As of late the momentum of social sharing has shifted. The multitude of sharing sites, tools, and software over the years is staggering. Many failures, and numerous social divisions have formed keeping sharing to cliques depending on the community or venue an individual chooses to jump on and share with. The sharing dynamic has now reached a new level though, and it is Pinteresting to see...
Like many, I started noticing friends on Facebook randomly posting things via Pinterest. Since the number of Apps that people use and I see drool down my feed it passed without much care on my part. Like a snowball, it moved from a random trickle to a steady stream. Of course, i'm always on board to try something new, and despite many let downs in the sharing apps and sites I have tried, I signed up.
Maybe I am unique, but most of my life I have always liked making lists. As a youth, I would compile fantasy lists from catalogs for all the toys I wanted. Later, it was car stereo equipment, then fishing gear. Catalogs are now unending on the web. Access to them is not limited to knowing someone that would get them in the mail. Soon after signing up, I found myself in a mode similar to a obsessed collector or hoarder.
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| My own Pinterest boards. |
Oddly, in this new incarnation, making these lists is more fun. It works as a bookmark to things you may find while shopping or browsing along. A central place to keep your Amazon wishlist, along with your Backcountry.com list or anything you find virtually anywhere online, even logging some fun things found while Stumbling. You can pin anything from recipes to videos.
Besides the mild excitement from having an item that I pinned, liked, or re-pinned, I could see what others have listed themselves and add things I may never have found. You can follow, or be followed. From Zombie Apocalypse lists, to Fashion shopping lists, if there is an interest, there is a collection on Pinterest, or room to add your own.
My first list was an Apocalypse theme. No, i'm not writing this from 30 feet below ground in a concrete bunker, sitting on my stockpile of ammunition and crackers. It was just a fun list to make. That list soon evolved into a new list of Adventure Gear. With Hiking and biking season now approaching, we have been breaking out the backpacks and gear. While going over what we have, and what we will need for this year, I decided to pin the list. It morphed into a monstrous survival cache that far exceeds our funding or need. But it was a blast to make. It also serves as a wishlist and a reference for things found and where. If I need to get some new boots, I have several pinned on the list to check out.
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| The Adventure Gear Board |
Some of the fun comes from the social side of the app. Friends can comment, like, and share items from one another. It adds a dynamic that helps one feel less insane for making the list, or in some cases, look more insane. I was sure my apocalypse list was going to stir some friends up and garner some snide comments. Nope. Instead, others began to make their own, and I was surprised the things they had pinned. The there is that "one guy" who just shocks everyone with a list of cat breeds he likes, or that seemingly sweet, dainty little woman from work that pins her obsession with serial killers and autopsy photos.
Pinterest really adds a new dimension to the social world by bridging the gap in sharing communities. It also allows you to link to Facebook, and Twitter to make your finds and pins part of the days social interaction. As with all concepts, it sometimes takes several attempts to stick. There surely have been other "similar" apps and sites like this, but without a following, the social aspect failed. Pinterest seems to have the magic mix. Give it a try, and look me up, it only adds to the fun to have others with similar interests involved.
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