The Etsy community is a comfortable place for many, like a cushy Barcalounger in the warm and cosy living room of a dear friend's home. We feel bonded to our fellow Etsians — and this is, by no means, anything less than fantastic. Many of the purely-social connections form in the Etc. section of the Forums.

Oh, Etc.! How we adore you, oft-hilarious closet of Etsy skeletons! We laugh, we cry, we fight over your many incredible posts.

But do we really love all of those skeletons? Those ever-lingering, Google-able threads about spats with lovers, rants about in-laws or roommates, tales of financial woe and topics of TMI? (Oh, you know – Too Much Information. ::wink, wink::)

It's important to remember that Etsy's Forums are open to the public and indexed by major search engines. Everything you post in the Forums is connected to your identity on Etsy — and if you're a seller, that means your business may be affected by what you say there. (We even note this in the D&D because it's so important!) Buyers, sellers and causal passers-by all can, and do, read the Forums. It's as if someone compiled a record of all the back-room antics at a brick and mortar store and posted them in the town newspaper.

Not only do your words reflect upon you and your shop, but also on the entire Etsy community and marketplace. We're a passionate bunch here, and we often wear our hearts on our sleeves. It seems constructive for creative minds and building sincere community, but sometimes it just might not be good business sense.

Next time you have the urge to start a thread complaining about your best-friend's dog, think about how your friend might feel if they found it while doing a Google search for your Etsy shop. Before you tell all the juicy details of your latest romantic escapade, consider that your significant other's net-savvy granny might find that hot bit of prose. And most of all, remember that everyone in our community has a different threshold of what is proper for discussion in mixed company and try to be respectful of those differences. Some topics might be better suited for a personal blog, Convo to a trusted friend or written in your private diary, instead of broadcast on the Internet along side your Etsy shop. 

In the Forum Decorum series, Lauren (stellaloella) and RobWhite of the Community team explain some of the finer points of cultural etiquette in Etsy's community spaces. When something is an official site rule, we'll be sure to link you up to the DOs and DON'Ts or Terms of Use. Simply consider these as tips for avoiding a forum faux pas.