8 ms·
This is perhaps a cynical take on the controversy, but it's hard reading this and similar articles not to conclude that when Etsy critics say they want to prese
by CPLX 12y ago
This is perhaps a cynical take on the controversy, but it's hard reading this and similar articles not to conclude that when Etsy critics say they want to preserve the "handmade" or "artisanal" character of products on the site, what they really mean is "not made by asian people"
- MBCook 12y agoReally? I don't see that. It seems like having a factory or workshop with hundreds of people making an identical item violates the spirit of the rule. I don't see why you'd assume they don't like Asian people doing it. I'm sure people would be just as annoyed if it was people in Africa or South America or somewhere in Europe or even the US. When you have a factory dedicated to making a good, it's no longer fair to call it 'artisinal' and compare it to a guy who makes 3 chairs a month in his workshop.
- CPLX 12y agoI've seen reference to Alibaba and China in a lot of these kinds of articles about Etsy. Seems like a bit of a dog-whistle thing to me, though I concede I could be totally off base.
- detaro 12y agoI bet "My Grandma back in Malaysia has been doing these crafts for years, here are her pieces" goes better than "I pay a bunch of high-school kids in Springfield, Kansas to glue those together for some pocket money"