Townese is a small, trusted community for neighbors to share and discover real events on Mercer Island.
To keep it useful, safe, and welcoming, we ask everyone to follow a few simple guidelines.
Townese is built on real identity and real community.
No pseudonyms, impersonation, or fake identities.
Post events that are:
If your event changes or is cancelled, update it. Neighbors are counting on it.
No fake events, no spam, no misleading listings.
Townese is a neighbor-to-neighbor space.
Do not post or promote:
Disagreement is fine. Harmful behavior is not.
Townese is a good place to learn that the council is meeting, that there's a forum on the housing plan, or that the library is hosting a ballot information session. Civic life is community life.
It is not a place for advocacy actions. Please don't post:
This applies to every cause equally. We don't make exceptions based on the position being taken, and we don't weigh the merits of one.
Part of the reason is practical. Everyone here uses their real name and a verified address, and RSVPs are visible to neighbors. A public attendance list for a contentious cause puts people at risk in a way we aren't willing to create.
Candidate forums are welcome when a nonpartisan organization is hosting and every candidate for the office has been invited.
Faith and cultural events are always welcome— a synagogue's holiday gathering, a mosque open house, a church concert, a cultural festival. We judge an event by what it is, never by who is hosting it.
Townese is not a marketplace or an advertising platform.
The test is simple: post things people can show up to, not things people can buy. A shop hosting a public workshop is an event. A post about a sale is not.
Verified institutional accounts — the city, the library, the Chamber, senior living communities, neighborhood associations — may post their own programming.
Please avoid repetitive postings, or using an event listing purely as marketing.
Don't collect or share personal information about other neighbors — including photos, addresses, or contact information — without their permission.
Let people choose what they share.
If something looks wrong — a suspicious listing, a misleading event, a person who isn't who they say they are — you can flag it.
Flags come privately to us. There's no public pile-on, and the person who posted won't see who flagged it. We review every flag.
We may remove content or suspend accounts that violate these guidelines or harm community trust.
We try to be fair and consistent, and to focus on keeping Townese a safe and reliable space for everyone.
If you think we got something wrong, email us. A person will read it.
Townese exists to bring neighbors together in real life and strengthen the ties in our community.
Events don't have to be for everyone, but they should be open in spirit — not designed to exclude, mock, or target any group.
If you're unsure whether something belongs here, ask yourself:
“Would I feel comfortable if my neighbors saw this?”
If not, it probably doesn't belong.
These guidelines work alongside our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
Last updated: July 26, 2026