After Barack and Michelle Obama joined Pinterest, the White House has followed suit with an account of its own. WhiteHouse44 is set to start pinning in earnest on December 17th, and posts will apparently "range from inspiring images and quotes to infographics that help explain key issues to details about the life inside the White House." Despite frequent criticism of the Obama administration's high level of secrecy, the move to Pinterest is said to be part of the drive to make this the "most open White House in history."

To that end, Pinterest users following the new account are invited to a December 17th event at the White House itself. Attendees will get to check out the House's Christmas decorations, meet the people involved in setting them up, and get involved in craft projects — all to be shared on Pinterest, of course. It's unlikely to excite those who remember Obama's promise for an "unprecedented level of openness" in government, but in a world where politicians are still figuring out how to mix social media with the understandable need for discretion, we suppose it's a start.