From Etsy to Artfire; Etsians are moving to Artfire

"Every young girl in high school fell in love with a boy who told them, “I love you. I'm here for you. You can trust me, what we have is real.” And we believed it. We were overjoyed, and it seemed like nothing could dull the shine of the stars in our eyes. But then we found out it wasn't real, and with no explanations it was over. All that lingered were unanswered questions. “What did I do wrong? Is there something wrong with me? Was it all just a game?” We were heartbroken, and devastated, and hurt. That hurt quickly turned to anger at the one who hurt us.

When I first joined Etsy, I was told over and over, “you're in a safe place, we're here to help you, we want you to succeed. The admin team is here to support you, and you can share and express your thoughts, ideas and opinions with other sellers in our wonderful forums. You can trust us.” And I believed them. I was overjoyed. I felt a genuine sense of community, I made friends, and a few sales.

And suddenly the rug was ripped out from under me. With no explanations, everything changed. I quickly realized that no one was there for me, and my opinions most certainly did not matter. I am left with nothing but unanswered questions.

And I was heartbroken once again, and hurt. I don't think it would seem so bad if there weren't the constant reassurances of “We still love you... you just have to fall in line.”

I still have friends there, some are flourishing, managing to play the game, and play it well. And I wish them nothing but success. I have not been a vocal Etsy basher. But I get it. People thought they had a safe haven, and when they found out they didn't they were hurt and angry.

But just like with bad high school romances, we'll eventually get over the hurt and move on. Sometimes it just takes time. And a little venting."