After seeing references to “Pinterest” on Facebook and elsewhere, I just had to figure out what all the “buzz” was about.
I learned more about just searching around the internet and by reading James Tanner’s post “Pinterest – Upcoming Social Networking Site” where he says ...
“Pinterest is one of the fastest growing websites on the Internet. Initially adopted by a predominantly younger female market, Pinterest has now attracted a substantial special interest following, including a growing number of genealogists. As the name suggests, it is a way to pin pictures you find on the Internet to a virtual board on your page.”
And, here’s a fun article by a self-proclaimed Pinterest addict, “Pinning: These are a few of my favorite things” and one titled “Pinterest – Oh No, Another Addictive Distraction!” on Olive Tree Genealogy.
Are you on Pinterest? Have you used it for genealogy?
Share your thoughts on what you like about it, what’s fun about it, what can be frustrating, should we ask to be invited, or any other thoughts you want to share with your virtual genealogy buddies!
Editor's Note: I've not yet "requested an invite" If you have what you consider a great example of a genealogical use of Pinterest and you'd like to share that with me, please do so and it might motivate me to get invited and actually see what it's all about. After reading how addicting it is, I am trying to control myself and not get started. Though, all's it took was one good excuse to get on FB, Google+, Linkpendium, etc
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I had written a blog post on the genealogy uses of Pinterest. Then I had dozens of comments questioning the appropriateness of my using census images and other documents on my pinterest boards. I still have these boards up on Pinterest, but after I sent some questions to the legal department at Ancestry I removed my post. The first two email replies from Ancestry were ambiguous about my using a census image on Pinterest, but then my inquery was forwarded to their legal department. This was over a month ago, and all I can tell you is that they are still mulling over the question. In the meantime, I have several boards up at Pinterest for several ancestors. I will be reposting on my blog as soon as I hear from Ancestry's legal department. I think their long, long response is not a good sign for Pinterest.
ReplyDeleteHeather, checkout Ancestry's facebook page, they just put up a link to their own Pinterest page.
DeleteHeather has just posted to her blog what she heard back from the Ancestry.com legal department! Check out the answer and thanks Heather for pursuing "official" info for all of those looking at Pinterest or other social media uses of Ancestry.com images -- http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2012/04/pinterest-ancestry-and-copyrighted.html?spref=fb
DeleteI have been using Pinterest for awhile now to help me as we build a new house. I hadn't thought of it for genealogy but I can't wait to hear what ideas people share!
ReplyDeleteI've been playing with Pinterest for a while and writing about it. See http://technology-tamers.blogspot.com/search/label/Pinterest.
ReplyDeleteI was particularly curious about Find A Grave's position after seeing several memorials posted. So I emailed them. It turns out that they don't have a Pinterest policy. In addition, they don't mind having memorials pinned because all pinning does is send the reader to locations...memorials. The copyright on the photograph remains in place. They said they were more concerned with having photographs lifted and used on other websites.
I can see where Pinterest would be a tool to encourage an interest in genealogy among younger family members. For example, I could add a Pinterest board (a cemetery) and add pins to Find A Grave memorials. On the same board, I could upload lots of family photos related to the memorials.
I could do something similar on Find A Grave but young women in my family aren't members of Find A Grave. They are however Pinterest addicts. Will this net me more interest in my genealogy project? I don't know. But I keep thinking it can't be a bad idea to put the posts in the way of young women in my family and see what happens.