Search results (tags) for: "all about etsy faq series"

All about Etsy FAQ Series: Welcome to the Etsy Labs

2009-09-17T13:08:00-05:00

We here at the Etsy Labs are often asked questions about what the Labs are and how the community can get involved. We realize there isn't really any published material about the Etsy Labs on the site other than our Merchandise shop, so we hope that we can clear up a few of the most frequently asked questions concerning the Etsy Labs in this article.

For more on this All About Etsy FAQ series, check out the intro, the All About the Teams post or the All About The Storque post.

What are the Etsy Labs?
The Etsy Labs are the physical Etsy offices located in Brooklyn, New York: Etsy central! Within the offices, the Labs functions as a community workspace where we hold Craft Nights and occasional events. The Etsy Labs folks run the community workspace, host events and visiting members of the press, design and make handmade Etsy merchandise and press kits and promos, manage the Etsy Labs shop, host online workshops and tutorials each week and represent Etsy at craft shows. We also work as Admin who are here to help you whenever you need shop advice. Whenever we have an event here at our offices, we try to broadcast it via webcam to the Virtual Labs. In short, Etsy Labs is much more than an office: We work to bridge the online and offline worlds of Etsy.

Can I come visit the Etsy Labs?
We welcome visitors at the Etsy Labs and love putting faces with names and avatars! The best time to come by and say hello is on Mondays from 4 - 8 p.m., when the community space is open to the public for Craft Night. We are now located at 55 Washington Street, Suite 512, Brooklyn NY, 11201. (We moved from our 325 Gold St, Brooklyn location in August 2009.)

How do I keep up with what's going on at Etsy Labs, like finding out about events and online workshops?
To find out about events at the Labs and any online workshops that are coming soon, we'd recommend joining the Etsy Labs mailing list to receive occasional updates from the Etsy Labs straight to your inbox.

Also, you may wish to keep an eye on the Etsy Labs column of the Storque or the Events section of the Storque. We're always updating what's going on and how you can be a part of it!

If you're a member of Meetup.com, please do join the Etsy Labs Meetup group. If you're a fan of flickr.com, you can keep track of what's going on at Etsy on our flickr page and our Etsy Labs Show & Tell group.

What is Craft Night and how can I get involved?
Every Monday from 4 - 8 p.m. we hold a free weekly, walk-in Craft Night where the community space in our offices is open to the public. Each week the Etsy Labs organize a skill-sharing project. We provide supplies, tools, and know-how. Participants are also welcome to bring their own projects to work on. This is the perfect time to see the space, use the equipment and supplies free of charge, and learn a new skill. Just stop on by!

If you're not in the area, visit the Virtual Labs where we fire up the webcam and share in the fun.

If you would like to lead a Craft Night or have a suggestion for a project, send your ideas to labs@etsy.com with "Craft Night Idea" as the subject line. Have you participated in Craft Night? Share your photos with the Etsy Labs Show and Tell Flickr group!

The first Sunday of each month from 2 - 6 p.m. the Church of Craft meets at the Labs, which also serves as an open crafting time, and you are welcome to join in.

Do you still offer classes at the Etsy Labs?
At the beginning of 2009, we discontinued our class program here at the Etsy Labs and embarked on a collaboration with the Brooklyn artist facility, 3rd Ward. This collaboration is called Etsy at 3rd Ward, and it is a craft education program born from Etsy and 3rd Ward's shared spirit of hands-on innovation. Together we present the opportunity to learn skills to expand creative know-how and craft a handmade life. Check out this program for a host of exciting craft classes.

May I rent equipment from Etsy Labs?
Tools and supplies are available for use during our weekly Craft Nights. We have a slew of crafty equipment on hand and open for use during Craft Night, including sewing machines, sergers, a one-inch button maker, paper cutters, fabric, paper, sewing notions, rubber stamps, linoleum carving tools, irons, cutting mats, and a whole lot more. To use specialized equipment at the Etsy Labs, like sergers, we ask that you have demonstrated previous experience. To use the button maker, please bring your own button one-inch parts.

At this time, our screenprinting equipment is reserved for use by Etsy for in-house production of promotional materials.

What are the Virtual Labs and how do I participate in an online workshop?
The Virtual Labs are Etsy's online, interactive, multi-user chat room. We use the Virtual Labs to connect with our community, host events, live webcam how-to's, Team meetings, newbie chats, show and tell, shop critiques, and more! To find out what is happening in the Virtual Labs this week, just visit the lobby of the Virtual Labs for a schedule or check out the Virtual Labs Storque articles for the details. More info about the Virtual Labs here.

Apply to host a workshop in the Virtual Labs here.

Why is your Blogspot blog so out of date?
Our Etsy Labs blog is what we used to communicate with the community before The Storque made its debut on Etsy. Now that The Storque is here, we now keep in touch with you guys over here. However, since there is so much useful information and so many resource links over at our old blog, we wanted to leave it up for you all to access everything that still lives over there.

Do you accept donations of crafting supplies?
Through your generosity we have a full house of donated craft supplies and equipment at the Etsy Labs, and we are pretty much filled to the brim. We are limiting what we can take at this time, so if you would like to send a donation, just send us an email to labs@etsy.com to work out the details.

Can we have an Etsy Labs in our city/area?
It would be wonderful to have an Etsy Labs in every state or in non-U.S. countries. It is our hope that through the Etsy Teams and partnerships, people will be able to meet up and form their own community workspaces in their areas where they host skill shares, get donations, and generally help each other spread the Etsy love. If you'd like to take on a project like this, please keep send your idea to labs@etsy.com.

Soooooo...all you ever wanted to know about the Etsy Labs! Didn't see the answer to your question in this article? Send us an email to labs@etsy.com or post in the comments below, and we will be sure to get back to you with your answer!

Love,

The Etsy Labs

The Great Etsy Office Move of 2009

2009-08-19T10:10:00-05:00

Hi! I'm Etsy’s third Sarah (well, technically, only the second with an “h”), and I am Etsy’s new Office Manager. I started in June, and it has been an exciting whirlwind, absorbing as much as I can about Etsy culture and community while also trying to improve the day-to-day workings of Etsy’s offices. I feel very lucky to be part of this family of hardworking and creative people who have welcomed me with open arms!

One of the most exciting projects I’ve been helping with is the Etsy office move. After three memorable years in our wonderfully quirky — though sometimes dysfunctional — office building, Etsy headquarters is moving to new digs on August 22. We will say good-bye to our Brooklyn/Bermuda Triangle location between Fort Greene, DUMBO, and Downtown Brooklyn. We look forward to inviting visitors to meetings without fear of them getting completely lost (which was a frequent occurrence at 325 Gold!).

The new office will be in the DUMBO neighborhood of Brooklyn (which stands for “Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass” — a sensible acronym, but it still makes me laugh every time I say it). DUMBO is known as an arts-focused neighborhood filled with galleries, restaurants, new media and non-profit organizations. Many of the buildings were once factories or warehouses, but they now are home to a growing community of studios and vibrant web companies. With friendly residents and many independent businesses, DUMBO is an oasis in the midst of the big city. Commuters drinking their morning coffee will be able to spot our bright Etsy orange walls from the Manhattan Bridge.

The new office is designed for greater efficiency, as we will no longer be trying to coordinate ourselves on three separate floors of a building with a temperamental elevator. The new space is all on one floor, with most folks sitting out in an open floor plan. The internet connection will be stable, and we won't be in the middle of a construction site — we've had three 40 floor buildings shoot up just next door to us! In short, it will be a vastly improved work environment.

Soon Etsy Labs will be reopening for Monday Craft Nights and other Virtual Labs events. These gatherings, both in Brooklyn and online via our multi-user chat room, are just one way for us to stay connected to you, and we're looking forward to hosting these in our new office. Stay tuned for posts from julieincharge and daniellexo regarding those events. You can also sign up for the Etsy Labs mailing list. For now, we are co-hosting DIY Thursdays at the Museum of Arts and Design. Please join us for these events — even if you're not in New York, you can participate online.

We are working to make sure that the office reflects our handmade and vintage spirit. We want to make sure we share it with all of you, even from afar, so after we move in, I’ll post stories about the handmade and vintage elements in the office. Our desks, conference tables, kitchen flooring and cabinetry are among the items made and installed by Etsy sellers, and I can't wait to show them in use in our busy office.

