Things I've Noticed

Pinterest has certainly caught on!  The traffic on my pins has increased and I'm getting a few new followers every day.

The main thing I've noticed is that people are no longer signing up with their REAL names.  I remember when this happened on Facebook.  Suddenly there were people with names like Annie Gameplayer, and IM Happy.  Not real people.

Same with Pinterest.  More than half of my new interested people have bizarre names.  We all know that the computer is traceable.  So it really doesn't matter what name you're using, unless you consistently use the computer at the library or an internet cafe.  Who you are is really there, somewhere!

I've also found I have a few International followers!  I love that the pictures are the same, but the comments and board names are often things I can't read and/or understand.  It's fun and I'm all for having International friends on Pinterest!

There are also more men becoming Pinteresting.  The men tend to pin manly things, and I find many of their boards particularly interesting, as I hadn't yet pinned trains, or boats, or sports.  The men that share Pinterest with me also seem to have a great sense of humor.  I get lots of grins following some of these boards.

Mostly I'm happy with where my Pinterest account is going.  When I signed in one day to find they had changed how our boards look I was a bit upset.  They went from being in groups of nine (3 down and 3 across) of the last things you pinned to one big photo with four small photos underneath.  This large picture didn't always represent what you'd just pinned. Only a portion of the pin shows!

This makes looking at other people's boards rather difficult.  You can't get a good idea of what is contained in the board because the photos aren't representative.  My own boards look uninteresting as well.  I always want to repin a photo that represents the board at the end of a pinning session.  However, since I have over 150 boards, this isn't realistic.  On a positive note, you now have to actually click open a board that sounds interesting to see if it really is.  I find I spend more time on other people's Pinterest Pages because I'm afraid I'll miss something wonderful otherwise :)

Addiction Anxiety

I'm beginning to understand the Nature of Addiction.  I've always prided myself on not being addicted to much.  I admit my addiction to breathing and sugar.  One is good for me :) and the other not so much :(

The sugar addiction has taught me a lot about addiction.  I can "control" it, meaning I can try to dictate the time and amount of sugar I ingest.  However, I often find myself eating it unconsciously and in larger amounts than I intended (eating the 3rd or 4th cookie when 1 would have been sufficient).

So who is controlling whom?

I'm often heard giving thanks that my addictions are small.  I've not allowed addictions to tobacco, or alcohol, or sex :)  I've also never become addicted to exercise, schedules, or salad :(

My life limps along in the middle of the road.  No extremes but also not lot of highs or lows.  It usually works for me.

Then, Pinterest comes along and I find an entirely new category of addiction.  It's neither good or bad, per se, but could become one extreme or the other.

When the addiction takes over (and YES, it does take over)  I find myself at the computer for HOURS.

I know better.  It hurts my body.  My shoulder will ache from this much abuse.  My legs my develop cramps when I finally stand up.  My wrist will protest for days.

But I pin on.  There is always the next image and the image after that.  From experience, I know that the images that are available to pin disappear after 24 hours.  So, if I don't look every day, I'll miss something.

Forget that many of these images are things I pinned back in November and December.  They look pretty and I pin them again, and again.
I need to work up a little self respect and discipline.  Pin responsibly :)

Apparently this is the only way I can work with the addiction instead of giving in to it?!

Pretty Pins

  http://pinterest.com/pinterest4jan/color-palette/
This is from my board called COLOR PALLET.  I'm fond of looking at these pins because not only do they have beautiful pictures, but then they have a Color Pallet of the Colors used in the lovely image.


I want/need to learn how to do this.  I love composing things.  I have a great eye for color.  It would give me endless pleasure to make these for others.

However, I would want to NAME the colors.  I know that with the millions of variations in digital imagery, it would be impossible, but I'd like to try.

For example, I'd name these colors Persimmon ~ Butter ~ Avocado ~ Jacaranda and Deep Slate.  Sure, they could also be called Clementine, Daffodil, Lime, Dark Lilac and Pewter.


OK, I see the reason for the numbers.  It's just so removed and impersonal.
Excuse me, I going to just to look at more images!

