#also both of them are trans its not relevant to the pic but if you scrolled this far down the tags for some reason you deserve a treat <3

[quietduckpond]

The real reason Garak wasn’t in the episode, “Take me out to the holo-suite” (7.4). Click for quality.

P.s. I’m going to be posting art on my main (@quietduckpond ) from now on and then rbing to my sideblog. If you only want to see my art and not my regular blog posts, head on down to @quietduckpond-art.

Also i hate those fences with a passion now.

[cindylouwho-2]

Etsy's Adult Content Ban: Some Things You Might Have Missed, & Some Reasons Almost Everyone Has Missed

As almost everyone knows, Etsy announced a wide-ranging ban of many types of sex-related items on June 27, to take effect on July 29, 2024.

While the corporation was predictably vague about the reasons for this change, it's not overly-difficult to figure out why this happened, although at least one reason seems to have slipped by many. It's slightly more trying to make the logic work when we consider what they still allow. It may be more interesting (and vital, for some sellers) to consider what Etsy might ban next, or ban by accident when this policy takes effect.

While this post isn't intended to be a deep dive into all of the revisions to Etsy's official policies, I will briefly go through certain highlights of the new rules, followed a few alternative ideas for both sellers and shoppers. I'll then discuss why Etsy did this, and we should expect in the coming weeks, months and years.

First. here are the relevant materials:

the much-quoted announcement

Etsy's new Adult Nudity and Sexual Content Policy

the revised Mature Content Policy

as well as some of the media coverage:

Mashable was the first large outlet to publish

The New York Times (soft paywall)

The Guardian

The BBC

Modern Retail (soft paywall)

What's Out, And What's Still OK to Sell or Display

As has widely been reported, Etsy will no longer allow sex toys that touch genitals or enter the body, a female product model's nipples in photos, photos or "photo-realistic" images of sexual acts, types of nudity with "sexual context", fetish items such as used underwear and foot pics, and "sexual language referencing familial relationships". (Pornography was already banned before now.)

Plenty of other items are still permitted, though, including:

BDSM accessories

body harnesses

kegel weights

sex furniture

non-photorealistic nudity and "sex acts without visible genitalia or anuses"

female nipples in photos if the photo is the product and the first listing image obscures them

These exceptions lead to all kinds of questions. For example:

Etsy likes to position itself as LGBTQ2S+ positive. That means a topless photo of a trans male with visible nipples is ok even if they never had top surgery, right? Especially if they have legally transitioned and have government-issued ID that lists them as male, correct?

Where is the "non-photorealistic" line drawn? If a painter attempts to be photorealistic, but is not very skilled at the process, is that painting ok to sell on Etsy?

I am sure you can think of plenty more. But holes in the policies are not my main concern in this article, so I will move on (after noting that Etsy is going to have some enforcement messes with the policies as written).

Where Should Sellers and Shoppers Go After July 29?

(Mention in this section is not an endorsement of the platform. Please carefully research any option before signing up. Some links are not "safe for work".)

Etsy gave business owners just one month's warning that they were no longer wanted on the site. Many are still scrambling to replace their steady income that their Etsy shop provided. The alternatives are not always simple, and it does depend on what a shop sold.

There are a few small marketplaces for adult items, including https://spicerack.market/ and https://charmskoolshop.com/ (links not safe for work). These are not going to have the level of traffic Etsy had, but that also might improve now that many businesses and shoppers are looking for new venues.

There are also larger marketplaces that do allow many of the products Etsy banned, but each has its own restrictions and exceptions, making it risky to copy existing Etsy listings over directly. Always carefully research the rules everywhere. Amazon does have a sexual wellness category, but it is not part of Amazon's Handmade section. eBay also has sex toys. The Artisans Cooperative currently has some adult items listed, but the site is still in beta, so only coop members can sell there at the moment.

Freestanding websites and self-promotion are another approach, but this can be daunting for makers who chose Etsy for its built-in traffic, plus some platforms and payment processors do have rules against certain types of adult content. Shopify's Shop app bans pornography and "sexually gratifying" fetishes, and the bot filters can sometimes block allowed content by mistake.

If you have a favourite seller, they have likely already posted where they plan on going next; if not, ask them.

Why Did Etsy Ban Many Adult Listings, and Why Now?

