I've been doing some research on Pinterest and I'd really like to hear your thoughts. Regardless if you use Pinterest or not, I hope you'll leave a comment on this post, or email me, ro share your perspective on this topic.Please do not feel you need to answer each of these questions, but here are some things that I'm hoping to hear your thoughts on:
Do you use Pinterest?
- If you use Pinterest, what do you like/dislike about Pinterest?
- Do you like blogs to have Pinterest buttons on them to "pin" photos on a post?
- Who are your favorites to follow on Pinterest?
- Do you have good Pin Etiquitte?
- What are your favorite subjects on Pinterest? (e.g. quilting, cooking, gardening, etc.)How frequently do you look at Pinterest?
For those that use Pinterest, who do you follow? Do you typically follow a user on Pinterest, or just one of their boards? - ???
- Haven't heard of Pinterest?
- Don't understand what it is?
- Have concerns ?
- ????
Do you have concerns about Copyright issues with using Pinterest?
- What do you think about their Copyright policy in general?
Again, I hope you'll take time to post a comment to share your perspective on Pinterest. This will help me with my research.
88 comments:
Hi I use Pinterest but entirely selfishly...I keep pinboards and find things I have seen on blogs etc easily.... I haven't explored much else
Hugz
I ditched Pinterest with all the copyright "stuff" going on and it was the best thing I ever did! So much more time in the day now :o) Must admit I hated that you had to have a facebook account to sign up as I dont like facebook and didn't have an account (do now though but dont use it). I do like the concept of Pinterest but just not in its current form.
Hi I don't use Pinterest because of my concerns about copyright infringements and Pinterest TOU - whenever someone pins on Pinterest, they agree that Pinterest can use the images, re-publish, modify and do whatever they want with them, thus giving away 'rights' to pinned images - the owners of the images do not seem to have any say whatsoever.
I had a Pinterest account and then closed it with all the concerns about copyright etc, and what Cathy (Crafteecc) said. I liked the concept of being able to keep pictures, recipes etc all in one spot.
I use Pinterest but I don't really follow others and I use the pins simply as a bookmark system for later reference. If I pin from someone else's blog I try to track back to the original source for the pinning. I've never used a bloggers pinterest button, I just use the javascript one that Pinterest provides when you sign up.
I do repin occasionally, but seeing as I don't surf Pinterest that's pretty infrequent.
I've got a fairly wide range of things I watch from books I'm thinking about getting, to quilting, vintage style etc.
I have never really used Pinterest. I have looked a few times. As Cathy said, I don't think Pinterest is fair to the actual owners of the photos. I have made my blog "un-pinnable"
I avoid it like I avoid facebook & twitter - they are all just time wasters. I waste enough time reading blogs & looking at flickr without adding to it.
I use Pinterest and I love it! Do I sit on it all the time and waste the day away - no I can do that with all the blogs that are in my feeder. Do I use it to take someone's idea and totally make it my own - no! I use to follow certain friends or blogs. Pinterest to me is my "bookmark" for sites that have beautiful items, quotes, great food, gardening ideas, etc. My "favorites button" on my comptuer was starting to get so full from sites that I loved that this has cleared up that mess and makes it so much easier for me to go back to. People are so afraid of copyright issues that if someone wanted to take your idea and make it their own or just plain copy it they can without having to pin it. If you have sold your item, put it on a blog with a picture they have a copy of it and will do with it whatever they want. I also think Pinterest has changed their "Terms of Use" that everyone had gotten all worked up about. I work, have a family and also have joined some quilt alongs that copying other peoples work to sell would make me a superwoman and that I am not. So after this winded speech I love Pinterest to look at all the creativeness people have and their beautiful work. Have a great day!
I haven't used or looked at Pinterest but have recently downloaded the free programme 'Evernote' instead which I can pop links, pics, notes on and then access it from the different computers I use (any computer that has the programme on it). I think this will suit my needs better but have not long started with it so will see how it goes....
-to be honest, I don´t really know anything about Pinterest.
I already spend to much time in front of the computer, so I have decided just to blog, wich I really do enjoy! No Twitter, Facebook or Pinterest for me, I prefer to sew!
Liebe Grüße
Bente
I love pinterest. This way I don't have to have tons of bookmarks. Oh pics on the harddrive. I have deleted the 100+ quilt pins I had on there, and reverted back to saving pics on the hard drive instead. But now I won't know where they came from. I do still have all my boards of other stuff on there.
