New Team?

[CoquetteBath]

I'm not sure what is going on, but I'm concerned.

I know our Captain has had a busy few years, and yet, some decision needs to be made.

I'm fine with setting up a new team, but would like to have a few others who want to be part of run it.

anyone interested?

[BlueTurtleCrafts]

I'd be happy to help.

Though it's a shame to give up on this team.

Maybe we should convo her (again)?

[Fullofcraft]

I’m still here, but haven’t had hardly any response about the team. Three people out of thousands. I just think it may need new life. I feel like I’m looking for Charlie Bucket.

Sorry for making you all wait but if I decide to keep the team, I’m not just going to turn it over to anyone.

Please feel free to dm me if there are any other takers. Tell me three reasons why you want to be the leader.

[TigersandDragons]

That's three people out of thousands of past members who contacted you to be leader.  That's pretty good considering, the change here, and how most of those "thousands" of members joined and never posted.

I'm confused, I sent you two messages in the last 30 days, and you haven't replied to either?

And I provided very good reasons why I would be a good fit as Captain for this team:

a) been a member of this team for 6-7 years, on Etsy for 10 years.  Spent a lot of time here posting to help other sellers.

b) 20 years doing craft shows, We make 90% of our LIVING income at these events, so you know we're serious about it.

c) My experience as a leader in other teams, mentoring, and running a Shipping help thread. I've seen what an active leader is capable of accomplishing.

d) Have  contacted you in the past, so you are aware that I CARE about this team, and have for a long time.

The other two people who offered to be leaders likely had compelling reasons of their own why they would be a good fit, so I'm not quite sure what any of us are lacking in your eyes. 

We check in here, we post, we converse, we care. I don't know exactly what magic person you're looking for to run this team, when it's obvious that you have moved on and don't have time. That's normal, that's life.  If you're willing to close the team, to let it "die", then all the information here will be lost.  There's valuable stuff here.

Feel proud of the team, but also generous enough to pass the torch, to let someone else build from the blocks that are here, they will breath some life into it.  

[BohemianHollow]

---

@Fullofcraft wrote:

"I feel like I’m looking for Charlie Bucket."

You aint no Willy Wonka and this aint no Chocolate Factory. 

Like everyone is saying, you haven't been active in this team for many, many years. TigersandDragons has. Please turn it over to them.

Stop being so wishy washy and do one of two things:
1) Either turn it over to TigersandDragons or
2) Let us know for sure that you're closing it down and give us some time so that we can save whatever information we need and start a new team.

Then afterwards do yourself a favor and let it go.
If there had been the "perfect" person for you, they would have appeared by now.  If you don't like TigersandDragons (which you obviously don't by not even acknowledging them) then too bad. You're only other option is to close it down.

So stop lollygagging and pull the trigger one way or the other.

Sincerely your hard-hitting, no BS taking, truth telling forum monster,
Stefan

[TigersandDragons]

It doesn't have to me but PLEASE hand over the Team to someone who cares, and who is willing to put a small amount of time to getting it back on it's feet.

Keeping us in Limbo isn't helping at all. A team is more than it's leader, there was a core here who checked in regularly would chat amoungst ourselves about what was going on with our businesses, would help each other and new members with their questions.   Those thousands of posts were written by MEMBERS not the Captain.  And there will always be more future members looking for help, we need to stay open for them too!

There are some good people here, "let it go", and trust at least one of the people who have offered to Lead to put the effort in as a Captain,  because (understandably) you don't have that time anymore.

[NaturelMistik]

I <3 you so much, Stefan!

[CoquetteBath]

I have no problems speaking out loud.

it isn't so much that I want to be a leader. And, this team has functioned quite well with only minor issues due to the quality of people here.

But the decision seemed to be that you were tired of this/too busy for this/whatever else. And I do totally get that.  Everything goes in seasons and maybe it is time for someone else to step up. If so, I can. Can I do it daily, for hours? Nope. I have a very involved 'day job' and of course, I have my business. But I care about sharing information.

Others have been here a lot longer, and I'm fine if anyone else wants to step up. The reason you only got 3 requests is likely because most teams are not active. I belong to one with thousands of members, but only 20 or so ever talk. It is what it is. But if this is to remain, then I think it deserves to be cared for and about.

Just my opinion.

[BlueTurtleCrafts]

I’m sorry but I think it’s pretty funny that you think this team shouldn’t be taken over by ‘just anyone’ 

you haven’t posted for YEARS - you wouldn’t have posted at all - probably ever- if I hadn’t convo’d you and now you suddenly ‘care’ who runs it? Funny. 

[JustMeToo]

@BlueTurtleCrafts   I don't see any reason for this unkindness.  That's not a great way to get this wonderful team going again IMO.

[TigersandDragons]

She's understandably frustrated, Blue Turtle has been regularly posting and checking in here, waiting for a response from our Captain.

[JustMeToo]

I don't recall the Captain EVER being around, unless we contacted her about someone promoting!  When I was participating, her last posting was always MONTHS back!  I guess there would be frustration, after all, if that's the Captain you were waiting for!

