#tumblr is micro blogging more than social media!

[bzedan]

Just having an absolutely stellar experience on social media platforms.

#tumblr is micro blogging more than social media! #I know how to curate my experience and YET everywhere else feels like I wandered into a fight at a bus station #anyway this is The Worst Filtering Experience and that’s not even including the steps to get here #lol whatever #meche chatters

[fixing-bad-comic-art]

I think it's a really good thing that you're one of the people who's doing these edits tbh. And I hope you won't take that the wrong way. But I've seen it multiple times where women have done the same style of edits that you do, and every time those "fixes" broke out of containment on tumblr, politics were immediately ascribed to those editors, they were harassed for being alleged "SJWs", and they were called out as having been "disrespectful" of professionals in the comics industry. I understand in your time doing this, you've perhaps witnessed similar attempts at starting bad faith discourse. Anyways, I'm just grateful for a guy doing the same thing as these other editors in the community. Because at least that broadens the conversation and doesn't get anatomy and clothes fixing edits or even cultural sensitivity edits immediately dismissed out of hand for just because they came from a woman editor.

tbh the simple fact that i don't use any other (more functional) social media platforms has probably been a Much bigger contributer to me not getting harassed as much as the lovely ladies and nonbinaries who do the same work. I post on one side blog that was shadow banned for about 9months on a dying micro blogging platform and no where else. I've been mistaken for a lady plenty of times in the history on this blog, mostly because I don't post about being a man who loves men on this blog very often, but the harassment begins and ends after blocking like 3 or 4 people each time.

plus I don't answer bad faith asks unless there's something novel or funny to say. so the fact i don't give them any attention and this platform doesn't algorithmicaly reward that kind of behavior really helps keep things tolerable for the most part.

but yeah, having a white adjacent homosexual guy (ie the type of person who gets the absolute least out of criticisng comic depictions of women and minorities) to point to when someones being a shit is probably helpful.

but also a thing that gets missed a lot, is that the biggest open secret about me and this blog... is that i Am a professional artist. (i do marketing and illustration work(think the ads that show up on eschergirls more than comic books)) and i have a lot of thoughts about the brand of folk who call this type of thing disrespectful. namely that I'm pretty certain most of them 1. arnt professional artists or are Very new at it, and or, 2.have some weird hangups about art as like a concept that they need to get over instead of making it other people's problems.

#this isnt even going to help me get tail :pensive clown emoji: #anyways sorry for the inactivity ive been Busy Busy Busy #(ive been playing elden ring) #not a fix #anon #anyways sorry if this is incomprehensible #i wrote it while waiting at a drive thru

[fakeoldmanfucker]

since i saw you have so many zuck post and i'm a little bit invest in it like you so i want to ask some question about threads since i don't want to have another social media because i have so much now

1. does moskovitz actually interact with zuck there? i saw them following each other

2. does saverin made an account and followed zuck?? since i don't know if that is his real account, tbh if he actually followed zuck, became one of the new users on threads i'd be surprised because i thought he already didn't care much about either fb or meta in general

also I saw zuck posting tsn reference there for threads and commenting gif of tsn too

sorry for my sloppy english, hope you reply

Hi anon! Thank you for your ask!

What I need everyone on Tumblr to know is that Mark is basically trying to reinvent himself. He's been the butt of a lot of jokes for about a decade now, and this bout with Elon, and Elon's fumbling of Twitter, has presented a prime opportunity for Mark to reboot his public image. This means he's responding to people's posts on Threads, making jokes, and yes, referencing The Social Network.

Now to your questions:

Yes! Dustin and Mark are actually still really close. Dustin's mentioned going on vacation with Mark fairly regularly (for whatever that means for them). Dustin had access to the pre-release launch of Threads and was user # 3037 (as indicated on his Instagram account), and he generally talks about Mark a lot, mostly to defend him/hype him up. He's been talking about Mark a lot lately, because of the drama with Musk and with the launch of Threads, but Mark has been pretty consistently mentioned in his Twitter posts, going back for years. Dustin seems to be particularly excited about Threads, probably because he feels let down by Twitter and the promise of Bluesky, and also because Dustin still owns a 0.6% stake in Meta, which is worth something like $5 billion. Dustin as well as other early Facebook employees have expressed a feeling of nostalgia and excitement akin to the early days of the company, both from the product development side as well as from the consumer side. Anyway, it seems that Dustin's penchant for micro-blogging and Mark's role to promote Meta's new app have combined and allowed them to publicly communicate for the first time in at least a decade. It has been, honestly, delightful to watch. See the bottom of the post for screenshots of their interactions.

Judging by the Instagram account linked to the Threads account, Saverin really is following Mark. (I judged whether or not the Insta account was real by scrolling through who he follows: some weather accounts, someone with the last name that's the same as his wife, someone who's either a sister or cousin, Fox News. These interests correspond with the types of accounts he follows on Twitter; it's most likely really him.) I agree, it is kinda of insane that Saverin joined so early; it's possible he sold the rest of his shares because B Capital got a big infusion of money at the end of 2022, which corresponds with the fund they raised earlier this year. It's also possible he converted his shares from Class A to Class B, but this move still loses him power. He doesn't really have any incentive to be interested in Meta, not anymore. And yet, Saverin was just under the 2 millionth member to join Threads (1,920,187). Taking into account that 30 million people(/brands) joined Threads in the first day, Saverin was an early adopter. At the same time however, in addition to likely not having any financial interest in the company, Saverin doesn't post very often on Twitter (most of which are reposts of articles) and has only ever posted to Instagram twice, and not since 2014 at that. It's interesting to me that he apparently cares so much to be on Threads so early since he doesn't seem to be that fond of micro-blogging or Instagram anyway. At the least, he is a private person, more private than even Mark has ever been, and he is likely on Threads to lurk rather than to post. Which brings me to the point that Saverin is following Mark. He's also following a number of influential Meta people, including important early employees (none of them follow him back). Combined with the fact that Saverin consistently puts "Facebook co-founder" at the top of all of his bios, regardless of his current projects and investments, this paints an image of a petty man who wants to be relevant. It may be interesting that Saverin follows Mark, but don't expect anything to come of it. Saverin lost his chance to make any amends with Mark and anyone else a long time ago.

