Pinterest is killing you softly with its song

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Be careful. Pinterest is filling you with unattainable dreams about how your life will never be. I know it is blasphemous to say such things about the god fearing pinterest, but it had to be said.

I have a number of problems with what pinterest is doing to you. And so should you.

1. People post dessert far too much. I mean come on. Who eats that much dessert. No one. Not even  the Duggars.

2. You will never have a house with rooms like you pin. Yes that million dollar kitchen you just posted does not exist not for you, not for me, only Blue Ivy. And that bathroom overlooking the jungles of Tahiti, you are more likely to sleep with Johnny Depp than have that house.

3. The I am not pregnant do not have any kids, but pin about my future unborn children. Maybe you are not superstitious, but don’t go selling the milk before you bought the cow. I can’t even imagine what it would feel like to find out I couldn’t have kids and have 100 pins about babies.

4. My style. I don’t know how to say this, but that picture of the super cute outfit looks just like all the other outfits you posted with different colors. Wearing jeans, shoes, jewelry, and a shirt is not a “style,” it is just the same boring outfit every teenager out there wears. But if you were going for that teenage look then, success!

5. The whole legality issue. You have no legal right to republish peoples original work. What does pinterest say about that, well that you won’t pin anything unless you have expressed consent to pin it. So can someone come after you for repinning something of theirs, yep.

Will I keep pinning, absolutely. I am addicted. It is too late for me. Save yourself …. if you can…

302 thoughts on “Pinterest is killing you softly with its song”

    • Doesn’t reblogging fall into the same category as repinning? I’m all for it by the way, but feel they are the same sort of thing. So long as original credit is given, then I can’t see the harm.

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      • Dear sterlingsop,

        Repinning? This is new to me :). In case of reblogging, readers will obviously taken to the original block, whereby if I copy something somewhere ~I will definetely put some credit to the original sites/writer.

        Sharing is good -it enables more readerships and viewers -IMHO..
        thank you
        Destiny

      • @mydestiny2011 Repinning is the same as rebloging. If you click the picture it will take you back to the original link of where the 1st person who pinned that picture got it from.
        I’m not sure about the legality of it, but by keeping that link, you are technically crediting the original poster.
        Either way Pinterest is amazing! It’s a virtual dream board that most of us are too lazy to make. (Btw it’s said that if you do indeed make a dream board, eventually those dreams do come true – sometimes without you realizing right away)
        Sharing IS caring.

  6. I’m just perplexed by the whole craze. I’ve joined (only due to peer pressure), but I kinda got over the idea of bulletin boards with my fave pics after the years of Teen Beat and Milli Vanilli.

    But maybe I’m just odd like that…

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  9. I think it like most things in life, it’s all in how you use what your are given.
    I find it an invaluable tool to find sites and projects that I might not have ever come across any other way.
    I do my best to pin from the actual sites though, so that I am not just mindlessly re-pinning something that I never even took the time to check into.
    That said, I am guilty of pinning tons of desserts. I can’t help it. It’s my drug of choice to tease myself with pictures of things that, even if I made them, I shouldn’t eat.

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  10. HA, hilarious post. I chuckled reading it… so true! A friend and I discussed the possibility of hidden boards, where we would pin the embarrassing stuff like hair removal techniques, anti-cellulite cream wonders and… yes, the hidden board about our future weddings while still being single!

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  13. I enjoy a bit of pinning, but I agree get a wedding pinboard when you are engaged!!!!! Get a baby board when you are pregnant!!!!!! I try to use it for inspiration mostly travel and food and pin only now and then.

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  14. My name is Kris F and I am a Pinterest addict. I love the DIY section although I am not a craftsy person. I pinned recipes but I’m the microwave queen. I am not sure why i pin what I do but I love doing it.

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  15. I’ve been successfully resisting the pinterest call… just about. I REALLY don’t want to get addicted to it, even though it brings me many views. I think it’s just because it’s pretty – people like to have ambition and dreams and pinterest embodies it. Your first point really calls to me since my dessert recipes always perform better than my savoury… which really annoys me 😦

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  16. For me however, pinning is not about dreaming impossible dreams but more of just getting inspirations and the thrill of seeing interesting things. 🙂

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  20. Your post is a SCREAM! I haven’t been on Pintrest, but I totally get it! Sounds like fun, but no wonder North Americans are knee-deep in hock, have so much “stuff” they spend half their waking hours trying to figure out how to “de-clutter” and suffering an obesity epidemic! We have been brow-beaten by media to ASPIRE day and night for things, are now aspiring in the “virtual” world where advertising can bombard us in our homes all day long, and we sit in front of the computer to do it all day instead of “living”. On that note, I am going to rebel, by getting up from this desk, going outsite in the beautiful sun and working on my lovely garden (and health), for FREE. Thanks for the push. https://patinaandcompany.wordpress.com/

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  22. Try my solution, it works perfectly. I haven’t joined Pinterest!!!
    Aaaargh, help, the social media police are banging on my door for crimes against startups!!! Help meeeeeee!!

