Janice
Well-known member
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
Clarifications made by me later in this thread in one place:
Quote: Originally Posted by Janice
Hi all, sorry I am at work so this will have to be brief. I've read quite a few comments and thought it would be good to touch base on a few concerns. First of all, no poor Janice's please.
I mean that in the best way possible. While I do spend a lot of time thinking over every possible outcome of a situation, I can't be afraid to change the status quo when I see something happening on that genuinely concerns me. The forum is alive, each of your making your contributions and influences and I am sensitive to how delicate of a fabric that is.
The addition of MAC Chat Premium is not an attempt to "fix" the frenzy around MAC collection launches (I love the excitement we share about this!), it's not a crusade against evilbayers (which IMO are not the problem it's made out to be, I doubt it's even 1% of our population), it is about offering you a CHOICE. It should be YOUR decision to make if you want to have a secure place to chat about collection releases. No one should be punished for wanting to talk about where they ordered their product from. No one should feel excluded because they recently joined, or have no posts, or feel too intimidated to post because they've seen others eaten alive for mentioning where they shopped.
IF you want to take advantage of MAC Chat Premium as a private place to discuss collection releases, your purchases, and whatever else!, now you have that choice. If you don't choose to use MAC Chat Premium things will continue just as they are, there just won't be any fear of recrimination when you share where you purchased your latest lipstick from. This is a positive replacement for the current detrimental process of picking and choosing who has access to information.
The beautiful thing about being a part of something new is that you get the opportunity to influence and shape it. I can't wait to see what blossoms under the feet (fingers?) of those who choose to use it. I support whatever decision you make and I will hope you will support my efforts to give you the freedom to choose.
Quote: Originally Posted by Janice
I'm not sure how my original post was interpreted as fundamentally changing anything about the way the Color Collection forum currently works. That verbiage was not in the post and the forum is not fundamentally changing. Everyone can pick apart the idea until there are so many holes you can see right through it. It won't change the fact that we do not condone the current status quo of the Color Collection forum and are advocating change. The state of the Color Collections forum evolved on it's on and I'm not happy with the interactions I've witnessed, the PM's I've received (from NEW and OLD members alike!) and the members we've lost because they made the mistake of saying the "wrong thing" or because the tone of the Color Collections forum is no longer FUN and supportive like it used to be, rather now it can feel negative and snarky when the "drama" flares up.
However you approach it there is no perfect solution, and I for one am not going to advocate locking information up. That is the point I am trying to make. With the addition of this premium member perk you now have the CHOICE to chat in a private forum instead of trying to get navigate a social maze of who to contact and what to say. I've spoken with Richelle, the MAC Chat moderator, about it being a part of her moderating responsibility to share whatever PERTINENT release information (i.e. new collections) is shared in MAC Chat Premium. Specktra will still be your leading resource for MAC information regardless of if you choose to become a premium member because THAT'S WHAT WE STAND FOR. I would be a complete hypocrite if I had thought this through and accepted that it would cause the site to become pay for information. It's not who I am and it's not a direction I will willingly take the site in. In MAC Chat Premium will there be discussions that have information that you might not see in the public forum? Will someone maybe score a lipstick before you do because of something posted there? Sure! It's a private forum so people will talk more freely amongst themselves.
The two step process of registration and payment WILL assist in diverting the 1% of the population that could POSSIBLY be resellers and the larger "lurking" population that concerns some members. The more personal information those who are up to nefarious ends have to give up the less likely they are to do it. I think it's important to understand the "lurkers" are makeup addicts NO DIFFERENT than you. Maybe they are a member of another board or blog and they don't want to make an account because a) they don't have to to see the information and b) they prefer their community but can't get the same info there. It's not your job to police the forum for the few who are looking to exploit, being suspicious, and making those who don't "contribute" to some arbitrary standard feel like they are unwanted! I personally feel the reselling thing is blown WAY out of proportion. However, I listen and I respect the fact that people would like a private place to chat.
Okay, so what about the concern there will be people who abuse the system? Sure, maybe it might happen. However, in the YEARS that the Clearance Bin instant access with Premium Membership has been established we have never had a case of abuse. Not once. Also, don't underestimate the love, care, and personal time investment each of your staff members make in keeping up with forum activity and linking it to outside acts. Yes, we do it all the time because we care about protecting the community. If we find someone is abusing their privileges we remove them. It's not difficult to reason out that what we give we can also remove.
As far as asking "well if nothing is changing, why would someone pay"? I don't know, maybe because they want to support the site? Maybe because they want a private chat? Maybe they want instant Clearance Bin access? Whatever the many reasons people may have when they choose to subscribe the ultimate goal is to ensure they have the choice. No secret societies, no vague guidelines for access, no arbitrary standards that go against the nature of the site, and no "why was I left off the PM". A fair and level playing field. And one personal thing on this - I'm sorry but anyone who tells me that this wasn't meant to be an exclusive club was IN and obviously can not comprehend what it was like for the users who were "out" by post count or by pure apathy. Period.
The best, most beautiful, part of this whole thread is that you're talking about how you feel. Thank you for speaking up and making your voice heard. Together we can make beautiful changes to the site, shape it into a place we all want to be and where we all have a home. You are the smartest, prettiest, totally amazing group of people I know and you make me so proud to be here.
