Tuesday, February 03, 2009

Ravelry in the News!

Well, I heard from twitter, but if you don't twitter, check out the NY Observer's article on Ravelry here.

My only comment would be that I don't really agree with them saying that we users call it "facebook for knitters." It's really not. It's much more hardworking. I doubt any other hobby has a similar networking site. I have a Shelfari page and while I can connect with other people that read, it just seems so much less interactive in a way. Maybe that's because reading exists so much in my head that I have a hard time connecting with others (or vice versa) about the things I read. It's a lot easier to chat while knitting than it is for me to chat while reading.

It's probably actually better for me that there isn't any iPhone app for Ravelry. I'm sure my battery would die so hardcore.

8 comments:

Katy said...

I have to admit that I call it facebook for knitters when trying to explain it to the non-knitters in my life (all three of them?), but amongst ourselves, not at all.
I personally hate using facebook compared to Ravelry. But maybe that's just me...

Beth said...

So I've noticed some of my fellow knitters calling it a facebook for knitters and crocheters to people who aren't yet on ravelry. This has always bothered me. I don't mind if it's PART of the explanation (though I would generally just stick with the phrase "part social networking for knitters & crocheters), I do mind when it's like the only description someone gives. Mainly cuz it doesn't help convince that person to join ravelry anytime soon. They're like, meh, I don't need another facebook in my life...

Passionknitly said...

I guess my main problem with calling it the "facebook for knitters" is that I don't generally use it as a social networking thing. I use it more to keep track of my own projects and as an amazing reference.

Beth said...

Oh I agree - I also don't use it for social networking. But I recognize that a lot of people do. So I can admit that that aspect is acceptable as a PORTION of the total explanation.

CityMinx said...

I still think there needs to be a sort of Ravelry for cooking. Think of the correlation: where you could store recipes you find online, look for ingredients, see how other's version of the recipe came out, track cookbooks, buy specialty ingredients...

sorry for being semi off-topic on this one Jenn

Any food loving coders out there?

Passionknitly said...

I guess the thing that I see missing in that cooking thing is that it doesn't seem to be as big in community. I think of foodies as being very independent of each other and somewhat like magicians in that they seem rather secretive and protective of the changes they make to recipes. But, then, that's just my perception of some people that cook (not all).

Also, as someone that makes a living at a publishing company that publishes lots of cookbooks, I'd be worried that a cooking social networking site would render some cookbooks as obsolete.

Beth said...

Are you kidding? Don't you think that the online knitting community and ravelry have connected everyone to the free patterns out there which negatively impacts knitting book sales? I mean, I personally would have bought more knitting books if there weren't so many free patterns online.
I don't really have a strong opinion about a cooking-ravelry (I cook a lot and follow a bunch of foodie blogs). I don't think that that community is any smaller than the knitting/crochet community. They seem very well-connected and open to sharing a lot. just my 2 cents.

Passionknitly said...

No, I think if anyting Ravelry has helped book sales, at least it does for me. I buy more books based on what I see from Ravelry.

I think that cooking sites would promote sharing home recipes and online recipes which would diminish cookbook sales.

We all know I hate food, so i'm obviously not the best person to judge. I was just putting in my $.02.