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  23. Pinterest is like a siren song among my friends — one after the other, going down, and hard. I’m a holdout still — not that it wouldn’t be RIGHT up my alley, because it would. But I know enough about my OCD personality to not even go there!

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  24. I admit I don’t really get Pinerest. That, and the last thing I need is another social networking site sucking out my time, energy, and will to live. I’ll continue my life-sucking obsession with wordpress and Facebook. A girl has to have priorities, afterall.

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  27. I like pinterest, too.

    As far as the whole legality issue, can’t you argue that’s just a visual bookmarks bar? You know, using the picture as a link back to the site so you can reproduce that crafty ornament or delicious looking recipe at a later date without having to search the web for it again?

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  28. I deleted my boards with the exception of the ones with my own stuff on it. I love it and will love following others, but I won’t be repinning. It makes me very sad… Sigh. Oh well.

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  29. I’ve not jumped on the pinterest bandwagon yet, but the more everyone talks about it, the more difficult it becomes on not sign up for one. more. thing. 🙂

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  30. Funny! I don’t Pinterest b/c if I have to remember one more log-in and password my head might explode. Not to mention I don’t need anymore personally tailored advertisements sent my way! Cue the gloom & doom music for all of us pessimists…

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  32. I’ve noticed the same thing, most photos pinned are about what people think they want, not what they have….its like a crazy “I’m going to show the world what my life should be” weirdness. It needs to be sub-titled “Dear Santa, this is what you forgot…..”. Thanks for the giggle !

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  33. That’s really funny, I was just on Pinterest today and I was also thinking about what a silly distraction and waste of time it is. I did it in the beginning just to see what everyone was getting all excited about. I have too many other things to do. If I had a tablet I might do it while waiting for a Dr.’s appointment or on an airplane, that’s the only time I look at magazines, and that’s what Pinterest reminds me of, browsing a magazine when you have nothing better to do (but who has nothing better to do?).

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  34. I may be falling behind the times, I don’t Pintrest. I just jumped the Twitter bandwagon a few months ago, and still have trouble grasping its usefulness. Also have an iPhone without a data plan, so my phone is just a touch screen… phone. I see celebs starting to mention it and wonder if they were told to use it…. 😛
    P.S. I love my odds on #2!

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  38. hello fellow addict! for once in our house I was ahead of the game and joined pinterest relatively early. Then invited my daughter who is not thanking me for it! 🙂 Me, I am building that dream house, despite knowing I will most likely never live in a house like that, but my addiction is travel places…….so far I will have to live at least another 100 years to get to them all. However, much as I realise that…I pin on simply coz the dream is better than the reality. One day I will die and I wont even know I didnt get to all those places. But, boy is it fun to dream. As for repinning, my opinion is that if you upload it on pinterest then accept that someone will repin it, or dont bother with opening an account….get over it. I am very happy that folks repin my website, the hits have increased substantially. Anyhow my best photos are not on the boards, they are just a taster.
    Loved that you made a blog about this!
    regards
    Cindy
    @notjustagranny

    Reply

  39. I totally agree! The recipes got me too…I am still trying to figure out just what the deal is with it anyway….who posts all these pictures anyway?? But I continue to re-pin and flip through. Happy pinning!

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  40. do you have a support group where you go over the meanings of your posts cause I was a philosophy major and can’t figure out what you mean by “pinning”…it could mean so very many things…you know? I think “pinning” on a corsege for instance but when I write that a little disembodied entity flicks my ear and says; “that’s not what she means and you know it….” Does that happen to you? It’s redious and continues until I finally grasp the true meaning of the writer…a meaning that is demonstrable…you know? Now here’s the super coincidence of this post: my name is Arthur Shepherd and I’m 56 but there is another Arthur Shepherd who used to have a blog called: “The World According To Arthur Shepherd” in which he admitted that he was “gay for Johnny Depp even though he processed to be “not gay” in general….how weird is that? I mean on a scale from 1-10…be specific….I don’t feel that way about Mr. Depp at all so I guess “pinning” may not hold all much disappoint for me cause I simply don’t need that kind of shit…or want it….I mean are there any reports availble outlining how well Depp might fare in actual “reality” situations? No. It’s a secret cause if there were such reports people would not be able to rationalize paying so much to watch him pretend to be something he’s not….oops!!! Now I’ll never get a role in Hollywood will I? Ironic….don’t you think? Oodles of irony in this one so thank you for posting….youi make me glad I learned how to read….

