Connecting People with Pinterest.

     MySpace, Facebook, and Twitter have become some of the most popular websites on the Internet.  All three are social networking sites that allow users to interact with one another via instant messaging, posting comments on personal profiles, tweets, and tagging photographs.  But now there is a new Internet sensation, Pinterest.  The Pinterest website states, "Our goal is to connect everyone in the world through the 'things' they find interesting. We think that a favorite book, toy, or recipe can reveal a common link between two people. With millions of new pins added every week, Pinterest is connecting people all over the world based on shared tastes and interests."      
     In order to use Pinterest, a person must request an invitation via e-mail, or be invited by a friend.  I first heard about Pinterest from a friend on Facebook and decided to check out the website.  I invited myself to join by sending a request through my e-mail account.  After a day or two, my invitation was accepted and I was ready to begin exploring Pinterest.  A person can view everything on Pinterest, or the website can be broken down into different categories such as; apparel and accessories, food and drink, people, photography, and wedding and events.  Pinterest is used as a centralized location for users to share ideas/things that they find anywhere on the Internet.     
     Upon joining, Pinterest automatically added me to a list of my Facebook friends that I would begin to follow (like on Twitter).  After "liking" several different food recipes and "repining" , I was asked if I would like to follow the people that liked the same recipes as I had viewed.  Pinterest does use filter bubbles. After you have pinned or liked certain things from other users, the website remembers what you have viewed and shows you similar ideas and information from corresponding users. For example, I have re-pined many recipes from the user "Payton Arant." Whenever I go to the Pinterest website, things that Payton has pinned and liked will show up first. However, if I click the "Everything" button at the top of the page, the website will then show me literally everything that has been posted without filtering information from previous explorations.
     Pinterest allows users to create boards.  Boards are the equivalent to physical bulletin boards a person would have in their home to organize thoughts, ideas, or plans.  For example, I created boards with titles such as; "Live to Cook" where I re-pin recipes, "Our Home" for ideas that I would like to do for my house, and "Fashion-licious" for hairstyles and outfits I would like to try sometime. 
     For more information on Pinterest, visit the information/help page and try exploring Pinterest yourself.  Below, click on the link provided to visit a few social networking sites, including Pinterest.


              MySpace                                                                                                     Facebook
              


             Twitter                                                                                                        Pinterest