Ok, back to packing!

Seller How-To: Participate in Weekend Deals

2009-08-05T15:04:00-05:00

Each weekend Etsy publishes a Weekend Deals blog post and corresponding Etsy Finds email highlighting different shops with special promotions running over the weekend. All sellers are welcome to get involved and participate should you be planning ahead for a special shop promotion.

Each Weekend Deals email carries a theme; for example, the shop promotions might all have to do with a certain category, season, or type of promotion (such as Buy One, Get One Free), we find this to be easiest for the shopper experience. All of the upcoming themes can be found in the Promotions Section of the Forums by searching "weekend deals." Each thread will have the date and theme in the title, and sellers may post their promotions that match up with the date and theme. Featured weekend promotions are selected each week from these Forum threads. Sellers may post in as many relevant threads as they like; there is no limit to how many times you may participate in our Weekend Deals sign up threads.

Before the article and email are published, we send a convo to each seller to be featured so they will be able to prepare. Sellers not selected for the feature may still be included in the related Weekend Deals Gift Guide over the course of the weekend, but will not be notified.

Insider Tips:

We collect deals early in the week, so try to plan ahead and post your upcoming deal before the Wednesday of the upcoming weekend.

Pasting a link to an item included in your promotion always helps.

Plan your sale ahead of time and show off the best promotion you are offering.

We always look to highlight special Team sales or community driven site-wide promotions in these articles, so be sure to post and let us know the details of these types of sales.

As with each of the curated areas on Etsy, we look to highlight shops with excellent product photography.

Be sure to post the details of your weekend deal in your shop announcement during the appropriate weekend so shoppers can take advantage of your sale with ease.

Click here to see the upcoming Weekend Deals topics

Check out the Seller Handbook

All About Etsy FAQ Series: Get Involved in the Voter

2009-07-11T17:15:00-05:00

Have you heard about the Etsy Voter? It's a fun part of Etsy where people can vote on their favorite Etsy items. In this installment of the All About Etsy FAQ Series, I'll answer some frequently asked questions about how this site feature works and how you can get involved, whether you're a shopper or a seller. The more people who get involved, the more fun it is!

FAQs

What is the Voter?
The Voter is an interactive tool built by our Flash guru Jared Tarbell. It allows people to vote on Etsy items, and at the end of the voting period, we can all see which items come out on top. Because it's such a neat tool, we're using it every week for informal, fun polls. The Voter can be used as a way to see which items resonate with the Etsy community. Ultimately, it's a way for shoppers to find some wonderful, fresh items.

The Voter is located at www.etsy.com/voter.php. When you go there, you'll see themed groupings of polls — the voting has closed for some, but you can still click in to see how the results turned out and how many people voted.

Who gets to vote?
Anyone! You just have to be registered and signed into Etsy in order to cast a vote. We encourage everyone to get involved in voting! After you place your vote, you can see the running tally of which items are in the lead.

How do I find out about rounds of voting and the winners?
Click on the "Voting" Featured Column on the left hand navigation of Etsy's blog, The Storque. Every Monday, we announce the winner and ask for nominations for the following week's vote. Every Tuesday we put up the call for votes for the current round.

Can I purchase an item from the Voter? Will that remove the item from the Voter and mess things up?
It won't mess things up! Absolutely, you can buy items from the Voter. (That's our not-so-secret mission, in fact!) Purchasing an item you see in the Voter will not remove the item from the application.

How do items get included in a round of voting?
When the top favorite is announced on Monday in a Storque post, we include a call for nominations for the next round. You may nominate one of your own items or any item that you think fits the described theme. Simply paste a link to the item page in the comments of the post.

We cannot include all the nominated items! The Voter performs best with about 45 or less items (60 at max). If your item did not get into a vote and you're feeling discouraged, it could just be that we didn't have the space. You may also want to take another look at your item photography and double check to make sure your item is not breaking any rules and is tagged properly. Here are some tips in the Seller Handbook.

How do Admin decide the weekly themes?
We plan our themes according to the Editorial calendar for our blog, which in turn is integrated with the Merchandising themes. Feel free to suggest ideas in the comments of the posts.

How do I know if one of my items has been included in a vote?
Etsy Admin try to convo each seller individually, but sometimes we're just too swamped with work! We're aware that we need a better way to notify sellers when their items are featured.

My item is included. Now what do I do?
Congratulations! You've been nominated for this week's round of Voting. Please spread the word about your nominations (Twitter, blog, paste the link in your Shop announcement, etc.) and get folks to vote. You should be proud!

What happens after the top favorite is announced?
For our informal weekly votes, the goal is to help shoppers find some great items and to help sellers make some sales or get their products noticed. We use the Voter to share the love (and some fame and glory)!

When the voting closes on Mondays, we will shortly thereafter feature the top favorite on Etsy's blog, The Storque. Etsy Admin use this Voter tool as a way to find a top favorite to feature on our blog, in the Members' Choice Gift Guide (or other Gift Guide if there's a specific one that fits the theme), and perhaps on the Etsy home page. We may include some of the runners up in the curated areas of our site.

If you are a runner up, we cannot promise that your item will be featured in these places — as some items sell or expire, some sellers may already be featured in the Gift Guides, some items may be inappropriate for the curated areas of the site, or we may discover a slight rule infringement preventing us from putting it in the spotlight. Sometimes our tools can be wonky and we have to do things manually (especially when items sell), so let us know if you think there's been a human error. We will do our best to include as many of the runners up as possible.

As a general rule of thumb, if you're a runner up and you've made a sale from the Voter or being in the Related Items in the Storque post, we consider that accomplishing the goal of this exercise!

My item featured in the Voter sold and the sold listing is still in the Voter. Can you replace it with another listing so I can have a fresh item in the running?
Because sold items remain in the running, we cannot replace them in the Voter with new listings once voting has started. Even if it's an identical listing, our tool does not have the capacity to swap out the item id number and retain the votes.

If your item hasn't sold, you can replace the main image of your item and ask us to "refresh," if you want to re-photograph your listing to make it more visually compelling. (Just convo Vanessa).

Wait a second, I thought my item was in the Voter, but it's just in the related items of the Storque post. What gives?
If your item is featured in the Related Items or main image of the Storque announcement, but not in the Voter, don't despair! We apologize if you got excited when you saw your item and thought it would be in the vote. Being in the Storque Related Items is actually really good exposure too. We need to illustrate our posts with eye-catching product, but we cannot repeat items in both the post where we call for votes and the Voter. (This was pointed out as potentially "swaying the votes.")

How come I've never heard of this site feature? Where is the Voter linked on Etsy?
Funny you should ask...We added the link to the Voter to the Community Hub in October 2009. Click on "Voting" under the Featured Columns on the left navigation of The Storque to find the latest post.

The items below are some of our previous top picks!

All about Etsy FAQ Series | Seller Handbook | Help on Etsy

We closed comments on this post and have started this discussion thread.

Etsy’s Treasury: Finding Focus

2009-04-15T15:15:00-05:00

Recently, we've decided it's time to revisit the way we utilize and maintain the integrity of our Treasury feature. Below we will walk you through a brief history of the feature, where we find ourselves today and our plans for the Treasury moving forward.

Where we've come from
Upon launching the Treasury on Etsy in August of 2006, our original goals for the feature were to create an interactive place where members could create and share their own featured lists of Etsy items. Over time, it evolved into a community feature, and Etsy staff (“Admins”) would occasionally promote outstanding lists from the Treasury pool to the front page of Etsy. As the Etsy community and Admins have worked together using the Treasury, gathered feedback and discussed the rules for creating lists, a few guidelines for the feature organically evolved. Collectively, with the community's input, a general understanding has developed that the Treasury feature is:

A community space for members to create and share handpicked lists of items on Etsy.
Treasury lists are not intended for self-promotion, but members may add one of their own items to to their handpicked list.
If a list containing an item from the curator’s Etsy shop is promoted to the front page of Etsy, then that one item will automatically be excluded from the front page collection.
Similarly, if a list contains more than one item from a shop, only one item per shop will be included on the front page.
Etsy generally has not changed a curated Treasury list from its original state when promoting it to the front page.

Again, the above guidelines have evolved over time and represent the way Etsy’s Treasury is understood and loved today.