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  41. i have to admit im a pinterest addict.. but i really find a lot of useful stuff for inspiration with art, recipes and diy crafts.. your blog definitely made me laugh though! i see exactly what you mean often lol

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  42. “I can’t even imagine what it would feel like to find out I couldn’t have kids and have 100 pins about babies.”
    I can’t have kids, but since the desire isn’t there then you won’t find that on my pininterest. Nope..I’m the one that pins on homes and how I wish my outdoor area looked like…oh, well…it can’t happen. Sigh.

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  46. I haven’t gotten to the soul-sucking proportion yet, but I do thing the house ideas could be jumping off points for more practical, cheaper, DIY-ish solutions to make it look somewhat like what they want. 🙂 I personally enjoy the wedding/apartment ideas because I’ve never been one to know exactly what I want for either of those, good to remember the ideas to put to use later. 🙂

    great post! Congrats on Freshly Pressed 😀

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  47. I have tried to get into Pinterest, because I like the daydream idea of it, and I love vision boards. Try as I might, it hasn’t taken hold. My time spent feels empty. I would rather read clever blogs.

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  48. My daughters are consumed with Pinterest. I occasionally pin, but I’m realistic about it. I KNOW I won’t ever do anything I’ve pinned. It’s like playing a game for me: there’s no purpose, but every few weeks, it’s fun to move game pieces around just for kicks.

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  51. I also am not part of the Pinterest craze…yet. It alarms me when everyone (literally everyone) I talk to that’s on Pinterest says they’re addicted. Good addicted or bad addicted? I’m trying to figure it out.

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  52. I love Pinterest. I think it’s a great way to keep track of things you find around the web, since it keeps the link attached to the photo. It’s also great to share awesome recipes and cool kids gadgets with your friends.

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  53. I love #4! That is funny and very true! When I started @Pinterest I had the “My Style” Board. But I believe that “style” is not just clothes. Eventually, I got rid of the “My Style” Page. Not necessary…

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  54. I’d been looking at Pinterest for promoting a design blog I am working on, but wanted to use it to promote my creations. Only issue is they seem to discourage people from using it for self-promotion. I got to admit it’s confusing…..then I see in a article by Inc.com that the likes of Martha Stewart, Michael Kors, Pepsi, and Nike are using it for marketing. The article indicates small businesses with business increases since they started with Pinterest. Requires further study…..

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  55. Congrats on Freshly Pressed!
    And yea I dont get ‘pininterest’ but then I dont ‘tweet’ either. WordPress is my addition of choice with just enough obsessing over Facebook to provide a change of scenery.
    But a great article.

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  57. It’s too late.. I was dragged into the Golden abyss yesterday and now I want to trash my house and start over..LOL..
    Funny post!!
    Lynne

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  58. Totally valid points but I love me some pintrest… And since someone gets to have that amazing Tahitian bathroom can’t think of any reason it’s shouldn’t be me…the second sink is for Johnny Depp.
    With all the controversy over Pintrest someone should create a “Please Pin” button so people know it’s safe to pin.

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  61. pintrest isn’t fun unless youre a women. I found it to be quite boring. A younger version of pintrest like tumblr is a better solution.

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  62. I understand Pinterest about as well as I understand Twitter speak. What I wonder is at what point do you start doing the shit you pin? However, my girlfriend has made some damn good meals from recipes she found there. But the home and closet/style ideas? It just gives me douche chills when I see “My dream closet”.

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    • I have cooked every recipe I have pinned sans one, and made a few of the DIY projects. My wife made we a really cool chandelier from there. But I have yet to find my dream closet. Maybe one day if I am lucky I will find it. It’s probably drunk on street corner in Austin just waiting for me.

      Reply

  65. I’m a crocheter and handicraft-type kinda gal so my boards are about all things arty. I wouldn’t DARE post my style (“style” she says, as if a 40 yr old mother of two with frizzy hair and a lot of padding round her middle can by “stylish” hah!) and as for remodelling my house then forget it. The styles and ideas shared on pinterest are just the stuff of dreams – house designer’s dreams, not normal people’s dreams – and what real people with real lives want their houses to look like would just be waterproof, kidproof, TIDY spaces and not the works of art pinterest would want us to believe.

