Cross it, Crack it, Switch - Update it (A Look at Pinterest)

Yes, the third installment in this little experiment has arrived - it's Pinterest time!

But not quite yet - first I'll give you good folks an update about my experiences with Tumblr.

As I predicted, I wasn't completely gun-ho about Tumblr right from the very start. Although this could of course be because I've been busy as heck with final projects and other such tasks.

But I did take the liberty of following a few different groups on Tumblr, to begin to get myself established on there.

Some of these groups include thelbdofficial, lovelyhandwrittennotes, and of course my good friend MellieEggo.

I'm not sure how I'll use Tumblr in the future - whether I'll keep going with this blog and use Tumblr to aid me with that or if I'll find a more personal use for it. As of this moment, I'm not entirely sure.

But for now, let's switch gears!

I'm eager to take a look at this site, because it's one I've seen in passing quite a bit but I've never fully understood how to function through it. My mother can even navigate Pinterest with ease which depresses me greatly.

So to give us some insightful information on Pinterest, I turned to a fellow classmate who on the 2nd day of class mentioned her love for the site, and so I got into contact with her for an interview.

4EvaGeek: How would you describe Pinterest to somebody who has never used it before?

Ashley P: I would describe Pinterest as being an social media platform that focuses on the distribution and sharing of pre-existing or personally created images. These images act as hyperlinks to the website that are associated with the picture. For instance, an individual who is really into creating crafts might 'Pin' an image of their latest artwork which would act as a link back to their personal blog. Unlike Facebook and Twitter it's entirely driven by images and very little text. Pinners can follow other pinners boards to get their latest pin 
updates or they can search from wider pin catagories such as "Food and Drink" or "Travel".

4EvaGeek: How do you personally use Pinterest?

Ashley P: I personally use Pinterest in a number of different ways. As an Art History student I initially used the website to keep a record of pieces of historical or contemporary artworks that I saw in class and enjoyed. I eventually started tracking down and pinning geographical locations and architecture that I hoped to someday travel to see. My Architecture and Cityscapes board has since become one of my most popular boards.
Once I removed meat from my diet in February I turned to my fellow pinners for creative recipes (other than salads!) that I could incorporate into my new diet. I created a number of meat-free recipe boards that contain recipes for both vegan and vegetarian diets. These now rival the popularity of my Architecture and Cityscapes board with the majority of visitors to my page re-pinning these recipes. It also inspired me to make my own blog on cooking and baking!

4EvaGeek: What is it you like about Pinterest?

Ashley P: I like the 'silent community' aspect of Pinterest. There are no fights (that I have seen) and it's a very drama-free. I use it to relax and plan out my weekly meals and daydream about places I want to travel to.

4EvaGeek: Any additional comments about Pinterest that you can provide would be appreciated.

Ashley P: I've watched this website grow in popularity over the past few years. I don't have the stats on it - but I would look into the male/female ratio since I have a feeling there are more guys using it then there used to be. There is a terrible stereotype that Pinterest is only used by the female demographic to plan their 'dream weddings', but I feel that more and more people are using it for other reasons now - such as recipe shopping.
There are also copyright issues at play on the website - some people really don’t want pinners repining their work (I see this a lot with contemporary artists) since they feel that credit is sometimes not properly given to them.

And there you have it! Pinterest, from a fellow Brock student (sorry this text here at the end is coming up funny, I'm having some technical difficulties).

I will link Ashley's Pinterest page here as well, she goes by Ashley Paolozzi.

I hope to make an account on Pinterest soon, and once I do it will be linked in the side bar along with all the other lovely links that you can see over there.

I will still be posting to describe my personal experiences with Pinterest after this. As for what else comes after that . . . who knows?

So I'll leave you guys with a question, as always:

Do you use Pinterest? If so, how do you use it?

Keep me posted!

~ 4EvaGeek

Load it, Check it, Quick - Rewrite it (A Look at Tumblr)

Just like last week, I'd like to take a look at Tumblr, another aspect of new media that I'm not all that familiar with.

But first, let's recap on how things have been going with me regarding how I've been using Instagram since last week.

I've been using Instagram - along with Twitter - to share different pictures, either of mail I've received (picture one), projects I've been working on (picture 3) or more everyday moments (picture 2).

I've been connecting with people I may not have been able to connect with while just using Twitter, getting various likes on photos (especially the one with the crochet squid) and I've begun following other people, mainly other iggles like myself.

And now we come to a whole other for of new media - Tumblr.

Truth be told, unlike Instagram, I have used Tumblr before, but only sparingly - last year me and a classmate used Tumblr for a final project in an English/Medieval and Renaissance Studies course. And the entire time, I had to have my hand held since I didn't have a single clue how the site worked, or what its purpose was. I`d heard of some people doing some roleplaying with Tumblr, and that it was used for blogging - but it still didn't make sense.

Unfortunately, the classmate that I'd worked with was unavailable for an interview - but I did have a backup, somebody that I've known since I was five years old.

4EvaGeek: How would you describe Tumblr to somebody who has never used it before?

mellieeggo: Tumblr was originally made as a blogging site, a place to put original writings and thoughts. As time has worn on, people have used it to band together with like minded individuals over various things, from pop-culture followings, to recipe groups, to celebrity followers. It has also evolved from a site consisting of written entries to things more like photo's, paintings, and artworks.

4EvaGeek: How do you personally use Tumblr?

mellieeggo: I personally use Tumblr to connect with people who have the same interests and obsessions as me. I mostly follow blogs that focus on the actor's Chris Colfer, Darren Criss, and Tom Hiddleston, as well as the TV show Glee. I also use it to publish my own personal written works, including both originals and fanfiction

4EvaGeek: What is it you like about Tumblr?

mellieeggo: I love Tumblr because it is a place where I can connect with people who enjoy the same things as me, and express it in the same ways. Thanks to the anonymity of the internet, I feel no shame or nervousness with expressing my true feelings regarding the things that I enjoy, from my "OTP's" (One True Pairings) to my fandoms (fan groupings around a piece of pop-culture). It also gives me an avenue to publish everything I write to the greater world, without having to jump through the red-tape of any companies. I write not to make money, but to bring people enjoyment, and Tumblr gives me a place I can do that without worry.

4EvaGeek: Any additional comments about Tumblr that you can provide would be appreciated.

mellieeggo: Tumblr is the greatest site ever. It steals almost all my time.

And there, from an old friend of mine, is Tumblr!

I'll be re-vamping the accounts I created for a school project last year and trying to get some use out of Tumblr. To be honest I'm not as confident about Tumblr as I was with Instagram, but I'll still be giving the site an equal shot.

I'll link my own Tumblr account along with my other links on the side bar to the right of these posts once I have it set up. And for anyone that may be interested, mellieeggo's Tumblr can be found here!

So I guess my question for this post is obvious:

Do you use Tumblr? If so, how do you use it?

That's all for now! One more in this series to go! Next week I'll be looking at Pinterest. So until then!

~ 4EvaGeek