Etsy warning

[lolmac]

Have you ever bought anything from Etsy?

I haven't, thank heavens.  I've never done anything on the site at all.

Two words:  don't.  Ever.

http://www.eylerwerve.com/2011/etsy-com-publishes-real-names-and-purchase-history-of-buyers/

http://www.salon.com/entertainment/tv/feature/2011/03/15/etsy_privacy_people_search/

Their approach to user privacy is apparently taken from Facebook. (Our motto:  You're Not the Customers, You're the Product -- and You're For Sale on the Global Black Market)


Just freaking out here.  I'll archive this post after I've calmed down a bit.


ETA:  Still not calm, but my sympathies have now shifted largely to the artisans who sell there.  This wasn't their choice or their doing, but it will ineradicably taint the place for their customers, and there's nothing they can do to protect either their customers or themselves.

March 15, 2011

Comments

[sharp2799.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure I understand. I have an account there as a buyer and just went to take a look. I changed all my settings to private and ran a Google search using etsy and my last name and didn't see anything. I bought a few miniatures from the site a couple of years ago. (I also Googled under the screen name I chose for the site and still nothing showed up.)

[lolmac]

All I know is what's in the articles; I've never done more with Etsy than glance at a few pictures. I don't use my Google-fu in that manner, so I can't explain why your mileage varied. I'm glad of it, though.