Greetings Specktra Netizens!
It’s the holiday season and with many new MAC collections releasing, the subversive activity that was brought to our attention last month has not abated. In fact, it seems to have intensified to the point I have recieved several PM’s from upset members who can not understand why they are being left out of collection information.
Now that I have had time to reflect on the mission of the site, how things have changed over time, how far I am willing to bend my original vision of a intelligent and kind community that freely shares information, and where the best interests of the community at large lie - I have prepared the following announcement. Please understand that I am just as passionate about this as you, and I sincerely hope that you will listen and try to understand where we, the Specktra staff, are coming from.
To begin, I’d like to share our motto here at Specktra:
Specktra is a cosmetics fan community with discussion open to all cosmetic lines and to all who are interested in cosmetics. We promote a healthy atmosphere comprised of education, diversity, and sharing information freely with each other.
Here at Specktra, we have dedicated almost 9 years to ensuring our forums are filled with kindness, respect, and information. The first iteration of the site was the MAC “encyclopedia”, a comprehensive guide to each and every MAC release from the beginning. This spirit of sharing brought other cosmetics lovers here, and is the reason that Specktra is still going. Which leads me to the point of this post.
Over the last few weeks, we’ve seen so many posts about PM’s being distributed to discuss specific launch details in private. While I will always maintain your right to discuss what you wish in private, sharing “secret” information to only a select group of people is by it’s very nature an exclusive “club”. I understand the initial intentions were good - to make sure the information is shared with fellow friends and MAC addicts, it has since created the perception that you have to meet certain criteria or “be in the know” in order to receive this information. When new users post innocently we have witnessed them berated by other members to keep quiet, how they “should know” that “we don’t talk about it”, etc. This goes against the very foundation of the site.
For those who are new here - I want to assure you that this is not our intention. We truly strive to be a community where all feel welcome to participate in discussions.
I want to make it clear that
WE UNDERSTAND that with the rise of “evilbayers” (as they are now referred to i.e. those who glean our site for information in order to be one of the first to purchase, then post the goods on ebay outrageously marked up) it can feel challenging for those who are doing the research, spending the time, investing themselves in these new launches to share this information with those who are partners in this mission. We understand how you all must feel to have someone click a few buttons and have access to all the information you worked so hard to put together (
TRUST ME when I say I KNOW HOW THIS FEELS! lol).
That is why we listened to your feedback and are making a change to better support you. We’re introducing a new subscriber feature,
MAC Chat Premium. Located right below MAC Chat and above MAC Chat Regional (soon - we are experiencing technical issues with moving the forum ATM) this Premium Member only forum willadd two important barriers - the user must be logged in and must have a Premium Membership to view and enter. This is the most elegant solution we could think of while working within the constraints of the forum software. You all had some great suggestions but, as much as I would love to, hiring a team of engineers to make it happen just isn't within our budget.
While some won’t see this as a solution for them (and we genuinely regret that), instead of breaking down the very nature of the site with private, cliquey PM networks this will instead support keeping the site healthy while maintaining the level of privacy you've requested. In this forum you can feel free to discuss anything you’d like, such as new color collections or share swatches. Our goal is for everyone to find a comfortable place to belong. The addition of a premium option levels the playing field and puts an end to the secret society undercurrent of the current situation. Simply put, if you want to have access to the information deemed too sensitive for public use you now have a democratic way to gain entry.
This being said, Specktra will neither endorse nor tolerate the PM’ing system developed in recent months. Instead, we encourage you to utilize the new MAC Chat Premium forum as a safe space for your discussions. Let’s work together to foster an environment where everyone feels welcome. We understand this will upset some, I’m sincerely empathetic and welcome your feedback and suggestions. Specktra staff are always available for anyone who needs to chat about an experience on the forum or those who have suggestion/criticism/complaint.
I’ll end this post with Specktra’s collective mission:
Specktra champions knowledge above all else. We follow through by sharing beauty information and opinions through an online forum community. Specktra exists solely to share our common passion, educate, and inspire makeup enthusiasts of all walks and races.
For more information on becoming a premium member please look here.We’re actively working on new perks for Premium Members, including a new section of the Clearance Bin. We are also currently running a
facebook contest where you can enter to win 1 of 5 Premium Memberships we’re gifting just for helping us spread the word about Specktra on Social Media. More details on new member perks to come soon.
Thanks for reading!
-Janice
