> Not disclosing this modification is putting individual stores at a disadvantage when they and their customers are putting in the work of adding pins.
I find it hard to sympathize for the trivial "work of adding pins" when it's Pinterest that created the universe in which those pins even exist and the community that gives them value.
> One specific, problematic issue is that when individual online stores pin their own content, it is unlikely they would insert an affiliate code. But if the store has an affiliate program, it is highly likely that those links now will have an affiliate code in them that gives Pinterest a percentage of any sales.
It's also hard to sympthasize with online stores having to cough up some money for marketing directly to Pinterest's community.
Relatively few people here have a problem with Pinterest making money; the problem they do have, is making money by modifying the links the users are posting without disclosing that modification.
I'd be somewhat squicked if I saw that paragraph in the T&C when I was signing up, but at least I'd know and be able to decide if it was worth it. But by going ahead and not putting that disclosure anywhere; Pinterest has shown that they don't respect their users. And that may be somewhat poisonous to their prospects (or not, Facebook being the prime example).
I find it hard to sympathize for the trivial "work of adding pins" when it's Pinterest that created the universe in which those pins even exist and the community that gives them value.
> One specific, problematic issue is that when individual online stores pin their own content, it is unlikely they would insert an affiliate code. But if the store has an affiliate program, it is highly likely that those links now will have an affiliate code in them that gives Pinterest a percentage of any sales.
It's also hard to sympthasize with online stores having to cough up some money for marketing directly to Pinterest's community.