Lots of boards & a lot of NOPE for some “features”
From overgrown and verdant scenes, to Instapot recipes, to my own handiwork, my Pinterest account is filled with miles of curated links and shared photos. A thousand hours may lurk behind all the boards I’ve constructed on the site.
But I’m finding I use it less and less, and I’ll tell you why – Pinterest changed their linking system on mobile. It’s bulky and inconvenient, and the viewing of sites linked from Pinterest is presented in Pinterest’s own browser solution. This means that instead of opening up a new tab in the phone’s default browser, Pinterest hands you a partial laid-over window that acts as a browser. This sucks, as the page is then harder to navigate with finger gestures and it dims and closes way too quickly. The forward and backward page option is non-existent. I’ve stopped using Pinterest for recipes, which was once my go-to site, because I can’t get the link out of Pinterest’s browser. If I can’t get it out of there, the link closes or the screen dims. This means I can’t depend on Pinterest to hold up a recipe for me when I’m knuckle deep in meatloaf.
The links for sharing from Pinterest are now housed in links that will take you back to Pinterest’s site and its proprietary crappy browser. I’ve cold turkey stopped sending links from Pinterest to anyone because I consider it immoral to spread this inane annoyance.
I’ve taken to — get this — printing out my recipes. On paper. With Ink. Sometimes it takes me a while to find the original link by hand. I navigate to the pin on Pinterest, find the identifying details, then I go over to Chrome or Firefox to search for the actual site that was shared in the first place. It’s super inconvenient and it is enough for me to ditch the site. I debate whether or not I want to spend the time finding all the recipes and printing them out. I could make my own personal cookbook (which people must do, right?) and be done with it. I’d love to see Pinterest’s numbers since they made the switch but probably they are making money by keeping people within the walled garden. I can’t believe, though, my annoyance is uncommon. It’s more and more looking like a deal-breaker.