I’ve never really embraced MySpace, Facebook, Twitter or any of those other social media sites. Twitter’s growing on me but as to the others, I just don’t understand why anyone would care about what I’m doing from day to day at that level of detail. Why would anyone care what I ate for breakfast or that I went to the grocery store today? That the whole, friends, followers and other sorts of social rating systems were just too reminiscent of the cliques in high school. Why would anyone want to revisit that sort of social ranking system? Sure, there must be some level of gratification about having 100,000 friends or followers but let’s face it, does that popular Facebook participant even know who 10% of their followers are?
On Pinterest it’s not so much about popularity as following people who are good at finding things worth looking at on the Internet. I see each follower and leader as an indication of a good spotter of things worth seeing. And instead of learning what some stranger had for breakfast, I’m finding tons of wonderful craft ideas, pictures that make me laugh and other bits of wonderful inspiration.
As much as I love Pinterest, there’s some things the other members are doing that is driving me a bit crazy.
Make It Easier for Other Pinterest Members to View the Sources of Your Pins
Maybe it’s just me, but when someone pins a handcrafted item, I like to visit the site where the picture came from. I like to read about the designer and see what else they’ve made. If it’s a pattern or tutorial, I would like to see the comments and suggestions made by the designer their site’s visitors. Problem is that many Pinterest members are not pinning the original source of the picture.
Please Don’t Pin Google Search Results
Someone pinned an absolutely gorgeous cut paper hummingbird. But, their pin links to a blank Google search page. It took a bit of sleuthing, but I was able to find the original source of the image and view more of the artist’s beautiful work. (I’ve also re-pinned the Hummingbird to my paper crafts board which links the artist’s page on Flickr.)
Please Pin the Actual Page
Members pinning blog homepages and category lists is frustrating me too. Once the site owner adds more posts, the pinned post moves off of the linked page. Sometimes a little sleuthing will lead to the post but other times I’ve had to give up. Is it really so hard to go ahead and view the actual post and then pin the picture?
Artist Attribution & Seeing More of Their Work
I think making it possible for people to find the source of a pinned image ensures that the original designer is given the full recognition they deserve. It also allows other Pinterest members to see more of that designer’s work and view the original piece without having to play hide and go seek.
I Do Love Pinterest
Frustrations aside, I love Pinterest. I have spent hours on the site. When other people repin one of my pins, I feel that I have somehow contributed to the community at large as well as helped the artist gain more recognition. I admit that I get a kick out of getting new followers and seeing what great things people I’m following are pinning. If you think I might be a good hunter of great crafts on the web, please consider following me. My Pinterest page is BlogAboutCrafts. I do check out the boards of those folks who are following me as well.
But, please, pretty please with sugar on top, my fellow Pinterest members, will you please pin the actual source of the great images you are finding so that other people might visit the source.