    But I love it and would defend it to death!! 🙂

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  66. Proceed with caution! Eek! Wondered the same – what’s the point of pinning pretty pictures on yet another social networking site?! I had just committed to myself that must get back to reading books again… Sigh. It has been two days and you can hear the sucking sound. It’s addictive. Maybe as my friend said that invited me (darn her!) -it’s an escape into ‘pretty’ and ‘things that make you happy.’

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  67. I don’t understand any of this. I get nothing out of pinning anything on my site except fun. I do not pin people’s artwork that is explicitly for sale on their website. Maybe if Pinterest made it so that when the picture was clicked on it went to the original hosts site?
    But honestly? When I type “black kitten” into Google, at LEAST 12 pictures of the SAME black cat come up. Same,pose, same background.. it’s the same damn cat. So somewhere along the line, the ORIGINAL picture was taken and used over and over again on various sites. So what if I pinned one of THOSE pictures, that someone already “borrowed.” What then?

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  68. Pinterest is the new black! haha! I am so addicted I need meetings for support! Congrats to you on being Freshly Pressed, great topic choice! 😀

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  70. Love the humour in your post…you hit the nail on the head in pinpointing the surrealism surrounding pinterest and the fact that however out of touch with reality it may be, people will still continue pinning! With life as mundane as it often is, a little escapism & wishful thinking can’t be so bad =)

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  72. My husband signed me up. I am beginning to think he signed up for himself, though, because he spends an awful lot of time on it! Of course, it looks like I spend a lot of time on it, so he never has to admit that it was actually him…

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  74. I’m addicted, and I am guilty of pinning things I will never own, projects that I will never complete. I call the places I may never go my “dream vacations” and I decorate my “imaginary dream home”. I do draw the line at weddings and babies. Yes, there are a lot of gorgeous and adorable things in those categories, but I don’t have a boyfriend and I don’t see myself with children anytime soon. I will like something from that category to show my parent friends and those who are getting married, but then I just send them invites and they can pin all their baby and wedding dreams to their heart’s content.

    To my credit, there are some DIY cleaners that I have actually made and swear by. So I wouldn’t completely dissuade people from trying it out. I have tried a majority of the recipes, though not all of the deserts… I’m afraid if I made most of those, you would need to move me around with a crane.

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  75. Pinterest killed my cat and then made a DIY throw pillow out of him. I’m still pissed about that.

    But seriously, I agree completely. I quit Pinterest after I wasted an entire Saturday flitting from feathered shoes to feathered dresses and then feathered hairpieces and still haven’t bought or made any of them, 6 months later. Dammit, Pinterest. You and your feathers on EVERYTHING.

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  76. Been meaning to blog about this too. I’ve noticed I use it differently from how most people do… Mine is more a scrapbook of people who inspire me and things that make me smile.

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  77. I’m addicted!!! Only negative thing I’ve run into is when I like someone’s pin, go to see about where to buy and it’s out of stock or no longer available! That’s a drag!

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  81. Great post! I am a fellow Pinterest addict. What I find crazy is I can always seem to find the time to waste pinning random things onto my Pinterest boards that I want to one day work on but when it comes right down to actually doing these projects, I can’t seem to find the time! ~Chrissy

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  83. This is great! I’m on Pinterest, but just the other day I was thinking that if everyone ate all the food that they “pinned,” they wouldn’t be able to fit into those cute clothes on their Style Boards. Basically, I just use Pinterest to promote my blogs. Use the system…

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  85. I was addicted to Pinterest within seconds! My addiction is officially equivalent to that of a crack whore. Now I have my own little “system” if you will….when my eyes feel like they are bleeding thats my cue to “back away from the keyboard.! Lisa

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  88. thank you for writing this. i had gotten to wrapped up in pinterest to realize these things and i’m usually so much better.
    and i also think that people post too many deserts- it’s like watching food network all day and thinking you’re a foodie.
    thank you again.

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  89. i gave up on it about three days in, i couldn’t figure the website, it pissed me off, and that was that. Hell, I have a much better vision board in my head, no web site needed there.

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  90. Pinterest is definitely addicting! While I do not have an account, I use Pinterest to save pictures that I find either pretty or inspiring, with the realization that many things are unattainable. I found your comment about dessert humorous; it definitely puts pressure on everyone to make a Martha Stewart level treat at their next party. With everyone surfing Pinterest, a plain jane cake might fall flat. As for those houses, everyone dreams of being a millionaire, Pinterest or no Pinterest. The health and fitness pages also provide unrealistic ideals, but so do most weight loss blogs and magazines. I have thought about the copyright as well, but I believe all things pinned link back to the original website. This post was clever because it points out the futility in something that we can’t help but carry on with anyway!

