Choosing a social tool: Pinterest

  "A tool for collecting and organising the things you love!"

Pinterest starts usually with an image with a direct link back to the source, that can then be organised onto boards. A pinterest icon appears in your browser toolbar so that you can Pin ideas, although I havent managed to get this to work yet.

PRO'S

• Is not just for food and recipes that it can be used for. Many different subjects.
• It is visually appealing.
• Good for brainstorming ideas.
• It integrates users of Facebook, can follow and share links with friends and other community users.
• Links you to original source.
• Your boards can be kept private or made public, you can invite people to pin on your boards.
• Follow others' recipes.
• IPhone App available.

CON'S

• Complex sign up process.When signing up, you need to be a user of Facebook, and have to wait on acceptance to join. It is not instant, I waited a few days for a response when setting up my account.
• Still are required to browse through your pinned photographs or recipes. There is not a search function for your collected pins. Only to search new ideas.
• Takes you to link of that original source, problems where that source may no longer be available.
• Need to be online, not available offline.
• Had problems opening my page using certain browsers. Had to save a bookmarked page directly to my home page to resolve this.
• Starts with a visual image, therefore if your only looking at storing your own written recipe ideas or recipes from books this is no good, no place to type or input data.
• Not just a site for recipes and food, maybe not specific enough for what I intend on using it for.