How is Pinterest different from Evernote?
Every time I read another article about Pinterest disregarding copyrights or changes in service policy (just look at this recent one at Responsibility Project), I am simply stunned. And the fact that I am photographer myself and would love to be paid for my images and credited for them has nothing to do with it. Why? Because I do not understand why everybody is picking on Pinterest.
Just think about it.
Every day, most of you share somebody else articles on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and some other Social Media. You share the link, the thumbnail is downloaded and displayed next to it. Many of you probably use one of apps or services like Flipboard, making it easier to scan multiple updates from multiple platforms. What you see there, is an excerpt of the text along with representative image. Probably, some of you use services like Pocket, to save worthy pages to read later or share with friends. Just like Flipboard, you have an intro to the text and an image. And probably most extreme example of all- how many of you use EverNote Web Clipper to save whole pages as notes in Evernote? I do it all the time.
I do not see a difference between “pinning” content from around the web and any of those services. Nobody distinguishes my content versus somebody else’s content in my Facebook stream, not at the first glance, at least. Yet, nobody protests. When I glance through Twitter stream in Flipboard, unless I click on the link, I do not know whose content is being shared. Again, nobody protests. And, above all, how are Pinterest boards at all different from inspiration (mood) boards on my wall? If I tear pages from various magazines and pin them on the wall in my office, how it relates to photographers copyrights? Where is the line to cross? I am really puzzled by this issue.
Any thoughts?