Quote:
People can and do ask those questions here all the time, and no one yells at them or berates them for it.

This statement stuck out to me because as a newbie I asked a question and felt very berated. I felt I had asked a simple question and got a lecture.
My response was not one that I am proud of but at the time I could not help it. The person who posted HAD made some very legitimate points but none that I didn't already know. I hadn't asked for a lecture. I have my parents for those.

I know that I will probably NEVER post another question. I removed my photo even just because I felt so judged. Maybe I am being to sensitive but if so I can't seem to help it.

Edited to remove reply 'cause it didn't answer the OP's question.

So I need to learn spanish! I just might do that.

There are times when being legal will directly affect the answer to the question. Pricing is one that comes to mind (and is probably the most asked question on this website). People think that because the box mix is $1, icing $5, cake board $0.25 that their cost of the cake is $6.25. So when they sold the cake for $15 they made $8.75. We all know that is not correct - there are a lot more expenses for making a cake:
paper towels
water
soap
electricity
insurance (only if legal in your area)
permit fees (diffferent amount and maybe not even needed in your area, like Ohio)
1000 other things I didn't list

Once everything from the above list is taken into account for the $8.75 profit becomes -$20.

Now, I do think some jump to the legal question in a way that can be considered harsh. Instead of immediatetly asking/posting the legal statement a list, like the one above, could be posted to show all the expenses really incurred. Then maybe a link to the cakecentral list of states/counties rules for bakeries or a post along the lines:
"for more information for licensing fees and insurance contact you local health department"

That being said, there are posts many posts on this website where the OP asks a question about a cake (how to kind of question) and instead of getting can answer they get a lecture.

Do I think someone should be legal to sell a cake? Yes. But if that fact has nothing to do with the question asked, I don't go there. I answer the question if I can, if not I go on to the next.

Example:
http://cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=720930&highlight=legal

Jason,
Just because you didn't say "Are you legal?" doesn't mean what you did post was in an "I would like to help you, so here is something to consider" voice. It came across harsh. You also assumed you knew the circumstances, but you didn't (and you know what happens when you assume).

There are more examples (just do a search or look up Jason's posts), but it is lunch time...off to Subway.

I'm with this person, slim chance it was her cake the source of the illness. It would be a hard case to prove in court.

I was making a lot of cakes that's why I purchased addtional insurance from my broker.

I know there may be a story out there but one in how many thousand does this sort of thing happen. Like being on a plane that crashes. If you are afraid of being that one then you have to deside if this is what you want to do.

I just know from being here a few years there are a couple of members out there that like to creat drama and keep the pot stirring. When I see them posting on a thread I have to quit reading it only gets under my skin.

Is it me or does it seems that these members get enjoyment from scolding and telling people what/how they should do things.

Bluehue, MyHeartsDesire, and Imaginethatnj, thank you! I totally agree with you all. I read the forums often, I am a "lurker" for thiese very same reasons. I have started to post on several forums only to read the next post and the OP is getting attacked for their question. That stops me cold. I too, used to love CC, and I still do- just not the same. The viciousness takes a large part of the enjoyment out of it for me. By the way, I am not legal yet and do not sell cakes, I am working on it!

Loving this thread, hope it doesn't get deleted! Sitting here eating my delicious Pimiento Cheese Spread Sandwich (A southern thang')

I think all Blue and and OP's are trying to say is:

TONE IT DOWN A LITTLE!

Yes, you should be legal.

But is it anyone's business rather someone is or not? If they have not asked questions about being legal, should it be the first thing they are hit with? Maybe they are already, like me, I didn't think I needed to prove myself unless asked, but I did change my signature line to reflect it.

I have, as the saying goes "CMOA" because I feel it was the right thing for me to do. Am I going to turn someone in for not being legal? NO, I live in a small community, everyone is related to everyone, I don't need friends and family of said illegal baker harassing me on my legality, besides there goes my customer base (remember, they are all related to each other)

I only got to page 3, but wanted to throw in 2 cents (though it may be worth much less). Why should the onus be on the person asking the question to preface their posts with disclaimers and qualifiers? If the sole purpose of the interrogations into their legal status is to educate them, why can't the legal police not just include the info into their own signature? That way, they can pass along their useful info without being insulting.

Just a thought.

For Michigan:

I did read on their site you can sell from your home but not a third party. I wanted to check with a local resturant to see if I can sell them bake goods to sell customers. But, that would be a third party.

