A new social media website is quickly gaining popularity, especially among CBU students, and all that is needed is a picture and a board.
A small team in Palo Alto, Calif. wanting to build a product people would love, created Pinterest, a virtual pin board. This new social media out- let is a place where people can “pin” their favorite pictures, ideas and do-it- yourself projects on their boards.
Pinterest membership is by e-mail invitation only but one can request and invite via the website.
“One day my roommate and I were watching TV and she told me about a website she found and invited me,” Kim Tallo, senior, said.
Pinterest gives users a chance to connect with others that have similar interests through a simple picture.
“Our goal is to connect everyone in the world through the ‘things’ they find interesting. We think that a fa- vorite book, toy or recipe can reveal a common link between two peo- ple,” the creators of Pinterest said on Pinterest’s website. “With millions of new pins added every week, Pinterest is connecting people all over the world based on shared tastes and interests.”
There is much to do on Pinterest, such as redecorating a home, shar- ing personal styles and even plan- ning a wedding. Pinterest has the ability to inspire its viewers. Pinterest also expands creativity in certain as- pects, such as in cooking or home decorating.
“It is a place to explore different pictures and ideas and express similar interests. It is a website to get inspired and put it on a board. It is different because you can express yourself with pictures instead of words,” Tallo said. “I like how everything I enjoy can be found in a picture.”
Pinterest gives viewers the ability to search and discover pin boards cre- ated by other users. This becomes a cycle of everyday people pinning pic- tures and creating boards that others with similar interests like, as well.
“It helps me be creative and gives me many ideas. I love the do-it-your- self stuff, like how to make bracelets and T-shirts,” Kylee Nicassio, senior, said.
Seeing other people with boards of similar interests or creative pins can open the mind to many possibilities.
“I like how you think you like something or have ideas and when you see a picture it takes them one step further,” Danielle Weist, senior, said. Pinterest can also inspire users, creating personal boards, to show what interests and inspires them.
“My favorite boards are ‘Places.’ There are so many pictures of coun- tries and cities that I never knew ex- isted and it makes me want to visit them. I think it is more visual. You do not interact with your friends like on Facebook. It is more inspiring and fun,” Nicassio said.
If you have not seen the unique- ness of Pinterest, think of a vir- tual, old-fashioned board on which you place pins. It is based solely on interests.
