Pinterest – A Few First Impressions

I’ve just started playing around on Pinterest, so I have no conclusions about it yet… but I do have impressions. I think it’s important to capture these thoughts now.

For those who don’t know of Pinterest yet, it’s a virtual pinboard – you collect images (which link to their original sources) and “pin” them on boards. You can share your boards and browse others. It is currently invitation only.

To start, a big strike – I had to create my account by logging in either via Facebook or Twitter. Despite trying to find a way to simply set up an account without that, I couldn’t. There MIGHT be a way, but it wasn’t easily apparent. I do not like to be told to link networks, so this bothered me from the start.

On the plus side, Pinterest’s help had clear instructions on how to keep from sharing everything you do on Pinterest with Facebook. Yes, clear. In a sense, my accounts are now de-linked. This is good, as I don’t like being opted in on how I share.

I had fun browsing boards at first. I saw some great collections of funny stuff or themed by topic stuff or… well… stuff. I could see folks who are exceedingly visuals-based spending a lot of time looking here. But, that’s not me. So, I decided to play around and create my first board, instead.

I chose to create a board of children’s books on the Fibonacci sequence. Unfortunately for me, using Firefox on my Mac, the instructions on how to add a new board didn’t do anything. I mean… nothing. That was frustrating. So for a spell, I couldn’t start the board I wanted.

Pinterest has a bookmarklet that you install on your browser’s toolbar so you can easily grab images from websites and add them to your boards. When I installed it and tried to “pin” something, I was able to create a new board! Sweet. Later, when pinning something else, I could add it to my existing board or start a new one. Sweet again.

I found some sites, however, where I couldn’t add images using Pin It. I suspect this has to do with how the images are loaded on the host website, not the Pin It bookmarklet itself, but it was, again, frustrating.

Pinterest is still very new, and I’m sure bugs like the ones I’ve experienced will disappear. Let’s all pretend they will, and it won’t be technology that keeps any of us away. So, beyond technology…

As a writer, I love the idea of creating boards for my books. Not when the books are done, but in the creation process. I think having a place to catalog images that inspire me, help me describe my world or characters, remind me of subtext or context, or… well… anything to do with my book would be fantastic: fun and useful both.

For that reason alone, Pinterest is a keeper.

Poggendorff Illusion

I think, too, it’s great as a bookmarking service but for images. I could pin all my favorite cartoons or elephant photos or you name it. And really, this is where the visual aspect of Pinterest shines. After all, what’s better: a hyperlink that says “Poggendorff illusion” or this:

I’ll probably find different ways to use Pinterest over time, and I’m sure others will find fabulous ways to use it. So that’s good.

However, much as I like the community that’s formed there, this isn’t really how or what I tend share or build, nor have I yet discovered the fun, social aspects of it that would keep me coming back. If I had limitless time, I’d see myself here pinning boards together. As it stands, though, I don’t have that time.

So, for now, I’m not in the “addicted to Pinterest” group, though I’m glad I’m exploring. I’m curious to hear if you’re playing there and what you’ve discovered. And thanks for letting me share my “few” first impressions!