Pinterest: Pros and Cons

Everywhere I turn these days, people are discussing Pinterest.

More to the point, there are divided opinions whether to be on it or not.

Author loops are rife with Pinterest discussions and I've been chatting about it on Twitter too.



My viewpoint?



I jumped on Pinterest with gusto. Within the first week I had beautiful storyboards for my books and WIPs. My BUSTED IN BOLLYWOOD and HOT HEROES boards had over 500 followers within days. I was loving it. Having an absolute ball. And it really helped my creativity to see the stories I was writing unfolding before my eyes in pictures.



Then a lawyer wrote an article about the dangers of Pinterest and of being sued by photographers.

Then 2 authors I know had to pay huge sums of money for incorrectly using pictures, despite taking them down as soon as they were notified.



And I pulled my boards.

All of them, except my covers, and I haven't logged onto Pinterest since.



It soured my entire experience, the thought that pictures we pin, despite linking back to the original source, can cause so many problems.



And then I started thinking...as an author, it's the bane of my existence when people illegally pirate my books, posting them for free on the Internet.

How do the photographers feel, having the same done to their work?



So in all good conscience, unless Pinterest cleans up the legalities, it's something I won't be doing.



Where do you stand on the Pinterest debate?