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  92. Pingback: Blog Comments 2 « Erica Earl Journalism

  93. Pinterest looks fun. 🙂 But I feel that I already have waaay too many social networks to maintain. @_@ facebook, twitter and instagram are already a handful for my blog… and i’m just getting started. HAHA!

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  95. Pinterest got me a while ago. It is indeed addicting! I use it to gain ideas/inspiration and to daydream. I know I will never be able to afford that $500 outfit, but I know I could come up with something similar with items already in my closet.
    And yessss DESERT! So good. Haha. I do love the recipes!

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  97. I can’t stop pinning…seriously, I’m an addict. You make some good points. It’s insanely bad for the whole trying to be content with what you have thing. I’m also in the midst of planning a wedding, so it’s been a life-saver on that front because I am definitely not especially gifted at planning anything. Pros and cons…

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  98. I joined Pinterest last week, used it maybe about two days and I’m over it. It’s just like another Facebook or an Instagram of other peoples pictures. When I pinned something about clothes I would most likely write how I liked how it looked but probably wouldn’t wear it. Also, I hate the quotes, specially the love, relationship or friend quotes. They’re things you will pin but won’t probably really mean or understand.

    In other words, I’m sticking to my Facebook which I am addicted to and I will leave the pinning to other people.

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  99. I’m sunk, hook (or dare I say PIN), line and sinker! REally cute post though! I agree 100% although now that Johnny Depp is single again, here’s hoping our odds increased!

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  102. I really LOLed (or laughed quietly to myself). So true. Hate to say it though, I’m addicted to ‘pinning’. It’s made me realize there’s a whole other kind of life I want to be living — and I hadn’t realized I wanted some of these things until I started to pin. I like to think of it as inspiration and motivation. Yes, I’m a sucker, but I don’t mind it.

    http://thegoodmoodfoods.wordpress.com/

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  104. Hello! I’m a Pinterest member but I haven’t just figured out the whole thing yet. Hmm…so maybe I should stop now while I’m not yet addicted. Lol. Love this post though.

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  105. i have 2 things to say: 1) pinning about your future wedding when you are nowhere close to the end of your single days is problematic. (guilty) and 2) in response to the “My Style” pins…svpply.com! it’s the bees knees and takes pinning style to a whole new level.

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  106. I was invited to join as well, and I checked into it. But I cannot, for any rhyme or reason, comprehend the value of it. Maybe it’s because I’m so busy, running a business and working at two other jobs as well. I can see some value in Facebook and blogs, because the people involved can actually communicate ideas and ideals — and perhaps even say some things that help people have better lives. But I just cannot bring myself to see any value in Pinterest at all. Evidently, that’s a good thing. At least I won’t have to fight any addiction.
    Cute post. And congratulations on being chosen for “Freshly Pressed.”

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  107. *truly laughing* that’s f-ing great! i started to do the whole pintrest thing. then i realized that i was spending basically the majority of my time spent on the computer combing the internet for things to pin and not doing any of the actual things. which i believe was your basic point and has most likely already been stated like seven thousand times in the plethora of comments here lol. i did have a different point though. something about my mother and my sister and the fact that they are somehow magically either always on pintrest looking for projects or recipes, finding things to pin, or actually doing the things that they find,,,i don’t know how they do it, in truth….

    maybe i didn’t have another pointt. its past two in the morning and i have a three year old, coming onto wordpress (or touching the comp at all) has definitely proved a mistake, possibly fatal. we’ll find out tomorrow.

    i shouldn’t have even posted this rambly thing. but i typed it dammit…

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  108. I haven’t even joined yet, but it sounds pretty dumb.
    And yeah, the legality thing. Seriously. You cannot just take pictures off the internet and post it.
    That’s why all my pics for anything I do are either of my face, because I own it, or drawn by me. I own it all! SNAP!
    Oh and, like. Who cares what other people like? Can’t we all just go to a simpler time? When people just kept their weird ass interests to themselves.

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  109. NeverContrary this is all so true yet very sad! I try to be the person on Pinterest who just posts about cute puppies and funny things but I’m already so annoyed by the wedding albums. I want to get married just as much as the next girl but just stop already with the pinning of cakes and dresses and AH!!!

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  111. I mostly use it to collect quotes, but now that actually planning my wedding, there’s that, too.