Bonus: Mark posting a TSN gif? For some reason?? Even though the post he was replying to didn't even mention TSN? (it's a screenshot of the gif of the moment when Eduardo gives Mark the money to go to Palo Alto for the summer while they're hiring interns)

#idk if you were prepared for a post this long but that's what you're getting lol #once again a friendly reminder that if you (person reading this) make lizard/robot/etc jokes about Mark I Will block you #it is not funny #it is antisemitic and dehumanizing #also you can tell I don't like eduardo irl because i refer to him as saverin lmao #zuck posting #threads #mark zuckerberg #dustin moskovitz #eduardo saverin #disclaimer: I am on threads Exclusively to find out more tech stuff #a lot of tech people (reporters; founders; engineers; etc) are flocking to threads and I am taking advantage of it #yes that Is dustin making a tsn reference and mark practically acknowledging it

[foxpunk]

like, on one hand i get it. i logically understand the motives behind why tumblr is making the decisions they are making. i just do not think that their motives MUST line up with these specific decisions.

in the end, tumblr needs more revenue. full stop. that is not up for debate. if they do not get it somehow, then tumblr is going to shut down because they simply cannot keep things running, and it will happen much MUCH sooner than most of y'all are at all prepared for. hell, it's already something they've been delaying well past when other sites would have been scrapped (well...aside from twitter but that is a recent and extreme example).

so i get why they need more activity, i get why they need more users, i get why they need to have a shop and micro-transactions. i truly do.

but tumblr is not going to be gaining any new users if it becomes a copy-cat for something that already exists. the amount of new and active and dedicated users they will get is minimal when those users can simply be active on another app/site that does the same thing (and likely already does it better). why seek out tumblr when every other app already has an algorithmic main feed? why seek out tumblr when every other app has live video? why seek out tumblr when every other site has a minimally customizable default profile?

what makes tumblr what it is? the surface answer is it's the communities and the fandoms and the memes, but what is it about tumblr that allowed these to develop the way they did? it certainly wasn't an algorithm, or live stream, or online shop.

if you want people to get hooked on tumblr, show them what they can do HERE that they CAN'T simply do on another app. yeah sure all the new features (live, for you, etc.) are fun for new users who are used to twitter and instagram and the like, and the option to use them can make those new users feel less out of their depth. but if that's all you're promoting they aren't gonna stick around, cause they can get that literally anywhere else. if you're gonna try n sell tumblr as a product then you need to realize the key to selling a product amongst competition is making it so that people need that product and what it offers Specifically.

one thing i never see talked about for this is hashtags not just as a promotional tool but as an organizational one. you can search through specific blog and see everything in a specific tag On That Blog. thats HUGE. it's SO useful. regardless of how it can mess up at times, literally NO other modern social media site lets you do that! livejournal and wordpress are the only things that come close, and livejournal is old as shit and largely inactive, while wordpress has a VERY different target audience.

pair that together with how reblogs work and you have an AMAZING thing going here and you're just letting it Sit There with no spotlight on it.

another thing: ASKS. GOD. WHY ARE Y'ALL NOT PROMOTING ASKS. HELLO. they're such a fun and unique way to interact on this site. the messenger is great but every social media has DMs these days. asks are something truly different and, again, they're just sitting there with NO spotlight on them.

another recent feature that i actually really really love is reblog controls. they are separate from having to turn your entire account private to get people to not look at/spread a post. they're perfect for people who don't want to bother password protecting their entire damn blog but still don't want a certain post spreading. talk about that! i'm sure it'd draw some people away from twitter, since you have to adjust privacy settings for your entire profile if you wanna manage who can and can't interact with a tweet.

and if you're worried about people being confused by reblogs and replies and the like. it is literally as simple as having a little slide show with cute graphics explaining what those are when people are signing up. hell, make multiple cute little slideshows. explain reblogs vs replies, explain tags and the specific way they work on tumblr, explain the different sections on the dash. don't make it little pop text bubbles on the dashboard, people hate pop ups. 9/10 they are not gonna look at them or accidentally click out of them and then they're gone and your user is lost. just have it be a page people are directed to before they hit the dashboard. it is THAT simple. let people be able to revisit that page easily. boom. one and done. you had that annoying ass wind up denture icon popping up for all of us, why not put a little icon in the corner for new accounts to revisit the "tutorial" if they forgot something? it literally is that easy it is SO easy. holy shit.

if you're so worried about users being confused by anything different from other social media, it's your job to EXPLAIN THOSE DIFFERENCES. NOT squash them out, are you fucking kidding me hellooo!! sure okay make things a lil more streamlined and definitely improve WCAG, but don't just fucking toss out features that aren't ACTUALLY complicated or inaccessible!! GODDD

it is not actually that complicated to explain a few new concepts to new users. learn how to frame things in a fun way upon sign-up instead of obfuscating any and all information behind 10 different staff/support/wip/changes/etc blogs and the least helpful help desk in existence.

also, i know they already clarified they aren't gonna be doing this, but if they push non-optional algorithm onto the Main Feed i'm gonna blow this whole place up (for legal reasons i must clarify this is a Joke). like. just find me on mastodon at that point.

edit: to clarify what i've already said. i think having algorithmic options (OPTIONAL options) for new users is Fine in the end. like, it's a fair compromise (mentioned that in some tags earlier but realized i didn't say that on this post specifically). i have issues with how it's opt-OUT rather than opt-IN, but in the end it's not really going to affect much (so long as chrono feeds are an option, and are not taken from users who already have them set as chrono). and honestly neither will all the smaller (general UI) changes they are going to be experimenting with. the site and it's core features will largely function the same way.