The various media articles lay out numerous possible reasons for the new sex policies. They include:

Some jurisdictions have laws that limit what children or under-18s can see online, which is likely why Etsy's short announcement uses the word "safe" in 3 different places.

Some social media sites restrict adult content - "evolving industry standards", perhaps?

Some payment processors restrict what adult items can be sold.

We're forced to speculate, because Etsy has refused to answer questions or release additional statements since June 27. That's problematic when talking about destroying livelihoods, because none of these reasons seem to dictate an absolute ban.

As mentioned above, many sites still allow most of the prohibited products, either openly, with age minimums, or with siloed categories that don't appear in generic searches. A big tech company should easily be able to program for this. There's been no indication that any of Etsy's payment processors have withdrawn due to this content, either. So that list simply doesn't add up.

Instead, it's clear that the core explanation is that Etsy wants a bigger slice of the ecommerce pie, and is willing to reject long-standing sellers and product lines to better appeal to shoppers who find sex and related topics distasteful. But again, why not just separate the categories better, as Amazon and eBay do? Amazon is certainly not lacking for customers despite having a sexual wellness category where many things Etsy disallowed still happily reside.

This all boils down to a key reason few are discussing: Etsy's faulty algorithms don't seem capable of keeping such merchandise out of sight of really picky shoppers. They've in fact been trying to do that for a few years now, as the 2022 Transparency report detailed. Etsy stated that the “mature content classifier” led to "a 17% decrease in flags of mature content from our member community". Let's be honest - 17% isn't a great reduction. Even worse, that classifier led to shadow banning such innocuous items as dog diapers and "nude" coloured leggings, while endlessly missing actual porn, including deep-fake AI celebrity images [Forbes; soft paywall].

CEO Josh Silverman has made it clear that Etsy isn't going to focus on improving search relevancy any more, and will instead be focussing on product quality and shops' customer service records to determine search ranking. Problem is, niche searches still display tons of irrelevant items - go check; I'll wait - and this is frequently where one might see things they weren't looking for. If the search and other algorithms aren't able to give shoppers accurate results even when Etsy is attempting to filter out mature items, then Etsy's alternative is to ban the items outright.

Let's face it: if the real problem was female nipples being seen by kids, they'd all have to be blurred out, instead of just the first image. The first image is what shows up in search, ads, and recommendations across the site, so that is what Etsy is censoring. Kids are welcome to look at butt cracks to their hearts' content, as long as they click on the listing first. The real problem is instead that Etsy can't deliver accurate searches and tailored recommendations that people want to see, and regularly serves up things shoppers were not expecting.

But why now? Other than the recent promises to change the search focus from relevancy to quality, what made Etsy drop this notice on unsuspecting sellers on June 27?

The answer appears to be Etsy's new creativity standards, released on July 9. Those standards codify previously unofficial exceptions to Etsy policy, such as allowing 100% commercial goods to be sold in gift boxes. They are also the first official mention of Etsy permitting AI art to be sold on the site, although Silverman had already announced that unofficially.

The policy changes are likely to increase the number of listings on the site that are not handmade, vintage or craft supplies, and Etsy obviously felt the need to stem the eventual tide of sexual gift boxes of dildos from AliExpress - yes, there are already some listed on Etsy - and even more AI-generated nudity etc.

Note as well that July 29 falls just 2 days before the second quarter report is given to investors, providing Etsy with a topic to discuss during that call. They can claim they are taking action against mature listings without being expected to have removed 100% just 2 days after the ban, and the topic will likely be forgotten 3 months later when the third-quarter call happens. It's possible that, 3 months from now, no analysts will check to see if the ban was actually successful. Perfect timing, I'd say.

What Next?

First, any experienced Etsy seller knows that Etsy attempts to remove now-banned items will result in plenty of legitimate listings being deactivated as well; see the dog diaper example above. Items won't even have to be related to the prohibited categories, as the image recognition bots can be particularly bad. Every time Etsy bans something, even if only within one country or area, there is always collateral damage in the form of non-offending listings being removed. (I've had items deactivated for being amber, drug paraphernalia and illegal plant material, when they were nothing of the sort.)

At one time, you could expect Etsy to reinstate such items after an investigation, but that is less common these days, and frequently takes weeks to months when it does happen. This means all sellers should be alert and watch their deactivated listings folder in the coming weeks, and be resigned to losing best-selling products for no good reason, due to bad bots.

