![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Entry tags:
So, About Tumblr...
I have a partial draft of a Doctor Who season 6 review written - and I will post it eventually - but for now I decided I'm gonna use what I originally made this blog for - an actual blog post. This time, it's about a different blogging platform - Tumblr.
Today, Tumblr changed it's terms of service in response to it's removal from the iOS App Store. It's banning all (or most, if its support post is to be taken at face value) nsfw content beginning on December 17th. This is very similar to Strikethrough on LiveJournal and the subsequent TOS change on that site ten years later. As a result, people are starting to leave the site en masse, ending an era when it was THE fandom hub, which it served for a better part of my twenties.
Now, it's not the only fandom venue I've ever known. I was around for message boards in the early 00's, and then for LiveJournal in the late 00's and early 10's. Frankly, I wouldn't be heartbroken if that type of fandom experience got revived. But honestly, I am pretty heartbroken. For all it's flaws, Tumblr was a lot of fun to use. I've met a lot of people through it, and it's been one of the most consistent elements during a very formative time in my life.
The day is still "young", so the reactions have largely consisted of people who either never used the site or haven't used it in years making flippant remarks about its demise without consideration of how this is effecting its current userbase. It feels like a huge portion of my online identity has been upended, and I'm straight up terrified that a huge part of my internet footprint might be wiped out in an instant. And while stuff like art and writing have other platforms to migrate to, no other platforms support gifs and graphics the way Tumblr does.
I suspect that the demise of Tumblr won't be as instantaneous as some people might expect though. Strikethrough happened in 2007 but the site was still pretty lively up until around 2012 because there was no viable alternative until Tumblr and AO3 came along. So I guess this is just a question of time. I have my doubts that Pillowfort can be the lofted savior it purports itself to be, considering it's currently charging money to access a site that's currently offline and has been in a pretty static beta state for months now.
In the meantime, I'd be remiss not to note how social media for current and former Tumblr employees seems to indicate that this decision is the result of a directive from Oath and Verizon rather than a decision made my Tumblr's actual staff. I guess those fears everyone had when Yahoo bought Tumblr back in 2013 were justified after all.
Today, Tumblr changed it's terms of service in response to it's removal from the iOS App Store. It's banning all (or most, if its support post is to be taken at face value) nsfw content beginning on December 17th. This is very similar to Strikethrough on LiveJournal and the subsequent TOS change on that site ten years later. As a result, people are starting to leave the site en masse, ending an era when it was THE fandom hub, which it served for a better part of my twenties.
Now, it's not the only fandom venue I've ever known. I was around for message boards in the early 00's, and then for LiveJournal in the late 00's and early 10's. Frankly, I wouldn't be heartbroken if that type of fandom experience got revived. But honestly, I am pretty heartbroken. For all it's flaws, Tumblr was a lot of fun to use. I've met a lot of people through it, and it's been one of the most consistent elements during a very formative time in my life.
The day is still "young", so the reactions have largely consisted of people who either never used the site or haven't used it in years making flippant remarks about its demise without consideration of how this is effecting its current userbase. It feels like a huge portion of my online identity has been upended, and I'm straight up terrified that a huge part of my internet footprint might be wiped out in an instant. And while stuff like art and writing have other platforms to migrate to, no other platforms support gifs and graphics the way Tumblr does.
I suspect that the demise of Tumblr won't be as instantaneous as some people might expect though. Strikethrough happened in 2007 but the site was still pretty lively up until around 2012 because there was no viable alternative until Tumblr and AO3 came along. So I guess this is just a question of time. I have my doubts that Pillowfort can be the lofted savior it purports itself to be, considering it's currently charging money to access a site that's currently offline and has been in a pretty static beta state for months now.
In the meantime, I'd be remiss not to note how social media for current and former Tumblr employees seems to indicate that this decision is the result of a directive from Oath and Verizon rather than a decision made my Tumblr's actual staff. I guess those fears everyone had when Yahoo bought Tumblr back in 2013 were justified after all.
no subject
Thinking of alternate ways to view it -- I'm now picturing Rey as a terrifying force of nature (which she is) whose interest falls on Kylo, and Kylo is just like, "mark me down as scared AND horny," lol.
no subject
I actually haven't consumed a ton of fanwork about it as much as meta, but I do like mythic or angsty stories, or cheesy stuff like earth high school AU's. The "Kylo being the one pining after Rey" thing was actually what I expected TLJ to be if it happened at all in it, so that interpretation holds some appeal as well.
(I'm also convinced that there will be a redemption story in IX, but the YYMV of it and what form/endgame it takes is still up in the air to me.)
no subject
ETA: I also thought there would be a redemption arc for Kylo! I sure hope so. (Out of spite as well as because I think it'd be interesting, because I've seen some shitty takes about how he doesn't deserve to... do better? I don't really get it.)