I just finished reading the email that Heath had posted from Maria, very sad indeed. It sounds like this gal could really benefit from some words of encouragement. I do believe a lesson learned, hear both sides of a story before you cast judgement....then again, is it our place to judge.
What did I miss?
Amy
I agree with HellieOh! I am comfortable with my post in the original thread; however, I didn't see it necessary to go beyond CC until we had heard her side. I have already sent her a personal email because I hate to think of someone out there being so sad. I'm not taking her side (my opinion is in the original thread, no need to drudge it up again), I just think that we should be human and be kind in our delivery of our opinions and think twice about reacting in an emotional manner that could affect the livelyhood of a misguided, but otherwise (maybe) decent person.
That is so sad! I feel bad for all involved. After reading Maria's email, I truly think she did not mean to hurt a sole....I believe it was an honest mistake. I just hope that everyone can heal from all the hurt/damage.
I, for one, would love to see CC back to the family atmosphere it once was...it's changed so much over the last few months!
I agree that was sad. I didn't post in the original thread, because things on CC seem to ususally turn for the worst and get really nasty. And in most cases the other side isn't heard. I feel bad for everyone. What she did was gone about in a poor manner. She could have asked, but I am guessing since English isn't her first language, that maybe in her coulture she didn't think she was doing anything wrong. As she stated in her letter, she just thought she was creating a gallery of samples for people to look through. I feel bad for her, being attacked. I hope that everyone finds peace.
This general atmosphere of this site has changed drastically in the last few months. I have only been a member since August, but I can tell that it definitely has much more of a negative vibe now. I have also noticed that it seems to be the same person/people that make negative comments over and over and over. I don't know if they get a rise out of stirring the pot or what. It is very disheartening to know that people can be so mean to others. It is almost as if I am back in junior high and the bullies are picking on the less popular ones.
We bake and decorate cakes, cookies, and candy. Some of us are better than others. Some of us are licensed, and some of us are home bakers. So what. Why can't we all appreciate other's talents and coexist peacefully in this environment.
Put jealousy aside. If you feel threatened by someone whose talent is better than yours, this should just be incentive to work harder to perfect your skills. Actions speak much louder than words.
Ok, enough ranting. I just had to get that off my chest.
Happy Baking and Happy Holidays!!!
You know what buddys I thing all this situation is extremaly sad and selfish from us, because we did't know the real reson from Maria to done that. If i sell cakes I maybe show people some pics. to have an idea of what cake they wish to have, I will never think to ask first for autorization to show the pics. is like if I show a book or a magazing to get the idea.I did know that was wrong. And in the other hand remember we are in this holidays , the ones are supposed to care ,love and be in peace with your love ones or the people around you and we are forgetting about this!!
By the way my primary lenguage is not english I hope you don't start to make fun of me too.. Belive me I am tring to do the best I can to comunicate with your culture so I can lear a lot from you and somne day be a master cake decorator too.... ji ji ji 
I agree- I didn't post on the original thread either but did see how rapidly people began to feed off of each other's anger--it got out of hand.
I hope she is not still banned from the site (if she still wants to be a part of it)-- I think anyone should be able to see that she regrets what has happened and I believe her when she says that she just wanted some samples to share with clients. Forgive and move on....
her email is on page 12. I feel bad. I'm happy I didn't know about the thread until it was all over and done with. I think this is why I don't read much in the forums anymore, except a few links. Or if I have a specific question, then I do a search and see if there is something to help me. I get enough stress at home, to bring more stress from people in cyberspace is crazy for me.
I like that a place like CC can unify across boundries....pros to newbies, australian to spanish to canadian to us....we all put our pants on one leg at a time....so one has different education than another, it doesn't make any ONE better than another, only different. And that's what the world is about.
First let me start by saying my initial post was not meant to start trouble. I just thought the effected people had a right to know. Since I didn't know who everyone was I posted it. I was just trying to look out for fellow cc members. I feel bad reading her email. Before the apology I thought good morals and ethics are the same in any language. However, reading her apology it seems to me she is sincere and regretfull. I hope Heath and Jackie will rethink banning her, as I think she deserves a second chance and seems educated on this now. It is just a sad situation all around.
Michelle
I feel really sorry for her!! Yesterday as I read the original thread and looked at her sight I did notice that those cakes were in a different section of her sight than those she had done and wondered if they were suppose to be examples. I truley believe that was the case and she is sincere in her apologies. I do believe also that she does not understand why everyone is so angry. She was not trying to say she made these cakes. She really did not realize how our culture would interpret that.
I know as a newbie I have alot of people look on this site to find a design they may be interested in when making a cake for them.
For everyone involved I pray for you to find peace with this awful situation. I don't really think anyone meant to hurt anyone, it was just a HUGE misunderstanding. I would like to see her return to CC.
I know I learned a good lesson from this.
I am ready for some fun reading again.
Michelle, I don't think anyone is blaming you for your original post. I hope I didn't come across that way.
I think it was important that people knew...I'm sure they felt violated. It is just sad that it spiraled so out of control, so quickly. I think all the people being nasty sending her e-mail is a bit too much. But, I'm not going to judge anyone's actions....people are accountable for themself and themself only.
Like, what happened if she went to church and brunch, and by the time she got home on Sunday afternoon ALL that stuff had already happened? She wouldn't have been able to run interference at all.
I'm glad it's over. With over 64,000 members here...something is bound to happen, and I think this certainly wasn't the worst that could happen.
bless her heart you could really feel the pain in her post.
i'm glad everyone is moving on.
I think you have to look at this situation from 2 angles.
#1 - a couple people mentioned that they wish CC would return to its family atmosphere. Well I happen to think that CC was acting like family when everyone rushed to protect other members work and cared enough to get so upset about the situation. Certainly it spiraled to an extreme, but think about how irrationally mad you get if you feel that someone wrongs someone in your family. How irrationally upset would you get if you thought someone took advantage of your child. If people didn't care about the members of CC so much, they would have brushed it off. Perhaps they did get too nasty, but still, when you ask people to care, you get strong reactions.
#2 - I do think that Maria is sincerely sorry for what happened and did not realize how it should have been handled. She has made a sincere apology, and she is welcome back to CC. If she comes back it will be under a new ID so that we can all put this incident behind us.
I am going to lock this thread.. not because I don't want people to express their opinion, but because this issue has consumed CC all day, and we all need to move on and get back to enjoying ourselves.
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