User:SarahJadallah/sandbox

COMS207: Group L: Zoe Williams, Sarah Jadallah, Erin Ramsay

The main features that define Tumblr include: The ability to post photos, videos, quotes, links and text posts, as well as the highly-popular ability to reblog any form of media produced by the blogs that you follow. So it's not just a blogging website, it's also a highly-sharable multimedia website. Tumblr also includes the ability to message the blogs that you follow either openly or anonymously. This can be problematic, with anonymous online "hate" and harassment being sent to blogs/users. So essentially, Tumblr is a mix between social media such as Facebook and a blogging platform such as Wordpress, which could explain its success. Another key thing to note about Tumblr is that it has endless topics on which to blog about. For instance, there are fashion, health, science, writing, yoga, comedy, celebrity and fan-based sections among countless others. Because of this, and the ability to keep your Tumblr private, the website appeals to people looking to explore a particular interest. For instance, being a fan of the Harry Potter franchise by following people who blog about the films and share similar interests. This appeals to people because it is not as public as Facebook and it allows you to explore what you like in a less judgemental online environment.

Tumblr is mainly a very personal blogging website, which users are encouraged to create their own content in a variety of different forms including images, GIFs, comments, and text posts etc. It is a widely personalized website so even if a user does not create many of their own posts they are still able to re share other peoples posts or “reblog” whilst still sourcing back to them. Tumblr is a free blogging source that captures the ability to express and post whatever an individual desires without any major limitations stopping their creative influences. The first rule of Tumblr is it should not be spoken about outside of the Tumblr realm. It is an unwritten rule, yet it is well known. Reasons behind this include the fact that users may be conscious of what others may think of their blog if they find their blog, so majority of the users keep their pages as private knowledge unless they trust someone to share it with them. The Tumblr community is full of strongly connected group of individuals, which understand and support one another, which could also be considered a “rule” of Tumblr.

Tumblr is known for individualized blogs, meaning various blogs are made in recognition of a particular aspect, which may be considered a “fandom”. These fandoms run on the constant posting of various Gifs, text posts and photos in recognition of a particular topic, this may include television shows, celebrities, animals, or recreational activities of various forms. People are then able to follow these pages and whenever a new post is made they will see them on their own dashboard and can then reblog the content to their own page, however in order to keep their own page growing, perseverance and frequent activity is a must on this site.

Culture which predominates on the platform is that of the 'popular' one. Tumblr as a platform is very much image-driven and based around 'art' and 'culture' which create virtual realities for users. People are able to establish their place in this virtual universe through immersing themselves in the popular culture it sets. This culture can be considered dynamic, as it is ever-changing. The manipulation of images is a key feature of Tumblr’s "popular" culture. In particular the unrealistic and often unattainable goals in terms of body image. The current Tumblr culture rewards those who fit the slim body type. This culture favours different phases of what’s trending, for instance the visible collarbones, the thigh gap, the ‘squat challenge’ and so on. Materialism and the ideal lifestyle is another popular culture that circulates on Tumblr, which users can emulate through the reblogging feature, thus connecting themselves to the popular culture. An organisational implication of Tumblr is the fact it is solely shaped by the people who use it. Users have full control of what is posted to the site, and subsequently circulated. Unlike other forms of social media such as Instagram and Facebook which have safety guidelines and virtual rules, Tumblr pushes the boundaries as almost anything can be posted without repercussion. This can have public implications too, as some users may not agree with the images that can be seen on the site, and not deem them appropriate and therefore become offended. In saying this, without the diversity Tumblr offers it wouldn’t be what it is today.