Pinterest etiquette

[quidam]

This seemed like a good place to ask this, since some of you are on Pinterest.

I recently joined. I had been lurking for awhile, but they took away my lurking mode so I had to make an account. Since I had an account I figured why not save all of my favorites into one spot and have gone pin crazy.

My question is: Is it considered impolite to re-pin things if you are not going to follow the board/person you pinned it from? If you notice someone has pinned some of your stuff will you be offended if they do not follow you?

I ask because there are some people/boards I like to look at, but don't want all of the stuff showing up on the main feed that pops up. Mostly I want that to stay on a certain types of photographs that I find relaxing. I search for other things when I am in the mood.

Take dolls for example (since this is a doll forum!): I like searching for pictures of dolls, but feel weird pinning any because I don't want to follow any doll boards. It's not because I don't like those boards, it's just that I prefer nature type pictures on the main site. I don't want it cluttered with a stream of dolls. But at the same time, I do want to keep a board of my favorites so I can look at them without searching for them.

Does this make sense? Am I a bad Pinterest person if I don't want to follow a board that I re-pin pictures from?

[Trethowan]

Nah, it's not a big deal to pin but not follow. I don't think it should matter. I figure if folks don't want their material pinned and shared, then don't put it up in the first place. If they're worried about authorship then they can watermark it.

[quidam]

Okay, good.
I had always wondered, and then I ran into a random pin today that said something along the lines of it being rude to pin their stuff without following them.
I didn't want to be breaking some unwritten rule of etiquette!

[Trethowan]

They're probably just self-important whiney-heads.

[ShortNCuddlyAm]

What Trethowan said

I'm reasonably sure most of the people who've repinned my pins don't follow me.

Given how little I do pin, I'm surprised anyone repins my pins or follows any of my boards

[Trethowan]

However will you get validation in life? OMG!! Demand follows for pins or else!

[Aeilia]

Okay, good.
I had always wondered, and then I ran into a random pin today that said something along the lines of it being rude to pin their stuff without following them.
I didn't want to be breaking some unwritten rule of etiquette!

I pin lots of stuff from other people's boards, and don't follow them - - and they do the same. I've never before heard anyone call it rude. Obviously, you've experienced the exception - - expressed so aptly by Trethowan, "the self-important whiney-heads." Love that!

[Alopecia No Hime]

I don't think it's rude to NOT follow someone, just pin what you like.


I think the cardinal rule is one any decent person follows anyways: Don't be an asshole.

Long as your not one of those. o3o Pin away!


Just be wary of pinterest crafts... There's a website dedicated to the fails

[Astrawberryprincess]

I've never heard anyone consider that rude and I'm on pinterest far too much. Most of my repins come from searching categories or using the search box.