I have previously written articles (linked below) in this column and in the Home Biz Blog, about Café Press. I found the concept really cool, because people can design their own items and have them printed on demand. I thought it would be a neat way for kids to design their own shirts, mugs, decals, etc. for personal use, gifts, or even for school/church/club fundraisers.
Good concept, yes, but I now find some items on the site beyond offensive. I did add a warning in the original article that some items might be offensive or of a mature nature and not suitable for children. However, things have changed, and not for the better. Some of the things I’ve seen there recently are WAY over the top.
I won’t go into too much detail, but suffice it to say that I won’t be doing business with any company that allows items that appear to promote hate. Some of the items go way beyond hard, distasteful rhetoric, to things that could be called hate speech or seen as promoting violence.
I felt the need to give an update, so you’ll know what to expect if you do visit the site. I didn’t want anyone to get an objectionable surprise.
There is another similar site called Zazzle. I’ve been looking it over and it appears to be more family friendly and appropriate. You can check out the Zazzle help page for more information, if you are interested (scroll down to “acceptable content”). It says stuff must be suitable for children if it is to appear in public galleries and that anything not appropriate for kids will be placed in an over 18 area.
Of course, what you and I deem “acceptable” for our kids may differ from their opinion, so I would suggest complete adult supervision while using this or any similar site (and I would probably avoid any of the politics galleries when viewing with children).
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