i'm mostly frustrated with tumblr making all these changes to conform rather than to stand out from the pack.

the one thing i AM worried about is that they hinted at messing with reblogs and replies more though. don't touch them lol. like i said, just actually explain shit to your new users and you'll be FINE lord almighty

#im already on mastodon but i know lots of ppl feel understandably confused by it #anyways #christ #long post #like. LONG post lol

[magchiato]

" Is blogging still relevant in the age of TikTok and Instagram?? "

What is a BLOG?🤔💭

Blog, a combination of "web" and "blog" often known as weblog, is a website / webpage that is updated regularly to provide insight on a certain topic from personal matter to official business using text, videos, gif, images and other related media. In the world we are in today, blogs are more likely to be for personal use such as an online diary where people write about their daily lives expressing their ideas, creativities and thoughts in a creative and fun way for other users to read or interact with. As for professional bloggers, they are writing blogs to a certain targeted group of people where people needs to pay money to view the blogger's contain as a source of income. (Weiner, 2023)

TikTok?

TikTok is a Gen Z social media platform where users create, share and watch 15-seconds videos with filters and music playing on the background. (D'souza, 2023)TikTok are known for their micro-videos that contains life hacks, entertainments and brand promotions that are personalized by the user according to their preference which influence users that are on their teenage years to young adults to develop an addiction to watching these videos from day to night. (Panorama, 2022)

Instagram?

An application that is built mainly for users to edit with the platform’s editing tools and post / share photos or videos with hashtags and geotags that will appear on the feed of their followers. Other Instagram users can also view those photos through hashtags and geotags as long as the account was set to be public. (Holak, 2017)

💭💭💭💭💭💭💭💭💭💭💭💭💭💭💭💭💭💭💭💭💭💭

Now that Instagram and TikTok are one of the most popular app in the world, with tons of influencer on the platform, newer generations tend to lean more towards those apps compared to platforms such as Tumblr and Blogger due to the creative eye catching contents that can easily catch a user’s attention within a few seconds rather than reading a blog that has long descriptions/ captions that will take about 5 minutes to read.

LET'S FIGURE IT OUT

What are the functions of blog post?

Blog posts can be a lot of things, from personal to official businesses. Blogging can be a safe space for you to explore your independency and be yourself thus share information and ideas to an online community. Unlike Instagram reels and TikTok that are only supporting video format that are more focused on entertainment, blogs are more informational and focused on a certain topic that can help someone individually, businesses or in an educational way in a media friendly platform that allows long paragraphs, images, videos, gifs and other source of media. (Panorama, 2022)

Educational 📖✏️

Blogging can play a huge role in education in our generation for both learners and educators through their writing skills due to its blogging’s nature of writing out contents to be publish. This practice helps improve their grammar, and writing skills that indirectly leads to their writing structure and how they organize their content effectively. Aside from that, students can express themselves creatively through thoughts, opinions, and experiences that overtime they will notice their personal growth in their areas of interest that goes beyond the classroom’s setting. As for social skills, blogging can be collaborative, it allows students to work together by combining their ideas to solve a particular topic, this will widen their perspective as well as allowing them to think competently.

Business 💰💳

A corporation may increase its online presence by using blogging as a content marketing strategy to publish material about its goods or services. You stand to earn more than just visibility in fact, half of marketers rank business blogging as their top priority due to its importance. This will explain the numerous advantages blogging may provide to a company, regardless of its business model, and will offer advice on how to start a blog, develop an effective digital marketing plan, and implement crucial digital distribution tactics (Shwake, 2018). By adding extra pages to your company website, business blogging expands your organization’s online visibility and gives potential clients more ways to reach you. According to one survey, companies that blog receive more traffic to their websites than those that don't. The more people who visit your website, the more probable it is that they will make a booking, a purchase, or fill out a contact form to get in touch. Additionally, it can offer you the upper hand over rivals who don't blog. (Shwake, 2018).

References :

D'SOUZA, D. 2023. TikTok: What It Is, How It Works, and Why It’s Popular. https://www.investopedia.com/what-is-tiktok-4588933

HOLAK, B. 2017. Instagram https://www.techtarget.com/searchcio/definition/Instagram

PANORAMA, B. T. 2022. 6 Reasons That Make Blogs Remain Relevant In The Age Of Reels And TikTok. https://beyondthepanorama.com/6-reasons-that-make-blogs-remain-relevant-in-the-age-of-reels-and-tiktok/

WEINER, A. 2023. What is a blog? Definition, types, benefits and why you need one. https://www.wix.com/blog/what-is-a-blog

SHWAKE, E. 2018. Why blogging for your business can make a huge difference. https://www.wix.com/blog/blogging-for-business

#Week4 #MDA20009 #TikTok #Insragram #educationalpurposes #social media #gen z #digital community

[bottlesforbeasts]

I really really really love/hate the internet.

It never ceases to amaze me when I remember it was created by human beings. It seems like a bunch of images/concepts/shouts into the void, and yet behind every single element there's a person. And that's so terrifying and amazing because it's like nearly everything that we've created as a species ends up here in some form or another. And if it somehow hasn't yet, there are groups working hard to make sure it does.

I am unique from many in my generation (born 2003) because I spent a large portion of my formative years with very little internet access. As a kid I was all over those kids MMOs and virtual pet games, and as a teen I was really into tiktok, instagram, and youtube. But in between those times, after I had developed the curiosity to venture outside of neopets dot com, but before social media took over everyone's life and the internet was more than like 6 websites, I wasn't able to explore and really see what's out there. I never ran the gauntlet, stumbled upon bestgore, saw porn at age 10, was groomed on kik, or any of those experiences that so many of gen z seem to identify with. So when I gained access to the internet, all I really wanted to do was use social media and message my friends like every other kid my age was doing at the time.

Then I discovered something called elsagate. I was thrown into this rabbit hole of conspiracy theories, deleted youtube videos, and insane reddit posts about this bit of youtube that nobody except children knew about - until a few parents realized what the fuck their kids were watching and alerted the press about it.

