[Thoughts] Pinterest.SIGH.

Pinterest. It's the elephant in my proverbial social-media room. As I start to build this blog, I'm trying to also build accompanying Facebook, Google+, and Twitter accounts. Specifically on Facebook and Google+, I've been making it a point to start posting discount links and codes to add a little reason for folks to go there. But Pinterest. Pinterest, pinterest, pinterest. I've been avoiding Pinterest.

It started when I went to the Pinterest website and was just assaulted by a visual cacophony of images with no rhyme or reason to them. I had no idea what I was looking at or what to do with it. It was like opening the door to a messy closet and immediately slamming the door shut to make sure nothing falls out and no one sees. And I reacted in the same manner - I left the page.

Over the next couple of weeks, I revisited Pinterest a few times. I really wanted to see what this thing was that nearly every single human being I know was talking about. But I just didn't understand it. And honestly this wasn't a surprise. I don't like to be confronted with large masses of things. I like order. I like structure. I like knowing there is an end point or at least an end goal. And Pinterest appeared to have nothing of the sort.

But it's Pinterest. And everyone is talking about it. So I finally "applied" for an account (which I think is a ridiculous practice that only propagates a superiority complex by some early adopters) and when I was so graciously granted one, I went back. AND I STILL DIDN'T GET IT.

So I had a friend explain it to me. "Oh, it's where you just collect images of things." WHY, pray tell, would I want to collect images of things? "Well, it links back to sites so if there are things you want to reference you can go back." But, isn't that what my web bookmarks are for? Or am I now living back in 2000 with my antiquated bookmarks? (Haha, that sentence made me smirk when I typed it. To think the year 2000 was long enough ago to reference it this way!)

Friends are obsessed with the site. They complain with an "exasperated" smile about how much time it takes up and how it's more of a time-suck than Facebook (a statement to be met with *shock!*). I'm usually ready to jump on a social media phenomenon of this caliber.

I tried. I really did. But I'm not on Pinterest. You may never see a Pinterest link appear on the right hand column of my blog. People follow my dormant Pinterest account and I giggle every time I get the email that so-and-so is following me because I know they may never see a single pin. You know, since I'm not really on Pinterest. At this point I have no desire to be on it. And I still JUST DON'T GET IT. But you know what? I'm finally ok with that. I don't have to understand everything. (Lord knows I will never understand such things the male brain or the Apple obsession). And I have no problem with folks who are completely into it - we all have our things. It's just not for me.

So sorry, ya'll. No Pinterest here.