I’ve been thinking quite a bit about the various problems with Pinterest, some that I’ve been concerned about since joining, and others that have recently been pointed out by various blogs and websites. In fact, I almost deleted my boards over the weekend after reading this post.
Don’t get me wrong, there are quite a few things I definitely love about Pinterest. It’s such an easy way to save projects and ideas that I find online (I’ve never been good about using bookmarks to save links), not to mention the inspiration I’ve found through the pins that have been shared by those that I follow. I’m very glad to hear that Pinterest is working on coming up with some solutions!
In the meantime, Charlotte has an excellent post today on the Pinterest Predicament.
Click on over to Waltzing Matilda
to join the discussion.
What do you think of people pinning your posts and ideas? I know some bloggers encourage it because they have a visible "Pin" button. I am also glad that Pinterest seems to be working on the problem. In the meantime though, I am tempted to delete everything except my recipes boards. I really need a place to put those ideas though. I see that Charlotte of WM had a site called EverNote listed in her post, that allows you to save links directly from web sites. Does anyone have experience with this site? This would be quite a project for me, but worth it! I love all the ideas on Pinterest…
Ah, I had a feeling someone was going to ask me that question! It is one that I have been avoiding answering… 🙂
In the past I have been very selective in allowing my pictures to be reposted. I also have my blog set on a short feed so that my pictures don't end up all over the internet, beginning with RSS feeds. This is one of the conditions my husband and I agreed on when I began blogging… It isn't set that way to increase my stats, or to force my readers to click over to see my posts.
I have been accused in the past of just wanting the credit for the things that I post, but that is not the case. What I share here is not a business… It is my life, and the lives of my children and family. Everything I post here is very personal to me. Charlotte said it best when she wrote: " I share them on my blog to give thanks for the goodness of God and to hopefully allow the Holy Spirit to work through me to inspire someone else. I don’t want to be selfish but the virtue of justice does let us claim what is our own and for me, my pictures are my memories."
At first I refused to join Pinterest since it seemed just like the clearinghouse type blogs, featuring things that are not theirs to share. I also didn't want to add another time taking internet activity to my already limited amount of time online. I later justified it to myself and others, that it was just like a customized google search… I was finding all sorts of inspiration, and started pinning away, not fully reading the terms of service. I've been making more new recipes than usual, and finding great ideas for organizing our home.
I feel honored that others were inspired enough by my blog to want to Pin some of our ideas and traditions!
I didn't realize until now that, unlike a google image search, if and when the image is deleted from my blog, it will remain on Pinterest – not only once, where it was pinned the first time, but over and over again for each time it is repinned. And that Pinterest claims the right to do whatever they would like with these images. I also didn't understand the "embed" feature, and really don't like that Pinterest users are able to "embed" my pictures to their own blogs, which then link back to Pinterest. I don't know about you, but I would feel pretty violated if my children's pictures and pictures of my home started ending up on other blogs!
Actually, just last week I had an email from an online acquaintance letting me know that she ran across one of my photos on another blog (a blog I had never even heard of) without so much as a link to the source. In the comments she was told just how great "her" cherry cheese coffee cake looked! 🙂 It was also then "featured" on another blog, and then "pinned" all over pinterest. This is just one example of how copyright infringements can snowball.
Sigh… so, what to do? I've been taking my time making any decisions, hoping that Pinterest will come up with some solutions of their own. In the meantime, Sarah and Pam have come up with a plan that sounds very reasonable.
To get back to your actual questions… In the past, and at this point (though I may change my mind in the future, depending on what happens with Pinterest), I do not have a problem with people pinning from Shower of Roses (and they may certainly pin from Catholic Cuisine) Eventually I will put something in my sidebar, or at the bottom of posts, and I may ask that everyone avoids repinning pictures of my children. I just ask that you please make sure the link takes you to the actual post that contains the picture that is pinned and not the image alone or my home page. Thank you!
Thank you for that detailed answer! I understand the problem. It really IS a problem. I didn't realize though, that Pinterest saved a picture even if a blog post was deleted. Very interesting. I read Sarah and Pam's post and I think that is a smart course of action. Thanks again!
I know there are people who are waiting to see what Pinterest does but I didn't feel like I could continue to be there under their current terms.
Sure I'm OK with people pinning my items as long as they give credit but I'm NOT OK with that meaning Pinterest now owns it and can use or sell it as they wish!
Of course anyone would want FREE adspace.But it isn't free. The "price" is that they now own it and can do what they want with it. You know what they say, if you're not paying for it, you're not the customer, you're the product.
Thank you but I'll pass.
Mind you Facebook is the same. We "pay" for our time there with them using what they know to monetize us. For now I'm willing to pay that but I'm not willing to grant Pinterest free and complete use of my images for a little "free" advertising.
I realize too that some people think I have jumped the gun on this and am acting paranoid. That's OK I can live with that too. 🙂