Around the same time, I got into iceberg videos, I researched youtube drama, I talked to randos on omegle, I spent time lurking on the incel forums, I read about subreddits that had been banned, I listened to podcast episodes about real-life crime that got it's start on obscure fetish forums, I read wikipedia pages for fun, and I found some of the weirdest porn that the internet has to offer.

The truth is, I'm obsessed with the internet. And yet, there aren't a ton of books about the cultural aspect of things. Not much freely accessible research on the various fandoms, subcultures, fetish groups, micro-religions, and communities that are unique to the internet. That sucks for someone like me who wants to learn more without having to find everything from primary sources, but it's also great because that means I have a niche to fill and a hobby besides living vicariously through my sims.

I wanted this blog to be a neocities website but alas, I am a dumbass with no desire to learn basic HTML, or at least no drive to do it at the moment. I might figure it out and move everything over there but for now I'm just gonna keep things here where it's user-friendly and doesn't make me type these things <<<>>> all the time.

I'm going to write a bunch about a subject I think is interesting, do lots of research, and include my sources at the bottom. I will be using wikipedia and youtube as sources because A) aforementioned lack of secondary sources about shit like otherkins and femcels, and B) it's a tumblr account, not a college essay. I dropped out of college for a reason, I'm not about to subject myself to MLA APA format hell because I wanna write about the cultural impact of coolmathgames.

Posts will be coming whenever I am motivated to write, but hopefully I'll have something every other week or so. If you want to suggest a topic/nag me to post more/ask for more info my ask box is open. I'll also try to keep a masterlist of posts + links pinned for easy access ✭

[emilycwilson]

Is Tumblr to thank for the progress in body positivity?

This week we dove into the wonderful world of Tumblr, a popular micro-blogging platform that attracts more than 300 million users worldwide (SimilarWeb, 2021).

Founded in 2007 by David Karp, the social media site was designed to bring users together to share and create blog posts and multimedia content such as 'memes' and 'GIFs'. It quickly gained popularity amongst individuals who used the site to showcase their work and creativity with likeminded users. In 2013, the social media platform was sold off to Yahoo! For a whopping 1.1 billion dollars (Washington Post, 2019), however was later sold again in 2019 for 3 million dollars due to a battle of inability to monetise its user base. WordPress's parent company Automattic now has ownership of the platform, that continues to be home for millions of users.

One of the unique features of Tumblr that separates it from other social media sites is its emphasis on visual content, such as photos, videos and GIFS. Drawing in on this from this weeks reading, many social media movements have been born through Tumblr due to its engaging visual components, such as the #BodyPositivity movement.

The body Positivity movement gained traction in 2010 as a way for individuals (mainly women) to promote self acceptance through the love of ones body regardless of shape, size or appearance, which at the time was a very taboo subject for many with the rise in popularity  of the slim 'ideal body' types promoted in the media, with a spotlight on the infamous 'Victoria's Secret Fashion Show' which told plus sized women that they have  'no place in the fantasy' (Swaddle, 2018) and that it could only be sold through the portrayal of ultra slim body types, creating a whirlwind of insecurity in women across the globe. Since the abrupt cancellation of the controversial and much loved show, Victoria's Secret has since rebranded and made their image more inclusive with body diversity amongst other areas of improvement. In fact, as I am writing this, Victoria's Secret has announced a fashion show relaunch which is expected to include more body and race diversity.

Diving in further with the #BodyPositivity movement and Tumblr, the hashtag went viral with millions of women sharing pictures and stories with one another to create conversation about the beauty of all body types, with a focus on 'plus sized' individuals who face significant scrutiny daily in both the media and real life forums purely for their size. Through this, the impact was significant with mainstream media and culture  jumping on board and embracing body diversity for the first time as a whole, through advertising and implementing social media campaigns such as the 'plus size movement' in fashion. A great example of this is the cultural reset that was Mattels 'plus size barbie' range that turned heads and sparked major conversation, as this was the first major brand to promote body positivity to a younger and more impressionable audience.

Overall, it's safe to say that Tumblr has done wonders for many minority communities, in particular the plus sized community. Without Tumblr the world may have never fully embraced body positivity to the level we see today. Tumblr and #BodyPositivity continues to empower and inspire people globally to be more accepting of themselves and others, and embrace loving their bodies for what and how they are.

Source: Long Island Weight Loss Institute

References:

Eira, A. (2023) Number of Tumblr blogs in 2022/2023: User Demographics, growth, and revenue, Financesonline.com. FinancesOnline.com. Available at: https://financesonline.com/number-of-tumblr-blogs/#:~:text=How%20many%20Tumblr%20blogs%20are,unique%20visits%20from%20users%20worldwide. (Accessed: March 20, 2023).

Reif, A., Miller, I. and Taddicken, M. (2022) “‘Love the skin you‘re in’: An analysis of women’s self-presentation and user reactions to selfies using the Tumblr hashtag #bodypositive,” Mass Communication and Society, pp. 1–24. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1080/15205436.2022.2138442.

Siegel, R. (2019) Tumblr once sold for $1.1 billion. the owner of WordPress just bought the site for a fraction of that., The Washington Post. WP Company. Available at: https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2019/08/13/tumblr-once-sold-billion-owner-wordpress-just-bought-site-fraction-that/ (Accessed: March 20, 2023).

The Swaddle and Nooreyezdan, N. (2020) Trans and plus-size women have no place in the 'fantasy' Victoria's secret is selling, The Swaddle. Available at: https://theswaddle.com/trans-women-apparently-have-no-place-in-the-fantasy-victorias-secret-is-selling/ (Accessed: March 20, 2023)

#mda20009 #week 3 #bodypositivity

[stevensavage]

My Mastodon Experience

(This column is posted at www.StevenSavage.com, Steve's Tumblr, and Pillowfort.  Find out more at my newsletter, and all my social media at my linktr.ee)

A lot of people are moving to Mastodon, which means many people have opinions about Mastodon.  I wished to share my own here because we've got to ask hard questions about our social media use and how it's consolidated in a few hands.  Mastodon promises to be part of the solution.

