Etsy Frustration

today there was a thread in the forum that brought up a particular instance that has people a bit cranky. i read a lot of comments on the situation, and i can't help but notice the stupid, annoying trend of people being mean to each other all. the. time.

i really like the forums, it's the first and only i've ever been a part of. i don't really like people, i don't like having people near me, i don't make friends well, so this forum has been a great place for me to get social interaction without the discomfort of being subjected the the actual physical person. i haven't made any true friends, but i definitly enjoy hearing people's stories and woes, and sharing my own with someone besides Matt.

but lately i have posted less and less because of all the cranky-ness that goes on there, and i'm somewhat afraid to because of all the fighting. no one seems to care or even notice those who try to calm it down by reminding that 1) this is a business place where sellers AND buyers can read the forums and 2) people are DIFFERENT! we *could* all be the the same - but then what would be the point of talking at all?

i've seen, and been a part of, misrepresented ideas and misspoken thoughts that were attacked, and upon returning to clarify or apologize, the next post is picked apart and attacked as well. an apology is an apology. i'm sorry if what i said offended you, and i will try my best to justify or fix my statement. please do not scour my new response for something else to get angry at me about... that's just mean.

this is not meant to be an attack on etsy at all. i've just been frustrated about this and needed to get it off my chest, but like i said, i don't even feel that my comments would be welcome on etsy itself.

it makes me sad. Etsy as a sales place is wonderful for me, i'm not going to leave, but i don't want to stop reading the forums because of this... i mean it kind of rounds out the whole experience. being in the forums is like talking to your customers, even if some of them never buy from you - never even look at your product, they are still all potential customers, and potential friends.