Long term, I doubt this is the last time Etsy narrows what can be sold in the interests of appeasing sensitive shoppers. Even if you 100% support Etsy banning everything that they did last month, you should be uneasy about what could be coming next. If age-limit laws were really behind some of this recent decision, what happens when some US jurisdictions start restricting no-fault divorce? Everything from party supplies to t-shirt slogans to happy divorce gifts could be on the chopping block.

It's also possible the company will try to continue to refine its bots and algorithms instead of outright banning other products. Since Etsy is already shadow banning items for certain searches, are shops with a few LGBTQ2S+ articles invisible right now in places where laws are discriminatory? In places where birth control is illegal or severely restricted, are birth control pill cases still ok? I am not sure we can assume Etsy won't continue down this path.

Whatever your thoughts on the listings Etsy is currently banning, remember that these are businesses who were allowed to sell their wares on the marketplace until this month, and have therefore done nothing wrong. Things you believe in could be the next target.

[greyknighterotica]

NOTE- I tried to submit this anonymously but its like 4 times over the word count, and I decided not to be a coward and let you see who I am instead 😬😬 buckle up and grab a beverage because this is long and I’m sorry 😭🤣😅.

Hi Jack! HUGE fan here. My name is Nate, and this is going to be a bit different than the messages you’re used to, I think XD. First off, I want to say that I have been a listener of yours on and off for about four years I think? I found your tumblr shortly after I turned 18 I believe. Getting to hear you call me babygirl and learning about the world of BDSM through your incredible audios was so meaningful to me, and I’m had had a lasting impression on what turns me on/how I touch myself tbh /.\.

However, in that same span of time, I started to realize that I was not a cis female as I had always thought I was. For a while I was IDing as nonbinary, then I met my boyfriend-now fiancé, and last spring I came out as trans masculine, amidst much inner turmoil. So why is this relevant to you? As someone who is pansexual, aka attracted to all genders/attracted regardless of gender, I cannot deny how compelling you are, the way it feeling as if you aren’t talking to me, or even to my body per say, but like you found some sort of direct line to a part of me that is so deep and anchored within me that the instant I hear your voice, I relax and I know exactly what is about to happen. That said, it became increasingly more difficult to listen to your content as I started to notice how being addressed as female and using she/her pronouns etc made me uncomfortable in day to day, but also in a sexual context. Now I obviously do not expect you to chance what you’re doing, if I’m no longer the target demographic. I totally accept that. But to be honest? Those moments listening to your podcast way back when were really important in me figuring out who I really am. Also, that I am an absolute people pleaser in the bedroom, that I am waaaaay kinkier than I ever would have dreamed, and also that I have a Daddy kink that goes both ways depending on who I’m with ;). I try to channel your charisma and charm when I’m dominating someone, and I’ve only had the best results.

I guess all of this is just to say, thank you. Thank you from the bottom of my......heart (and clit, lets be real) for being so incredible, so sexy, and so genuine!! I still go back and listen sometimes because I’m still hooked like everyone else, and because you are truly so daaaamn good at what you do. If you were ever open to writing/potentially commissioning a piece or two with no gendered language, (can’t promise I’ll be able to afford it tho so I won’t promise you money that I don’t have, and I support artists w/o expecting free shit), I’d be back in a heartbeat <3. That said, I truly hope that you are doing well and that this doesn’t come off as creepy! You aren’t into dudes (far as I know), and I respect that and wouldn’t want you to be attracted to me if that were the case (bcuz thatd be transphobic), so I will leave it there and I hope you have a wonderful weekend Daddy!!

PS- depending on how you respond to this, I may still submit some really hot pics i took yesterday (my ass and tits won’t quit despite me being a dude, lmao). 🥰😘💖

The question comes up from time to time, ‘why erotica for women?’ And it is especially poignant when mixed in with ‘but you are so good at not describing things like skin tone’ and ‘but you seem so open...’

So while I dearly hope you can continue to be a fan, all people who identify as non-binary or they/them or genderless or whatever manifestations of personality become commonplace--I have to make art for me.

Usually I’m pretty good at being on the dot with this. In 2020, you’ve seen the strain, and in periods where I’m just not feeling myself, I take time off.