I can't say enough about Pinterest!!! I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it!!! With my brain, I'll see womething nice and save it in my "favorites" and forget where I put it...
Pinterest - I'm able to group pictures together the way that "I" want them! I'm just starting a flower project. I can go grab images and put them on my board... to study shapes and colors, later.
Copyright policy? Hey! you posted it online... most times it's copiable... besides, if you click on the picture, it usually brings you back to the person's blog or webpage.
Rosa Robichaud
I love pinterest and mostly pin crafts, quilts, food and household tips. When I post. A new art quilt in my etsy shop I also pin it and I think it has helped with sales. I don't worry about copyright issues. Life is to short.
I don't use Pinterest because I'm concerned about copyright. I use my blog to keep in contact with my friends. But I can understand that Pinterest is interesting fore many people. I don't mind if my things are pinned, but I hope that people won't take my ideas and tell they are original theirs.
I love pinterest for many of the same reasons as Rosa. I use it as a memory jogger, and to collect and visualise things I consider to be beautiful or clever or interesting. I see it as a modern equivalent to the large collages I used to make with scissors, glue and magazine pictures in the days before computers. I always note where I got the pin from and have found it to be enormously educational as by following the links from the pins to their source I've discovered a whole new world of blogs and sites I wouldn't have known about, and in doing so I've enriched my life. Was that the original source of the photo? I don't know. And frankly, I don't care. Life really is too short to tie others in red tape. I fully support the right for people to make their images unpinnable if they don't want them shared and enjoyed by others. But really, its a pretty sad world we live in if someone decides to pull out the big legal guns and go after me for pinning a photo of something to my noticeboard that I find to be moving, gorgeous, utterly stylish or inspiring, or that just plain makes me happy.
I use Pinterest to look at crafts and other things but I haven't signed up as I don't have a facebook account and therefore I can't create an account. I find this very frustrating as I would love to be able to create boards of my favourite finds. However, I am worried about the copyright issues and other issues related to ownership.
I use pinterest for quilting and recipes. I rarely follow someone but rather follow their specific boards of interest. I don't have any "favorite" pinners that I follow, for me it's more about the topic. I go to pinterest a few times a week to add new pins. I also go there when I'm ready to quilt a finished top. I have a machine quilting inspiration board that I go through. When I want to start a new project I'll take a look at the tutorial board and the "quilts I have to make" board. I like it, it's like having visual bookmarks. Now I can finally do something with that quilty goodness on the net :)
I think you could call me a lazy pinterester, I like to look, but I don't want to wast time looking for things to pin. I looked at pinterest as a place to replace a lot of bookmarks for things, mostly quilts, that inspired me or made me think. I pinned things for sale, never anything I saw on a blog, that didn't feel right, so, yes I would like blogs that don't mind being pinned to have a pin it button. I follow a lot of quilting boards and a few friends and I check in briefly when time allows. When the whole copyright thing started, I did go in and delete some things, I wasn't really concerned, but I do feel that people look at lawsuits as a way to easy money.
I did find a quilt of mine pinned and was thrilled, it felt good.
Haven't heard of Pinterest? I have heard of it
Don't understand what it is? I know what it is and what it aims are
Have concerns ? yes quite a lot:
- there are no "real" sources, they do not save the picture URL with the picture, just the domain
- it does not follow to the source, so a public domain picture I take from wikipedia and upload and state so in a description (including the copyright holder) will be pinned to me and not to wikipedi
- they don not state a copyright on their pages
- you don't get informed as "picture owner" that you have been pinned
- you can not selectively allow pinning (e.g. not allow it for pictures you only have the permission to use for one particular blog entry, that are not yours)
I could go on and probably would find many more points against it.
A simple last point would be, there is already so much - I do have a life besides taking care of accounts on various platforms.
I am not afraid of copyright infringement for two reasons. #1) I don't have anything of mine that I feel I need to protect... maybe someday though. #2)I make sure to always PIN the original post or make sure the repin is the original post where the idea or tutorial is posted. I LOVE pinterest. No more million bookmarks that mean nothing to me. I have it all in one place with a picture! L-O-V-E IT!
I had an account, closed it when I got a cease and desist email from someone who didn't like that I had pinned from their blog. It gave me an awful scare (which was the intention) and I'll never look at that blog again. I occasionally look at Pinterest and follow links back to see the whole article. Lately, there are a lot of trashy looking pin-up photos and spammy comments and I think they have lost control. I will investigate the Evernote that someone mentioned in their comment.
