Pinteresting Follow Up

I knew it! I knew that organizations would find a way to use pinterest to their benefit. My alma matter, Biola University, has a pinterest account. I was quite proud when I saw the link on twitter last week. So I clicked on it and it is brilliant. One thing that Biola does really well is utilize cutting edge social media to their benefit. While most universities or organizations that large are slow moving about new media tools, Biola is not. They have a pinterest account that utilizes it in a different way than the average user. They have a board designated for the tour of the campus. One for where notable alumni are in life right now (slightly ofended that I am not on that board! ha!). One for local restaurants near the school, another for local attractions. Can I just say that this is a really good idea. Way to go Biola.

Then the next day I saw Oxfam America did the same thing. They have a pinterest account. This one is to highlight their own work around the world. Brilliant. I already know friends who are using it to advertise their photography business, etc.

So I like this idea up until it just becomes an electronic advertising board. I like that I can follow Biola and Oxfam and at the same time find instructions for a diy. The minute pinterest becomes only an advertising board for companies, universities, or organizations then I'm out. Hopefully pinterest can be balanced between organizations displaying their work, bloggers showcasing their latest invention, and normal people like me storing the ideas I see around the internet.

If you want to check out Biola's pinterest account you can find them here: Biola's Pinterest Account

A ship destroys the internet

Once upon a time, internet providers in East Africa decided to make their internet faster. To American standards, that ment moving from dial up speed to slow cable speeds. They decided to build a fibre optics station in the bottom of the sea. Surely, no one would ignore the restricted space that flagged this area. So they built fast internet, charged expats a fortune, and locals the inability to experience the fast internet. And so it was.

Then one day a ship was unable to access the port it wished to dock. So it decided to anchor outside the port. Restricted access? Surely it does not mean us. So they anchored. And destroyed the high-speed internet's fibre optics. Down went the high speed interent for multiple countries. Down went fast internet, work ability and the such. But this is Africa, and life continues whether or not the foreigners are able to access the high speed internet.

I laughed when I read this news article about a ship's anchor destroying a fibre optics line for high-speed internet off the coast of East Africa. If I was in East Africa, I would be furious. Since I am not, I can only laugh and think, "only in Africa would the internet be destroyed by a ship".

If you want the full story, you can check it out here: on the BBC website.

I had horrible experiences with internet, paying for internet, only for the record of my payment gone, etc. So this is story is just so typical with the woes of internet and East Africa. For my friends experiencing abnormally slow internet speeds, I am sorry.