The recurring them however is--I have to feel like me to make things. Without trying to be arrogant, let’s face it. I’m smart, and if I wanted to be, I could be a really canny liar. I could come up with good and convincing lies to present about how I feel or why.

I made a choice at the very beginning of this to not do that. To be more real than not.

Without getting into too many details, this has meant not seeing a number of clients who would happily see me again, not going after business relationships with people who misrepresent themselves, not phoning it in on pieces I make for easy money.

This is a long way of saying, I’m me. I choose to be me, in a way I fear many people choose not to be true to themselves in their day to day lives.

I want you to like my work, I want you to keep me as a fan, I want to turn you on.

Here’s a list of other things people said I must do to keep them as a fan:

- Make Male on Male audios, or else I’ll tell everyone you’re....

- Make porn where the woman Doms you, or else...

- Say you’ll do anything for money. If you don’t I’ll....

- Say you enjoy blood/scat/urine/rape, because if you don’t you’re not...

- If you don’t make me cry by abusing me, are you really a Dom?

- Take that opinion back, if you don’t, I’ll stop being a patron and I’ll...

- Say BLM or I’ll.... (On this one I relented, I still regret it, being made to even if I agreed with the sentiment).

I hope you see my point. Every day in my inbox is another person telling me what I must be to be right, while at the same time also telling me that they are only reaching out because I reach them.

I wish you nothing but happiness, but no, this is erotica for women, because I am a man who is sexually attracted to women. And that, in erotica, is exceedingly rare. It is very, very rare. Because if you haven’t noticed? Most men who do what I do, are not only worse at it, but also will say anything to anyone for a little more attention (money).

I’m a man who’s attracted to women.

I have made no mistake in it, and I am not required to pretend to be anything else.

[werevulvi]

These pics are just to show my dented ribs, cause like... suffer with me? Also cause I feel strangely alright with what my chest looks like in these pics. But anyhow. On left pic I'm pointing at the centre where it goes in and then pops out again on both sides of the sternum/breastbone. And yes, that's my bone bending like that, not just fat or muscles. Likely from having pushed my breasts towards the centre in binders and sports bras. On the right pic I'm pointing at the big dent on the lower left side of my ribcage, which is right where the sports bra elastic goes. My lowest ribs then curve out much farther than they do on the other side. Putting pressure on either of those dented areas hurts a bit.

(The bump above my nipple on the right pic is literally just my pec muscle, so no need to worry about that one.) And yes I'm sucking in my stomach here only so that you can see my ribs better, I don’t normally do for photos. I've sure gotten hairy again since I stopped shaving my body, and I like the soft fluff! It’s dark brown, almost black, irl. Which is quite a contrast to my ivory skin. And yes my happy trail does connect with my chest hair, which almost connects with my beard but not quite. Those little tufts just above the scars on my chest are my actual nipple hairs, or used to be before the nips were relocated during top surgery. They're weirdly misplaced little hairs now, but that's why they're there. And yeah, 5 years post-op but the scars never became white. But let's get onto the topic. I've come across a new doubt about my wish to have breast reconstruction, which I'm already looking into and not brushing under any carpets. I do want to make as sure as I possibly can that I make the right decision about my chest this time, so I'm tackling every doubt I get about it. And that new doubts keep popping up from time to time, worries me too. Even though I sorted through all the previous ones. So what's it this time? Since I've started going flat in public a couple weeks ago or something (I think the last time I went out with boobs on was June 6th or around that date) I've noticed I seem to be less likely to be assumed to be a trans woman, and instead seen as just a gnc man. And strangely that actually feels better, mentally. It's still very far from ideal, but I feel it's the slightly better of the two evils.

What would be ideal? In a perfect (and highly unrealistic) world: I'd love it if people would just know I'm a female who's taken testosterone and/or see I'm a masculinised woman even if they can't figure out, or know, how. And without me having to change my body at all. But that is not how reality works and I know that people won't perceive me that way just because I want for them to.

So, without changing my body again I'm basically stuck having to choose between being perceived as either a "cis" man or a trans woman, depending on my presentation and style. (Cause apparently we are assuming "gender identity" and not just bio sex, these days.) Of course I don't have 100% control over which one of those I'll be read as, but I've come to notice that people do seem to be much more likely to "trans me" when I'm wearing my breast forms cause that is adding a female (not just feminine) trait to my otherwise male appearance... and they seem to be much more likely to think I'm simply a man (albeit gnc) when I go flat but still keep a feminine style. However, some still read me as a gnc man with boobs and some still read me as a trans woman without them.