Where we are now
As we've grown, this more relaxed evolution and set of guidelines isn't working as well as it had previously. While the original purpose of the Treasury was a community feature not intended for self-promotion, we realize that by promoting lists to the front page, this creates a sense of competition and leaves room for abuse of the feature. The integrity of the Treasury is something we know is important to each of you – and it’s important to us, too, and so with your help we are taking steps to keep the feature one that can benefit both the community and Etsy as a whole.

Where we are headed
We realize the current set of Treasury guidelines has been shaped as we have grown together and that we have not been as clear as we could have been in laying out concrete, visible guidelines for the feature as it has grown and changed. Moving forward, we are laying out clear guidelines for the Treasury which you will find below. We will actively be upholding these clearly-posted guidelines. Violating Treasury guidelines may result in suspension of privileges and/or account termination.

With this transition, we will also begin using our more focused merchandising themes as a criterion in choosing Treasury lists that are promoted to the front page. Whole lists or partial selections from a list may be promoted. When a partial list is promoted to the front page, we will still be giving credit to the original Treasury list as inspiration. The original list within the Treasury will remain just as the curator created it, even if only a partial selection is promoted to the front page.

Revised Treasury guidelines

Only one Treasury list per person. Do not create lists with multiple accounts at the same time.
Treasury is not intended for personal promotion. Please do not include more than one of your own items.
Etsy may, at times, promote whole or partial selections from a Treasury list to the front page.
This list will expire two days after creation. Bonus time (up to 24 hours) may be randomly added to the lifetime of your list.
Etsy reserves the right to remove Treasury lists at any time.

We've come this far together, and we welcome your comments and feedback in the Forums.

All About Etsy FAQ Series: Etsy 2008 Holiday Marketing

2008-10-27T18:10:00-05:00

Back in September, I shared some information about how we were working to promote Etsy this holiday season. Some people have been asking for a bit of follow up, so without further ado:

1. SEO and SEM

"Etsy’s most significant marketing investment this holiday season will be in search marketing. Search marketing comprises both Search Engine Optimization (“SEO”) and Search Engine Marketing (“SEM”)."

These ads are running now. Changes to optimize Etsy for search are also already underway.

2. ADVERTISING

"While the bulk of our advertising spending will be on search marketing, we think we can bolster brand awareness by advertising in a number of highly-targeted, socially-aware publications and their related websites."

You can see full-page Etsy print ads in Good Magazine, Mother Earth News, and Plenty Magazine. The ads feature Etsy artist fernanimals, and can be seen above. Beginning in November you will also see a banner advertising campaign running on many of your favorite websites.

3. MEDIA OUTREACH

"We spend a lot of time developing our messaging, pitching to the media and working with reporters and publishers on stories and product requests for the holiday season."

Press outreach has been going very well. We have had recent press in Inc Magazine (Etsy founder Rob Kalin is on the cover), Sydney Morning Herald, Business Week, The Chicago Tribune, The LA Times, The New York Times, New York Magazine, and Time Out NY to name a few. We have also recently been featured on ABC, FOX, and CBS affiliates across the country. Expect to see even more as we approach the holidays. To view some of the press we have already received, please visit http://press.etsy.com and our press report here.

4. IMPROVED SYNDICATION TOOLS

"Like its little sister, the EtsyMini (see how-to use the EtsyMini), the SuperEtsyMini allows you to embed Etsy products on external sites. Now, however, it is purely customizable."

The Super Etsy Mini is in the last phase of testing, and hopefully, will be ready to launch soon.

"Furthermore, we will be adding expanded resources, downloads, widgets, and important business and marketing information into the Promote section of Your Etsy, so we can help you better promote and improve your own shops and businesses."

This is still in progress, but not yet complete. The current resources can be found here. We also published the Etsy Seller Handbook on the blog here.

5. EMAIL MARKETING

"We are planning many changes, but they will not be in place before the holidays. That said, there are a number of smaller but still very important improvements slated to launch pre-holidays. "

This is still true. Recently, the emails were redesigned. The next steps will be focused on increasing the number of people that sign up for our emails. Speaking of, go sign up to our Etsy email lists here.

6. CONTESTS, PROMOTIONS, AND EVENTS

Contests/Promotions:

"NASA and Etsy SpaceCraft Contest: We are currently planning an exciting late Fall promotion with NASA. (Yes, the space agency.) I am not yet permitted to go into too many details, but I think this promotion will help generate a good deal of media attention and open Etsy to many new audiences. We will keep you updated."

This will now be happening in the spring.

"Holiday Sweepstakes: One buyer-focused sweepstakes is currently in the planning stages for November/December. The details are not yet confirmed. "

We will not be going forward with this sweepstakes at this time, as there are more pressing projects that will result in greater impact for Etsy.

Upcoming Events:

"We will be representing Etsy at various holiday events around the country. Details will be announced in the Storque as we get closer to the holidays."

Etsy is involved with over thirty events between now and the holidays. Updates will be given in the Storque and in Etsy Success emails.

7. Public Radio

"We are also considering experimenting with sponsoring public radio in selected American markets where Etsy has strong penetration. The goal of such spots would be to drive brand awareness of Etsy.com."

We considered it, and we did it. From October 31 through December 12th 2008, more than 500 total radio spots will be running on public radio stations in Austin, TX, Washington DC, Columbus, OH, Minneapolis/St Paul, MN, Seattle, Washington, Portland, OR, and Chicago. If you're a public radio listener in one of those areas, let us know in the comments!

I will continue to keep you abreast of any new developments. Have a wonderful day.

To further discuss this topic, please see the associated Forum thread.

All About Etsy FAQ Series: Meet the Content Folks on the Support Team

2008-04-17T15:32:00-05:00

In this installment of the All About Etsy FAQ Series, we'll introduce the precious few in charge of investigating flagged items on Etsy: the Content folks on the Support Team.

Have you ever wondered what happens when an item is flagged on Etsy? Where do these reports go? Who reads them? What happens next?!

A special task force is in place to investigate these matters, and we are called the Etsy Shop Content Team. This branch of community support is made up of Tim aka dillinger (see his About Us piece) and Amber aka adubois (About Us piece coming soon!). As well as helping users to comply with Etsy guidelines, we field questions about listing policies and work to shape the boundaries of what can be sold on Etsy. Our mission is to educate the community and preserve the integrity of the site.

Here is some information about when and how to contact the Etsy Content Team...

Reporting shops in violation of Etsy Policy:
If you come across a listing you feel breaks one of Etsy's rules, you can click 'Report this item to Etsy' on the lower right hand side of the page. You can also report a shop or listing by sending an email to flagged@etsy.com. Please note that you don't need to expect an email back from us: the Content Team does not respond to emails received in the flagged inbox. Further, once an item or shop is reported, the investigation process is confidential. We take care of it from here on out!

As the flagged emails come in, there are generally four actions we may take:

1. The report is dismissed - This happens when the listing is clearly not in violation of Etsy policy, and there are no other apparent problems with the shop. If the user is flagged again, we will look into the shop to make sure everything is still in order.

2. An inquiry is sent to the reported user - Sometimes it is unclear whether or not a violation is occuring. In these cases, we send a questionnaire to the seller to get more information about the shop or listing. After the seller returns the Inquiry, we either dismiss the case, we ask the user to make changes in the shop, or we make an immediate change.

3. A change request is sent to the reported user - If a shop features items that clearly break one or more of Etsy's rules, we ask the User to edit or remove the problem listings.

4. An immediate change is made by the Content Team - In extreme cases, we may remove a listing or deactivate an account right away. This happens when there are listings in the shop that strongly oppose Etsy's mission, all items featured in the shop violate Etsy policies, or the shop is being used only as advertisement space.

If you receive an inquiry, be sure to get the requested information back to us! If your shop is within Etsy's guidelines, you have nothing to worry about. If it turns out that there is a violation occuring, the Content Team will let you know what changes need to be made in order to comply.

If you receive a change request, please make the needed changes or write back if you feel this is a mistake. We will work to understand your situation and consider any additional information you can offer.

Please note: if the Content Team makes two attempts to contact a user but does not hear back, some account privileges may be suspended. Once communication is received, we can restore these privileges and works towards resolving any problems. These matters are handled on a case by case basis.

For questions about what can be listed and shop guidelines:
You should read the Selling Policy in Etsy's Help section of the site. Here's the link to info about what you can and can't sell on Etsy.

