Pinterest: A Creative Social Network
In today’s society, it seems as though social networking is one of
the most extensively used and effective ways of communicating. It is globally utilized to connect people
from literally all over the world. As
many new social networks are created, it is interesting to come across a new
network that combines particular characteristics of the most successful social
networks, such as Facebook, Twitter, and Flickr, all into one. To combine such popular aspects of various
social networks is, simply put, brilliant.
How does Pinterest work?
Pinterest allows its users to create a virtual “pinboard” to which
one can post pictures and images found anywhere on the web. The network starts out a user with 5 basic
templates for boards. These boards serve
as layouts for images (pins) of favorite products, styles, books, accessories etc.
Pins are uploaded, but most importantly sited through a source-link that allows
images to be uploaded through a “Bookmarklet” and therefore linked back to the
site it is originally from (http://pinterest.com/about/help/). Like
Flickr, images can be uploaded from the web or computer, therefore making the
possibilities for pins endless. Some
examples of popular pinboards include:
·
planning for weddings
·
images of favorite shows, books or
movies
·
the building and creating of a project
·
redecorating a home
·
favorite foods and recipies
After a pinboard is created, users can find other friends and
people to follow on the network; an aspect is comparable to Twitter. Like Twitter, Pinterest has instant updates
to all followers, displaying all new pins and comments. By following another user on Pinterest, you
have full access to view and comment on other people’s pinboards and pins. Pinterest provides network users with a mini
profile that includes a picture, description, and bio. This is similar to Facebook not only for the
profile, but for the comments that allow others to share opinions and give
advice on different pin images. For
example, maybe someone pinned an image of a project that they created. A follower can then comment and possibly get
instructions or helpful tips on how to create a similar project. This aspect alone serves as a vital tool to
what we consider a social network, by allowing peers to seek or give advice and
opinions on different matters.
(http://www.examiner.com/networking-in-national/social-media-vs-social-networking-what-s-the-difference)
Why is it significant?
Pinterest seems like the perfect mix between popular social
networks Facebook, Twitter, and Flickr. This social network serves as a place to find
and track inspiration through others. It
is an imaginative tool that can be used to expand your creative horizons and
practice originality. Inspiration can be
drawn from things that people share, build, read, and create on a daily
basis. This “social bookmarking” serves
as a practical way to stay connected to others and most importantly share in
common interests (http://www.sortacrunchy.net/sortacrunchy/2011/05/pinterest-a-beginners-guide.html). Pinterest
can be downloaded as an app on iPhones and some android smart phones. By combining different aspects of the world’s
most popular social networks, Pinterest has the perfect ingredients for a
successful social network and certainly gives other social networks a run for
their money.
To see what Pinterest is for yourself, click here: http://pinterest.com/
17 comments:
Pinterest sounds really interesting. I will have to check it out. It seems that there are so many sites trying to get on the "Facebook Express" and trying to copy or imitate what is already out there. It is nice to see Pinterest trying to take all of the things we love about Facebook, Twitter, etc. and incorporate those things, while at the same time taking all of the things we dislike about Facebook, Twitter, etc. and getting rid of those. After the dust settles, the true winner in social networking will be the one who ultimately listens to the users.
I've seen pintrest my Girlfriend love that site.It is a little like facebook but they have to invite new users in. I think its about the same as facebook but thats just me.
Lisa - I think the sites like Pinterest have an advantage over Facebook in that they are almost exclusively user-generated content. Facebook has privacy policy issues and a community that is starting to rely more and more on the changes and updates that Facebook does to its interface. Pinterest, however, is beholden to its community because it thrives off the digital media that is posted. I think this gives users security and authority in this regard and will keep them coming back. What do you think?
mreitzel - I think its somewhat similar to Facebook but not really. Facebook is way more broad while Pinterest is more like Flickr in that digital media (pictures and stuff like that) dominates its content.
It's similar to Facebook due to the "like," "repin," and "comment" features, but its a more dynamic and creative environment than Facebook in many regards because art more than anything.
I've seen pinterest and It's definetly becoming more popular. Mostly with girls though. I feel pinterest has an advantage over facebook due to the user-generated content. The problem I see with pinterest is that guys will not take to much to it
Although I do not have a Pinterest account, It really intrigues me. I did not know that it basically was a mix of Facebook, Twitter, and Flicker. I like the fact that you can share photos that interest you or a creation of yours. I am going to have to check Pinterest out.
Andrew- You should definitely look into Pinterest to see how it works. I see where you are coming from in that possibly more girls would prefer this social networking site than men. As you can see, some of the most popular things found on Pinterest include ideas to draw inspiration from for arts, crafts, and even recipes. Seeing as the possibilities for Pinterest are limitless, I don't see why other men could not use this sight just as much as women do. As the social network develops over time, I do feel that more men will find different ways to make it useful.
Pinterest is definitely interesting, I started using it around the time this group presented. It gives surfing the web a new meaning almost. I'm wondering though if this is a way to gather data from it's subscribers. After the data mining presentation, this seems like a very public way of mining a database for data to use to cater more to customers.
Pinterest has become my new obsession. When I first registered there was not a way to connect through Facebook to sign in but I have to say, now that there is I am more likely to get on Pinterest. It is more convenient and easier to use when all the different social media sites are connected. I have also seen that if you have a Facebook and Twitter account you can tweet and have it shared on your Facebook. I am not really sure whats the difference between posting a status on Facebook and having your tweet shared on Facebook- but I guess if its not any extra work for the composer then it does not really matter where they express their ideas- especially because it can be seen from many different social media sites just by posting it once.
Julian - this is a distinct possibility, especially from a marketing perspective, because of the availability of information. I think that marketers may have a harder time determining just how to use Pinterest however to drive traffic to a particular business. If, however, they know that certain users who use Pinterest are visiting a website, then they may be able to tailor content directly to them, providing a more effective business platform to attract clients.
Michelle - I think exposure is the key to these kinds of websites. I mean, who just wants to be on one social network anymore? Our lives are become increasingly spread out over multiple networks. Perhaps this is good, perhaps it could cause problems...
Like everyone else I really love pinterest. I recently read an article that analyzes the terms of service to use it and found that everything users repost or "repin" they are claiming as their own. It is a serious situation so now I just stick to "liking" posts.
Link to the article: http://www.prdaily.com/Main/Articles/Pinterest_and_legal_issues_Read_this_before_you_pi_11048.aspx
This article was very interesting. It is safe to say that Pinterest is covered by their copyright policy and that most likely users ignore the fine print before they pin and re-pin images. In the sense that photographers want to share pictures to build business, but are fearful because images keep being re-pinned, could pose as a decline of business for the Pinterest site. Personally as a photographer, I would not want to risk my work being copied and pasted all over the internet without some form of recognition to my business and work. I am curious to see what the Pinterest site will do about this crisis.
Your article was very riveting. I began to create an account just to see what it was all about, but then I scrolled through the website and realized that it was mainly for the female gender, so I didn't complete the registration process. The whole fact that it is female based might turn off a lot of guys to the website, like myself. But I find the whole setup, and networking of the website very cool. The fact that it's content is mainly based off its' users uploading pictures will allow the website to be around forever since everything is user oriented.
I love pinterest. I think it is a good website to get awesome recipe, clothing, and craft ideas. I think it is an extremely useful tool for business. For example, a teacher can get ideas for school, a graphic designer can use it for design jobs, even event planners use it to get ideas. I think if you are using it solely for personal enjoyment it could get very gender specific, but if you are using pinterest for work, it could be extremely helpful give that you have a more creative job description.
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