Exactly why I seem to prefer being read as a whole ass man rather than as a trans woman, is complicated and not entirely nice, but basically this: Both trans women and "cis" men are bio male, and it's the assumption that I'm bio male that rubs me backwards, at the core of it.

However, being assumed to be a trans woman adds another layer to it. It makes me feel like people shove the gender ideology down my throat that is hard to wiggle myself out of, and it makes me feel like I'm perceived as a "fake" woman and a "fake" lesbian. A fraud, to be brutally honest. Whereas when I'm assumed to be simply a gnc man, the gender ideology is not being shoved down my throat, people don't comment on my assumed genitals, etc. But above all I'm more likely to be treated with respect, which feels hugely relieving.

But mostly what truly whacks my mind about being assumed to be MtF is that it makes me feel like I'm an imposter of an imposter. Double wrong. While when seen as a man, I merely feel like I'm simply an imposter. Plain wrong. And that, is exactly why I feel like "gnc man" is a better wrongful assumption than "trans woman" is. Cause two wrongs really don't make a right.

But regardlessly, I am not and will never be an actual man. I am an imposter, a male impersonator of modern times. But at the same time I believe I'm more authentic like this than I would be if I tried to force myself into acquiring a stereotypical "womanly" appearance. That would be a charade just as much, if not more. That was a long ramble about how I'm perceived again, but it's highly relevant to my doubt about getting breast reconstruction, just hear me out. Cause that, what I'm read as based on what's going on on my chest, was was made the doubt creep out from its shadows, just a few days ago. It has gotten me suddenly worrying I might not like it how I'd be perceived if I have permanent boobs on my chest that I wouldn't be able to hide. Cause no more binding, ever. I've fucked my ribs over enough for a lifetime. And of course, how fucking moot and dumb it would be to bind after breast reconstruction! The thing, however, is that if I actually prefer to be seen as a gnc man over being seen as a trans woman, and boobs being the tipping point between those two perceptions... that creates a thorn in my side, a doubt, a conflict even, about if breast reconstruction really is the right choice for me then.

Ever since I left my boobs at home those weeks ago, people have left me alone about my gender/sex. Out of all the 5 or 6 strangers that have come up and talked to me since then, zero have confronted me about my gender, sex or even my style. It is a relief to just be left alone about my body like that.

I'm also feeling slightly (possibly even increasingly) okay with my chest as it is. I do still regret my top surgery and I still miss having boobs, and it's definitely possible that I'm just disassociating from my chest being flat now, but... Yesterday I was even walking around in my neighbourhood wearing literally just a skirt, fem slippers, my lesbian necklace, red lipstick, and an open, flimsy tunic/cardigan. The wind grabbing it quite a lot means most of my chest showed, including nipples, and my neighbours could see it as I walked back and forth to the laundry house to clean my dirty clothes.

Is it weird? Well, I highly doubt I'd be reported for indecent exposure cause I'm at least 99% sure everyone in my neighbourhood thinks I'm male. Cause they certainly looked shocked at me when I first started going fem in my early detransition a year ago. I've only lived in this area since mid-transition, so no one here knows my history with that. Basically I can't imagine my neighbours think I'm somehow bio female, without slipping into the territory of wishful thinking. But it has gotten me thinking: when I don't shave anywhere, and don't wear boobs, knowing I can only pass as male that way... am I not technically "presenting male" then, despite being female and also so feminine in my style? I mean, up until the point I introduce myself as "Laura" that is. Also, last night I took a shower, and for the first time in... I dunno how many years, if ever... I actually enjoyed soaping and touching my chest in gentle, massaging and caressing ways. For but a glimpse of a moment, I could connect to it for probably the first time since top surgery, or ever, in a non-sexual way. It is indeed a breakthrough. It is also a hint of its possible true potential. That I could maybe at some point come to peace with it. Why do I feel so bad for regretting my transition? Cause even though I achieved a 100% passability, here I am, still dysphoric and miserable, missing the womanhood I traded away. Oh, what a fool I was. This irrevokable fate that seems like an impossible dream for the dysphoric, and I'm just pissing on it. I'm sorry, but I cannot appreciate having been transformed into a highly believable illusion of something I can never actually become and no longer want to be. I never thought it could hurt. I never knew it could hurt like this. Was I sold a lie? But back to my chest. I know getting new tits won't make me any more or less female, and it wouldn't make me pass as female either. What I'd want them for is personal comfort in the private, in both non-sexual and in sexual contexts, and vaguely also cause it would help me relate better and more positively to other women. I'm jealous of every pair of boobs I ever see, clothed or uncovered, and that hurts. But what makes me now hesitate, perhaps for real, is this new, gnawing inkling of a feeling that what if I'd miss having a flat chest? Sometimes I like the look of it, in the sense that it kinda goes with my otherwise male appearance and who doesn't/wouldn't like the feeling of a soothing breeze on their bare chest during a hot summer day? Cause it sure does feel good. Oh god, I wish I could just have the cake and eat it at the same time!