If you are still concerned or have questions about your own shop, send an email to content@etsy.com. Tim or Amber will get back to you. We'd love to hear from you and help you out!

Thanks for taking the time to learn more about Content! You can read more about the work Etsy Admin do to run the business in our All about Etsy FAQ Series.

All about Etsy FAQ Series: The Ins and Outs of Engineering

2008-01-23T12:32:00-05:00

As part of our All about Etsy FAQ Series, Chris aka RevolvingDork — one of Etsy's founders and a member of the Engineering Team — answers questions below.

Engineering is perhaps the most complex and specialized team within Etsy. It's our job to keep the site speedy, secure, and online. We are also charged with implementing changes to the site, and developing new features. Here are some answers to questions you may have about Etsy engineering!

Q. Why do some features take so long to be released? Why aren’t you building the ideas I’ve posted into the forums?
A. The overwhelming majority of the work we do goes unnoticed by the Etsy population. Because Etsy has been growing at a breakneck pace throughout the past two years, it has required constant and sweeping changes to the lower levels of the site. We're always monitoring the speed at which the site operates and working to shave down the execution time on problem features.

Adding new features to a site that grows as fast as Etsy is a delicate balancing act. There are hundreds of factors that come into play, ranging from community demand to programmer availability to the concerns of the business.

One of the most pressing concerns when it comes to building new features is database load. The databases are the repository of all of the information on Etsy — every user, every listing, and every forum post is stored in a database. There are currently billions of records stored in the databases, so making any change to the way they are structured requires a great deal of technical foresight and planning. Saving any kind of new information requires a change to the database structure, and any change to the database structure needs to be tested thoroughly before being deployed into the live site.

Not all site additions require database work. Many of the flash applications on the site, for instance, make use of existing calls into the system and can be developed more quickly and with a smaller team. The time required to finish a new feature depends on how many layers of the site have to change to make it work. Some features require new machines to be purchased and installed into our server farm, which can mean longer lead times.

The bottom line is that at our size, there is no such thing as a “simple” change. Even seemingly innocuous changes can require development of the site’s markup, front end code, middle layer, caching, network structure, databases, and hardware. We do our best to keep development rapid enough to meet the needs of our users, but measured enough to keep the system running fast and error-free.

Q. Why can’t you provide a list of planned features and when you expect them to come out?
A. Development on Etsy can be a tumultuous process. Features routinely get their timelines rescheduled, accelerated, or even dropped entirely from development. Because we cannot be sure of when features will be released or even if they’ll ever see the light of day, we cannot disclose our development schedule with the community. If a feature is nearly complete and has passed preliminary testing, we may release details about it through the Storque before it has launched.

Q. What do I do if I discover a bug on the site?
A. If you think you’ve found a bug while using Etsy, the first place you should go is the bugs forum. Check the first page of posts to see if anyone else has already posted a thread about your issue; if so, you can post additional information about the bug in the existing thread. If none of the threads match your issue, you can start a new thread. The bugs forum is monitored several times throughout the day, so you can feel confident that your issue is being seen by those that can help you.

Q. What is the development process like?
A. All major site changes start out as a requirements document from the Product Team. This usually comes in the form of a collection of mockup screens and walk through documentation (read more about this in Kelly's post in this series).

A team leader is picked for the project. After reviewing the requirements document, he or she determines what changes will have to be made to the system and how many people will need to be recruited for the project. An engineering roadmap is drawn up by the team leader, and a timeline is set.

All actual development work is performed on what we call a “planet,” which is a copy of the entire Etsy website. This allows us to get our hands dirty and break things without affecting the public site. Planets are like little developer playgrounds, where we can experiment with ideas and test out our hypotheses.

Once all of the development is done, the new code is handed off to QA. It’s QA’s job to test out changes and make sure they work properly (read more about the QA process in Annette's post in this series). Once the green light is given by QA, the changes are pushed onto the live servers by Site Ops, and we have a new feature!

Engineering in Etsy is a tough job, but it’s also extremely rewarding. There’s no feeling quite like knowing that hundreds of thousands of people are using the tools you’ve built.

If you have any further questions about the engineering process, comment below. I’d love to answer any of your queries in a future Storque article!

All about Etsy FAQ Series: Legal Info

2008-01-22T16:38:00-05:00

In this installment of the All About Etsy FAQ series, SarahSays will explain Etsy's stance on our involvement in the legal issues of Etsy users, as well as the answers to the most pressing FAQs. Sarah is Etsy’s in house lawyer, as well as a jeweler. She writes a Storque column which addresses legal issues for artists.

Before I worked at Etsy, I was an attorney in a regular law firm. I had some extremely talented and creative clients. In general, my clients would only contact me with problems. They would never email me or call me or even stop by to shoot the breeze when things were going well (maybe it was because the law firm charged the client for my time). No, when you really need to talk to your lawyer, there's usually an issue.

Now that I am here at Etsy, Etsy is my one and only client. Although I wish I could provide everyone on Etsy with the advice and guidance they may desire, legally, I cannot. This is more than just a legal issue: it’s a practical one. Only an attorney who spends time with a client, and time doing appropriate research, can determine whether which detail is important to a given issue. And practically, there are just too many Etsians, and too few hours in a day.

Even so, I am often contacted by Etsians with questions. Although I cannot provide legal advice, I can provide general legal information, and hopefully this information is helpful. In fact, I write Storque articles to help our community. Here is a list of the most frequently asked questions that I receive.

1)    What do I do? I got a Cease and Desist letter.
First and foremost, breathe. Then sit down and carefully read the letter. You may want to contact the other party to discuss the situation. You never know: the issue might be a simple misunderstanding. You may also want to talk to an attorney. If the letter has to do with the name of your shop or an item in your shop, you may choose to contact Etsy.

2)    What do I do? Someone is copying me on Etsy.
First, please examine the situation. Think about what aspect of your work may have been copied. Remember that, in general, ideas are free for everyone. Please do not discuss this situation on Etsy (in the forums, the Storque or in any other public forum) in a way where someone else can figure out who (or what) you are talking about. That is “calling out.” You may choose to respectfully contact the other person to discuss the situation. Also, you may choose to notify Etsy (as outlined in Etsy’s Copyright and Intellectual Property Policy). For more information, please check out this Storque article.

3)    Can I use ____ in my art?
Many artists wonder if it is legal to use found materials to create art. For example, a collage artist may want to use magazine pictures or images from a website, a bag maker may question using licensed fabrics, or a graphic designer may wonder about the legalities of utilizing a famous photograph. Unfortunately, there is no general answer to the general question of creating art using the work of others. And, in fact, even judges and attorneys may disagree regarding a specific situation. Usually an answer requires research, depending on the specific circumstances. So if you have a specific question, you may choose to ask the owner of the image (or the intellectual property) for permission to use the work. You never know: that person or company might be thrilled about the free publicity. You may also want to talk to an attorney.

4)    What if someone says I am infringing on their trademark?
The logo on your can of soda, the brand symbol on your t-shirt, and your car’s hood ornament are all examples of trademarks. The name of your Etsy store may also constitute a trademark. A trademark includes any word, name, or symbol use to distinguish a product. United States trademark law exists, in part, to protect consumers from getting confused from the source of a product. But what if someone argues that your Etsy store is using a trademark unlawfully? First, calmly think about the situation. You may want to discuss the issue with the other person or with an attorney. If necessary, please email abuse@etsy.com.

5)    Someone said I copied them!
If you suspect a forum post is “calling out,” please email community@etsy.com. You may choose to discuss this issue with the other person. It may be a simple misunderstanding. You may also consider speaking with an attorney. If the problem has to do with your Etsy shop, you may email abuse@etsy.com.

6)    How do I know if I’m following the correct laws for my Etsy business?
It’s up to each seller on Etsy to abide by the appropriate laws, statutes and regulations relating to your business and selling your products. In fact, by signing up for Etsy, you agree to follow such laws. Please research and keep up to date on these matters as laws may change. For questions, please consult an expert.

This information is for educational and informational purposes only. The content should not be construed as legal advice. The author and Etsy, Inc. disclaim all responsibility for any and all losses, damages, or causes of action that may arise or be connected with the use of these materials. Please consult a licensed attorney in your area with specific legal questions or concerns.

Etsy Launches the Virtual Labs!