I know what Pinterest is but I decided against it because it required that I sign in with FAcebook. I dubbed it another 'social media' site that clings to the hope of making millions of dollars from personal information. That was in the beginning...perhaps now they don't?
I can see the lure because one can scroll through myriad photos in a flash, but the copyright issues that have been plaguing the site are enough to keep me away.
If I did sign up, I'd follow people like Ginger from Weiner Dog Tricks because she's a member of that 'community' but also sees the hilariousness of it http://www.gingerhendrix.com/wiener_dog_tricks/2012/04/the-pinterest-boards-people-would-judge-me-for.html
No, don't use Pinterest. It is not their copyright policy, but their terms of use...allowing them to retain and use photos pinned that irked me. But, I came around to realize that if I put a photo on my blog that was later pinned, it was my responsibility in the first place for showing it. I do at least mark my photos now with my blog addy, and recognize that what I post about is open to anyone, and that includes the photos.
I don't do facebook or twitter....too many quilts to make.
I love it!!! I think any "collector" does :*) On a basic level, it just makes me feel happy to go to my boards and look at the pictures of things I have collected. But more practically, I've really put it to good use! The picture will take you to the source of the item, much like a bookmark, but visually - and aren't most quilters visual people? I've already used several of the recipes which immediately went into my favorites cookbook! I love being able to see a picture - so much better than bookmarks on a computer which I marked months ago and I can't even remember what it linked to. Seeing that chicken dish reminds me of why I might want to make it! And a picture of a FMQ tutorial reminds me to go and work on that particular technique that I wanted to learn.
It's wonderful for pinning pictures with color schemes I like for potential quilt projects. My daughter-in-law used a shared board for her wedding preparation and came up with some of the cutest ideas! I recently learned you can tag an item for someone else to see although I haven't tried that yet. I have a friend who is nuts over anything blue and often see something I think she'd like - this will be a feature I might a lot I think. This is just a few of the ways it has been helpful and practical for me.
At first I was on Pinterest a lot, building up my boards and learning. Now I go there maybe twice a day to see what's new on the feed, pin a few items and hop off. Maybe 15 minutes each time. It really has not been a time waster for me. And one of the pins I love says, "Time wasted doing something I love is not time wasted!" I've built up my followers over time, choosing to follow people who have a lot of the same interests - quilting, color, recipes, etc. And I've found that the more people I follow, the more variety & interest my feed contains when I check in. Sometimes I follow all their boards and sometimes only a few, it depends on how much I like their taste and style across the boards.
I like finding blogs that allow pinning, but I always try to give credit for the source. That is my only real etiquette point, trying to be careful to give the name of the blog I pin from! I know there has been a lot of controversy about Pinterest and copyrights, but they have recently changed some of their terms in order to answer some of those concerns. And there is a way to find out your items that have been pinned, and you can ask to have them removed if you want. I also love finding that a blog I follow does Pinterest so I can follow them!
So I'll shut up now - probably more than you wanted to know. Hard to cover everything on a short comment! :*) I hope you'll check it out and it will be interesting to see what you learn & decide.
Oh yes, one more thing. You do not have to sign in through Facebook!
I don't use it - I am not interested in using it - I busy enough as it is with all the things I do, I don't need one more computer interest.
I am bothered by the copy right issues though, some people do not pin back to the correct origin of photo - just because a photo is on line doesn't mean you have a right to pin it.
Karen
I'm not into it either. I spend too much time on the computer now and after I took a peek I just knew I had to stay away. :/
I love Pinterest and check it daily. I enjoy the "eye candy." When re-pinning, I try to go to the original source to build traffic on the original blog. Sometimes that's not possible and then I have to decide if I want the pin or not. Usually not.I think the copyright issue is overblown.
Teresa is totally right about not having to use Facebook to sign up. Facebook is just one option to use when signing in. I have a shared Facebook account with my hubby, so I used my personal email address to sign into Pinterest.
I'm not a user of Pinterest. I think it could become another obsession and I spend enough time on the computer. I know lots of people that love it but I can't give an opinion because I don't use it. Maybe someday.
THey had good intent, but I am not a fan. First the whole copy right, they can (Like Facebook BTW) take your image and use it however they see fit! I was bothered when I read an article from a lawyer friend who pointed out that if they get sued they have covered their own ends by placeing it soly on those of us who pin! I know it sounds like a great deal, but... I don't know I guess I have nothing to take, so they can try to sue me if they want! LOL
My Brother, who is a computer programer for the government, is VERY opposed to many of these sights. He pointed out that on FB for instance if they wanted to do a TV commercial and use one of your photos you have put on their sight... you have already given them permission when you signed up for them!! UMMM so that pic of my sweet new baby they can use and not ask me permission, because they already have it...
