I don’t have kids yet, but the way Pinterest is behaving makes me want to sit down with them and have this sort of chat that seems very much like a parent/child conversation on an ABC Afterschool Special.

“I know you had good intentions, but you’re hurting people.”

“I know everyone else is doing it, but it doesn’t make it OK.”

“You’re not living up to your potential.”

“You’re grounded.”

I’ve voiced my concerns here, and with friends and on comment boards across the web, that the “no pin” code doesn’t fix anything. It’s barely a Band Aid. The code does nothing to educate users as to why pinning should be a choice. It doesn’t explain what copyright means and why it should be respected. Sadly, it seems to further the chasm between those who want to choose what is pinnable and those who are annoyed with them for ruining their fun.

The code wasn’t the solution for various reasons. And here’s a new one I learned today.

The no pin code doesn’t make your work unpinnable. And I don’t just mean in a right-click and save or screenshot sense. I mean that you can pin from an image URL. Literally.

Even the code has a way around it’s own code.

I’m not a developer. These things are not in my area of expertise, but someone please explain to me how the code makers didn’t know that this was only a partial fix.

This is damage control that doesn’t stop the damage.

I respect those who want to use the code. I’m sorry to hear they aren’t being respected.

I can’t believe that the discussions continue as to why a website so questionable in its ethics is still unwilling to make a real statement about these issues. Issues that continue to grow larger. Why people talk about being “torn” as to whether they’ll keep using it but not changing the way they use it.

What is it that this so addictive that the idea of not being able to create virtual corkboards is on par with Sophie’s Choice?

I understand the perspective of the people who are making money and/or gaining traffic even if I don’t like the way the TOS works. But of the millions of users, they’re the minority. Most pinners are simply pinners, without any gain to be made by using the site other than to bookmark ideas they like. You know, kind of like what we can do with bookmarks.

So, if you’re using the no pin code, I suggest you add something to your site terms that clearly states that you do not want things pinned from your site. People can get around the code, but your words aren’t as easy to pretend aren’t there.

And your words matter just as much as your images. It all matters.

Pinterest, let’s talk.

P.S. I am continuing to try and make my boards an example of how Pinterest can still be “fun” and ethical. The two terms can coexist and often do. I am hoping to have it finished next week. Work and life have come first but bit by bit I’ve been working on it. I hope it will show that following the TOS you can still keep pinning. I’ll let you know when it’s done.