By Kate Space
SC Staff Writer
Just when users thought that Facebook and Twitter were dominating the world of social media, along came a new website that has taken the internet by storm, gaining mass popularity among internet surfers. So, what exactly is Pinterest?
The site basically operates as a large virtual bulletin board on which users can ‘pin’ their favorite things. The entire website is centered on photos and other images in a variety of categories, ranging from hairstyles, art, inspirational quotes, home décor, travel destinations, dogs—literally anything and everything users could possibly be interested in. Users are able to use the free network to browse through thousands of images and then pin them to the board(s) they have created as a way of organizing the things they find online that interest them, allowing users to share their interests with others. Much like Twitter, Pinterest lets users follow other users’ boards, allowing them to see when new material is pinned or a new pinboard is created.
The creators of Pinterest—a small team of people working together in Palo Alto, California—describe the photo-sharing network as “an expression of who [our users] are. People use pinboards to plan their weddings, decorate their homes, and share their favorite recipes.”
The team encourages users to link their pins back to their original sources so that others can easily find the items in their original form.
Pinterest is currently an invite-only network—users may request an invite from the Pinterest homepage or receive an invite from someone who is already a part of the Pinterest community. Once an individual has received an invite, they can register for Pinterest via Facebook or Twitter, where they can choose to allow their pins to be seen by other users on those social media networks as well.
To learn more about Pinterest or to request an invite and start pinning, visit www.pinterest.com.
Email Kate at:
kls9531@live.esu.edu