First, though you probably know this, Mastodon is an open-source Twitter-like system made of multiple private servers.  Networked (federated) together by open protocols, you get the whole Twitter micro-blogging experience without central ownership.  People and servers can block various instances, which helps to (mostly) cut down on bad actors.  Other software and sites - many substitutes for Big Social Media - integrate into this "Fediverse" so it's well worth exploring.

Me, I created a membership on the big server Mastodon.social, but plan to move to a specialty server at some point.  That's one of the neat things - you can move memberships between servers.  I have no problem with Mastodon.social – I just want to find a community to be part of.

MY ADVICE: Just find a reliable server and open something.  Move later.

Speaking of support, most Mastodon servers are obviously private and privately funded.  Many have patreons, use Ko-fi, etc. for funding.  This is great as you (or your server owner) are independent, but it also means that you should be ponying up the money.

MY ADVICE: Join the Mastodon main patreon and fund them, and then fund the server you're on.  Be part of the community.

Because there are many separate servers, Mastodon's larger federated universe (fediverse) is a collection of connected communities.  This makes it more stable as there's no centralization, but also I've found it cultivates communities.  Servers usually have a specific purpose to support an interest, community, industry, or geographic region.  Communities can self-regulate (or get blocked), people can find specific interests easier, and tighter bonds are created.

MY ADVICE: After you join, start following people and checking out servers to look for interests.  Be part of your community.

You have to cultivate your experience on Mastodon - which is good because there’s no algorithm trying to make you angry or get you to buy pants.  There's no trending items being thrown in your face due to computations, and virality only happens due to people promoting stuff. Freed of the mathematics of engagements, you get out of it what you put into it.  Follow people, use lists, promote Toots, and employ (and search for hashtags) to get what you want.

MY ADVICE: Really explore the tools Mastodon has to manage your experience and employ them all.

Finally, I found you have to approach Mastodon with asking what you really want out of it.  One of the problems with Twitter was people were on Twitter as everyone else was on there.  Mastodon, with it's many communities and people-driven connections, requires you to ask what your purpose is and find the best people, servers, and hashtags to reach it.

MY ADVICE: Ask what you really wanted Twitter for, what you want out of social media, and then approach Mastodon with purpose.  You might even find you were on Twitter "just do it" and have to do some deep analysis (and possibly therapy)

Is Mastodon worth it?  For me the answer is hell yes! Mastodon forced me to think of my goals, but then I found it was easy to find and build communities as the distractions of Twitter weren't there.  Moderation was better than I expected because I expected none and though there are problems I'm at least seeing real discussions of real solutions people can implement.  It's also nice to be part of something growing.

Plus freed of trending topics and the chaos of Twitter, I honestly feel more relaxed.  Like many, I think maybe I was on Twitter to be on Twitter more than I admitted.

See you on Mastodon.

Steven Savage

www.StevenSavage.com

www.InformoTron.com

#mastodon #twitter #social media

[huixin0707]

Week 3: Teenage Activism and the #BodyPositive Movement on Tumblr

Teenagers on Tumblr harness the power of digital platforms to amplify their voices and advocate for social change (The Secret Lives of Tumblr Teens | The New Republic, n.d.). They challenge the limited definition of beauty that is promoted by the media by sharing selfies and personal stories that celebrate a variety of body types using the hashtag #bodypositive. By doing this, they support a developing movement that places an emphasis on empowerment, inclusivity, and authenticity.

Digital activism on Tumblr goes beyond mere self-expression; it encourages collective action and solidarity among teenagers who share common struggles and aspirations. They establish online communities where people can freely share validation and support by reblogging, liking, and commenting. People use the hashtag #bodypositive as an example to take back control of their bodies and question social norms that set beauty standards (Hutchinson, 2021).

However, the landscape of Tumblr activism is not without its complexities. While the #bodypositive movement aims to uplift marginalized voices and challenge oppressive beauty norms, it also addresses issues of representation and authenticity. According to the research, stereotypical feminine self-presentation still predominates in many selfies, despite some deviations from the mainstream beauty ideal. This demonstrates how, even in activist settings, there is constant conflict between valuing one's own identity and fitting in with society norms (Hutchinson, 2021).

Nevertheless, most selfies with the hashtag #bodypositive are linked to blogs that encourage acceptance of oneself rather than striving for personal development. This underscores the transformative potential of digital activism in developing a culture of self-love and body positivity among teenagers.

In conclusion, Tumblr serves as a dynamic platform for teenagers to engage in digital activism and promote feminist ideals through the #bodypositive movement. Despite challenges and complexities, their collective efforts contribute to a more inclusive and empowering online community. Through their activism, teenagers harness the power of social media to effect meaningful change and shape a brighter, more inclusive future.

References

Hutchinson, J. (2021). Micro-platformization for digital activism on social media. Information, Communication & Society, 24(1), 35–51. https://doi.org/10.1080/1369118X.2019.1629612

Reif, A., Miller, I., & Taddicken, M. (2023). “Love the Skin You‘re In”: An Analysis of Women’s Self-Presentation and User Reactions to Selfies Using the Tumblr Hashtag #bodypositive. Mass Communication and Society, 26(6), 1038–1061. https://doi.org/10.1080/15205436.2022.2138442

The Secret Lives of Tumblr Teens | The New Republic. (n.d.). Retrieved April 11, 2024, from https://newrepublic.com/article/129002/secret-lives-tumblr-teens

#mda20009 #body positive #teenage activism

[lncmai]

How does Tumblr function as a digital community?

Tumblr: A Unique Cyberspace Haven?

In the vast realm of cyberspace, Tumblr stands out as a unique digital community, weaving together threads of creativity, self-expression, and interconnectedness. Chang et al. (2014) defined the platform as “a social network, a blogosphere and social media simultaneously”, which provides high-quality content with rich multimedia content that offers distinctive characteristics to attract young people.