Just sayin!!
Honestly, I just don't have the time. There are other things that call me away from the computer, like sewing, cooking, being outdoors. The general view I have is that you can find great things, but as an information professional, I have problems with not knowing exactly where these things were originally posted.
I began a Pinterest account because of a number of Facebook friends raving about it. I used it for about a week but didn't see the appeal. I prefer bookmarking things since they are more comprehensive (with Firefox sync the bookmarks transfer across all my computers and devices no matter where I save it), so it seems to me that Pinterest only serves to shove what I like under other peoples' noses. I found I really didn't use it after the first week. As more and more bloggers wrote about copyright issues, including Kate Spain, I decided the safest thing to do was to delete my account. Not only do I not have the time to ensure that each thing I'd pin has been properly vetted and given permission to pin when *I* select it from the internet, but if I repinned something that someone else stole it was too much of a timesuck to trace that all the way to its original source. I read most of my blogs from a feed reader so I do not generally go to the source unless to comment, and the source is usually where you see the "Do Not Use My Images" warnings. Maybe other people don't care but I am a stickler about copyright law and protecting artists' rights.
In essence, Pinterest created more work for me in seeking artistic inspiration, where I usually prefer to find shortcuts to make it easier and faster. The only reason I could find for this was to show off to other people what I liked and that seemed pointless to me.
I enjoyed Pinterest immensely until my sister-in-law reminded me if I posted something that someone else had made without their permission I was violating their rights and telling Pinterest they could sell the image or do anything they wanted. After Pinterest's mass follower exodus, I think they revamped their copyright rules but I am leery.
I like keeping a visual record of things that I find on blogs with Pinterest. To be honest, I have not kept up with the copyright issues and probably should see what the hubbub is about. It's all about inspiration for me. I am not out to profit or steal anyones ideas. It just takes one bad apple to create havok for so many others!
I don't use Pinterest myself, but I love when the blogs I read allow followers to pin their latest projects as a response to a challenge or whatnot. I usually view the items for their crafts/sewing and fun food. It has allowed me to find some wonderful blogs and some Really talented people out there!
I have a Pinterest account, only because several friends were talking about it. I understand the concept, but don't really need my "notebook" out there for the world to see. If I had more time to use it as a marketing tool for my longarm business, I think it could be very effective. I don't use it much at all now, since I found I was double-saving everything... once on Pinterest... and once in Evernote. I love Evernote.. It's private, searchable and more than just pictures.
I love the idea of being able to pin things I find on the internet and being able to see them in one place. But, when I read the rules and how we are supposed to ask permission first and they have rights to the photos, it turned me off. So, I still have it, but haven't been using it lately.
Debbie
"Copyright policy? Hey! you posted it online... most times it's copiable... besides, if you click on the picture, it usually brings you back to the person's blog or webpage."
Oh nooooo... you are very mistaken! Do you realize that if someone posted a REGISTERED work on their website, and you pinned or repinned in on Pinterest, this person can EASILY collect $30,000 from you for statutory damages???
Whether or not there is a link back is COMPLETELY irrelevant.
I LOVE Pinterest and use it for all of my bookmarks for just about anything I would like to remember for future reference! It would be nice if we had the option to make our boards private, for people who are concerned about over-sharing. Pinterst has changed their copyright policy after everyone got all upset about it, too; but honestly, when someone put stuff on the internet, they have just opened up Pandora's Box about making sure their stuff never gets stolen. They would spend all of their time chasing down images all over the internet, and putting regulations on them when they were published publicly in the first place! I don't pin things unless I can actually use it to get back to the source, because that's kind of the whole point! I have really found so many creative things on Pinterest that I wouldn't have found with just Google :o)
Do you think you are building traffic? You are not.
In my case, there are more of my images on Pinterest than there are on my website! And there are a lot of pictures on my website.
I have calculated how many visitors are from Pinterest: 3 out of 10,000
On the other hand, my traffic is down 30% since January, compared to last year. I don't know if that's Pinterest or other factors, I cannot prove it.
