Can We Talk About Pinterest?

I love Pinterest.

I've found great crafts, DIY projects, and recipes.  I could sit and search certain boards for HOURS.  I wish I could take a year off from life and just craft and read (I've said this before, I know).

However, having spent so much time on the site, I have a few issues.  Folks don't have Pinterest etiquette, and it drives me nuts when I'm trying to look things up or find a tutorial.

1. If you are posting something from a blog, link back to the exact post.  Maybe it was the first post when you pinned, but if this person's blog is well-kept (read: unlike mine), that post will be off the front page soon.  Take the time to click through to the post (click on the post title) and link THAT.  I went to a blog today for a baby gift idea, and found out that the baby she was expecting in the pin was now almost a year old!

2. Have clean, clear boards.  I have a catch-all board for the things that really aren't "Pinterest" items, but I want to save them anyway.  No one wants their dashboard cluttered with pins they don't care about, and the point of boards is follow them individually (and to be able to actually find things in your own board).

3. Don't post a random picture of food or a craft from Flickr* or another photo hosting site.  People on Pinterest want to be able to replicate the item, and without a tutorial, that's usually difficult.

3a. Don't post from Pinterest imitators.  The same effect occurs, and I see projects I have no instructions for.

3b. *However, if you are posting amazing photography from Flickr or another site, that's different.  That's a viable category.  (I'm talking to you, Sara).

4. Create some content!  Pin from blogs you like, which  helps give those people traffic.  Many craft, home, and DIY blogs are run by stay-at-home moms looking to make some money with a monetized blog.  Many of those ladies are Professional, with a capital P.  Gabrielle Blair, better known as Design Mom, co-founded the Alt Summit, a conference for professional bloggers, proves that the best bloggers are creating content, not just re-pinning it.  Promote these folks' hard work.  If you have a tutorial or the like on your blog, pin it!  We pin Jason's recipes all the time.  My mom actually started that, but it was a good thought.

5. Use the right words in your comments.  These are used in the search to help others find specific crafts and ideas.

Basically, be part of the Pinterest community in an active way.

What suggestions do you have?

- M.