InsaneJournal

http://arstechnica.com/web/news/2011/03/etsy-users-irked-after-buyers-purchases-exposed-to-the-world.ars :

The controversy began last week when Etsy flipped the switch on People Search as part of its effort to make Etsy feel more like a social network. Now, when users run a search for a person's full name, that user's account will show up in the search results, even if that person is only a buyer. ... The problem is that, aside from a thread in Etsy's forums (which is almost entirely used by sellers, not buyers), Etsy has not notified users of the change in privacy settings or policy. Previously, users could search Etsy for seller names, but the names of buyers were not exposed as part of the search. Not only are buyers searchable now, they're even searchable by real name if that info is in their account profiles—this is not a required element of the registration process, but there's nothing to indicate that it's optional. ... Even better, people's Etsy profiles and their purchase histories (via the feedback they leave) are beginning to show up under Google results for their names. ... Those who do have accounts on Etsy can remove their real names from their profile pages, and there's also a way to make your purchase history private (Your Account > Settings > Privacy). However, most account holders aren't even aware of the change in the first place, and they're not likely to change their settings without some sort of prompt.

See also http://www.etsy.com/storque/handmade-life/rethinking-feedback-12472/ though.

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