[BlueTurtleCrafts]

Sorry if I offended you Carol but I've also Convo'd her several times (before she popped back in and after) with ZERO response.  And her saying that the people who have contacted her (people who have been ACTIVE here for years - are not good enough/"just anyone" is pretty dang rude/unkind as well.

So yes - frustrated since she is the only person who can get rid of the spam or do anything with this team.

[JustMeToo]

@BlueTurtleCrafts   Please don't give it another thought!  I didn't realize what was going on behind the scenes!  The last post I recall was saying she was quitting!  If that's the case, why should she care who takes it over?

[TigersandDragons]

FullofCraft stated that she was planning on deleting the team, but would consider appointing a new Captain.

Only the Captain can appoint a Leader, or hand over a Captainship. In the old forums if the Captain chose to leave a team without doing so, the system would move the captainship to one of the leaders, if there were no leaders (there are none here), it would go to a member.  I have no idea how the "system" choose in those cases,  OR  IF this is also how it would work in Lithium (?).

"If that's the case, why should she care who takes it over?"

That's the million dollar question. 

[CoquetteBath]

Life is apparently very busy. That's understandable.

If a decision isn't coming, that's out of my control. But, this type of information is very valuable. And it would be a shame to lose the wealth of information that people here know & can share.

I'm musing, here.

[HomeSewnByKate]

This team seems to run itself. I"ve been a member for years and the advice is extremely helpful. I read the pinned posts and took alot away from them. In the other forums I always recommend this team to people starting out. Keeping the discussions going is more important then who the captain is.

[TigersandDragons]

Only a Captain or Leader can delete spam.  So if no one is watching, the spam situation is just going to get worse here.

Only they can delete entire threads, kick spammers out of a team - though I'm not entirely sure how it all works in this new platform, especially with Etsy disbanding the Captain's Team. 

They could also highlight posts so these moved to the top of the thread, that exact option might not exist, but a captain can move other members posts around.

The only reason there are Pinned Posts Here is because some members contacted Full of Craft directly asking for this back in late 2014,  it had gotten so bad with the same questions getting asked almost daily.  I was one of those people.

The Show Chat - Both Good and Bad, was something I also started at the time because members would constantly start random threads to talk a bit about how bad or good their recent shows were.  I have been (and am in) teams where things liked pinned threads and Theme specific threads make a real difference on cutting down on the chaos and repetition.  Both new and old members can easily see where to find info., or what thread to post most of their questions in, it becomes more of a resource library and organized help desk, less of a "free for all". 

[CoquetteBath]

I agree with that statement. And yes, we've seen that this team can definitely run itself. I actually wasn't aware, until the captain said so, that she wasn't visiting the team often.

[AllisonGlickCeramics]

Sorry, late to the discussion. I’d love to see this team continue. If Tigers has stepped up and offered to try to get it active again please, let’s give it a fair (pun attended) chance. The team does need a Captain or Leaders who can pin threads and make it easy to find the posts we want our former regulars and future new members to post in. I’ve seen our team recommended in the general forums, which is how I found it years ago.

[BeachFleaMarket]

So, It looks like we have potential Captain and Leaders. Lets use all 3 volunteers to run the team.

[PrairiePrimitives]

To Fullofcraft (sorry, I don't know your name):

Although I hate the Lithium Nightmare with a passion, I would very much like to see this team continue. I was VERY active on this team when it was still an "old-style" Etsy forum. If Etsy hadn't moved teams to Lithium, I'd be volunteering to take over as Captain of this team! I have done craft fairs for more than 40 years and I have experience as both a Captain and Leader (see below). Heck, if I happen to be the "Charlie Bucket" you're looking for, I'm fine with being Captain (mostly in name only) and would ask a few of the regulars to be team Leaders to handle most of the team tasks.

Here's my resume:

• Captain of "Captains' Quarters" team - since late May 2017
• Captain of "Sac Etsy Team" (Sacramento, CA local team I founded) - since February 2009
• Leader of "Etsy U.S. Tax, Bookkeeping, QuickBooks, and Business License Topics" team - since late 2018
• Participant in HUNDREDS of mostly-juried craft fairs, highly-juried art fairs, and several antique shows since 1977

Again, PLEASE let the active members of this team keep this team going. Thank you. 

[JustMeToo]

I also want this team to continue.  After the forums were changed, I visited the team a few times, and the posts were from 2014.  Then I read that the captain was leaving, so I didn't come back.  The people and advice are so valuable it would be a real shame to lose it!

[WhimsyBits]

There's no reason to kill this team entirely.  I got a bit lost when the team format changed (and I wonder if that's what happened to most people?)  and I just go through periods where I check Etsy teams and forums a lot and then not at all.  Like someone else said, I never knew there was one single person running the show, this team seems to be self-run very nicely.  

If there needs to be someone to help kick out the spam posts and what not, I'm open to that because I have the time.  But sometimes I might vanish and maybe just need a nice reminder (like TigersandDragons did ;) ) to bring me back. 

[JustMeToo]

The former captain NEVER checked in, but if you let her know about someone promoting, she did remove those right away, which was good.  Other than that, the team pretty well ran itself.  It's active, and very helpful to craft show sellers just starting out, especially.  It will be wonderful to have it back (with current postings - not 2014)!