Photosharing site Pinterest grows in popularity thanks to social networking

By Taylor Pettit

We are a visual generation; we are the Internet generation.

This dual set of traits leads many people to make a hobby out of what can seem like an overly simplistic task – saving and archiving images online.

From the traditional right click and save, to the now archaic Photobucket, image hording and sharing is commonplace.

But Pinterest has added a social aspect that changes the game. The interesting aspect about this corner of the Internet is the combination of photosharing, commenting and social networking done all in one place.

Pinterest.com offers boards for types of images, with whatever your heart desires.

Although there is an overwhelming wealth of images that reflect a Good Houskeeping-esque  appeal, Home Décor and Craft Projects, boards are only limited to one’s imagination.

Each user defines themselves by the boards created.

A schoolteacher may archive classroom design ideas. A graphic designer may collect fonts and info graphics. Everything from boards dedicated to fashion to the ever- classic memes, exist.

But what makes this site different than other photo sharing sites is that the main point is to share.

When the user connects a Pinterest account to Facebook, it becomes possible to follow your friend’s “pins.”

According to the website’s mission, sharing these common images can reveal a link among complete strangers who share an interest.

The more sharing, the more inspiration and a greater multitude of options become available.

A strong connection to Tumblr can be seen, as many pins are reposts of original content from blogs.

As said before, the one negative of the website is the obvious demographic of the users. If DIY projects and recipes for low-carb brownies aren’t your thing, more digging is required to make the website worthwhile.

The growth of the website is obvious, which creates some problems. A few months ago, an invitation was needed to join. Now it is open to anyone with a Facebook account. The mass traffic because of exposure on Stumbleupon has caused frequent glitches. But Pinterest’s recent partnership with Facebook has improved the technical issues.

The greatest advantage of the website is being able to directly link to websites from their original host site. Therefore, creators get the credit, as much as possible, and going back to find more great photos is always possible.

The extreme individualism of the website is one of the most impressive things overall. Despite the aforementioned overwhelming “girly girl” feel, great content is abound and worth trying out.  So log on and pin away.