2008-01-21T17:00:00-05:00

We created the Virtual Labs in an effort to bridge the gap between the physical Etsy Labs and the greater Etsy community. The Virtual Labs will allow us (and guest hosts) to chat with you, the community, in real time! The cool thing is – we do all the techie work, you just click into a room and hang out with us virtually.

The Virtual Etsy Labs are a multi-user online space with various rooms. We use the Virtual Labs to connect with our community, host events, put on streaming webcam how-to's, invite special shopping guests showing off their picks, host team meetings, demos, and shop critiques!

This video is a behind-the-scenes look at how one Virtual Lab took place, in this case, with a guest from People StyleWatch.

Virtual Labs Lobby

The homepage of the Virtual Labs is a lobby where you can find information about and join in on upcoming and current workshops.
The Virtual Labs clock runs in your time (that is, the time you're computer's internal clock is set to).
Click on any of the rooms to gain access inside that particular workshop chat room.
To exit the workshop room and return back to the Virtual Labs mapped home, click the mini colored square marked “back” on the top right of the screen.

Chat

To chat in the workshop, just click in chat bar near the bottom left of your screen and type away. Hit enter or click the send button next to the text field.

Your Avatar

You will see your avatar on the screen of the workshop room upon entering, click anywhere on the screen to move your avatar around. If the room has designated squares, click one of the squares to take your seat in the workshop.
To make your avatar spin, bounce, beat, or glow, click the 4 grey circles located underneath the text field bar. When you scroll your mouse over those buttons, they will turn a bright blue.
To raise your hand like you are asking a question, or waving, click the gray circle next to the 4 movement buttons with the hand on it. This will put a raised hand over your avatar in the workshop.
To indicate that you will be right back, click the gray circle next to the raised hand button that is marked “brb.” This will lighten the color of your avatar to indicate that you aren’t currently present, but will reserve your spot in the workshop.

User Avatars

Once inside the workshop room, you can see other users in the room identified by their avatars.
To find out more information about the users in the room, click on their avatars. This will bring up a bubble with the option to click on their shop, profile, send them a conversation, and the option to send them a private message in the current workshop (/msg).

Extras

To change the color of your text, simply click the desired color underneath the text field bar. As you scroll your mouse over the colors, they will appear brighter.
To turn the sound on or off in the workshop room, click the gray button located at the lower right of the screen with the megaphone icon.
To “throw” an item in the workshop, click on your avatar and while holding down the mouse, pull back off your avatar like a slingshot aimed at the direction you’d like the item to be thrown. Let go of your mouse and the item will be released and thrown in the workshop.
To change the image of the item you are throwing, click on the small image with the number next to it located directly under the chat text bar. This will open up a list of all the different items you can choose to throw. Click on any of them and this will become your new item.
To insert an Etsy item picture into the workshop, click on the Item tab above the chat bar. Paste in the item number and hit enter. You will see your item appear in the workshop. Hint: You can find the item number on any item listing under "additional item info" on the far right.

FAQ’s
Why can’t I see or hear the video stream during the workshop?
If you cannot see or hear the video stream while in the workshop, it is possible the webcam hasn’t been turned on yet, or you might need to exit and re-enter the room. If you cannot hear the workshop, make sure your computer isn’t set on mute, and check the volume settings on your computer and speakers.

I exited the room accidentally, how to I get back in?
Just go back to the Virtual Labs Lobby and re-enter the room you were in; the workshop will still be taking place.

What can I do if the room says it’s too full?
If the room has reached the maximum amount of seats, then the room will be full. Check back in a couple minutes in the event someone has left their seat in the room or the maximum seat number has been increased.

Now that you know what all those crazy functions are for, go ahead and jump into one of the Virtual Labs room to test it out for yourself! It's a good idea to practice using the Virtual Labs chat functions while there isn't a workshop taking place, so you can get familiar with the tools and be prepared to participate in the next workshop.

See you there,
Your Etsy Labs

All About Etsy FAQs: Playing by the Rules

2008-01-17T17:23:00-05:00

Don't get left out in the cold! Lauren aka stellaloella and the Community Team at Etsy have this important installment of the All about Etsy FAQ Series to share with you — especially newbie — Etsians! Etsy, over the company's short lifespan (two and a half years young!), has developed rules and guidelines that have helped the community and marketplace run smoothly. Often times the rules and guidelines are picked up informally, by getting a hang of things around the forums and asking questions. Here, Lauren addresses some of those most frequently asked questions.

One thing we hear occasionally from new members is that they don't know what the rules are or where to find them. In this article, we'll try to explain the differences in the policy documents on Etsy, remind you where to find them, and let you know who to ask if you're not sure about a rule.

What are all the different policy documents on Etsy?
We have a few different pages that detail site policies: the Terms of Use, the DOs & DON'Ts of Etsy, the Privacy Policy and the Copyright Policy. It's important that every member reads and understands the rules before they join Etsy.

What is the Terms of Use document?
The Terms of Use is the legal document all members must read and agree to when registering to become a member of Etsy. Being a legal document, it's written in the ancient language of Lawyerish. It outlines all the legal terms for using the site, from membership eligibility to Etsy's use of member-submitted content to explaining Etsy's role as a venue (not a retailer) to a whole lot of other things. The ToU also refers to the other Etsy policy documents. By agreeing to the ToU, you agree to all of Etsy's policies by proxy.

I read the Terms of Use when I signed up, but where is it in case I want to read it again? What about these other policies?
You can find the Terms of Use linked in the site footer at the bottom of every page on the site, and also in the Help section. In fact, all of Etsy's site policies can be found in the Help section.

What are the DOs & DON'Ts?
The DOs & DON'Ts of Etsy explain in greater detail all the rules for using features on the site, including buying and selling. The D&D were written to explain things in a more easily digestible format by breaking down the complexities of Etsy into a series of "Do" or "Don't" statements. It's vital that every Etsy member reads these rules and knows what they can and cannot do on the site. Each section of the D&D also outlines what the consequences are for breaking a rule.

What is the Privacy Policy?
This document explains how we protect the personal information you provide us with in your account information. Important tip for sellers: The Privacy Policy explains how and when you can use the information Etsy provides you about your buyers from transactions. Make sure you read it!

What is the Copyright and Intellectual Property Policy?
This page explains what to do in the event you believe an Etsy member is infringing upon your intellectual property rights (like copyright and trademarks). Etsy's Copyright Policy complies with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. We also have a Copyright FAQ page to help educate members about their IP rights.

What happens if a rule is broken?
Well, that depends on which rule it was. The DOs & DON'Ts outline the consequences for breaking different rules under each section. Sometimes it's as simple as Etsy staff contacting a user to ask them to correct something. Other times breaking a rule can lead to suspension of certain privileges or full account termination.

Where are the rules about what can be sold on Etsy?
These rules can be found in the DOs & DON'Ts under the Selling section.

What if I have specific question about the rules, something I don't understand?
Please email support@etsy.com with your questions, and we'll be happy to help you.

What should I do if I see something on Etsy that is a violation of a rule?
Please email abuse@etsy.com with as much detail as possible. We will look into it and take the appropriate action.

You may also be interested in Rob aka Rokali's Ironing-board Chat (a podcast where he answered a lot of thought-provoking questions about Etsy). See all posts in the All about Etsy FAQ Series.

All About Etsy FAQs: About Community on Etsy

2008-01-17T11:36:00-05:00

Lauren aka stellaloella works as an admin on the Community Team on Etsy. And that does prompt some frequently asked questions from her family and friend ("You do what?"). Additionally, her and her team-members' day-to-day involves a lot of questions and answers. The Community Team at Etsy is all about communication: about why things are the way they are, about how things could change, about etiquette, about interpersonal relationships and business. Below, as part of our All about Etsy FAQ series, you will find Lauren's responses to some of the more frequently asked questions she and her team field.

The most frequently asked question I've encountered in the past year about Etsy is, "So, what do you do for a living?" It's taken me a long time to figure out how to concisely explain my job to new people I meet (ok, ok — and to my mom). "I work for this website, called Etsy. It's an online marketplace where you can buy and sell anything handmade. What do I do? Well, I'm involved in the community side of things — which can be basically anything that connects members outside of a sale transaction."