Pinterest Changes Terms of Service

Yes, Pinterest is the new kid on the block.  It's also one of the fastest growing sites.  So, of course there will be problems and trouble along the route to success.

When I saw this "pin" popping up everywhere, I clicked on it and read the article and many other articles posted by supportive people.

The articles pointed out that the Terms of Service reserved the right to sell anything we posted.

The dilemma was put like this:  You post a picture of a cat.  This is not your cat and not your photo.  However, by posting this picture, you claim responsibility for it.

Let's say that a cat food company likes this photo and purchases it from Pinterest.  The cat food company then uses this cat photo on the new cat food container and promotion.

The rightful owner of said cat sees the cat on the package of cat food and sues the cat food company.  The cat food company sues Pinterest who supplied the photo.  Pinterest comes to YOU, who posted the photo, and YOU GET SUED because you didn't check to see  if the photo had permission to be published in the first place.

400K people responded to this glitch in the Terms of Service, and Pinterest responded by CHANGING the Terms of Service.

We were all notified, and the Change takes effect on April 6.  I looked at the New Terms of Service, and find that they did withdraw the right to sell anything posted.

However, it looks like the rest of the language has been tightened to protect Pinterest.  We (the pinners) are Really, REALLY supposed to find the original source of our pins and make SURE that the permissions are in place before pinning.

This is a good thing.  I think.  But also a little impossible.  I have 19,000 pins on 154 boards.  I'm never going to be able to go back and find the original source.  Some of these photos have been circulated far and wide and I don't know if it's ok or not.

I'm basically in the same dilemma that I was in from the beginning.  I like to pin images that please my eye.  I don't plan to do anything with them except enjoy them.

Yes, I'm trying to justify  myself and my continued piracy of other people's work.  I credit anything that comes with a credit already attached.  But looking for the original source?  I don't see it happening.
Shame on me, but there it is.

Pin Pals

 My interest in my Pinterest account is  gaining momentum.  After brooding about the rules, and realizing I was not going to let it scare me off, I got back to it slowly.

I wasn't pinning much, because suddenly everything looked vaguely familiar, and I didn't want lots of repins.  The only way to avoid it is to actually scan your boards.

I'm over 17,000 pins now, on 140 boards.  So, the chance of me repinning something I already pinned is pretty good.  Especially when I realize that I gravitate toward things I like.

So, I went back to my g-mail account and started thinning the list of people following me. (SMILE)  I go to the person's page and look through their boards.  I try to pin a few images and like to follow one or more of their boards.  Quid pro quo.  Often I find that the person is so new that they don't have much to look at.  I smile and move on.  I know their boards will fill up.

Occasionally, I get on the page of someone with similar interests to mine and find myself spending HOURS looking through their pins, and repinning.  One thing leads to another and suddenly I've invented another board!

I've begun thinking in terms of my Pinterest boards.  While we were driving around the countryside last week, I kept looking at the scenery and mentally putting in on one of my boards!  It was fun and pathetic at the same time.

On my mini vacation from work, I've spent the equivalent of an entire day doing Pinterest.  My imagination has been goosed and I keep finding something new to do, or say.  I've begun adding my OWN comment to the pin.  Usually I just pin whatever someone else said, but recently I've begun to realize that saying something is half the fun.

Plus, the e-mails from Pinterest are containing the comments people make about my pins.  I'm embarrassed to find they are commenting about something I didn't even write.  Slap on the wrist.  I'm doing better, making it authentically mine.

Meanwhile, I've created some more boards.  My official count is 146 boards, and 18,522 pins.  The addiction is back!

See the results at www.pinterest.com/pinterest4jan/

Everything Under Control

My Pinterest addiction seems to be on the wan.  For the week that I was mulling things over I apparently got a little self control back!

Now I can visit my Pinterest site because I want to, not because I need to.  Small distinction, but it makes a difference. :)

Yesterday I only pinned a few dozen things.  Before, I pinned hundreds and only quit when my wrist hurt.  I'd go to the site multiple times every day to be sure I wasn't missing something.

Part of the reason I'm slowing down is because I find that I've already pinned many of the images that present themselves! The flood of beautiful things has become a trickle.  It's good!