As a handknits and quilt designer, I started using Pinterest in 2010 for inspiration. However, I never used it to its full potential as a design tool because I didn't want to signal to other people what I was working on! I now use Juxtapost for all my new bookmarks because it allows me to have private boards. I still have my Pinterest boards and will still go to Pinterest from time to time to re-bookmark something on Juxtapost. When I do, I always check the pin to make sure it is still active and links to the original source. If so, I'll make sure that the description properly credits the author of the image; if not, I'll delete the pin.
I would say that about 30-35% of people that pin my work do so not from my website, but from a Google Image search! Most people do find these things with Google, it's just that they actually looked for it and you didn't... ;-)
That's great, but what I am trying to point out is that Pinterest has made information more accessible to people who don't know how to search through other search engines. It's quicker and often more to the point of what you're looking for. Just because I found it on Pinterest, doesn't mean I didn't look for it other ways as well.
"They would spend all of their time chasing down images all over the internet, and putting regulations on them when they were published publicly in the first place!"
I never had to chase down images until Pinterest came along. I occasionally found some lazy webmasters trying to make a quick buck making a website out of my content mixed in with other people's, but the DMCA take downs were all that I needed to handle a few pesky pirates. Plus, they would hotlink, so I actually never looked for them.
My website, my income, it all depends on people visiting my website, not people having seen my images already on Pinterest and not needing to see them again on my website. My content is a free resource that people love, my income is from advertising. I have been building this massive content working like a maniac since 2003.
If there is a precedent for Pinterest to be able to multiply my images on their website to the point that they have more of my stuff on their servers than I have on my website (as is the case now), there will be thousands of Pinterest clones also doing the same thing.
And the free resource I was able to offer for years will dry up and die, I will stop creating new content, and close the site eventually.
In a way... Pinterest is killing the very things you love and hold dear, and try to celebrate; creativity, craftiness, self-publishing, free resources, and sharing.
easily? I doubt it would be easy to collect $30,000 or everyone would be collecting the money.
I don't use Pinterest, although I do encourage pinning of anything I post with a "Pin It" button. And I think the vast majority of us are way too consumed by issues of copyright. Honestly. Unless someone is making gobs of money by abusing copyright laws, no one is going to pay any attention to what we do. As individuals most of us are just not that significant in the copyright realm. Trying to make money blogging/crafting is like trying to play professional sports. Only a very few will be successful. I just blog and sew for fun.
I do not use Pinterest, nor am I interested in doing so, for a number of reasons. First, I think it's a "daylight burner" in that it would not fill any real need that I have or even have a "payoff" for the amount of time invested in it. Second, from what I could see on the one time that I clicked a link on a blog that I follow, I could envision a massive set of copyright issues in the making. Third, by pinning things that I like, I can see where it would breed a desire within me to have more and more things which are definitely an unimportant thing in my life. Like anything else in this world, but especially with the internet, you frequently must agree to things that are not in your best interests in order to have whatever benefit you thing you are getting in return. Plus, how much of yourself and your life do you really want (or need) to expose to the world? I frankly don't see an "up side" to it, at least for me.
I do use Pinterest. I do like blogs with the buttons because it makes it easier for me to determine whether or not the blogger minds pictures/tutorials being pinned as I hate to violate written or unwritten rules from the bloggers themselves. If there is any question at all, I don't pin. But, I do feel disappointed with this because I will often bookmark it and then it gets "lost" among tons of bookmarks.
Anyway, I mainly use Pinterest for selfish reasons -- to help me keep track of inspirations and want-to-do wish lists. Only one board I have isn't along these lines -- color cards -- which are mostly from Design Seeds. But, they're still an inspiration to me.
It boggles my mind how people follow me. I don't understand that. It's the same with twitter. Some followers who follow me don't make sense to me because they're from a completely different world with different interests from me. But, whatever. I just use Pinterest as a virtual post-it note board. It's convenient because I can just go to Pinterest and find the source instead of trying to search through tons of bookmarks (which I still do).
I've been on pinterst for quite a while. I so visual, I pin things that speak to me. I use some of my boards for references when plotting a new quilt or other project. I consulted with someone I really trust when all the hoopla came up, and decided to keep pinning.
Mmmmmmmmmmm
You don't know what I know ;-)
I agree entirely with Sharon (comment number 2). I'd love to use Pinterest but need to be reassured as to copyright.
Is there a reason you don't use your name?
I don't do Pinterest. I don't have time.
I love pinterest, lots of info, ideas and more...It a place to browse and see a variety of what's out there...blogs, tutorial, photos....a lot of my friends and family are on this also.....love it..and its spreading like Facebook did...
