Pinterest - Do You Use It? [Archive]

Gingerella72

3-15-13, 12:47pm

What is the big deal over Pinterest? I'm not signed up and don't use it, but I understand that it's a way to organize and keep things you find online like photos or recipes....but isn't that what bookmarking a site is for? What's so hard about saving the link to whatever it is you want to save and putting it into your browser favorites?

Or is it more of a way to "express yourself" to others, a "look at me and all the cool things I have pinned" deal?

JaneV2.0

3-15-13, 12:57pm

It's all laid out visually--it would probably be a great screen-based focus tool. I haven't joined, but I enjoy browsing it.

Float On

3-15-13, 1:09pm

I certainly haven't done a thing I've pinned but I try to only go over there for a half hour once a week or so.

treehugger

3-15-13, 1:23pm

I only use it to pin (or bookmark, if you will) recipes that I find from multiple web sources; I don't browse at Pinterest itself. I have 2 folders: recipes to try, and recipes I've tried. I love the format and ease of pinning and finding the recipes I want when I am in the kitchen ready to cook, or at the store wanting to buy ingredients.

I prefer pinning recipes to standard (old fashioned! :)) bookmarking because bookmarks are browser dependent, but my pins are available to me wherever I want them (like I said, in the store, via my phone; or on my work lap top which I will sometimes bring into the kitchen to cook from; or on my husband's laptop which is connected to our home printer).

Sure there may be be people who use it as a "'look at me and all the cool things I have pinned' deal", but I don't care or even notice that since I just use it to organize recipes I want to try or have tried.

Kara

Maxamillion

3-15-13, 1:45pm

I LOVE Pinterest! I'm a very visual person, and love just looking through all the pictures. I've found some of the neatest ideas on there (more than I'll ever be able to use though, lol). For the most part, I use it instead of bookmarking now.

fidgiegirl

3-15-13, 2:15pm

I do use it, and really like it. I mainly like it for professional development, believe it or not! Twitter has been huge among educators but I never took a real liking to using it on a regular basis. It felt too code-like and cliquey. But Pinterest feels like a share-fest. I admit, I plan to overhaul my Pinterest into a work account and a personal account. Right now they are mixed up and that's fine and good, there's nothing I would be ashamed for people to see, but I tend to see all work-related online presence as a resume of sorts, and just as I wouldn't list "interested in frugality, simplicity, eating gluten free, liberal infographics, and dogs" on my resume, I don't want it mixing in with my work pins.

So long story short, I would *like* my Pinterest to be a work "look at me" account, and a personal "ooh that's shiny and I like it and who gives a crap what anyone else thinks about it or if they want to follow me or not" account.

Unlike FB or Twitter, I also find it to be highly enjoyable 99% of the time.

Ok super long but one last thing . . . the great thing about Pinterest is if you are wondering what the big deal is, then you can go on there and poke around without starting an account. See if it's something that interests you!

Have fun, pinners . . . :)

ctg492

3-15-13, 2:51pm

This was interesting as I wondered myself. I looked at it briefly and thought it seemed like a "look at my stuff". I guess I understand it for work.

JaneV2.0

3-15-13, 3:28pm

...

So long story short, I would *like* my Pinterest to be a work "look at me" account, and a personal "ooh that's shiny and I like it and who gives a crap what anyone else thinks about it or if they want to follow me or not" account.

Unlike FB or Twitter, I also find it to be highly enjoyable 99% of the time.

. . . :)

Bolding mine. Exactly my take on it. I don't see much "Look at meeee!" as I see "Look at the cool (fill in the blank) I found!" which can be enriching, though-provoking, inspiring, drool-worthy...I mostly look at arts or thrift-shop pages, but there's a lot of DIY information, recipes, and other useful tools. And pictures!, which I always appreciate.

jennipurrr

3-15-13, 4:15pm

I loathed Pinterest for a while before I actually created an account. It seemed like the realm of folks bragging about their ideas for over the top kid’s birthdays, crazy DIY projects that only super human people have time for, and pictures of pretend home design that isn't even close to how real people live.

A few months ago when we were considering putting an offer on an old fixer upper house with the possibility for a garage apartment I started an account and used it to organize all the ideas I had for the house. Then I made a recipe board. Then I made a hair board. I've tried some yummy recipes I stumbled on from friends and I did this really neat style with my hair that was actually very easy and turned out great. I decided I was going to have my Pinterest the way *I* wanted to and not pay attention to the other stuff.

When I set up my account I just auto-followed all my FB friends. Sometimes I still think WTF when I see nasty recipes or over the top consumerist stuff that comes through but I just scroll on. I've been pleasantly suprised at some of the random, interesting things that have come through my feed (or whatever you call it).

KayLR

3-15-13, 4:38pm

I got an account because I thought it was a great way to keep a visual "file" or "scrapbook" of projects I want to keep track of to do or make in the future. I really like it.

I'm not a heavy user, only pinning something maybe a couple 2, 3 times a month. I see it as taking place of clipping magazine articles or photos, sort of thing. I keep some recipes, crochet and sewing patterns or projects, and cub scout craft/achievement project ideas.

I don't care whether anyone follows me or looks at my pinboard at all. It's just for my own use as far as I'm concerned.

Gingerella72

3-15-13, 4:55pm

Interesting thoughts, thanks! I have gone over there to browse but it seems hard to navigate. There doesn't seem like there's any rhyme or reason to anything and it's all just a big jumble of different people's stuff that I have no interest in. Maybe it looks different if you have an actual account?

