So ever since the whole photo copyright situation, one of the things I've been saddest to give up was my book inspiration boards on Pinterest and my inspiration photos on Tumblr. I enjoyed having those visual cues to go to when I was struggling with a scene or needed to remind myself the mood I was going for with my story. (And frankly, when in writer's block, what better to help a girl out than a big dose of mancandy photos?)
And even though I now realize it's not legal to be collecting and sharing those photos publicly on Pinterest or Tumblr, I did wonder how I could recreate those inspiration boards in a private use only environment. Yes, I could print out photos and pin them to a real bulletin board. But come on, anything that involves crafts is lost on me. Plus, printer ink is expensive. So I started to google.
Pinterest does not have the option for private boards yet. It's been talked about but hasn't come to fruition yet, so I wondered what else was out there. And wow--there's a lot out there. I couldn't possibly list all the different Pinterest-like sites I came across because I'd be here all day, but here are some of the more promising ones that allow private boards.
UPDATE (11/2012): Pinterest now allows up to 3 private boards!
Photo by Alixanaeuphoria (Flickr CC)
Six Pinterest Alternatives with Private Board Capability
1. Clipboard
This one is the one I'm trying first. It allows you to collect pictures like Pinterest, but also adds the function of clipping anything to add to your board--web pages, videos, articles, recipes, etc. You can add a +clipboard button to your browser and when you come across something you want to clip, it's super easy to select exactly what you want. And they take privacy seriously. Your boards default to private and you have to decide if you want to share them.
2. Juxtapost
This one has a similar look to Pinterest and is mostly focused on photos. But it does have some added features that Pinterest doesn't have--private boards, the ability to share private boards with a particular person, the ability to export your boards into excel so that you can print things out, and a "more like this" button to see similar pictures.
3. Springpad
This one is really visually appealing like Pinterest. You can do private boards and it has smartphone apps to help add things to your notebooks. This one is definitely tempting me too.
4. ImageSpark
This one goes with the idea of "moodboards" where you can arrange your photos not just in grid lines like Pinterest but can make it more collage like. You only get two moodboards to start though. There may be a charge if you want to expand beyond that.
5. Love It
This one looks very similar to Pinterest and appears to have the same functionality with the added bonus of being able to have private boards. Thanks to Amber West for recommending this one.
6. Bo.lt
Also has a similar look to Pinterest, but allows you to save entire webpages, not just photos. Also, it saves a copy of whatever it is so even if that webpage disappears in the future, the info is still there for you.
There are more out there but these are the ones that came up most frequently when I was looking for private board capability. And remember, if you make any boards public, the same issues with Pinterest apply to all these sites as well. Don't publicly post pics you don't have copyright permission to use.
Has anyone tried any of these? Anyone have any other services you use that you'd recommend? Do you see the benefit of the private boards or was Pinterest all about the public sharing for you?