Here is some more information:

http://www.michigan.gov/mdard/0,1607,7-125-50772_45851-256444--,00.html

THANK YOU for this thread!

What frosts my cookies is that some of the people who are the quickest to interrogate a poster as to their legal status are also the people who consistently do not offer helpful answers to the original poster's original question. There is a pattern: OP asks question in "cake decorating forum". Member of cake police responds with interrogation about OP's legal status. Once the cake police officer has an answer to the question of legal status s/he disappears into the ether without ever offering anything constructive to the question asked by the OP. If you have no intention of offering advice why bother clicking through to the thread and doing a drive by interrogation in the first place? I find this especially irksome when the person being interrogated explains that they are a hobbyist and the interrogator just disappears from the thread without offering anything constructive to the OPs question. This suggests to me that some members of the cake police have no interest in being helpful, but just want to play a game of gotcha.

This may sound silly, but I wanted to say thanks to everyone here for being SO BRAVE to say what you feel! I am definitely a "lurker" who is on this site every day (I LOVE LOVE pictures), and I read nearly all of the forums ... but I rarely post myself. As I said before, I am working on being 100% legal, but, because I'm not (yet!), I don't feel that my opinions would be taken seriously. I also am scared that I will get one of the "lectures", even though I am very aware of, and am working toward, the legalities in my state. I think that I feel this way because of the overall attitude some of these threads have had lately. Everyone has to start somewhere, and I really doubt that everyone is perfectly legal in the beginning. I hope CC can change, because the original idea of this site is a fabulous one. =)

If I happen to reply to a person who is asking about pricing or something that seems to need to include licensing information, I will try to be helpful by saying something like "A licensed baker will be able to sell this cake for $xx and do xx advertising or participate in xx shows" etc....

That way the helpful information is there, it answers the questions, and its not preachy or putting the OP on the spot.

Along with that...I actually had someone put in the comments of one of my photos how I got the rights to do a certain "copyrighted" design. Now the entire argument aside, that person had no idea if I got paid for the cake or what, or if I did it as a favor, or anything....it was simply a comment aimed to cause trouble. (I wrote a mod to get it removed.)

Again, instead of saying "Ummmm! YOU can't do THAT!!! I'm telling!" haha you can say "That design is copyrighted for selling, but I would construct it like this for my friend" etc.

Or for wires in cakes..."Ummmm! You are gonna totally kill somebody with that wire!!!!! Update your insurance policy immediately!" Just say "I love to use coffee stirrers to insert my wires into cakes!"

I guess when people post you can tell what their motive is...if its to help, you can tell. If its to go around finding people who have problems so that they can be the correction officer, you can tell that, too.

PS: I put wires directly into my cakes.

*GASP!*





(Lest I be a hypocrite for saying what I did about coffee stirrers! Great idea! Doesn't work for me! Glad it works for others!)

Listen, there are people here who are too sensitive. There are people here who are kinda bitchy. There are people here who listen but don't talk. And people who talk but don't listen. There are people here who want to help others by giving them legal, baking or decorating advice. There are people here who only want to flex their muscle with their legal, baking or decorating "advise". There are newbies. There are oldbies. There are hobbiest. There are pros. There are those who are legal and those who are not. Those who care and those who don't.

The point is that there are all kinds of people here, just like anywhere else on the internet. And like everywhere else, you have to take things with a grain of salt. People are less shy about voicing their opinions behind a handle and a computer screen and words come out sometimes like they weren't intended. But some people are just more sensitive than others. And we all need to watch our words. I try not to say anything here I wouldn't say to someones face because otherwise, I end up saying things I might not really mean.

I think everyone (and I mean everyone) needs to relax, step back and read some of the posts here...there is one person admittedly not coming back. Others who don't post anymore. Why is that? It's up to the strongest here (the oldest, most prominent members, be them hobby or pro) to take back this forum and make it a more comfortable place to be.

People are like sheep in real life and are really like sheep on the internet. Get one person gunning for a lynching and soon you've got a whole mob with pitch forks. Those who have the influence here need to use it. For good, not evil.

Don't want Legal Police? Confront them when they do it. Let it be known that it won't be tolerated here. The mods can only do so much.

@Kristiemarie....I agree
What I loved about CC when I first started as a HOBBY baker only, was that no question went unanswered and no one made me feel bad that I had asked it. It was great to have a circle of cake friends. If I had been 'enlightened' as some of our newbies are today, I might never have returned!