A word of warning about sharing information around some people

[MarilynR]

I first encountered the phenomenon a couple weeks ago with a person I was helping. Because that person doesn't come to the forum, I sent them an email about Blue Sky and Benable as promotional sources. I got a tirade back about those sites being started by Marxist Democrats and that this person didn't want to sell to them. 

In the last couple of days, we posted two threads for people to use for promotion that two people came in to shut down and it feels like it is for the same reason. The first one was to let people know that from what we had read sustainable might be a key word to use when promoting. Seemed innocent enough to us. Someone decided to shut the idea down and said it was insignificant.

Then, we read that there might be an issue with toy inventories for Christmas. So we posted that believing that Zazzle focuses on made in the USA. That was before someone posted a list of items Zazzle imports. Anyhow, someone else posted in my thread not to worry about it that it was just the media fear mongering. Well, I didn't post the information because I was worried about it.

The thing is I am going to quit posting bits of information that I see that I think others might be able to use for promoting to avoid biting my tongue when others are rude enough to come in and try to shut down the idea because of what appears to be their political views. I apologize to anyone I offended by not connecting any of the above information as against one political group.

[MOM]

@MarilynR    That's a bummer. I have not been around much recently (was busy with some projects) so I missed those posts in question but I hope you will reconsider. A forum like this is so beneficial to all of us - would be a shame if a couple rude people can/will mute you. Just saying.

[MarilynR]

Well , I just played fair. I did an equal opportunity Google search to try to  support the views of the people who decided to put their unsupported opinions in those threads,

My first search was " using sustainable as a keyword won't attract buyers"

https://www.google.com/search?q=using+sustainable+as+keyword+won%27t+attract+buyers&oq=using+sustain...

My second search was "toy inventory for Christmas 2025 won't be affected by tariffs"

https://www.google.com/search?q=toy+inventory+for+Christmas+2025+won%27t+be+affected+by+tariffs&oq=t...

Unfortunately for them, these new searches showed sustainable is a useful keyword and the toy inventory will be an issue for Christmas 2025

[Connie]

If you feel that "sustainable" is a good keyword to use, go ahead. Keyword research is something that Google is good for, so you are doing the right thing by doing that research.
As far as the toy inventory thing, it's fine if you want to take it seriously. Personally I don't think it's worth getting worked up over.

[ElizabethR]

Connie

[MarilynR]

Connie 

You are missing the point of my posts. I read about sustainable being a good keyword to use. So I posted to share that others might want to use it. My information was backed up by multiple articles. Then, someone else with potentially more credibility came in and dismissed what I said as having no value.

"As far as the toy inventory thing" I wasn't getting worked up about it. As I said I am not in the market for toys. However, I saw it as a potential marketing opportunity for Zazzlers because I believed that Zazzle's products were made in the USA. Then, you dismissed the idea as media fear mongering. 

So much for sharing when it gets dismissed by.   others.

As far as being early in the year, this is when companies place their orders for Christmas, so the items are shipped and distributed to individual stores.

[LMGildersleeve]

I just went and read the the comments you thought were negative here on the forums. I think you misunderstood the difference from sharing an opinion and "shut(ting) it down". I know these women and I don't think their intentions were to stop your conversation.

As for the first person you mentioned, they're just plain rude.

[Connie]

Thank you. I had no idea my comment would be construed as "shutting down" the thread!

[sharonrheafords]

Your response made me smile when you said someone was "just plain rude". I don't know who it was, but I giggled, and I needed a good giggle. I've only had someone be really rude to me once on the forums a few years back when I had answered a question a long time Zazzle peer asked about my situation. I hadn't brought it up. They asked. I gave a one sentence answer thanking them. She jumped in and was just hateful to me about me, so I love you saying that about a rude person. YOU are just plain wonderful!

[Barbara]

I can only assume it was my response to "sustainable" as a  keyword. My opinion was hardly an attempt to "shut down" you or the idea or to cause harm. It was simply something I'd previously watched elsewhere and thought about.

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[alissag]

People have lost their minds lately. On a blog recently I mentioned something about Bluesky and got an angry comment about it being full of a very specific type of unsavory person (not a term I'm comfortable using here). It was nonsense, and I deleted the comment, but there's a lot of bizarre anger out there.

[sharonrheafords]

It's good yours was a blog you could control. I can remember when the forums used to get a bit hot at times, but Zazzle would shut that down.

[Connie]

Wow, you are really reading way too much into my reply to your thread about toy shortages! I had absolutely no intention of making a political issue out of it, and I don't even know your political views! I thought you were worried about possible toy shortages because of tariffs, so I was trying to encourage you not to worry about it, especially so early in the year! It is common knowledge that the media (on both sides of the aisle) feeds off sensationalism, so I had no idea that would be taken as "shutting down your thread!"

[Barbara]

No one dismissed anything you said; their opinions differed from yours and nothing more serious. Reading various threads here, you'll see constant differences in how people think, which is a good thing. It sparks healthy discussion.

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