Tumblr was launched in 2007 and has evolved into a vibrant mosaic of diverse voices, sparking discussions, and fostering a sense of belonging for its users.

Tumblr - A digital community…

Unlike conventional platforms, Tumblr embraces a mosaic of multimedia elements—text, images, GIFs, and videos - enabling users to express themselves in diverse and imaginative ways. This diverse tapestry not only reflects individual interests but also shapes a collective identity that defines the digital landscape of Tumblr.

User interaction is a cornerstone of Tumblr's community ethos, facilitated through features such as reblogging and liking. The reblogging mechanism allows content to traverse the platform, creating a ripple effect that spreads ideas, humor, and thought-provoking content like wildfire. As Nield (2017) stated, users may interact with others, easily curate material, and build personalized blogs. This fluid exchange fosters a sense of interconnectedness, as users actively contribute to the collective narrative, making Tumblr more than just a passive content-consuming space.

The power of tags serves as a navigation tool, guiding users through the vast sea of content. Hijbul Alam, Ryu, and Lee (2017) has insisted that hashtags are beneficial in creating communities based on shared interests and aiding in content discovery. Tags become virtual meeting grounds where users converge to discuss shared interests, forming connections over fandoms, activism, or niche hobbies. This decentralized yet interconnected approach to content discovery enhances the sense of community, fostering organic connections beyond the boundaries of geographical locations.

Tumblr's strength lies not only in its ability to serve as a digital canvas but also in its role as a sanctuary for micro communities. From fandoms celebrating TV shows to forums addressing mental health challenges, Tumblr accommodates diverse voices, providing solace and a sense of belonging. Furthermore, those communities can freely raise their voice anonymously, which is an important point to many users. Dawson (2018) has stated that anonymity provides a shield for individuals to express themselves honestly, which in turn encourages sincere communication. These micro communities transcend the virtual realm, creating safe spaces that mirror the supportive nature of real-world communities.

While Tumblr's evolution has seen challenges, including shifts in content moderation policies, the platform's essence as a digital community persists. It remains a space where individuality thrives, diverse voices find resonance, and the collective tapestry of Tumblr continues to unfold, revealing the ever-changing landscape of this unique digital haven.

Reference:

Chang, Y, Tang, L, Inagaki, Y & Liu, Y 2014, “What is Tumblr: a statistical overview and comparison,” SIGKDD explorations, vol. 16, no. 1, ACM, pp. 21–29.

Dawson, J 2018, ‘Who Is That? The Study of Anonymity and Behavior’, APS Observer, vol. 31, viewed 4 February 2024, <https://www.psychologicalscience.org/observer/who-is-that-the-study-of-anonymity-and-behavior>.

Hijbul Alam, Md, Ryu, W-J & Lee, S 2017, ‘Hashtag-based topic evolution in social media’, World Wide Web, vol. 20, no. 6, Springer Science+Business Media, pp. 1527–1549, viewed 4 February 2024, <https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11280-017-0451-3>.

Nield, D 2017, ‘What Does It Mean to Reblog on Tumblr?’, Small Business, viewed 4 February 2024, <https://smallbusiness.chron.com/mean-reblog-tumblr-61882.html>.

#MDA20009 #week 3 #digital communities

[ziqianwang]

Week 3 Tumblr Case Study

Tumblr is a social media and micro-blogging platform that allows users to post and share photos, videos, audio, text, and other types of media content. It was founded in 2007 and is headquartered in New York City, USA. It is a creative content community created by David Karp. Unlike other social media platforms, Tumblr users tend to focus more on sharing their creative content and hobbies. Users can freely create blogs and showcase their content to other users, as well as follow other users' blogs and interact with them. Tumblr blogs can be customized and designed and can link to other social media websites or blogs. Tumblr has a wide range of user groups, including artists, photographers, writers, musicians, fashion enthusiasts, anime fans, and people from various fields. It is also widely used for discussing political and social issues. In addition to social interaction, Tumblr also offers some other features such as tags, search, and private messaging. Tumblr has also become one of the channels for some brands and institutions to conduct digital marketing and social media promotion.

According to a study conducted by Pew Research Center, Tumblr users are more likely than users of other social media platforms to share content related to personal interests and hobbies, which may contribute to Tumblr's inclusive and diverse community atmosphere (Perrin, 2016).In order to suit this stereotype, the Western mass media has an idealised definition of female beauty. Social media users frequently edit their selfies to appeal to this stereotype and win the group's support. But Tumblr is known to be more inclusive than other social media platforms because it has always been a platform that encourages self-expression and exploration of personal interests and hobbies. In contrast to the popular hashtag #selfie, the Tumblr hashtag #bodypositive criticises the idealised beauty of women and promotes acceptance of marginalised groups like overweight people, transgender people, and people of colour(Reif, Miller and Taddicken 2022).

Reference

Perrin, A. (2016). Social Media Update 2016. Pew Research Center. Retrieved from https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2016/11/11/social-media-update-2016/

Anne Reif, Insa Miller & Monika Taddicken 2022,' ''love the Skin You're In'' : An Analysis of Women’s Self-Presentation and User Reactions to Selfies Using the Tumblr Hashtag #bodypositive', Mass Communication and Society

#mda20009

[stickysticksticks]

WEEK 3

“Love the Skin You’re in”: An Analysis of Women’s Self-Presentation and User Reactions to Selfies Using the Tumblr Hashtag #bodypositive.

Tumblr is widely known as a popular micro-blogging site for young people, especially millennials that claim to take up 69% of Tumblr’s users (Keller 2019, p.7). Tumblr stands out compared to Instagram and Facebook because it doesn’t involve a personal profile or a network of friends or followers (Keller 2019, p.7). Tumblr users re-blog and post their interests with hashtags to connect with others that share the same interest (Miller, Reif & Taddicken 20022, pp. 4). It’s a completely different platform to Instagram and twitter because there is no pressure to be someone you’re not but rather a place to express who you truely are.