It's been 5 years since I had my top surgery, but did I ever truly try to make amends with it, before my detransition? No, I didn't. What I did was trying to force myself to like the result of it, and that's not a successful approach. Just like I didn't exactly manage to like being a woman when I during my teens tried to force myself to become fine with my female body after I had figured out I was likely a trans guy at age 15, and up until the point I said "fuck it" and began my social (and eventually medical) transition at age 19. During those 4 years my dysphoria only worsened, and I think my rabid attempt to force myself to like being female was part of why it only got worse. Forcing self-love is not the way to achieve it. It won't work. Just like you can't beat depression out of yourself, or any other issue, you can't beat dysphoria out of yourself either. That kind of force is actually more likely to make it worse instead, I believe. Cause it'll just strengthen your belief that it won't work. However, to gently and with compassion for yourself and your struggle try out different things, over a longer time and with lots of patience, to slowly accept and come to terms with it can lead to the dysphoria disappearing. To not punish yourself for still being dysphoric or for not "succeeding", but rather reward yourself for even just trying and for every little thing that may improve on the way. At least that's how I managed to accept and embrace being female in my late 20's despite having failed so miserably at it during my teens, because this time I didn't force it. I killed that dysphoria with kindness, quite literally.

Likewise, I think there is a chance I could come to accept and embrace my flat chest if I just stopped forcing myself to, and tried it with gentle self-care and curiosity, without pressure to achieve anything. If only I just want to and can be prepared to give myself that kind of care and patience, one more fucking time. Cause I've only got one body and I'm so fucking painfully aware of it now. I can't fuck it up again. Detransitioning requires so much more soul-searching and scrambling around in my brain for answers, self-care and patience, etc, than transitioning ever did. Well... that's why I ended up detransitioning, I think. Cause I didn't do a good job at truly looking into myself the first time around. Would I still have wanted to go on T if I had known everything I know now, though? Oh absolutely, but that's not the topic of today.

But whether I'll in the long run wanna live as a male-presenting woman incognito or later on down the road change my body in some way, I can't know for sure at this point. Perhaps I'm just not mentally ready yet to take that kind of leap. Or perhaps I don't ever want to present fully female again and may end up loving this look and contradiction as I grow more secure within myself and more confident. But either which way, I will have to follow this new doubt carefully and see where it takes me. Keep going flat for a while and see how it goes, and see if how I'm perceived really changes based on that and if that really feels better in the long run to be perceived as a man. To take advantage of this very hot summer to be shirtless also in public to test my comfort level with that, and if I'd miss that. To explore my flatness gently and with careful patience to see if it really is so bad. To ask my brain: what is this lingering doubt trying to tell me? I'll start with giving it this summer, then more time if needed. I'll still go to the surgery consultation that could happen anytime now. It's not like I'd have to get the surgery by just going to that consultation, cause I'll need to go through my trauma therapy first, and even if it's expected I'd go through with surgery after consultation, I can always cancel at any point. Also, being informed of what a surgeon can do for me and my specific chest, as well as getting my questions about the surgery answered, would surely be helpful in my decision-making as well. I mean, that's what surgery consultations are for. Because I still lean towards wanting it more than I lean towards maybe not wanting it, I think cautiously proceeding with my thumb close to the cancel button is not a bad idea.

[smoothshift]

Where the hell is the Dodge Dakota? via /r/cars

Where the hell is the Dodge Dakota?

I seriously don’t get it.

Midsize trucks are soooooooo hot right now. Ram? F150? Pffft, who cares.

