Etsy and "Mature" content - I want to have an Etsy but this bugs me

[3DOCTORS]

I do crafts and art and sewing projects and would like to sell my things on Etsy but they allow their vendors to sell items classified as “mature content” (to me, “immature” would be a more apt term as it usually appeals to a junior high locker-room mentality, but don’t get me started).

Here is a link to their policy so you can read it to see what I mean:

etsy.com/policy/dosdonts#mature

They say they don’t allow pornography (I say what’s the difference in many cases - again, don’t get me started! ). And they do have rules about under-18s and about the vendors of such “mature content” being required to disclose it and not have it display in public so that someone wouldn’t see it unless they specifically went searching for it.

But it bugs me, both in a moral way and because I just don’t want them getting a percentage of my money if they’re also going to support things like that. Am I being scrupulous or picky? Are there alternatives similar to Etsy that are run on principles of Christian morality regarding content, that others have had good luck with?

Thanks for any help be it moral guidance or practical suggestions for selling handmade items online!

 

[didymus]

Partly it depends on how many outlets you have for your crafts that *don’t *offer “mature” content and if they would offer the same advantages. If you did join Esty you could try organise with others to get Esty to change its policy.

This is one of those remote vs. proximate co-operation with evil questions that perhaps others are better qualified to answer.
I will say that a couple Catholic blogs I subscribe to including a very trad one market their swag thru cafepress which offers a lot of stuff that is, if not "adult’ at least not something for the kids.

 

[Adam1986]

I do crafts and art and sewing projects and would like to sell my things on Etsy but they allow their vendors to sell items classified as “mature content” (to me, “immature” would be a more apt term as it usually appeals to a junior high locker-room mentality, but don’t get me started).

Here is a link to their policy so you can read it to see what I mean:

etsy.com/policy/dosdonts#mature

They say they don’t allow pornography (I say what’s the difference in many cases - again, don’t get me started! ). And they do have rules about under-18s and about the vendors of such “mature content” being required to disclose it and not have it display in public so that someone wouldn’t see it unless they specifically went searching for it.

But it bugs me, both in a moral way and because I just don’t want them getting a percentage of my money if they’re also going to support things like that. Am I being scrupulous or picky? Are there alternatives similar to Etsy that are run on principles of Christian morality regarding content, that others have had good luck with?

Thanks for any help be it moral guidance or practical suggestions for selling handmade items online!

Well, for what it’s worth, I just looked over their site and saw nothing “mature” or “inappropraite”. Have you seen some items that are questionable? If you haven’t maybe they just have the policy for a 'just in case"?

Cool site though.

 

[3DOCTORS]

Well, for what it’s worth, I just looked over their site and saw nothing “mature” or “inappropraite”. Have you seen some items that are questionable? If you haven’t maybe they just have the policy for a 'just in case"?

Cool site though.

The bad stuff does exist. Unfortunately, I’ve seen some of it, on a satiric blog. I don’t know if it’s kosher to give the name of the blog, though just like Etsy the blog has other, innocuous stuff. And when I saw the bad stuff on the blog, I clicked away from there in a hurry! Etsy has their policy for a real reason.

I suppose I should be thankful on one hand that they do attempt to make it so an underage person theoretically won’t stumble on the stuff - but they could probably find it easily enough by lying about their age.

The moral issue - proximate cooperation with evil, etc. - I know about, it’s just my own personal preference that I’d rather have my percentage go to a totally family friendly business. Yet there again. A person can’t even go to the grocery store or much of anywhere these days without “supporting” a business that sells, for example, contraceptives, or suggestive magazines. So then I go - am I worrying too much?

 

[3DOCTORS]

Update - alternate site to Etsy that I found - www.artfire.com

 

[Dymphna82]

If you don’t want mature content, I would also say as a heads up, don’t join Ravelry. They banned a group of conservatives just to make their liberal consumers happy, and they have a Mature section that shows the crafting of phallic objects and other things of sexual nature.