After Tumblr banned all NSFW (not safe/suitable for work), the popular hashtag #bodypositive became a movement to normalize body types and promote body acceptance through selfies (Paasonen & Pilipets 2022, pp. 1460). Fueled by it's anonymity and social privacy, Tumblr is the perfect public sphere for this movement because it is a known safe hub for body-positive, gender nonconforming and queer communities (Paasonen & Pilipets 2022, pp. 1461). The movement was present on Instagram too but performed differently because of its online culture of discussion and encouragement of inappropriate comments. As a result Instagram users felt sexually objectified because viewers perceived them that way rather than encouraging them to ignore beauty standards (Brathwaite, DeAndrea, & Vendemia 2021, pp. 143).

To participate in the movement users upload a selfie of their body and participated in postfeminism culture (Miller, Reif & Taddicken 20022, pp. 6).  Selfies are photos taken of oneself, usually via a phone for the purpose of uploading to social media (Miller, Reif & Taddicken 20022, pp. 3). Selfies result in idolizing oneself which is the aim of the movement. However, if a selfie isn’t to the standards of the communities’ expectations or the cultural ideals than it won’t gain a positive response (Miller, Reif & Taddicken 20022, pp. 3). Selfies involves its own standards of photo taking through its unique style, techniques and poses and may include filters and photo editing reflecting a lower self-esteem (Miller, Reif & Taddicken 20022, pp. 4). Which gains more need for the movement because of users value on their body image and the gain of self-worth through positive comments and likes, rather than their own opinions and how they feel (Miller, Reif & Taddicken 20022, pp. 4). Within the chaos selfies are considered important in discovering their self through experimenting with selfies to find their own style and taste (Miller, Reif & Taddicken 20022, pp. 4).

Overall, the movement was successful and found that users gained a lot more self-esteem because of the community’s positive feedback and encouragement (Miller, Reif & Taddicken 20022, pp. 17). Selfies were also received as self-verifying and far from negative because it highlighted their feminine side (Miller, Reif & Taddicken 20022, pp. 17). The standards of beauty were shifted in many users definitions and as a result encouraged many more woman to do the same (Miller, Reif & Taddicken 20022, pp. 18).

(weight loss, 2021)

References

Brathwaite, K, DeAndrea, D & Vendemia, M 2021, Objectifying the body positive movement: The effects of sexualizing and digitally modifying body-positive images on Instagram, Body Image, vol. 38, Issn. 1740-1445, pp. 137-147

Keller, J, 2019, “Oh, She’s a Tumblr Feminist”: Exploring the Platform Vernacular of Girls’ Social Media Feminisms, Social Media + Society, Sage.

Miller, I, Reif, A & Taddicken, M, 2022,“Love the Skin You‘re In”: An Analysis of Women’s Self-Presentation and User Reactions to Selfies Using the Tumblr Hashtag #bodypositive, Mass Communication and Society,  Taylor & Francis Group.

Paasonen, S & Pilipets, E, 2022, Nipples, memes, and algorithmic failure: NSFW critique of Tumblr censorship, New Media & Society, Sage.

Weight Loss, 2021, ‘body positive: empowering or dangerous?’, weight loss, 13 March 2023, &lt; https://liwli.com/body-positive-empowering-or-dangerous/ >

#MDA20009

[atsymboljake]

Look at that. My Twitter handle was available on Tumblr. Probably because the @[UserName] thing really isn't prominent or terribly useful on Tumblr, so the joke doesn't really work. Even on Twitter, I didn't find many people who found jokes about naming structure as funny as I do. That's true outside of Twitter, too, now that I'm thinking about it. You guys, naming structure jokes are hilarious, and it really brings me down that you can't share my joy on this. It's sad, actually. I'm actually sad. I'm embarrassed for you. Anyway. You found me, even if there doesn't end up being much to find in this space. Or maybe there will be. I haven't given this any thought. I'm not against a return to directionless blogging. Remember blogging? The thing that was great until all the bloggers were forced to admit that all the action was happening in micro-blogs. Remember when posting on Twitter was called micro-blogging? There's something comforting, something warm and inviting, about the Tumblr interface. It draws paragraphs out of me when all I'd intended to say was that I have nothing to say. This place was the peak of social media, and I'd love to see it bustling again. But I don't have plans to bustle. Not currently. But isn't starting and abandoning a new page an essential part of the Tumblr experience? Look upon my Tumblogs, ye mighty!

@logginsforllamas

@iloveabunchofmovies

@iloveabunchofgenres

@thrownunderthebus

@therealvanityfair

@memeticgrammar

@toucanslookinglikemagicians

@bshootsclayjumps

@adventuregamesavenames

@tralalaaradionetwork-blog

@ofhorsepod

One of those has been updated more than once in the last month! One of them has never contained a post! Several of them were created specifically for the sake of a joke aimed at exactly one person, and one of those, I just learned that one of those has a second post I barely remember, and it's somehow accumulated more than 17,000 Notes. Tumblr's so weird! Also, I thought the Spider-Man comics I drew were on Tumblr, but I guess not? I can't find them in any accessible place online, and you know what that means! I created a new account in the process of writing about how I'm not Tumbling. Introducing...

@coolspidermancomics

Tumblr rules.