    I sense ‘there’s an App for that’ will become ‘there’s a Board for that.’, in general. If it hasn’t happened already.

    Lorna

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  112. Enjoyed it for a couple of weeks. Incredible time waster. Then I started hearing a very snarky voice in my head with nasty negative responses to some of the comments and knew it was time to leave while I still had some dignity. Picked up some great garden ideas and recipes while I was there though.

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  119. The desert bit is sooo true, lol. I’ve never really thought about making deserts because my sweet tooth cannot be trusted, but now…I pin deserts and sometimes make them and then I suffer the consequences :(. I’m still on board though, totally addicted.

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  120. I feel like an old man when it comes to social media–I’m 25. I can visualize and conceptualize the niftiness and the fun of all our facebookaroos, redditititits, pinnyarcadeterests, and all that good stuff. Maybe one day I will master it all. One day.

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  121. Hahahah you are HILARIOUS! These were insightful thoughts that needed to be said. You are a trip.
    I will pin or re-pin your blog. hahahahaah Pinning!!! Duh!

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  123. Again? Geez, girl! You know how to write ’em. No need to reply. I just wanted to let you know that made me smile. Look for your pingback on pi day… 🙂

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  125. Yup, but that’s the way our brains work — especially women/mothers/young women. It’s all fantasy and aspirational — magical thinking. Kept around from when we were little kids.

    That’s all that sells — in the richest country and the richest country in the history of the world. But you know that. Pretty boring, alienating from yourself and others (aka dehumanizing) huh?

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  126. I haven’t joined the Pinterest hype yet. But your post made me laugh! I also heard people can get sued over some things they pin because of copyrighting! yikes!

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  130. Congrats on FP!

    I have avoided Pinterest. I signed up, but I’ve never logged in. My sense of style can be summed up as “track suit,” and I don’t think the world needs to see it.

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  131. LOL! You speak it truthfully. I am in my fifth day of refraining to look…at … pinterest. Must not look. It is a little too idealistic for me. Where are the weeds and the dirty laundry?

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  133. I’m on a BIG pinterest break right now. And believe me, I love it; I’m addicted too. But I’m having some issues.

    The biggest issue I have is that Pinterest says (and I paraphrase here):
    1.) Don’t promote yourself
    2.) Don’t pin images that you do not have the legal right to pin (i.e., anything that is not your own)
    3.) We (Pinterest) now own your image that you pinned and can do anything we want with it. Really.

    I also don’t like that people don’t pin from original sources (a MAJOR issue I have with Tumblr) and so there are plenty of folks having their images drive traffic to someone else’s blog… w/o due credit. And if said blogs happen to have advertisements… then I REALLY have an issue that someone folks are making money off of other people’s work. I’m not completely above reproach here either, but now that I’m educated, I’m doing my best.

    I’m ready for them to get it all straight so that I can go back to pinning away!!! I hate that I love it so much!

    Congrats on freshly pressed!

    P.S. An interesting link on the issue:
    http://lovelife.typepad.com/my_weblog/2012/02/not-pining-for-pinning.html

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  134. It is interesting to think of the argument that the media is dictating our likes and dislikes to us and that they are all things we will never (or most likely never) be; “be thinner, smarter, happier, healthier, richer, famous, etc.” It seems with Pinterest we have come full circle. Now we are representing to ourselfs and peers a self-controlled (even if it is though pictures supplied by other sources) media that is just recreating the same old corp. media rather than something original.

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  135. I love Pinterest. I’m absolutely addicted, mostly to the DIY stuff. I’ve actually completed a few projects I found on their. Also, my husband and I have purchased land and will be building a house sometime in the future so I enjoy the house-related ideas. I think they’ll be handy when it comes time to design our home. And, the baby/children stuff gives me good ideas for birthday presents and baby shower gifts. I’m not one of those crazies wanting children so bad that I’m pinning things for my future children. I’m still in that “I don’t want kids anytime soon as in not in the next several years” place in life. The one I really don’t get is why all of these women, who mind you don’t even have boyfriends, are pinning wedding stuff. Seriously? You should probably get engaged or even be close to getting engaged before you go there. That said, I wish Pinterest was around when I got married in 2010. I completely would have used it for ideas, but then again I was engaged and was actually planning a real event, not one that would take place sometime in the distant future.

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  139. I’m really enjoy Pinterest but none of my friends are on it (or any other form of social networking). 😦 I love it as a way of finding fantastic images that I wouldn’t otherwise see. However, I do wonder about the copyright side. I’ve wanted to pin a few images I’ve found on Redbubble and deviantArt but haven’t for fear of the law coming crashing down on me because artists have stated ‘no distribution in any way, shape or form’ on their art.

