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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?
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.
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.
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
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.
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 . . . :)
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.
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.Quote:
Originally Posted by fidgiegirl
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).
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.