Now I'm finding that I need a couple of new boares to reorganize one old board.  I see why people have a board fore Each Season, where my pictures are grouped under a single Seasons board.

I've noticed really organized people have broken down the flowers into subgroups.  I need to do that.  My flowers board has 827 pins!  Even I get exhausted looking at all those images :)

I'm not sure where to start.  It's easy to repin to a new board, but deleting the pictures from a board takes lots of clicks!  LOTS

Ha!  My addiction has not gone away.  It's merely shifted its attention.  I've gone from a Pinning Addiction, to an Editing fixation!  LOL

Meanwhile, take a look at the beautiful flowers, plants, and flower arrangements on my board.
http://pinterest.com/pinterest4jan/flowers-plants-and-floral-arrangements/

Freak Out

Last week, I followed a Pin that scared me.  It was a link to an article that spelled out the terms of the User Agreement on Pinterest.  You know, that document that no one actually reads, but that your must agree to before you have access to a site?

So, I read what was posted, and the articles posted by several other people from links on the original article.  It was scary!  Basically, we (pinners) are responsible for EVERYTHING we pin, and could be in serious violation of copyright laws and subject to fines, sanctions, and jail time!

It made perfect sense.  We've recently been through the SOPA and PIPA controversy.  I support people receiving credit and compensation for their work.

But, again, I'm not doing Pinterest to make money off other people's efforts.  I'm collecting images that make me happy.  I like to look at the pictures.  Period.  I don't intend to do anything but look at them.

The effect of the article was to curtail my enthusiasm about Pinterest.  I did very little pinning last week.  I thought about what it means for a week.

Today, I went looking for the Pin with the link to the article, so I could put it here and steer anyone interested to the information.  It wasn't there!  I looked several places, but the pin has vanished!

I took that as "permission" to move forward in my benign way and pin pictures that I find interesting, beautiful, moving and/or controversial.

I've included two (2) pins that help figure out how to Pin "correctly" and give credit to the proper person.  If you're interested.
http://thedailydigi.com/how-to-properly-pin-to-pinterest-a-tutorial/
http://www.graphicsfairy-crafts.com/2012/03/how-to-find-original-source-of-image-on.html

Unpinned

Yesterday I got two (2) letters from the Pinterest Crew saying they had to remove a picture I had posted because the owner of the photo didn't want it posted.  They told me this was an unusual request, that most people are happy to let their photos go out into the world, with the proper credit.

So, I opened the file to see the offending photos.  I expected to find wonderful photos of faraway places, taken while someone was on vacation.  One was a very ordinary picture of a flower.  The other photo was of a bird.

Wow.  Now I'm starting to take seriously that business about crediting photos.  So far, most all my pins are from pictures I've seen that others have pinned.  A few times, I've tried to click through to the original pin to see the credit info, but haven't been too successful.

Which doesn't bother me, really.  I'm not trying to sell anything, or make money from the labor of others.  My boards are for MY entertainment.  I like to look at them.  They make me happy.  In my heart, I'm so grateful to the people that have taken such great photographs.  Otherwise I'd not get to see most of these places or things or events.  I'm happy to share my photos.  Trouble is, my photos are ordinary.  I keep trying though.  One day I might just capture a moment that makes others gasp or smile or sigh.  And I'll be happy for it to go out into the world, as long as no one is selling it, or making money off it, or claiming the credit for capturing it.

By the way, I took these two photos!

Followers and Following

Today I opened the e-mail account associated with my Pinterest account, and found I had dozens of e-mails from Pinterest.

I opened one to find that someone had chosen to follow one of my boards.

It was flattering.  The e-mail asked if I wanted to follow the person back.  So, I clicked on their account and spend some time looking.  I pinned a couple of pictures, decided to follow a couple of boards.  Then I deleted the e-mail.

There were DOZENS of these e-mails.  After several hours, I'd only accessed maybe one dozen of the e-mails.  This will keep me busy for weeks!

It is a treasure chest of new pins!!  Now I'm busy looking at the pins of others, as well as my own pins.  If it makes me happy (and it does) then I don't count it as time lost, but as time well spent!

Thanks everyone that is following me, and Thanks to those that I'm following.
It's a win/win.