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  140. I had to stop looking at Pinterest and blogs the other day because I was getting so discouraged that I had a million DIY projects to do to get my house to look anything like in those pictures. No Tahiti views for me anytime soon 🙂 Besides, now that EVERYONE does DIY projects and Pinterest, it’s not so unique anymore.

    Oh, those Christmas ornaments are only $8 without the hassle of buying glue and getting glitter everywhere and stress of making it look just like the one on Pinterest? Sign me up! 🙂

    Fun post—I really enjoyed it!

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  142. love this – so very true. am quite addicted. got a little freaked out when the US Army decided to follow me… I was like “oh shit they are tracking your wife even on here now!” to my husband.

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      • Eh you throw in a pin every so often that says something about loving your soldier or proud to be an Army wife – keeps em happy. Twitter though – I’ve gotten some responses that are laughable since they followed me there too.

  144. Pinterest is making the rounds of the WP blogosphere lately. I don’t quite understand it – perhaps I’m too old. So, you take a picture of something you like, from a magazine or another site, and you pin it? Then what? Other people see your picture and “like” it or “follow” it. Is that how it works? At first I thought it was a site about cooking, sewing, decorating, etc. But now as you explain it, it seems to be a site about wishing you were doing those things instead of actually doing them? Hmmmm – I guess I am too old.
    Anyway, I enjoyed your numerous take on it, and maybe I’ll understand it someday. Congratulation for getting Freshly Pressed.

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  147. This is funny. I too am addicted and don’t see an end to the pinning in site, but you make all very valid points!

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  150. Well I love this article because it’s hilariously true, but I just can’t get into the pinning thing. Perhaps I’ll try again. When I get around to it, the next big thing will probably be out by then though.

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  151. Great post, I dont use the site, I dont see the point to it, it is just another cog in the wheel of social media, there will be more

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  153. Hilarious!!!! I’m not too into Pinterest…..luckily I guess!! haha! I go on more to look…not to post. It’s fun to look at. 🙂

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  154. The “Power of the Pin” made it into my blog post today too. I know what you mean about the outlandish pins of the dreamers. For me, it’s turned into an exercise of virtual hoarding… which has resulted in actual hoarding! Pin a way to repurpose magazines = save a crapload of magazines!

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  156. I have resisted the urge to join Pinterest. I’m not sure if your post aids my resolve or not. I’m just not sure how the whole thing works. I’ve often thought I need a bulletin board. For now maybe I’ll just continue my ancient traditional art of sticking ideas and stuff on the fridge. Unless… Can I stalk my “friends” on Pinterest?

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  157. AH, I recently posted about pinterest as well, it’s so addicting! I contemplated stopping after reading another article about the whole issue of legality, but i just can’t stop myself either!

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  158. Okay – fellow FP blogger today (what a nice surprise!) – I seriously think I need to read this blog through and through..I have only seen 2 posts so far and I like what I see! Great post today…truly! Thanks!

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  159. I think that pinterest is great for collecting all your inspiration into one place. I post alot of dessert pictures but seriously they are so helpful. Everytime we go to a friends for dinner or I need to make something fancy for it I don’t need to do all the searching for it because I’ve already done it and they are there for me to just choose one. I think it’s a fantastic website.. but I dont use it for social networking or for other peoples purpose and I dont care if anyone follows me or if anyone cares what i post i just use it for myself.. its better than saving all my pictures in a folder on my computer trust me..

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  160. I tried browsing it a couple of times but it seemed to me bursting at the seams with super judgemental religious fanatics scrambling to outdo each other in their judgement of ‘lesser’ believers.. That made me never want to go back. Oh and all the pins of wardrobes/ costume sets – what’s with that?

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      • Ya definitely a deterrent for me XP I was having a casual giggle at the anti-motivational pins and suddenly there was this pin of someone’s kid next to the freeway with a sign saying he was a drug abusing masturbator and from there on it was just a slippery slope down the ‘he’s obviously not been smacked enough’ rant-category =S

  164. I never really thought about pinterest in that way. You make a great point,however I like pinterest more for the inspiration it provide – the ideas, creative escapes, etx. As a visual person, pinterest is a little piece of heaven on earth for me!

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  165. In a flurry I was Pin-crazy…but it’s tempered a bit now. Regardless I found your take to be funny. I like pinning to see my sense of style and interest in one place without having to cut n paste stuff on bristol board or Photoshop. Full dislosure, I will have a Pin quality house / kitchen here very shortly.