[fancyhints]

Twitter Suffers Major Global Outage With 54,000 US Downdetector Reports Twitter's micro-blogging platform suffered a major global outage Thursday. Updated at 9:17 am EST Twitter Inc.  (TWTR) - Get Twitter Inc. Report suffered a major outage Thursday, blocking access to thousands of users, as the social media group navigates its controversial $44 billion takeover deal with Tesla  (TSLA) - Get Tesla Inc. Report CEO Elon Musk. Downdetector, which tracks outages across major internet platforms around the world, said it had received more than 54,000 reports on Twitter from U.S. users by 8:20 am Eastern time. The first reports, collated from users, noted at around 7:44 am Eastern time, with subsequent complaints coming from countries such as the United Kingdom, Italy and Brazil.  The site appeared to be returning to full function by around 9:04 am Eastern time. Twitter suffered its longest outage, which it put down to an “internal configuration change,” in 2019 that kept the https://fancyhints.com/twitter-suffers-major-global-outage-with-54000-us-downdetector-reports/?utm_source=tumblr&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=ReviveOldPost

[youngemmablog]

Can Tumblr be considered a public sphere? (Week 3)

What exactly is the public sphere and how does it pertain to the platform you and I are currently on right now? Oxford Bibliographies (2018) describes the public sphere “as the social space in which different opinions are expressed, problems of general concern are discussed, and collective solutions are developed communicatively”. It is a “central arena for societal communication” and the concept is to be considered “the state of being publicly visible and subject to scrutiny by the public” (Oxford Bibliographies 2018).

So how does this exactly pertain to Tumblr as a platform? Some may consider Tumblr a public sphere, after all, it has quite a few qualities that are consistent with public spheres. After all, Tumblr is a public social space, somewhere where people’s opinions are expressed, general problems are discussed, and solutions are collectively developed communicatively. And yet there are two key elements missing that were discussed in this week’s lecture, the unlimited access to information and the absence of an institutional influence (Milne 2022). There is no way to currently guarantee that every citizen has access to the internet and with Tumblr being ‘online’ there is no way to therefore guarantee unlimited access to information. As of April 2021, those with access to the internet have only “[reached] a total of more than 4.7 billion” (Kemp 2021). That realistically being only “6 in 10 people on Earth now [using] the internet” (Kemp 2021). Tumblr is also not free from institutional influence either. As an app on the Apple app store, Tumblr must meet the policies of Apple. Therefore, as a response, Tumblr made it that “any personal blog that flags itself as ‘mature’ is not accessible on the IOS app” (Silberling 2021).

What Tumblr does very well, despite failing to be able to qualify as a public sphere, is the creation of micro-publics. These relatively small groups of people coming together on a platform able to anonymously engage with like-minded people in a community or a topic they love, whether that be fandom, feminism or the LGBTQ+ community. This was especially seen in a study in which “there was unanimous agreement that Tumblr was the easiest digital space to practice feminism” (Keller p. 7, 2019).

References:

Keller, J 2019, ‘”Oh, She’s a Tumblr Feminist”: Exploring the Platform Vernacular of Girls’ Social Media Feminisms’, Social Media + Society, vol. 5, no. 3, pp. 1-11.

Kemp, S 2021, Digital 2021: 60 Percent of the World’s Populations is Now Online, We Are Social, viewed 17 March 2022, < https://wearesocial.com/au/blog/2021/04/60-percent-of-the-worlds-population-is-now-online/#:~:text=Kepios%20analysis%20reveals%20that%20more,year%20increase%20of%207.6%20percent.>

Milne, E 2022, ‘Week 3 Tumblr Case Study Lecture’, MDA20009 Digital Communities, Canvas, 14 March, viewed 14 March 2022.

Oxford Bibliographies 2018, Public Sphere, Oxford Bibliographies, viewed 17 March 2022, < https://www.oxfordbibliographies.com/view/document/obo-9780199756841/obo-9780199756841-0030.xml>

Silberling, A 2021, Tumblr is at war with Apple over ‘mature’ content on its app again, Tech Crunch, viewed 17 March 2022, < https://techcrunch.com/2021/12/29/tumblr-ios-tags-ban-apple/>

#mda20009 #public sphere #tumblr #femisnism #fandom #micro-public

[mycroftrh]

It's really interesting to me that new social media platforms more and more actively prevent you from Using Your Words.

LiveJournal and Tumblr are technically "micro-blogging" sites first and social networking sites second. They're meant for Talking About Things, and the platform is mechanically set up to do so. "#long post" is what they're designed to do. Tumblr's image-heaviness was at one point seen as an oddity.

MySpace gave you your own blog, as well as forums.

Facebook is set up to allow indefinite amounts of text. They'll look ugly, admittedly. But you very much can, and that is the default format.

Twitter has built-in to its foundation that you cannot say more than a single sentence without circumventing the entire basis of the site. You are not meant to be able to say anything longer than that, and if you try to get around it they will do their darndest to make your content impossible to read. Also, Twitter physically does not let you edit a tweet.

Instagram is. Pictures. If you're using it at base functionality there are zero (0) words. You can do a caption if you want but the thing it's designed for does not include words at all. Also, you can edit that caption but the bulk of your post (the image) cannot be edited; and if you edit your caption the engagement algorithm resets so, effectively, no one will ever see that post again.

Snapchat doesn't even let you do captions. You can circumvent it trying to prevent you from Using Your Words by putting a tiny strip of text across your image and that's the best you've got. (If you're visually impaired, fuck you.) Also, no editing whatsoever.

TikTok is "new tumblr" because at least you can convey a significant number of words - you just aren't allowed to TYPE them. (If you're hearing-impaired or visually impaired fuck you.) A platform where typed text effectively does not exist is the closest modern social media gets to actually allowing you to say more than a single sentence. Also, no editing whatsoever.

Anyway, my point being, like... of course there's no nuance in Twitter discourse. There's nowhere to put it whether you want to or not. Of course people get increasingly angry and polarised - there's nowhere to put a clarification or elaboration, nowhere to put even a couple words indicating your intended tone. In discussions where people are already sensitive or defensive, everyone's left to take the most negative reading of what they see because they have no basis for taking it otherwise. No one can go back and edit what they've posted, or in most cases even edit while they're posting, so if you realize that your wording was confusing, or more information leads you to change your mind, or you just have a horrible typo, you're shit outta luck.

New social media actively, intentionally builds into the foundations of their platforms Physically Not Allowing You To Use Your Words, and they do it more and more as time goes on. And, like, not to sound like a "social media is evil and fire is scary" boomer, but that's kinda worrying.

#social media #misc #mine