That's the 10-cent answer I give when trying to politely make the spiel as short as possible, but it really doesn't do justice the Etsy community. We have thousands of actively involved, amazingly creative people who use this site daily — not just for sales purposes, but to connect and form relationships with others. The community is the soul of Etsy. All these individual people come together to meet, share, discuss, help and make this global marketplace a lot more human. But you came here for Q&A, so let's get to it.

What's the deal with the Forums?
The Forums are like the grand meeting halls of Etsy's community. Members can come here for help, share ideas about Etsy, report problems, get business or craft advice, promote their items and generally just socialize to get to know one another. The Forums are arranged into seven sections, by topic: Site Help, Ideas, Bugs, Crafting & Business, Etsy Teams, Promotions and Etc. Within these sections are discussion threads. Anyone can start a thread or reply to one. Etsy's staff regularly read and post in the Forums to answer questions and ask for the community's input. RobWhite and I also co-author a weekly Storque column called Forum Decorum, where we write about some of the finer points of Forum etiquette.

Do you actually read all those threads?
Well, no. That's not actually possible for us with the current amount of staff we have devoted to the Forums and the number of new posts made every day. We do read pretty much every thread in certain sections (like Ideas and Bugs). And we definitely monitor all the sections for interesting threads or potential problems. If you think there's a particular thread that we should know about, drop us an email at community@etsy.com to give us a head's up.

Why do you close threads?
We have some rules in place to help protect members of our community. You can read all about them in the DOs & DON'Ts under Communications; they're also linked at the top of the main Forums page.

If a thread violates one of our rules, we'll close it, so no further comments can be made. Sometimes we close threads for other reasons; if so, we'll explain why in the last post of the thread.

Hey! Where did my thread go?
Most likely an Admin moved it to a more appropriate section of the Forums. Use the handy-dandy "View topics you've posted in" link at the top of the Forums to find it again. (More on what goes where in this Forum Decorum article: Order in the Forums.)

What if I see a troublesome thread?
Kindly send us an email to community@etsy.com and we'll take a look lickety-split (or as soon as we can because sometimes we do need to sleep and eat).

I have a great suggestion to make Etsy better, wanna hear it?
Definitely we do. We love getting community feedback about how members would like to see the site improve. There are two ways to share it with us. Post a new thread in the Ideas section of the Forums, if you'd like to get input from other members and spark a discussion of your idea. If you're a little more shy or just don't feel like a debate, you can also email us at community@etsy.com privately. Either way, we'll be happy to hear your thoughts about the site. (Be sure to check out Kelly's article explaining how an idea becomes a feature, too.)

So, the "community" is just the Forums?
Certainly not! The community spaces on Etsy also include chat rooms, the Virtual Labs, and Etsy teams. Like I tell polite strangers, community is anything that connects people outside of a sales transaction. This delightfully happens in many ways on Etsy. I would say the Treasuries have a community element too, because they are curated lists by members and many folks post comments there too. Same goes for the Storque, where you can read articles by community members and post comments.

There are chat rooms here? Show me the way!
The chat rooms are linked from the Forums main page. There are three always-available rooms: Red, Green and Blue. (The Red Room is usually a pretty hoppin' joint at any given time of day.) Members can also custom-create chat rooms, to have special meetings. There are lots of fun little features and surprises awaiting you in the chat rooms. Etsy seller Duet wrote a great article for The Storque called The Newbie's Guide to Etsy Chat that will fill you in on all the basics of chatting on Etsy.

What are the Virtual Labs?
The Virtual Labs are special multimedia chat rooms where we hold Online Workshops, like seminars on marketing or real-time shop critiques. Scheduled events are announced in the Storque (click on the featured column called Online Workshops). Mary wrote about the Virtual Labs in more detail in this series, so be sure to check out her Welcome to the Etsy Labs article. (As of the publication of this article, the Virtual Labs are still in "beta mode" which means they are not a polished, fully-launched feature. For this reason, there isn't yet a permanent link to the Virtual Labs on the site. But it's coming soon, so stay tuned!)

How do the Etsy Teams fit into this picture?
The Etsy Teams are smaller, self-organizing segments of the greater Etsy community. Teams can be organized by geographical location or by a common theme/medium. Teams are a great way to connect with other creative people in your city or local area, as well as a great networking tool to find crafters and artisans with similar interests. Sara wrote a piece all about Getting to Know the Etsy Teams; be sure to read that article for your Team-specific questions.

You may also be interested in Rob aka Rokali's Ironing-board Chat (a podcast where he answered a lot of thought-provoking questions about Etsy). See all posts in the All about Etsy FAQ Series.

TechUpdates: New & Improved Help!

2008-01-16T15:17:00-05:00

To continue the theme of this week's "All About Etsy FAQs" Storque series, we're pleased to say that the Frequently Asked Questions in the Help Section of the site have been updated.

The new and improved FAQ pages now have a list of questions at the top of the page, so you can quickly scan for the exact bit of information you need. Each question then links directly to the answer, located farther down the page. Lots more info has been added, and now many answers include helpful links to specific in-depth resources in The Storque, Help Guides and other places around the site.

Check out the new FAQ pages and increase your Etsy IQ:

All about Etsy FAQ Series: Etsy's Approach to Advertising in 2008

2008-01-16T11:35:00-05:00

Matt, as the head of the Marketing and Press Team, often gets asked the question, "Does Etsy Advertise?" He answers below with Etsy's strategy for the coming year, his contribution to the All about Etsy FAQ series.

Yes, Etsy does advertise, though it is but one arrow in our marketing quiver.

I am of the opinion that one should employ a variety of methods if he/she wishes to healthfully promote and grow a business. At Etsy, we tend to focus less on advertising and more on generating positive word-of-mouth, press, promotion at offline events around the country, strategic marketing partnerships with other businesses, distributing promotional materials via teams, speaking at industry engagements, and generally building a strong brand.

That said, advertising does have its place here, and as the business grows we will be expanding our ad buys both online and in print. Do not expect to see a multi-million dollar campaign of television commercials, radio spots, and glossy print ads anytime soon, as I think that would actually be detrimental to the Etsy brand. Instead, a wide variety of strategically targeted ads and google adwords combined with search engine optimization will be our MO in 2008.

Furthermore, as it is our overwhelming intention to help all artists make a living making things, we are considering subsidized, cooperative advertising opportunities in a variety of print and online publications. The idea is to offer affordable advertising opportunities to those Etsy sellers who wish to advertise their individual shops.

Comment below and let us know your thoughts!

All about Etsy FAQ Series: The Lifecycle of a Site Feature Idea

2008-01-15T13:27:00-05:00

As part of our All about Etsy FAQ series, Kelly, aka kfarrell, will be presenting this post on the steps taken toward making a site feature a reality. Kelly, who is on the Product Team, wrote up a response to a frequently asked question: "Where do new ideas for Etsy site features come from and how are they implemented? Who decides and when?"

At Etsy, ideas come from many different places. One of the most fertile grounds for new ideas is our very own Forums, where users can suggest new features or tell us how the old ones could be made better. We also get feedback through our annual survey, Storque articles, talking with Etsians, and the creative minds of our own staff.

The Product Team is in charge of organizing ideas and developing them into actual designs. We research how something should work by looking at other sites that are already doing it, reading about how similar things have been done in the past, talking to people who have experience in that particular area, and asking the Etsy community as a whole for feedback. Once we know how a feature needs to work, we write up detailed documents and screen designs to send to Engineering.

The software engineers develop the ideas into working features, and then they test the new feature to make sure it works as expected, and also tests all the old features to make sure the new one didn’t change anything that was working before. Testing can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks, depending on how complex the project is. Once the project passes QA, it’s handed to our sysops (the folks who maintain Etsy’s databases and servers) for implementation.

After a new feature is launched, we watch for any bugs that snuck by QA. We take the feedback we get from new features, and the process starts over with the Product team creating design documents for any changes we want to make.

And that, dear friends, is how an idea grows into a feature! It's a lengthy process, but well worth the wait. Enjoy Etsy!

All about Etsy FAQ Series: Meet Customer Support

2008-01-14T16:32:00-05:00

"Oh no! I'm having a problem and I need help but I don't know who to ask?" As part of our All about Etsy FAQ Series, the Customer Support Team has detailed their role at Etsy and the best ways to communicate with them if you need help.

