There's this new website concept called "The Patch," in which it's supposedly a "community based news" blog in which anyone can contribute. Well, since I had a little time on my hands, I decided I would write up a little piece on my favorite clothing store in Huntington, Milk & Honey, and contribute it to Huntington Patch.
Well...
...not so much.
It was rejected! I was shocked. Not because I thought this was any fantastic writing of mine, but because, uh....if you've read the other stuff on the site, it's not exactly Shakespeare. Furthermore, I was reviewing a Huntington store--what's the ish, peeps?
Here's the email I got back:
Hi Olivia,
Thanks for getting active on Huntington Patch. We encourage each of our neighbors to join the conversation, share their thoughts, and speak up. However, the following blogpost cannot be published on the site because it conflicts with our Terms of Use.
Your recent contribution:
Loving It: Milk & Honey Boutique
You’re more than welcome to add a new blogpost and submit it anytime to Huntington Patch. Just refer to the Patch Terms of Use below.
Acceptable Use Policy
Communities thrive when people care about each other, and as such, Patch expects all of its users to be respectful of others. If you notice any violation of this Acceptable Use Policy or other unacceptable behavior by any user, please report it to support@patch.com.
You are solely responsible for the Content that you post on the Service or transmit to other users. By using the Service, you agree that you will not hold Patch responsible or liable for any Content from other users that you access on the Service. While we encourage people to be honest and post what’s on their mind, there are some types of Content that we simply can’t allow on Patch. We’ll go over some of the prohibited items below, but these are merely examples and the list is not intended to be exhaustive.
We understand that everyone has different opinions, but Patch will make the sole determination as to whether Content is acceptable for the Service. (Someone has to be in charge, right?) Without limitation, you agree that you will not post or transmit to other users anything that contains Content that:
- is defamatory, abusive, obscene, profane or offensive;
- infringes or violates another party's intellectual property rights (such as music, videos, photos or other materials for which you do not have written authority from the owner of such materials to post on the Service);
- violates any party’s right of publicity or right of privacy;
- is threatening, harassing or that promotes racism, bigotry, hatred or physical harm of any kind against any group or individual; promotes or encourages violence;
- is inaccurate, false or misleading in any way;
- is illegal or promotes any illegal activities;
- promotes illegal or unauthorized copying of another person's copyrighted work or links to them or providing information to circumvent security measures;
- contains “masked” profanity (e.g., F@&#)
- contains software viruses or any other computer code, files or programs designed to interrupt, destroy or limit the functionality of any computer software or hardware or telecommunications equipment; or
- contains any advertising, promotional materials, "junk mail," "spam," "chain letters," "pyramid schemes," or any other form of solicitation.
Instead of trying to memorize all that, you might boil it down to three main policies: “Keep it clean,” “Don’t try to trick people,” and “Treat others as you’d like to be treated.” Easy, right?
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Uh, I was utterly confused. Where in my piece was a sense of being un-kind? Treating others not well? Or, gasp, trickery? Maybe I'm missing something here? Check out my piece below, and don't forget to stop in (or
check out their new website!) to Milk & Honey...rather than spend your time trying to write a piece for your community blog, go shopping!
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| Photo of Milk & Honey, by me |
Being "in-style" nowadays is all about being unique and different, and yet, still looking classic and trendy. When I stumbled into Milk & Honey, on Main Street in Huntington Village, a few summers ago, I knew I had run into something very special. Upon first arriving in the store, no matter who is working there, you are always greeted with a big smile and an offer to help you find what you need (and let me tell you, not every store is like this!). Not to mention, the store itself is a true piece of art; it's like a museum of clothing! Milk & Honey prides itself on being a boutique (for both men and women!), and not only catering to its customers (Britney Spears was there last summer!), but getting to personally know them. For example, when I was preparing to get married last June, I stopped in many, many times to get clothing for the various wedding events; all the women working at the store kept all with all the events in my life, and upon my entrance into the store they would ask, "How was the bridal shower/bachelorette dinner/wedding?" Why is Milk & Honey so different a place? Because all of the women there handpick the items that they sell. Simply put, they don't sell anything they wouldn't wear themselves! I love walking into the wonderland that is Milk & Honey; there are always gorgeous dresses, of various styles, hanging down and tempting me; the delicate, and unique necklaces, earrings, and bracelets are so creatively displayed (think: vintage books, old door knobs, and cool wire hangers!). Can't find the one thing you're looking for? Ask! When I was looking for a dress for a formal event, I told them what I was looking for and after talking about my personal style, they went back to the storeroom and pulled dresses for me that weren't even out for sale yet. Can't beat service like that. In a world of Gaps, Old Navys, and The Lofts, it's sometimes hard to find a store which specializes in well...making you feel special. I highly recommend shopping at Milk & Honey, especially for a specific event; I promise, you'll walk out feeling confident, with a bag of gorgeous goodies in your hands.
They probably rejected it for the "Gaps, Old Navys, and The Lofts" line. Try resubmitting without it and it'd probably go through! (More to test if that's the sensitivity with which they judge picking on stores, not so much to please them.)
ReplyDeleteYour article was great! Very complimentary, well written and totally helpful!
ReplyDeleteSomebody at the Huntington Patch obviously seriously messed up..you need to address this and straighten it out with the Patch.Since they are so community based, as they explain in their publishing"by laws" they need to look into this goof up and communicate the mistake to us, its community..
I for one would like to know what happened here..I am concerned and, as a Huntington resident, would like to better understand.
Thank you for caring enough about Huntington to share your LOVELY thoughts!
Certainly, Milk and Honey would LOVE this article and they should be notified that you tried!!
ReplyDeleteHi Olivia! I just came across this post and can't thank you enough for your kind words. The owner and I just read it and we are truly touched. We do our very best to take care of our customers and I'm really glad that your experiences have been so postive at Milk & Honey! Thank you also for always writing such great posts about M&H on your blog. I don't really understand where the Patch thinks your article was unacceptable, but I do appreciate your effort! Please stop in and visit us again soon. Thank you so much again! ~ Krissy Harper, Manager M&H
ReplyDelete