Comments on: Pinterest Etiquette

By: Katie

Katie — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 21:22:58 +0000

Right, I 100% agree that unproductive bashing is, well, unproductive – and I wish it didn’t happen! And harsh may have been the wrong word for me to use since harsh criticism, when substantive, can be the most useful. I guess what I’m saying is that I think useless comments are inevitable online, but since they are not well thought out and have little to offer, I wouldn’t give them the time of day! Thanks for your thoughts, lots of good things to think about here

By: killer b.

killer b. — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 20:53:04 +0000

Very true! I’ve noticed all too often that when I post a pin on my blog, people skip the 1 simple step of clicking on that pin so they can repin it properly on Pinterest. Often, they just pin my post of the pin, so it looks like it comes from my site! This really bugs me, because 1) that’s not my photo, so I don’t want it credited to me and 2) I would not want that to happen to me, so I hate it when it happens to someone else. I’ve decided that from now on I’m going to put a disclaimer beneath every pin I post, saying something like “Please DO NOT pin this image from my website. It is not mine. Please click on the image and repin it from Pinterest, using the proper source.”

And as far as the harsh feedback, it’s not so much that I don’t think people (including me) can’t “handle” it, it’s that I don’t think it’s productive. Saying, “That crap is fugly!” doesn’t help anyone. Something like, “I don’t think those colors mesh well together” or “I feel decorating with animal products is offensive.” gets the point across more effectively. That’s ultimately what I’m trying to say in this post. You can even be harsh and honest about it if you want to (objective you here, not you personally), just be descriptive as to the hows and whys you don’t like it! That’s what I’m asking for.

By: Katie

Katie — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 19:55:11 +0000

Killer B, thank you for your post and for opening up this discussion. I think that one of the most compelling points of your post is the issue of protecting the content creator’s intellectual property and crediting the source. Not only is it more useful for Pinterest users to be able to easily get to the source of the idea, but more importantly, since ideas spread so quickly online, the creator could lose their claim as the source almost instantly if he/she is not proactive.

My disagreement with your post has to do with the issue of criticism. I agree with Nicole that comments are often not meant as a criticism of the source but as a commentary about what is/is not relevant to the re-pinner. I am definitely not a fan of useless bashing (nobody wants to waste their time reading that!) but the reality of the internet is that anonymity can compel people to say things they wouldn’t say to someone’s face; people who publish their work online should not be surprised when this happens. And again, my guess is that it is typically not meant as a personal attack on the content creator. Essentially what I’m saying is that bloggers, pinners, artists, actors, singers – anyone who creates something and shares it with the world – should expect a whole spectrum of responses. If people are not prepared to take the harsh feedback with the good, they can choose to not share…

By: killer b.

killer b. — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 20:35:11 +0000

Ahhhhhh, got it! My original point was for small-time bloggers’ projects, but this is also really valid. Criticism in itself isn’t bad, in fact, it’s really helpful. It’s the pointless stuff, like “Ugh, that blanket is FUG! Love the dresser tho” that I just don’t get. But, to each his own. It’s a public forum, and you are definitely allowed to express your opinion. Art is subjective. Someone is bound to love a project while another can violently hate it!

Thanks for the different point of view. I love comments like this that make me rethink my original position!

By: Nicole

Nicole — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 22:36:17 +0000

My point was rather the individual design/project type of pins vice the pins of commercially produced things that people just happen to pin on their boards. I totally understand if you make a living or have some vested interest off your pin controlling to some degree what is said. What I take issue with is people feeling they can have a say how/what people repin of theirs if it is a commercially made item (e.g. a dress from J.Crew, some shoes from Louboutian, etc). It IS an open pinboard after all. If you can’t handle people repinning with their own take on an item, perhaps pinterest isn’t for you until they allow boards to be private (I use “you” generally, not the blog author!).

By: killer b.

killer b. — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 20:25:25 +0000

Well, also keep in mind that the webmaster can see what you’ve pinned from their site. If you have a site you enjoy, say Ana-White.com, you can do http://www.pinterest.com/source/ana-white.com and see everything pinned from that website. Also, you can see traffic coming in, and see what pins are directing people to your site. So, the captions are easily seen by the people doing the projects, if that makes sense. People work hard to create that content, and take the time to put it out there to help others and inspire. I think it’s good to be honest, yet still respectful. You know?

By: Nicole

Nicole — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 17:50:30 +0000

I agree with Steph, but would like to say that there is a difference between commenting on someone’s pin and repinning with your own caption. When commenting on someone’s pin, I believe you should keep in mind that you are speaking directly to that person and all of their followers. When repinning on your own board, I think one can be more liberal and honest with the caption on your own curated boards. That in mind, I try and be very cautious when commenting/captioning on someone else’s original work/design vice a commercially mass produced product.

By: killer b.

killer b. — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 20:25:16 +0000

I get where you’re coming from, and that’s basically what I’m trying to say. There are ways to phrase things considerately, so you’re not being rude. One good example I saw recently was for a concrete floor. The comment was “Love the stain, but I would dial down the sheen in my house.” It wasn’t “The color is nice, but it’s so shiny my eyes burn!” You know? That’s not my best example, but it’s all I can come up with at the moment. Chatter and feedback is great, especially constructive criticism. If someone leaves a comment for how to minimize brush strokes when painting, I would love that! I just can’t stand it when people leave remarks like, “Ugh! Hate that comforter! But the table is cool.” What’s the point of that? Why can’t you just say the table is cool, since that’s why you’re pinning it anyway?

By: steph

steph — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 19:45:13 +0000

Honestly, I disagree. I like when people comment on things honestly, whether its on a blog or Pinterest. Although I’m sure there are some examples of true negativity – I want to know if someone tried a recipe and didn’t like it or if they did! I don’t want to see someone writing “terrible idea, what a doofus” of course – but I think casual chatter and feedback is a good thing and easier on Pinterest than commenting on a blog post which takes more effort.

By: killer b.

killer b. — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 21:33:10 +0000

Yikes! I was trying to take an “anonymous” Pin, from something older, but Pinterest wasn’t loading properly and I had to choose a newer one. I didn’t want to call anyone out specifically, which is why I cut out the username. I don’t want you to feel like you had to “out” yourself, I just used it as an example of how people don’t necessarily know that their comments can be seen.

I really, really appreciate this comment. If it makes any sense, I’m glad it’s from someone I “know” online, because it seems more honest and less careless. I think we’re all guilty of doing something like this at one time or another. And being a big enough person to admit that you were “wrong” speaks so highly of your character. I don’t think that everything has to be sugar-coated, I just think we should make more of an effort to be respectful of each other’s work. I know I’m going to make that a priority in my own life, and I’m so glad you’re doing it too!

I honestly hope I didn’t offend you. Again, I wasn’t trying to call one specific person out, I was trying to make the point that we all forget that our comments can be seen, and can get sloppy with what we say. Thank you again for letting me know, I really appreciate you as a reader!