hear me out.

A few weeks ago, I shared a post on cleaning up my Pinterest. Consider this post an important continuation on a similar and equally important topic. I am writing this post to support the people who spend their lives making the content we pin so freely. They work tirelessly to design the rooms, style the outfits, and whip up recipes so they can share their talents with the world. The absolutely awful part of what is happening is that some bloggers {and pinners} are taking the hard work of others and passing it off as their own. When did this ever become ok?!

#1: Using a photo found on Pinterest and not properly sourcing it in a blog post. 

Properly sourcing a photo does not simply mean providing the URL for the individual pin--or better yet, a general Pinterest user profile. It means going the distance and finding the actual source of the pin. {If you didn't install it after my initial post, you need to install this bookmarklet pronto.}

#2: Sharing photos in a post with the intention of gaining traffic--even though the content is not yours.
Let's be honest: we all know the power of Pinterest when it comes to generating traffic for our blogs. We know a few good pins can help tremendously with pageviews. This knowledge does not mean we should use it to our advantage at the mercy of those who created the content for the pin. They deserve the credit for their efforts to make the "pretty" we share.

#3: Executing #2 and then self-pinning from a generic blog URL rather than an actual post. 
Again I say: we all know well what a game-changer Pinterest can be. The tough part of this equation is that when trying to track down sources, pinning from a generic blog URL stinks. It takes much more time to track down the pin than should ever be necessary. Though bloggers can't control how other people pin from their blogs, bloggers can certainly be aware of how they do it on their own.

#4: Pinning without first looking to see if the pin is properly sourced.
I see some of the biggest brands, bloggers, magazines, and pinners violating this every day. This is far from ok. I have learned to maximize the "like" feature of Pinterest as a way to try and combat this. If I'm on my phone or don't have time to track down a source, I will "like" something to save it for potential pinning. This way, I'm not further perpetuating a bad source by pinning it first and sourcing it later.

The reality is this...

We should be pinning in a supportive manner--rather than one which works for our own gain. 

I may sound naïve, but I get it. Maybe the people who have "gamed" the system really know "what's up"...but I would rather reach readers with content that is my own, even if I'm incorporating the work of others. It simply requires the appropriate sourcing to make it right. {If anyone else can help me say this, it's Leela Cyd.}

What am I doing to change things? I'm still working diligently to clean up my entire Pinterest. Each and every pin I've shared since my #cleanupyourpinterest post has been sourced as accurately as humanly possible. I am also making a whole-hearted effort to give more credit where credit is due when I make photo collages {see example here and here}. I wouldn't be able to make such a collage without their photos after all. I know it takes a little extra time, but we should willingly give that time in return for using the content of others.

Should you still be reading by this point in the post, thank you: it shows a real commitment to making the blogosphere a better place. If, as a result of this post, you realize you've been doing any one of these things, there is always time to change! I'm far from perfect {and will never be}, but I'm going to try my best to be cognizant moving forward. I know it is worth writing this crazy long post to change where things are headed. One day, when we're all successful fill-in-the-blank-here's, we will be eternally grateful for the people who shared our work the right way.