We are here to help Etsians! The Support Team writes a Featured Column for the Storque called Customer Care, with updates on issues such as billing, reporting transactions, and other support-related issues. We also post tips and how-tos which are meant to help you out before you encounter a problem. As they say, an ounce of prevention...

If you do encounter a problem and you want to get in touch with us, you can expect to hear from one of our team members: adrian1, Lori aka Chillionaire, emilybidwell, ErinHaldrup, jasonmseger, JoeTheBeard, calebwalt, projectmattnyc, mermaidclaire, adubois, Dillinger or jimchesters. Our team works on General Support and Billing 7 days a week and Abuse cases Monday through Friday. Expect a response within 24 hours during working hours. If you don't, please email back. Maybe we didn't get it! If you still don't get through, try sending one of us an Etsy Conversation, and we will find out what happened to your email. We eagerly respond to every email, but please be patient. There are a few of us and a lot of you! We believe in quality, one-on-one attention. You will always be emailing with a person when you contact Etsy support.

In order to help you as quickly as possible, send your email to one of the following addresses.

Email Support@Etsy.com for General Help, which covers:
Site navigation and functions, Selling and Buying, Closing and Opening accounts, Bugs, Muted Conversations, Questions about canceled transactions and refunds, Your Listings, Registration and Login, Your Shop, Advice, Question about what can and cannot be sold on Etsy, Forgotten Username, Email or Password trouble, Forums and Chatrooms, Questions about Site Policy, How to leave Feedback, and General Information.

Email Billing@Etsy.com for:
Trouble with credit card, your bill, or your fees.

Email Abuse@Etsy.com for all Disputes and Site Violations, involving:
Transactions, Conversations, Copyright, Trademark, Brand, Feedback, Harassment, Listings that don't belong on Etsy, Fee avoidance, General TOU violation, Behavior or Quality concerns, Sock Puppet accounts, Shilling (falsely inflating feedback), Spam, Scams, Non-Delivery, Inaccurate Listings.

Since most of the Etsy admin have a hand in helping you in one way or another, it can be befuddling as to who is the best point of contact!

For all Disputes and Site Violations involving the Forum and Chatroom, contact community@etsy.com. If you need help getting the hang of Etsy etiquette on the forums, check out the Community Team's Forum Decorum series on the Storque. The Community Team can also help you get acquainted with site policy and getting to know your way around the Etsy website. For more on Community, see their post in this All about Etsy FAQ Series (coming soon).

If you need advice or suggestions on your shop's appearance or the art of selling on Etsy and developing your brand, you might want to reach out to the Etsy Labs admin. For more on the Etsy Labs and how they mentor sellers, see this All about the Labs post.

And lastly, don't be afraid to ask for help! We think open communication works best for everyone.

All About Etsy FAQ Series: Getting to Know the Etsy Teams

2008-01-11T15:24:00-05:00

"Just what are the Etsy Teams and how do I get involved?" Do you Etsy Teammates hear that ringing in your ears right now? As part of our All about Etsy FAQ series, admins Sara and Amy weighed in about Etsy Teams. Over the past year, Etsy Teams have swelled in number and it's truly gratifying to see Etsians self-organize. Soon, we hope to launch new tools to help the Etsy Community communicate and to give Etsy Teams a more visible role on the site. On the Storque, you can keep on top of Team-related content by clicking on the EtsyTeams Featured Column.

At Etsy, community is super important to us, and one big way Etsy members can become active in the Etsy Community is to join an Etsy Team. Here are a few simple things you need to know if you'd like to participate in Etsy Teams, and to learn more, you can always visit the Team's Pages at http://team.etsy.com to find lots more information in a few quick clicks.

What is an Etsy Team?
Etsy Teams are smaller groups of organized Etsy members who network, share skills, and promote their shops and Etsy together. A Team forms around a shared location, a medium, or another interest. Etsy's 150+ teams make us not just a marketplace of individuals, but an interconnected and diverse handcrafters' community. Teams are Etsy’s biggest and most creative grassroots engine for support, networking and marketing — for each team member’s shop, for the Teams themselves, and for Etsy as a whole.

How do I join a Team?
You can browse through the list of Etsy Teams, which are sorted by location and by interest, to find teams that suit you and your shop. Most Teams have contact information on their profile page about how to join. If the team you're interested in doesn't have a leader or contact person listed, you can email teams@etsy.com to join. Don't forget to include the name of the team(s) you're interested in, along with your Etsy username in the email!

Can I join more than one Team?
Sure! Please join as many teams as your schedule permits you to be actively involved in.

What team should I join?
You can browse through the Team Profiles to see what each team is up to — visiting the Teams' pages and clicking through their websites and blogs will help you get an idea of what the team is about and how active they are. We do ask that you join location-based teams according to where you spend most of your time (ie, where you live). Some Teams have membership requirements, and these are listed on the profile pages. If you have specific questions about a Team, try contacting the contact person or leader listed on the page.

There are over 150 Etsy Teams and new Teams being formed each week, so there's an Etsy Team for practically everyone! If you don't find a Team that interests you, or if there isn't currently an active Team in your area, you can start an Etsy Team yourself.

How do I update my Team's page?
If you've started an Etsy Team, you can have the profile page updated by emailing updates to teams@etsy.com, and we'll make the changes for you. You can update to add new members, include new links to websites or blogs, and let us know about event, challenges, contests and more. We like to include this kind of content in the posts we do on the Storque. If you fill out the Storque pitch form, be sure to include the words "Etsy Teams" so that the Storque editors know to forward it to the Etsy Teams admin.

Want to be in the loop about Etsy Teams? Be sure to join the Etsy Teams Email List for updates and news. Also, don't forget that the Team pages are also full of great resources, like how-to guides and downloadable graphics and more, so take a quick browse through, even if you're not currently on a Team!

All about Etsy FAQ Series: As the Storque Flies

2008-01-11T12:01:00-05:00

The Storque is still young and fresh-faced, having only been launched in September of 2007. We still hear people asking, "What is the Storque?" As part of our All about Etsy FAQ series, we're including this post: information about the Storque, how it works, how it serves the Etsy community and readers interested in the handmade lifestyle, and further, how you can get involved.

Upon reflection, we've come a long way since September of 2007. But the Storque editors feel that there are still ways to improve. We've just launched the video section as of January 2008, and we'll be making a push this spring to have a stronger Etsy video presence. Part of that includes getting Etsians involved: we want to see Your Handmade Stories and your How-to videos, and other video projects too. And to help support that, we'll be doing a series of How-to Make Your Own Video.

Editing the Storque is also a constant balancing act between content for Buyers and content for Sellers. Our hope is that this dual readership is interested enough in each other that you don't mind sifting through content a bit. We also plan to work more on syndicating content out and getting the Storque name out there into the wide world outside of Etsy.

All in all, Alison aka TeenAngster, EricB aka objecked , Tara aka weirdwolf and I love our jobs and we look forward to suggestions you may have in the comments below.

The Storque is Etsy's blog (what do you think we should call it?), for both buyers and sellers and readers interested in the handmade lifestyle. The Storque provides site announcements for users, as well as posts highlighting great handmade items for sale on the site and stories about makers. It's like a blog in that it's updated every day, throughout the day, and its content is organized into different sections, to better help you get to stories of interest to you.

Another special aspect of the Storque is the Related Items; these are listings from the marketplace linked at the bottom of each article. Most of the header images used to illustrate posts are from marketplace listings (some are from Creative Commons licensed flickr photos). In this way, the Storque can be browsed like a context-based shopping tool: a magazine embedded with handmade items for sale. Since we're telling the inspiring stories behind handmade items in our marketplace and sharing info from helpful sellers, it makes sense for the Storque.

How to Navigate the Storque

Click on any of the recent posts featured on the homepage of the Storque.
Search the Storque for articles by using the search bar (search by Storque tags only, tags and titles of articles, or tags, titles and body of articles).
Click on the main sections at left and they will take you to that type of content only.

SPOTLIGHT— Featured items and sellers from the marketplace.

THIS HANDMADE LIFE— Lifestyle pieces from the world of handmade.

CRAFTIVISM— Stories with a socially conscious mission.

HOW-TO— Indie-preneur info and advice as well as some how-tos for making stuff and help using the site for buying and selling

REVIEWS— Reviews of anything related to handmade: blogs, music, movies, equipment, shows...

