The new Etipedia on Emilypost.com answers all your etiquette questions. Credit: The Emily Post Institute
Since 1922, polite party-goers have been relying on "Emily Post's Etiquette" to answer their most pressing questions about how to behave. But now the Emily Post Institute has introduced a new way to search its annals of manners, beyond the big blue book. The institute revamped its website and developed the "Etipedia," a search function that acts as an incredibly thorough encyclopedia of etiquette.
Daniel Post Senning, the institute's Webmaster, spokesperson and great-great-grandson of Emily Post herself, focused on improving the readers' experience when looking for etiquette guidance. The Etipedia brings together advice from all Emily Post sources, from the revered blue tome to podcasts, so that readers will have the fullest possible results from any given search. This database became the cornerstone of the website's new design.
"For us, it was a leap of faith," Senning told Holidash. "[We've] been in print for almost 90 years... to make this move into the digital realm represents a real generational shift as a company. Already, the response has been incredible."
One aspect of the Etipedia recalls the traditional etiquette book: Its categorization tabs. These categories, such as Everyday Manners and Getting the Job, correspond to the terms used in the main "Emily Post's Etiquette" guide.
You can also search the Etipedia using keywords or phrases, just as you would with Google.
It's a mutually beneficial arrangement, explained Senning, since these searches indicate particular topics of interest so that the Emily Post Institute can respond quickly. For instance, the institute's staff noticed that there was a surge of interest in wedding rehearsal dinners. Within a week, they put together a fresh article on rehearsal dinner etiquette.
The social media section of the site has also taken off, with a popular daily Q&A blog and a Twitter account. Senning considers this an ideal place to study etiquette as new technologies change the playing field. "It's great to watch the nature of that discussion between our readers, he enthused. "It's now a three-way dialogue, not just between us and our readers."
The community of readers has been clearly chiming in. Senning raved about a commenter named Karen P. Stout, a.k.a. Graceandhonor. Her input was so valuable that she won a following among fellow readers and was then invited to write articles for the site under an official byline.
"She started when she was laid up with a broken foot and spent her time posting responses on the Q&A blog daily," revealed Senning. "She's one of my models of how this medium can bring people together."
A new flash of humor lightens the new site as well. In a series of promotions for training seminars, images show people behaving sloppily or rudely, such as a child slurping spaghetti. "We've never highlighted bad behavior before," laughed Senning. "We've always presented what's correct... but here are these extreme examples to illustrate the types of things that we deal with. It's tricky to show humor and etiquette."
Does this mean that Emily Post is -- gasp -- loosening up?
Not really. Senning reminds us, "Manners change with time and place but the principles stay the same." So sit up straight and use your napkin, please.