I deleted my Pinterest boards for all the same reasons. I still look at others' boards, though. I feel that if a blogger, or anyone else for that matter, doesn't want their pictures used, then they should copyright protect them on their site so that they can't be used in the first place. Otherwise, I feel the "pinner" should be required to give the source credit for the "pinnee". But since people who post to the web aren't required to disclose the fact that they don't want any of their images used even with credit, I'd just rather not take a chance. Sad, really.
I have a pinterest account. A couple of months ago when all the copyright issues started being talked about I did a few blog posts on pinterest. When I dscovered that Pinterest could do as they wanted with any image we pinned....I deleted my boards. I now pin only items I have made or those that are vintage (where the creator is unknown). I know Pinterest updated their terms of service....but I am still wary of them. I do enjoy Pinterest and I find it very inspirational but like all good things....
Deb
I have a Pinterest account. What I dislike is the ability for lack of accountability, I am a little (HA!) technologically challenged. When I first started pinning I had NO clue that some of what I pinned was not pinning to the source.What I like is the ability to have a central place with a visual to have bookmarks. pretty simple for me. For instance in January I started a board called "2012 QAL & Challenges" There were masses of blogs starting quilt alongs, series of tutorials, etc. I pinned them all there, so I could go back and see what I might want to participate in or just follow along with. I think 4 free motion QALs started that month (and those are only the ones I knew about!). MUCH easier for visual me to be able to look in one place at pictures then try to remember which blog was hosting which one.So, I LOVE the visual ease of it.
At this point I have deleted all of my boards and pins. I did not have the time to sit down and figure out what I pinned at the beginning, if it was properly sourced, what blogs might have changed policy since I pinned, etc. So, I deleted all of it.I am considering pinning again (I really am visual, bookmarks without pictures are no fun and don't get used in my world). IF I decide to jump back in I will only be pinning from blog with Pinterest buttons. I don't have time to hunt down every blog's policy on pinning (particularly when MANY have it buried in an individual post). I really wasn't into "surfing" Pinterest, some, but not a lot. If I did, it was usually for something specific.
I didn't have a lot of "favorites" that I followed. When I followed someone it was almost always a board, rarely (with the exception of relatives, LOL) every board.
I learned (quickly) about good pin etiquette and practiced it.
My Pinterests lie mainly in Quilting, cross stitch, embroidery,and recipes. All of these had sub categories for tutorials, patterns, books,techniques, tools, etc.
Again, I didn't really surf Pinterest and generally only went there when I had something to pin.
Who did I follow? I really can't remember, but mostly friends, family and quilt bloggers, LOL.
I will admit that the copy write issues are of concern and they concern me. However, they concern me across the internet, not just on Pinterest. I grew up in a home that was extremely aware of copy write. My father's livelihood (and feeding us) was dependent upon his income from copy-written works. This said, the ability to abuse Pinterest is there, but so is the ability to use it responsibly. If you are going to violate a copy write and try to profit from it you really don't need Pinterest to do it.Prior to Pinterest there were people saving images to their computers (I think some of the above comments even mentioned doing that). Guess what, that is/can be a copy write violation. In many instances printing what you see on your screen can be a copy write violation. People have been doing if forever and they will continue to. Some do it for financial gain and some do it from ignorance of the law. I don't like it or agree with it, but that is how it is. Not all people are honest or want to work for what they have. Not all people are dishonest and trying to hurt someone.
A note to anonymous, should you pick my comment to reply to I would appreciate it being done openly. Hiding behind anonymous doesn't help anyone in a discussion, nor does breed any type of credibility.
SewCalGal- Sorry for the hijack :-) I just couldn't stop typing, LOL!
I don't have a Pinterest account, and as a blogger and a designer-wannabe, I was distressed to use the source URL method and see how many of my pictures had been pinned, without giving credit to me....I try to be more careful now, and put my blog name on photos that I post (sometimes I still forget, tho). I have so much on my plate with my job and my hobbies, that I can't fit one more thing in. I have my favs and my bookmarks, and that works for me. Since I bookmark the specific post that has the item I'm interested in, it really takes no time at all to access the project that inspired me. :)
I love Pinterest! But I also became concerned about the copyright issues and put my use on hold for a while, except for posting some of my own photos. I do take steps to put my identifying info - name and url - on the photos that I post. This also protects my photos from other sites hijacking them without giving me credit.
