After watching people repeatedly tweet their profound love for Pinterest, I decided it was time to do some investigating. I wondered, what could be so darn pinteresting that I need yet another social media profile? I can barely keep-up with blogging, tweeting, and status updates, never mind adding a new platform to the mix. Then I saw those three magical words that changed everything – Save. Your. Recipes.
My personal reasons for exploring Pinterest aside, I can’t help but wonder if we can sustain another platform. It’s been deemed a tool for social image bookmarking and one that empowers social curators. And, while there is no denying the visual appeal of an online pinboard that replicates the memory boards that many hang in their homes and offices, are graphics enough to get people excited about a new wave in social bookmarking? The dialogues about Digg, Delicious and Stumpleupon have faded away and I honestly can’t remember the last time I used any of those platforms, personally or professionally.
In Pinterest’s favor are an eye-catching aesthetic and familiar functionality. At first blush, Pinterest seems like a hybrid of Tumblr and Twitter. It’s great for ‘life casting’ and sharing your personal interests with cyber peeps which is how many use Tumblr. You can ‘Repin’ an item of interest from another user’s account, which would seem like the equivalent of reposting and retweeting on Tumblr and Twitter. All of which begs the question, if you have Twitter and Tumblr, do you need/want Pinterest?
