Update: Rokali has risen!

He's thrown up a response about the scandal both on Etsy and on an Ars Technica article (here is his comment, and another here with our reply) where it's getting lots of attention.

Our main response on ars technica was less than cordial (this one was more ranty)

You know a story is bad when Kalin will pull his head out of his plushie phone room to make a statement off site, and I know Rob when we talked to you last year that we'd agreed to not personally call you names anymore, well that was a year ago and you lied to us then so here we go, bozo, it's on.

Yes, feedback has always been public, as has there been always been a picture of what you left or received feedback on, but you forget almost all items GET seller feedback at least since your staff has drilled it in every sellers' head that you MUST leave feedback. So it's inevitable that every item will get feedback and be public.

What is NEW and what you keep dancing around HERE and on Etsy with your latest proclamation from hipster high (http://www.etsy.com/teams/7716/announcements/discuss/6818578/page/1/) is that now there are real names attached and Etsy has always had a solid line of NOT SENDING NOTIFICATIONS ABOUT THE CHANGES TO THE TOS or FOR CHANGES AFFECTING ALL MEMBERS, or hell any members. And that these names are spidered and most of your users have no freaking idea their purchases are publically pinable to them PERSONALLY and not to some anonymous user name. Why do you think so many sellers had buying accounts? To hide what they buy, and not link the details back to them.

You insist on posting all notices/changes in the forums where ONLY 1% or so of your members hang out, where if they offer ANY Resistance or have any words against the Etsy dogma, you punitively shut them down or a few days, mute them from speaking out again, or ban them entirely (usually without notice) - and if you are in a good mood you will do all three and then go out for vegan tacos to celebrate.

You have so little care, regard or any freaking respect for your own customers it's disgusting. You have even less respect for the law - but that's what can bite you back - at least.

In a time when facebook, your dreamy wish-boyfriend, is being fined millions of bucks for doing something despicable - you DON'T go and repeat it you fraking moron. You're supposed to learn from it and not spend so much time and effort figuring out if you can get away with it.

Here's the simple point, Ginger -- people do not want their names on a website they buy from. Many don't even want real names listed on the sites they sell on, but they should be able to choose TO DO that - not choose to NOT do it.

When you make it Opt-Out, like you always do, and don't notfiy your USERS you are wrong. When you change the TOS and don't notify your users you are wrong.

It all comes down to "notified changes" - if you get off your damned high horse and send notifications to all your users for EVERY change you make that affects them you would surely have avoided all this "grouchy hater" press. Not everyone is in your cult, and it must be killing you that you can't mute and ban me again for pointing out the obvious.

And I know - you don't want to have to actually hire someone to work (gasp) daily with the spam agencies to get your names removed form the spam lists constantly since someone will always mark you as spam no matter what you do, but that doesn't mean you stop sending out necessary user emails entirely so you aren't a "dirty spammer". Yes it's constant fight, yes, it's a hassle and an expense but it's just part of business today, you have to do it. You might know that sometimes in business you just have to do things, that is you might if you showed up that day when you stole your meager "college education" on someone else's ID so proudly.

So if I were you I'd be looking to hire a new lawyer, sara is cute but she's not good. I think you need a good one now since I know for a fact that various State attorney generals have been contacted as well as the FTC.

Stuff that in your handmade glass bong (that you don't allow anyone to sell anymore) and smoke it.

We invite everyone to file a complaint with the FTC or by phone at 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357) - please be clear about the issues of Opting-in by defualt, no notification to user base as required by law, and releasing of personal names and purchases.


UPDATE: He's responded in the Ars Technica thread a few times since. Have a read with the liquour you love.

Notice how he's willing to talk when it's not to his customers. You'd think he'd get he's not fooling anyone on this outside site where no one has any stake in keeping their mouth cupcake-filled. He gives such good lip service you'd think he was moonlighting as an Amsterdam whore.

Update: The story just hit Forbe's Blog
Update: and Consumerist