I do intend to get back into Pinterest but will take it slower and be more careful that I'm posting photos that I know that the owner wants them posted. One way to do it is follow the link back or see that they have the Pin button on their blogs.
I don't do Pinerest mainly because you have to have a facebook acct. which I don't have. But it is okay because I have decided I do not need one more thing to take away from my sewing time.
I like PinInterest but I deleted everything that does not have a reference back to the original blogger or Flickr account.
I did love Pinterest. I had a great account with all my pins sorted nicely in many categories. I had a lot of followers. Then, I started receiving nasty emails about copyright issues. Bloggers wanted the pins removed. I started reading about all the copyright violations of using Pinterest and decided to delete my account. Pinterest is a great concept. But they should gave worked out the copyright issues right from the start. I didn't want to be part of all the negativity online about this so I deleted my account. I'm trying to stay on the positive side. So, I have a page on my blog with links to great tutorials. And they don't violate any copyright laws. That's how I keep track of tutorials I love and want to remember.
My thoughts are pretty much the same as yours. It is my "bookmark" so that I can go back to the original location of a yummy recipe, pretty quilt, great education idea, etc. It is "social bookmarking" and I mostly only follow some other friends with similar interests. I also figure if I already posted a picture on my blog, I understand that anyone out there can copy that picture and claim credit and I'll most likely never know. I too enjoy Pinterest as a way to be inspired.
Evernote is great - and so is LiveBinder. I've used both to collect ideas and resources.
Would that be because you sound bitter?
Annick
Sure is controversy over the copyright stuff. Makes me wonder?
I have tried to do a little bit of it, but it's so time consuming and takes away from my sewing time....just like the blogs. Do I want to have more computer time......I think not.
I love Pinterest and use it primarily for art, architecture and quilting. It is an inspiration board for me. For example, as I was learning to FMQ feathers, I pinned quilts with feathers on them. It helped me to be able to go and "look" at finished quilts that had feathers so I could see the potential. I also use it as a "quilt show" or "art show". I rarely get to go to these shows but see pins from others who have been and taken pics. I then get to look through the pics and enjoy the quilts and art.
In general, I follow a very limited number of people who have similar interests. When I find a pin I want to repin, I track it all the way back (through the pins) to where it came from. If I can find the source, I try to leave them a note saying that I found their pic on Pinterest and the material is wonderful, etc.
As far as boards, I tend to follow peoples' boards and not just a blanket follow for everything they do. I am not always interested in their cooking board, or what have you, and just filter that way.
Because of Pinterest, I have been exposed to some wonderful blogs that I would have never found on my own. The breath of quilting and art posted is also a dream come true.
Thank you for posting this. The comments I've read above have reinforced my initial thoughts that Pinterest can be a massive time drain, and frankly I don't have enough years left in my life to waste hours trying to figure out what's what with copyright and trying to track down original sources, etc. For way too many years, my quilting was placed on the back burner because of family and work commitments, now all I want to do is play in my quilting room - all day, every day! Even in retirement there are not enough hours ...
Pat in OR
I only READ blogs and there so many intereting ones to follow. I follow SewCalGal because I discovered the FMQ along at Leah's. Through all my blogs' reading, I realized how Pinterest interested (no pun intended) and/or scared many bloggers. I followed the controversy and found this site created by a British artist, I believe who put in one place many pertinent articles. You may like to go through it.
http://www.squidoo.com/pinterest-and-copyright
I enjoyed everyone's contribution to this conversation. I will have to sign on as anonymus since I only have an e-mail account, but I will sign my name!
Annick in Texas
Pinterest is owned by my opthamologist's son. Yes, Pinterest is the brain child of a homegrown, Des Moines, Iowa, kid. I visited before it was fashionable, and liked it, but didn't join in. Now I can't and won't join in because only Facebook people are "allowed." I don't want to join Facebook, so I'm not on Pinterest. I don't like it when bloggers put the Pinterest logo on their posts. I also discovered, to my complete surprise, that lots of MY photos are on Pinterest! All I did was a search of my blog name and there they were, over and over again. No one asked my permission, though my blog name is shown. What if I minded?
I am pretty happy with flicker, blog and yes; all the other emails, IM's and social accounts to keep up. Judith, Texas
I just don't understand it and whenever I request an invite to join, which I've done several times, I never get a reply.
Love Pinterest! I dont mind if someone copies something I make, Im glad to help someone create.
Thanks for referring to me, Kirsty! Maybe I should sue you for using my name (re: copywrite)...