ETSY NEWS— Updates about Etsy policy, new site features, press clippings

EVENTS— Heads-up and round-ups about goings-on in the in the world of DIY, handmade (especially events Etsians are organizing or involved in)

ETC— Fun, silly stuff like Etsy Pets and Funny Forum Quotes.
VIDEO— Get straight to a chronological list of the videos embedded within articles on the Storque.
Click on a Featured Column to get an even finer grained sorting of the content.
Click view all contributors to read the Storque by author.
Under featured columns, you'll see recent comments. Click on these to get right to what all the fuss is about.
Most Popular this Week and the Hall of Fame also give you a sense of what posts readers are finding most compelling.
You can click on that image "storque related items - 10x10 grid" to see the most recent related items we've curated on the Storque.

Once you've opened an article, you can:

Click on the tags at the bottom to see other similar content.
You can click on an author's avatar to get to a list of all the articles they've written for the Storque or to get to their shop and profile.
If you're a shopper, you should also click on related items to get to the listing page.
You need to be logged into Etsy to post your own comment.
Previous page and Next page get you to the previous or next article within the section.

As of September 2008, we post between 5-10 articles a day (less on weekends).

Here are just some of our Featured Columns:

About Us — Get to know the Etsy admin.
All about Etsy FAQ Series — Learn about how Etsy, the company, runs internally.
Art of Pricing — A series for sellers on figuring out how to price your work.
Competitions & Opportunities — Check this out for contests, promotions and other ways to get in on the action.
CustomerCare — Pieces from admin on the Customer Support Team, with everything from helpful tips on how to use Etsy to updates on site policy and billing.
Etsy Community Projects — Projects that Etsians do together to get to know each other, have fun or do something that makes a difference.
Etsy Finds — Every day, one of the Etsy admin posts one of their favorite items from the marketplace.
Etsy Handmade Heirlooms — Call for videos about your family's most treasured handmade heirloom.
Etsy Love Stories — Romance, Etsy style.
Etsy Success Stories — Interviews with successful Etsy sellers, in which they share their useful tips.
Etsy's Most Hearted — Posts about much beloved Etsians.
EtsyLabs — Find out what is going on in the Labs and how to get involved, even if you're not in Brooklyn.
EtsyTeams — All posts related to Etsy Teams.
EtsyinthePress — Keep up to date with news articles and other media pieces that cover Etsy.
Featured Buyer — Posted on Wednesdays, these pieces invite notables and bloggers to choose their favorite items from the Etsy marketplace.
Forum Decorum — Etiquette for participating in the Etsy Forums.
Fresh Shops — Our weekly series highlighting new talented sellers.
Funny Forum Quotes — Silly and insightful lines from the Etsy Forums.
Gift Ideas — Seasonal content for shoppers.
Legal Info for Artists —Legal information for artists and crafters from Sarah Feingold, Etsy's in-house attorney and jeweler.
News from the Craft + Style Blogosphere
Online Workshops — Notices for live multi-user events. Get involved!
Open Studio Tour — Visits to artists, both Etsy sellers and other notable artists.
Podcasting Series — Learn how-to podcast and suggestions for what to listen to.
Recommended Blogs — Suggestions for cool blogs to read
Shop Critiques — Posts related to the Labs' live critiques of sellers' shops.
Shop Makeover Series — How-to make your shop better looking, more effective and more self-confident too!
Storque Newscast — Our video newscast. Entertaining and informative.
TechUpdates — Site announcements pertaining to site functionality and features.
Trends — Hot tends for shoppers
Your Handmade Stories — Our call for videos from sellers and buyers telling us how making things has changed their lives or supporting indie artists makes the world a better place

For Buyers:
There's plenty o' shopping content. Click through the Storque as you would flip through a fashion magazine, checking out the related items at the bottom of each article. Best place to start is the SPOTLIGHT section.

Every week we post a Trends piece or a Featured Buyer piece in the SPOTLIGHT section.
Daily, we post Etsy Finds which highlight a unique item on Etsy.
We also feature Fresh Shops as a way to highlight newbie sellers.
If you want to get more into the lifestyle content, try THIS HANDMADE LIFE.
Look for Etsy EVENTS in your area; some of these are local to Brooklyn and related to our office at the Etsy Labs, but some of the events may be featuring Etsy sellers in your area.

For Sellers:
The Storque is your go-to place for site announcements and ETSY NEWS, as well as HOW-TO s for indie entrepreneurs. Etsy Success Stories and Quit Your Day Job in the SPOTLIGHT section reveal some of the best kept secrets from Etsy's top sellers. TechUpdates offer you the crucial info. The Seller Handbook is our compilation of all the how-tos about selling published on the Storque.

Writing for the Storque
The Storque is written by Etsy admins, special guests, and members of the Etsy community, so in a way, it's like a community newspaper. Etsians can pitch an article to the Storque by clicking the "Pitch to the Storque!" link on the Storque's homepage. We, the Storque's editors Vanessa and TeenAngster, will get back to you if your pitch fits the editorial calendar and if we think your post would be of interest to readers. We apologize that we cannot reply to every pitch: we are just too swamped! Readers can click through to authors' shops and profiles linked to by their by-line avatars.

Readers and authors alike look forward to reading the comments on articles. These comments range in tone from virtual high-fives to thoughtful critiques.

One of our readers anndouglas, for example, commented:
"I'm new to Etsy and loving The Storque. Thanks for your great blend of helpful tips, fun-to-read writing, and things I have to check out (and possibly buy)."

Like any online magazine or blog, the editors reserve the right to remove comments that we deem inappropriate or offensive. The Storque is a live, public space for editorial content, and we urge commenters to reflect on their tone and message before posting. For in-depth, Etsy-focused discussion, you may prefer to post in the forums. From time to time, in fact, we'll close commenting on a Storque post and redirect conversation to a forum thread. In part, we don't want to splinter information and the valuable insight that comes when important topics like site policy or bugs are discussed or diagnosed.

Reposting Content
The Storque is published under a Creative Commons license which allows you to repost articles wherever you like, and we hope that you do so, as long as you give the creators attribution and link back to the original post.

For Media & Press inquiries:
Please see the Etsy About Page and Press Page. If you're interested in developing a Storque story for newspaper, magazine or TV, please email storque@etsy.com or press@etsy.com.

Introducing a New Series: All about Etsy FAQs

2008-01-10T19:26:00-05:00

Here we are at the beginning of a brand new year, reflecting on the business that Etsy has become and strategizing on where the company will go in 2008. And we know Etsians have been doing the same, so we've been pricking up our ears. There are certain frequently asked questions that often come up when talking with Etsians and reading the forums. We decided to run a new Storque series as a way to communicate our answers to Etsians: All about Etsy FAQs.

These FAQs won't so much walk you through technical how-tos or do double duty for site Help and the site FAQs, though we will be pointing you to that info where appropriate. Rather, this series is meant to give voice to some of the thought processes that admin have gone through and that have informed our planning as we look forward to 2008. Our hope is that being transparent with our processes and the way the company is structured will give you a better sense of the inner workings of Etsy.

Friday January 11
Vanessa: About the Storque
Sara: About the Teams

Monday January 14
Mary: About the Etsy Labs
Emily: About Customer Support

Tuesday January 15
Kelly: About Developing Ideas into Site Features
Annette: QA

Wednesday January 16
Matt: About Etsy Advertising

Thursday January 17
Lauren: About the Etsy Community
Lauren: About Etsy Policy

Monday January 21
Mary, Michelle, Lauren: About the Virtual Labs/Workshop/Chat

Tuesday January 22
Sarah: About the Law

Wednesday January 23
Chris: About Engineering

On another (more personal level), you can also get to know the admin in a fun little series called About Us: Etsy Admin.

Rokali's Ironing-board Chat (Podcast 1)

2007-09-28T16:11:00-05:00

Last week I posted in the forums, asking for questions about Etsy which I'd answer in a Podcast. Well, here is that Podcast. It's the first one I've done so there's not much fanfare or effects.

You can listen to the entire Podcast here:

Or you can listen to each segment below. I chose 3-5 questions for each the following six categories, plus an Intro and Outro:

Etsy as a Company

Etsy as a Marketplace

Etsy as a Website

Etsy as a Community

Etsy's Policy

Marketing and Etsy

If there are more questions you'd like answered, please post them in the comments here and I'll get them into the next podcast of my Ironing-board Chat.