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  166. I’m sorry but I disagree with your post. I can understand what you’re saying; I too wrote a blog about pinterest a couple of months ago. Yet regardless of the way you feel about it, there’s no denying that Pinterest is an impressive website that deserves credit. There may be many many unattainable things for some people on there and yes, people definitely waste their time lusting after things they will never have, but there is so much inspiration, talent, expression, and just creativity and ideas that can’t be found in one spot anywhere else that it is worth noting. Also, if used correctly, it can be a place where action begins. I love trying out new recipes I’ve found and crafts for my home, etc. So it all depends on how it is used. Back to your post though, if you dislike it so much, why in the world are you “addicted” then? Just a thought.

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  169. Having a blast pinning all the exercises I’ll never do (one for every dessert recipe)…too bad pinning work outs isn’t as beneficial as actually doing the work outs. The most frustrating thing for me is when the links are bad – especially relating to art and photography. When I see art I love I want to know who created it so I can share the love. I click a lot of pins that link back to Google – Bummer! Your post made me giggle out loud. I agree on many points. Its still too late for me. I’m a hopeless pinner.

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  170. When I first was introduced to Pinterest by a good friend of mine, I was hooked on this. It is fun to sit there and mindlessly unwind looking at good ideas to organize, great recipes and to create your own page of photos that make you feel good. I simply do not have the time to spend on it since my school started back. My most favorite site is polyvore where I can be creative and make any kind of “art” I want whether it is outfits or rooms or colors. It is relaxing. Don’t have time for it either but I love it.

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  177. Reblogged this on hudntiss1 and commented:
    This is epic, piece of work, however only makes me want to start pinning, I did get an invite but yeah still cant seem to log in, what I do love though is http://www.weheartit.com and you can find me under hudntiss, I have sets of stuff pretty interesting a little like pinning but different!

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  179. This made me laugh. The functionality of Pinterest could be useful in and of itself, but the crowd they aim for (and have gotten) with the categories they set – Wedding, House, My Style, etc, but nothing like Woodworking Tips, Programming Tricks, Extreme Sports, Skateboard Heroes — is so girly girl and consumerist. If it was just like Del.icio.us with visuals, that would be perfect. But it’s much more like a village populated only by Martha Stewart readers.

    I’ve been trying to use it as useful tool and filter out all but the topics I’m interested in. I even know people who are not the typical Pinterest users who do this successfully. For example, a super smart, cool geek/tech woman I know pins largely about user interface design. But the general atmosphere is pretty distracting.

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  181. I have joined, but haven’t drank the kool-aid yet. My friend sent me a link a few months ago, so I signed up but have since tried to avoid it. I do have my own pin board right above my desk. I keep inspiration, reminders, things I would like to do, and things that make me smile on it. I think I will fall in love with pinterest when I start, but I just feel so bogged down by all of the social media I keep up with already.

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  183. I view pinning like I view gambling, don’t want to know how to do it, don’t want to start. I have enough vises!

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  184. Although my pinboards look pretty rad (in my opionion), I’ve yet to become addicted, but that’s probably because I’m an Aries… start projects, dive in deep, and then get bored halfway through!
    Loved this post!!!

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  186. Hilarious!! I agree, most of the stuff people pin are unattainable, and I resisted getting on this site for many months, but I love it because when I am doing a project around the house (currently the master bath) I can pin a bunch of ideas that I’d like to incorporate into my project. I’ve been doing my DIY projects this way for years–hoarding a bunch of photos of things I love. I’m only ticked because I didn’t think of this site first. 😉

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  189. YA! pinterest can be fun for collecting artwork, inspirational words, style ideas but so often it makes me feel dissatisfied with my present circumstances (come on people, do we all have to post our dream wedding ideas??), or just plain covetous (like- ok, I will probably never own such and such a thing – LAME). haha.. thanks for posting

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  190. Usually I don’t read post on blogs, but I wish to say that this write-up very compelled me to check out and do so! Your writing style has been amazed me. Thank you, quite nice post.

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  194. Brilliant post. You couldn’t have put it better.
    Also, after finding out last week about the legal issues, I am seriously thinking of leaving Pinterest. I did have a board with some of my own stuff, things I really own, took a photo off and posted. I almost felt a bit “out of place” for doing so 😉

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  197. holy likes, batman. it looks like someone got FRESHLY PRESSED. enjoy the heavenly hell of comments that awaits. and i love the post. i’m on pinterest and trying not to kill myself over it. wah, wah. xo, sweet mother

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