Ford is dropping the new ranger this year, and Chevy is pushing more interesting versions of their Colorado. The Tacoma is in such great demand that people are paying 8-15,000 for 10+ year old Toyota Tacomas! Why are they relevant? . The S10/Ranger are both too small to do any moderate towing, and their interiors are fairly cramped as well. The Dakota fills a slot in between compact trucks and fullsize, and the only comparable vehicle is the Tacoma.

I love Tacomas, but the Tacoma tax is ri-god-damn-diculous. I’m not paying 10 grand for a 200k miles Toyota, and every time you go look at one and ask about maintenance, people shrug and say “it’s a Toyota, it doesn’t need any!”. Sorry brosephs, shocks, bushings, and seals don’t last 200k without needing to be replaced.

WHERE THE HELL IS THE NEW DODGE DAKOTA?!

Seriously, if anyone at Chrysler is reading this, you guys are missing out.

A brief history of what made the Dak a bit different than other trucks, and why the model ultimately failed:

1st Gen Dakota: 1987-1996

Here's a pic of mine, love this thing!

This truck was GREAT and by all accounts a huge success for Chrysler, they sold ~1 million of these trucks!!! It was not a full size truck, it wasn’t gigantic, but it wasn’t penalty-box small like the Ranger or S10, either. The bed length on these models was 6 or 8’! It had 4, 6, and 8 cylinder powerplants, it was nicely put together, towed more than its competitors, and it tended to be extremely reliable. It’s pretty common to see them for sale with well over 200k. In terms of major issues, it’s common for the fuel gauge to quit working, and due to depreciation, it seems like a lot of people would not do basic maintenance/change the transmission fluid, so there seems to be a perception that these things have glass transmissions. They're wrong. It’s literally a Chrysler 727 with an overdrive, the same transmission Chrysler used in the 60s/70s on musclecars. If you're reading this and you have an automatic, change your fluid every 60-70k. Just drain and fill it. It's not hard to do and takes maybe 5 extra minutes. If you want to get fancy change the trans filter as well.

Also worth noting, they made Dakota CONVERTIBLES, and they made SHELBY versions. way cool!

2nd Gen Dakotas: 1997-2004

Dak R/T

Dakota 4x4

This was another huge success for Chrysler! Fantastic styling that still looks pretty good today, and even more options than the previous gen. You could get standard cab, extended cabs, and club cabs. In terms of powerplants, they offered the same magnum V6s and V8s as the first gen, but also had a 5.9 liter available in the Dakota R/T, a street oriented performance truck. While offering great performance and great looks, this generation suffered because it just wasn’t built well. I’ve been searching for a CLEAN extended cab model in viper blue for over 2 years without success; they’re all rusting into a million pieces. It’s common to see these with HUGE GAPING HOLES of rust in the fenders, box, bumpers, just everywhere. I’m not sure what happened as the previous generation trucks hold up a lot better. The interior also took a hit; instead of quality materials like the 1st gen, it moved to more of a fischer price plastic everywhere approach, similar to a dodge neon. However, the truck was still a huge success, and sold over 1 million of these as well!

3rd Gen: 2005-2011

WTF happened....

These are fucking horrible looking. I’m not sure what happened. The 1st gen was a cleanly styled boxy truck, the 2nd gen went with dramatic but attractive curves and a performance oriented look, but this 3rd gen? I just don’t get it. It is quite possibly the derpiest looking front end ever put on a truck. The headlights wrapped up and over the fenders, giving it a ‘surprised’ look that just looks like utter garbage. Whoever designed this truck, or approved this design, should really gouge their own eyeballs out with a spork. This isn’t just subjective opinion, as sales fell DRAMATICALLY until the entire model line was ultimately cancelled, as you can see in this sales chart.

In summary, the Dakota was always a bit bigger than it’s GM/Ford competitors, but filled a niche spot in between compact and fullsize trucks. Ignoring the godawful 3rd generation, this model was by all accounts very successful and sold over 2 million copies. Where is it? I don’t want a fucking ram with an armrest bigger than NYC apartments. I want a midsize truck, and right now I’m either going to pay the Taco tax for something 10+ years old, or keep rocking my 1st gen until it dies. With smaller/mid size trucks being soooooo hot right now, Dodge would be pretty stupid to not offer something in this class.