We've noticed there has been a lot of huddling, crowding and just general congestion in the Forums lately. With all the new buyers and sellers (about 2,200 a day!) there just doesn't seem to be enough room to fit us all comfortably. Good discussions are being buried faster than you can sew a button on a plushie. We've come up with the first of a few changes to help keep conversations flowing (versus overflowing). 

Today you'll see three new sections (Critiques, Business & Marketing, Techniques & Materials) and some revised descriptions so we can keep everything as organized and comprehensible as possible. We also have some staffing changes in the Forums happening today also (it seemed like good timing).

I'd also like to introduce myself (Daniellexo) as the new Forum conductor. A bit about myself: I started working for Etsy after being a dedicated member of the community as a seller. I ran two street teams and sold my work on Etsy full-time for nearly a year. I started teaching at the Etsy Labs and came to know a few Admin and I loved what they were doing for artist and crafts(wo)men. I wanted to become more involved because not only do I believe in their vision, I believe that the community of people they bring together can make a big change in the world. I'm very excited about this new role. My goals are to create a forum that allows us all to be heard and to facilitate discussions that can shape the future of our creative community. Oh, and I like to use a lot of brackets and exclamation points!

I'm going to need a lot of help, so joining me in this task is our faithful nightowl (who many of you already know) RobWhite and the ever-delightful MaryMary. Rob White has been a forum moderator for a while now and he'll keep working hard to make your nights on the Etsy Forums fun and orderly! (Perhaps he'll share a cookie recipe with you and melt your heart with its deliciousness.) Mary, while she has been active in the Forums since day one, will now be moderating full-time. Mary has a passion for the community and a cheeriness that makes everyone adore her.  She loves to share her top-seller skills and make us laugh at the same time.  Mary also runs the Virtual Labs, a place for chat, online workshops, critiques (and much more to come)! So look for us on the Forums and in the Virtual Labs!  We'll meet you over there!

So, now you may be wondering, "What about Stella?" Lauren (stellaloella), who has been overseeing the Forums for the past year, will be taking on some big behind-the-scenes projects and getting Etsy's Help section whipped into shape. (Stay tuned to the Storque for more news on that front later this year.) Lauren will still be around and in the Forums occasionally — but trying to manage large-scale projects while tending to the Forums full-time is a bit like being interrupted by your telephone ringing every ten minutes. Mary and RobWhite and I are answering the call to give Lauren the chance to focus on some long-overdue initiatives. (You can still send her a Convo to say "hi" or ask a question once in a while!)

If you have any other concerns or questions about these changes feel free to contact me, MaryMary or RobWhite.  Remember the open door policy from high school?  We're totally into it.  Our convo doors are always open, so come on in and take a seat.  Care for a Werther's?

"xo",
Danielle

PS. We've included some Q&A below, but if you have more questions or comments please join us in this forum thread. 

FAQs

What will the sections be?

• Site Help not sure of how to use something on Etsy? Ask the community and Etsy staff
• Bugs if you've found a glitch in the site, please report it here
• Business & Marketing the ins and outs, ups and downs of being an independent business owner
• Critiques give and receive specific advice about your shop and items
  
• Techniques & Materials share and seek advice about creating items
• Teams & Events connecting people locally and globally
• Promotions looking to shop? promote yourself or favorite seller? post here
• Ideas have a way to make the site better? let us know!
• Etc if it doesn't fit in another Forum section, it belongs here
  

Why do we need new sections?
More sections in the Forums will allow us to stretch our legs a bit. Get a little more relaxed. More topics will be seen by those who might want to find them. Questions can get answered instead of buried. Hopefully we can discuss with each other tips and tricks for marketing, photography, how-tos, crafting or art tips and more in the new sections.

What about the Promotions section?  My promotions always get buried!
Mary and I are working on a plan to help promote your sales. We want to talk about it with you soon, but first we have to make sure its "do-able." So stay tuned!

Now there are threads in the wrong places, what's up with that?
I may take us a little while to get all the threads from the former Crafting & Business section moved to the three new sections (Critiques, Business & Marketing, Techniques & Materials). If you see an active thread that needs to be moved, feel free to send us an email at community@etsy.com to let us know.

Can we have stickies or a section for Admin posts only, so I can see what Admin are saying?
We've heard this request. Right now we want to steer everyone to the Storque for Etsy updates. We want to keep the Forums open for discussion between the community — including Admin, buyers, and sellers alike. The Forums aren't a place where policies should be made (because not all of the community is active in the Forums), the Forums should be a place for open discussions about how to make Etsy a better place and help each other grow. All important Admin announcements will be posted in the Storque's Etsy News section (we promise). And if something unclear or important comes from an Admin on the Forums and you feel it's something the entire community should know about, send us a convo and we'll probably write a Storque article about it. We know you still want to hear what we have to say in certain threads, so we're brainstorming a new way to highlight Admin posts (or even posts by your favorite Etsy member!).

Where did the chat rooms go?
The chat rooms are still here! They're just not linked at the top of the main forum page. You can find them on the Community landing page, which is a more prominent location on the site.

Is this the "big change" for the Forums everyone keeps talking about?
This is the first in a series of "upgrades."  More to come — but we thought this mini-remodeling effort was a needed one for the time being.