I do like the organizing idea (and I'm a visual person too) but a few people I know who 'pin' do so with the smugness of one trying to make a point. Like, "look how uber-crunchy-organic I am and all of the raw milk recipes I have pinned, I'm so much healthier than thou". And they have their pins connected to facebook so every time they pin I see it in my FB newsfeed. Drives me nuts.

fidgiegirl

3-15-13, 5:00pm

fidgiegirl

3-15-13, 5:03pm

Interesting thoughts, thanks! I have gone over there to browse but it seems hard to navigate. There doesn't seem like there's any rhyme or reason to anything and it's all just a big jumble of different people's stuff that I have no interest in. Maybe it looks different if you have an actual account?

Looks the same, but the content is different depending on who you are following or what you have searched. I used to search Pinterest before I created an account, and still do. Organization ideas for crochet hooks? Paths for gardens? Chicken recipes? Search that and get a bunch of ideas at a glance.

JaneV2.0

3-15-13, 5:07pm

...

I do like the organizing idea (and I'm a visual person too) but a few people I know who 'pin' do so with the smugness of one trying to make a point. Like, "look how uber-crunchy-organic I am and all of the raw milk recipes I have pinned, I'm so much healthier than thou". And they have their pins connected to facebook so every time they pin I see it in my FB newsfeed. Drives me nuts.

Well it's not like there isn't plenty of smugness to go around here on the Interwebs...It's tiresome, but inevitable.

jennipurrr

3-15-13, 5:12pm

I do like the organizing idea (and I'm a visual person too) but a few people I know who 'pin' do so with the smugness of one trying to make a point. Like, "look how uber-crunchy-organic I am and all of the raw milk recipes I have pinned, I'm so much healthier than thou".

Oh no, while I am judging people posting processed food recipes, maybe this is the critique people have about my pins, haha. Probably the best lesson is I need to concentrate on my own thing and quit the judgement. Seriously, the last pin I pinned was a granola bar recipie with this title - "I will never buy granola bars again!! No bake, Chewy Granola Bars (just like Quaker) without strange ingredients."

I pin stuff I *hope* to actually/make do one day. Not trying to one up anyone, just have a collection of stuff to go back to. I seriously am thinking about trying the granola bars bc DH eats them every day and usually buys the expensive ones at the store. Cheap/healthy is what I am going for in trying new things.

I do find the auto feed into FB quite annoying. I have mine turned off. If I want to see pins I can go right on over to Pinterest.

fidgiegirl

3-15-13, 5:38pm

Oh no, while I am judging people posting processed food recipes, maybe this is the critique people have about my pins, haha. Probably the best lesson is I need to concentrate on my own thing and quit the judgement. Seriously, the last pin I pinned was a granola bar recipie with this title - "I will never buy granola bars again!! No bake, Chewy Granola Bars (just like Quaker) without strange ingredients."

I pin stuff I *hope* to actually/make do one day. Not trying to one up anyone, just have a collection of stuff to go back to. I seriously am thinking about trying the granola bars bc DH eats them every day and usually buys the expensive ones at the store. Cheap/healthy is what I am going for in trying new things.

I do find the auto feed into FB quite annoying. I have mine turned off. If I want to see pins I can go right on over to Pinterest.

I did a bad once with the FB feed. My not-engaged-but-living-with-boyfriend niece had a board entitled "wedding" that was connected to her FB. I pointed that out. Comically, I thought, but publicly. Whoops, not one of my shining interactions in social media. But she quit having it publish to her FB . . . I honestly think she didn't realize.

Rosemary

3-15-13, 5:47pm

I use Pinterest to file crafts I probably will never get around to making and recipes I probably will never get around to cooking.

It's less time-intensive and clutter-producing of my former method of keeping these things, which was on paper.

I have made a few things I've found there. And I've found some good gardening tips. If you're searching for something design or color related, it's a lot quicker than google since the images come up with the text for your search.

Simplicity

3-15-13, 6:14pm

I confess to being a Pinterest addict. :help:

I was getting irritated that all I seemed to see were recipes for a while, but now I've been following so many gardening boards lately that all I see is gardening! LOL I really need to diversify I think!

I repin all of the things that I like or would like to try someday. It really is kind of a glorified bookmarking thing, but for some reason I use it extensively, whereas I rarely bookmark stuff.

JaneV2.0

3-15-13, 6:16pm

My bookmarks all seem to go into a black hole. I can never find the most effective ones in the crowd. Maybe Pinterest would serve me better.

Jilly

3-15-13, 7:55pm

I go there when I want to pretend, to myself, that I am doing something whilst not actually doing anything useful. True. Thanks for the reminder, going there now.

Maxamillion

3-15-13, 7:57pm

I've never thought of Pinterest as a "hey, look at me!" thing, since what people usually pin comes from other places on the web, not something they did themselves. But looking at my boards, now I'm wondering what someone would think--probably that I'm weird and they'd be right lol.

I've used Pinterest in helping control the clutter in my house--I love looking through pictures in cookbooks and craft books, but since I've gotten on Pinterest, it satisfies that particular urge and I've been able to get rid of several small bags of craft books and recipe books.

Mrs.B

3-26-13, 4:49pm

I love Pinterest. I use it for ideas, everything from recipes to amazing ideas for recycling products, crochet patterns, and of course the humorous tidbits. If your a compactor and your trying to rid yourself of a stash of material or yarn, this site can renew your creative juices. when you find like minded people, you "follow" them. I've tapped into some great blogs on everything from cooking vegan to gardening. If you visit the site, don't look at "Everything" go to the top and pick a category your interested in. Just like any other aspect of your life, you have to "sift" weed out what you don't want and take away the ideas you can use.