LOL - just teasing of course! *grin*
And, as LandscapeLady said... Life's too short to worry about this. If someone makes their images non-pinable or copiable(SP?), then Kudos to them... And YES, I've pinned a few of MY images, too....
Tks for the thought provoking question(s), SewCalGal!
Rosa
So I hadn't even heard of pinterest until the copyright hullaballo on a lot of blogs on read. After that I was curious as to what it was, so I joined! I like it because right now when I find things I like online I just "print to pdf" and save a copy on my computer, which is disorganized and who knows if I'll ever get to it. But pinterest seems like a cool way to organize projects that I want to do some day in a visual way that might be more likely to lead me to actually do the projects.
For those that say it's a time waster....do you know how much time I just wasted reading through all the comments on this post? I waste waaaaaaay more time on blogs than on pinterest (but I'm new to pinterest so who knows...), and you probably do too.
I do use Pinterest. My favorite thing about it is the ability to quickly save an image by category. If I'm trying to remember something I've seen, I can go to my Pinterest and usually find it. If I'm lucky the link is still good and I can link back to the source.
I don't like how it can sometimes slow down or lock up. Links can also disappear from the photo which is annoying. Of course if the author has removed content that makes sense.
I tend to follow random people because of photos they post. I follow some people's specific boards but often just follow the person. I don't create, so haven't been concerned with copyright. Considering how the photos are posted and re-posted so many times I can understand how the source can get lost. Would be nice if the origin was somehow tagged to the photo.
My favorite boards are 'quilt it' 'sew it' 'create it'
I use Pinterest mainly as a bookmarker, to save crafty things that I want to make in the future. I rarely am on it, as I spend too much time on the computer as it is. I follow my favorite crafty people, to see what they are making, and what they like.
I joined a couple of months ago but don't find it very useful or even interesting. I follow blogs of people I find worthy of my computer time. I love OneNote and use it for any information I want to reference.
I discovered Pinerest through FB and really enjoy it. Don't spend a lot of time on it but some of the pictures of craft, recepies, &
quilting ideas are too cute not to repin. I find it lots of fun to just look at all the ideas people have. What a great abundance of creative people we have here!
I don't use Pinterest at all. I don't think there is any way to use it without violating copyright laws. I also don't use Facebook nor do I Tweet. I guess I am an old fogey.
I was on Pinterest but cancelled my account due to the copyright issues. I do not want to infringe on artists work. It is a very real issue and can be potentially damaging.
I was a longtime user of Pinterest until recently when I found out you can't block followers. I had someone follow my boards and they were called Dirty Sexy Women, suffice to say they only had women in underwear pinned, I didn't want anything to do with this person so I checked up on blocking/ following, You Can unfollow someone but you can't block people. So that was it for me I deleted all my boards and account. The other thing that was also bothering me was the many businesses using the boards to promote their stuff, it became too popular. I will just use my google bookmarks again.
I am at an age where I dont do faceook or pinterest, followed too many sites and like the one on one of an email better. I have seen too much fivulged and yet it has given me an insight on my paternal family my mom kept hidden on facebook. But I do not participate at all. Probably wont either, blogs and emails are enough for old me.
Do you use Pinterest?
Yes , I do! I just treat it like a normal personal pinboard
If you use Pinterest, what do you like/dislike about Pinterest?
Likes : Catalogue wise of items of my interest; Dislikes : Some ppl blindly repin other's without knowing the original sources and I've seen duplicates as well which means they totally repin blindly
Do you like blogs to have Pinterest buttons on them to "pin" photos on a post? Yes
Who are your favorites to follow on Pinterest? quilters/ crafters
Do you have good Pin Etiquitte?
I do, since the beginning. I read blogs and view their album or websites and normally if there is interesting image or article, it's the way I bookmarked each item right from the original source. Even when a post link to another website, I'd pin from the original website. On other's pinboard, I normally simply "like" or occasionally made a comment
What are your favorite subjects on Pinterest? (e.g. quilting, cooking, gardening, etc.) photography, quilting, food, home improvement, travel
How frequently do you look at Pinterest? at least once a week
For those that use Pinterest, who do you follow? bloggers
Do you typically follow a user on Pinterest, or just one of their boards? particular board
I have a lot of concerns about copyright issues with Pinterest and having my ideas stolen. I have chosen not to use it.
I have left a comment on your fb page, but I will leave one here too. Pinterest is not something I am interested in. I could not get back into my account that I set up.
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