seller. Not everyone thinks only of themself all the time.
PussDaddy
I don't know, I think this is about sellers. Sellers who are trying to pull the wool over everyone's eyes. I don't think this is about buyers, or buyers who curate treasuries. We love buyers! Real buyers, that is. This is about sellers possibly making fake buyer accounts for the express purpose of making extra treasuries featuring themselves. These sellers who are doing this are the ones putting curating buyers in a bad light, not the people running this blog.
It is not the true Etsy supporting buyers that are abusing the treasury system. It is the sellers. Why should we, the buyers that make treasuries for the benefit of . . . oh . . . you sellers have that fun aspect of being a member taken away just because the buyers can't behave in a prefessional manner?
I am on board with the idea that something needs to be done but lay the blame on this abuse where it belongs - unethical and dishonest sellers!
I know there are some obvious cases, but just because a treasury curator favors a certain seller, doesn't mean they are the same person. It could be a family member, a friend or a great admirer, all of these are allowed. I would hate to alienate any buyer from Etsy with accusations you couldn't prove.
This entire blog is dedicated to the unethical sellers abusing buyer accounts, not buyers abusing the treasury.
While it's true that some curators favor certain sellers, it is HIGHLY unlikely that they put the same seller in every single one of their treasuries, not just the ones that made front page, but all of them.
Thanks for blogging about this, it's been really interesting to see all the evidence!
Like JDWolfe I would be concerned about accusing people wrongly - but the examples you've given are generally pretty convincing!
It's such a shame that the front page doesn't feature a bigger range of treasury makers and sellers. Thanks for blogging :-)
I completely agree with JDWolfe on this one. I hardly think the evidence is overwhelming.
Am I viewing a different blog than some of the commentors here? "Evidence isn't overwhelming?" I was appalled at the BLATANT and obvious seller/buyer double triple and even quadruple accounts going on here! And this is just from the few examples shown here. I know for certain the the curator(s) of this blog would not post or call out anyone unless they had overwhelming proof! As they have stated here too..the examples listed are merely the FP treasuries by these people and not all of their treasuries which, surprise, have the exact same shops listed! It is absolutely disgusting and frustrating for me to see! I had NO idea of any of this before I noticed this blog via a flickr post..so thanks for all you take the time to do!
I wouldn't be surprised if some of those sock puppets are Admins, who don't want to be outed for picking the same people over and over.
It's not yet 11 am, and 3 sellers have been featured in 2 FP's each today. All have multiple sales.
2 of those sellers (FP regulars) were in a "chosen by the color picker" curated page. 10 of the items were burgundy, but those 2 sellers had a pink and a silver item. No spot of burgundy anywhere in the photos.
And JD, you have no credibility about favoritism - you're on the FP and gift guides consistently.
The problem isn't with buyers making treasuries. It's with Admin.
it would be amazing to me if this were true because I cannot imagine the time it takes to be this devious. I am just too lazy--busy, but lazy nonetheless.
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