Quote: Originally Posted by Janice
@beautybylele I was referring more to news items than normal day to day posts from members.
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
Clarifications made by me later in this thread in one place:
Quote: Originally Posted by Janice
Hi all, sorry I am at work so this will have to be brief. I've read quite a few comments and thought it would be good to touch base on a few concerns. First of all, no poor Janice's please.
The addition of MAC Chat Premium is not an attempt to "fix" the frenzy around MAC collection launches (I love the excitement we share about this!), it's not a crusade against evilbayers (which IMO are not the problem it's made out to be, I doubt it's even 1% of our population), it is about offering you a CHOICE. It should be YOUR decision to make if you want to have a secure place to chat about collection releases. No one should be punished for wanting to talk about where they ordered their product from. No one should feel excluded because they recently joined, or have no posts, or feel too intimidated to post because they've seen others eaten alive for mentioning where they shopped.
IF you want to take advantage of MAC Chat Premium as a private place to discuss collection releases, your purchases, and whatever else!, now you have that choice. If you don't choose to use MAC Chat Premium things will continue just as they are, there just won't be any fear of recrimination when you share where you purchased your latest lipstick from. This is a positive replacement for the current detrimental process of picking and choosing who has access to information.
The beautiful thing about being a part of something new is that you get the opportunity to influence and shape it. I can't wait to see what blossoms under the feet (fingers?) of those who choose to use it. I support whatever decision you make and I will hope you will support my efforts to give you the freedom to choose.
Quote: Originally Posted by Janice
I'm not sure how my original post was interpreted as fundamentally changing anything about the way the Color Collection forum currently works. That verbiage was not in the post and the forum is not fundamentally changing. Everyone can pick apart the idea until there are so many holes you can see right through it. It won't change the fact that we do not condone the current status quo of the Color Collection forum and are advocating change. The state of the Color Collections forum evolved on it's on and I'm not happy with the interactions I've witnessed, the PM's I've received (from NEW and OLD members alike!) and the members we've lost because they made the mistake of saying the "wrong thing" or because the tone of the Color Collections forum is no longer FUN and supportive like it used to be, rather now it can feel negative and snarky when the "drama" flares up.
However you approach it there is no perfect solution, and I for one am not going to advocate locking information up. That is the point I am trying to make. With the addition of this premium member perk you now have the CHOICE to chat in a private forum instead of trying to get navigate a social maze of who to contact and what to say. I've spoken with Richelle, the MAC Chat moderator, about it being a part of her moderating responsibility to share whatever PERTINENT release information (i.e. new collections) is shared in MAC Chat Premium. Specktra will still be your leading resource for MAC information regardless of if you choose to become a premium member because THAT'S WHAT WE STAND FOR. I would be a complete hypocrite if I had thought this through and accepted that it would cause the site to become pay for information. It's not who I am and it's not a direction I will willingly take the site in. In MAC Chat Premium will there be discussions that have information that you might not see in the public forum? Will someone maybe score a lipstick before you do because of something posted there? Sure! It's a private forum so people will talk more freely amongst themselves.
The two step process of registration and payment WILL assist in diverting the 1% of the population that could POSSIBLY be resellers and the larger "lurking" population that concerns some members. The more personal information those who are up to nefarious ends have to give up the less likely they are to do it. I think it's important to understand the "lurkers" are makeup addicts NO DIFFERENT than you. Maybe they are a member of another board or blog and they don't want to make an account because a) they don't have to to see the information and b) they prefer their community but can't get the same info there. It's not your job to police the forum for the few who are looking to exploit, being suspicious, and making those who don't "contribute" to some arbitrary standard feel like they are unwanted! I personally feel the reselling thing is blown WAY out of proportion. However, I listen and I respect the fact that people would like a private place to chat.
Okay, so what about the concern there will be people who abuse the system? Sure, maybe it might happen. However, in the YEARS that the Clearance Bin instant access with Premium Membership has been established we have never had a case of abuse. Not once. Also, don't underestimate the love, care, and personal time investment each of your staff members make in keeping up with forum activity and linking it to outside acts. Yes, we do it all the time because we care about protecting the community. If we find someone is abusing their privileges we remove them. It's not difficult to reason out that what we give we can also remove.
As far as asking "well if nothing is changing, why would someone pay"? I don't know, maybe because they want to support the site? Maybe because they want a private chat? Maybe they want instant Clearance Bin access? Whatever the many reasons people may have when they choose to subscribe the ultimate goal is to ensure they have the choice. No secret societies, no vague guidelines for access, no arbitrary standards that go against the nature of the site, and no "why was I left off the PM". A fair and level playing field. And one personal thing on this - I'm sorry but anyone who tells me that this wasn't meant to be an exclusive club was IN and obviously can not comprehend what it was like for the users who were "out" by post count or by pure apathy. Period.
The best, most beautiful, part of this whole thread is that you're talking about how you feel. Thank you for speaking up and making your voice heard. Together we can make beautiful changes to the site, shape it into a place we all want to be and where we all have a home. You are the smartest, prettiest, totally amazing group of people I know and you make me so proud to be here.
Quote: Originally Posted by Janice
@beautybylele I was referring more to news items than normal day to day posts from members.
