Changes

I’d hate to call tumblr a popularity contest. That is not a goal for the many well respected voices sharing talent and insight and passion. But the format of tumblr, with content flowing pass us all the time, makes it so much harder to be heard. Charismatic (+ derisive) voices always have relatively more impact in social forums, and the structure of tumblr exaggerates this via reblogging and by adding a point system via notes. When is it worth the work of sharing a moderate opinion (the lack of which has been lamented by [[emmagrant01]] and many others) if no-one is going to see it? Original content takes effort, and that effort has little chance to be appreciate, particularly not on par with the material reappearing on our respective dashes. Is it a community when no one notices whether you showed up?

I’d hate to call tumblr a popularity contest. That is not a goal for the many well respected voices sharing talent and insight and passion. But the format of tumblr, with content flowing pass us all the time, makes it so much harder to be heard. Charismatic (+ derisive) voices always have relatively more impact in social forums, and the structure of tumblr exaggerates this via reblogging and by adding a point system via notes. When is it worth the work of sharing a moderate opinion (the lack of which has been lamented by [[emmagrant01]] and many others) if no-one is going to see it? Original content takes effort, and that effort has little chance to be appreciate, particularly not on par with the material reappearing on our respective dashes. Is it a community when no one notices whether you showed up?

One problem with the cafeteria analogue is that most of “the noise” is actually quite lovely and thought provoking, but it comes to us in a rush to be absorbed quickly rather than picked up and explored and responded to. As a place to consume (rather than contribute) tumblr is very satisfying. And at worst, we can approximate our positions and ideas with reblogs and continue on as consumers of the work of others, both professional/big scale media and amateur. <ref> from [http://fffinnagain.tumblr.com/post/97403474373/limits-on-tumblr-fandom-communities Limits on tumblr Fandom Communities]; [http://www.webcitation.org/6SpPzOskH WebCite] by fffinnagain, September 13, 2014  </ref>}}

One problem with the cafeteria analogue is that most of “the noise” is actually quite lovely and thought provoking, but it comes to us in a rush to be absorbed quickly rather than picked up and explored and responded to. As a place to consume (rather than contribute) tumblr is very satisfying. And at worst, we can approximate our positions and ideas with reblogs and continue on as consumers of the work of others, both professional/big scale media and amateur. <ref> from {{source|url = http://fffinnagain.tumblr.com/post/97403474373/limits-on-tumblr-fandom-communities |title = Limits on tumblr Fandom Communities |archiveurl= http://www.webcitation.org/6SpPzOskH }} by fffinnagain, September 13, 2014  </ref>}}

{{Quotation2| .... gone are the days of [Livejournal's] "super sekrit screencap" communities, and fans not getting the latest new because of being locked out of a comm. <ref>{{source| url = http://fail-fandomanon.dreamwidth.org/108454.html?thread=545195174#cmt54519 | title = fail_fandomanon FFA DW Post #90 - Re: The "mean girls" of fandom dated Oct 21, 2014|archiveurl= http://web.archive.org/web/20141029145339/http://fail-fandomanon.dreamwidth.org/108454.html?thread=545195174 |archivedate= 2014-10-29 }} </ref>}}

{{Quotation2| .... gone are the days of [Livejournal's] "super sekrit screencap" communities, and fans not getting the latest new because of being locked out of a comm. <ref>{{source| url = http://fail-fandomanon.dreamwidth.org/108454.html?thread=545195174#cmt54519 | title = fail_fandomanon FFA DW Post #90 - Re: The "mean girls" of fandom dated Oct 21, 2014|archiveurl= http://web.archive.org/web/20141029145339/http://fail-fandomanon.dreamwidth.org/108454.html?thread=545195174 |archivedate= 2014-10-29 }} </ref>}}

===2015===

===2015===

{{Quotation|I want to write an enormous comment about how the Tumblr-ization of fandom has lead to a shift away from (fanfic)creator-lead communities to consumer-lead communities, and the various arguments about whether or not the invention of "I like this" buttons have contributed to the death of comment culture, and how the move away from [[Livejournal]] has destroyed the old feelings of fandom existing in a finite space where you generally knew who your audience was.....  Except that would all just boil down to "I'm old and I'm sad that I no longer feel welcome in fannish spaces" and that's....not actually all that interesting. <ref> [http://www.metafilter.com/147962/Its-a-Fanmade-World It's a Fanmade World]; [https://web.archive.org/web/20150318133628/http://www.metafilter.com/147962/Its-a-Fanmade-World Archive], comment at MetaFilter by Narrative Priorities, March 2015 </ref>}}

{{Quotation|I want to write an enormous comment about how the Tumblr-ization of fandom has lead to a shift away from (fanfic)creator-lead communities to consumer-lead communities, and the various arguments about whether or not the invention of "I like this" buttons have contributed to the death of comment culture, and how the move away from [[Livejournal]] has destroyed the old feelings of fandom existing in a finite space where you generally knew who your audience was.....  Except that would all just boil down to "I'm old and I'm sad that I no longer feel welcome in fannish spaces" and that's....not actually all that interesting. <ref> {{cite web|url = http://www.metafilter.com/147962/Its-a-Fanmade-World |title = It's a Fanmade World |archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20150318133628/http://www.metafilter.com/147962/Its-a-Fanmade-World |archivedate = 2015-03-18 }}, comment at MetaFilter by Narrative Priorities, March 2015 </ref>}}

{{Quotation2| ... fandom just feels different for me now, with the evaporation of fandom communities on platforms like LiveJournal. I have a tumblr now, but I don't know many people there, and I don't feel like I have much to offer.  

{{Quotation2| ... fandom just feels different for me now, with the evaporation of fandom communities on platforms like LiveJournal. I have a tumblr now, but I don't know many people there, and I don't feel like I have much to offer.  

I was never a big fanfic author because I preferred to write original works. I participated as mostly a reader. I enjoyed discussions about interpretations of shows, about writing, etc--and those are much rarer now. They still happen--people still make them work--but I feel like a lot of the socialization is moving to a different model that is ... less geared toward creating communities, finding friends, etc. <ref> [http://www.metafilter.com/147962/Its-a-Fanmade-World It's a Fanmade World]; [https://web.archive.org/web/20150318133628/http://www.metafilter.com/147962/Its-a-Fanmade-World Archive], comment at MetaFilter by Kutsuwamushi , March 2015 </ref>}}

I was never a big fanfic author because I preferred to write original works. I participated as mostly a reader. I enjoyed discussions about interpretations of shows, about writing, etc--and those are much rarer now. They still happen--people still make them work--but I feel like a lot of the socialization is moving to a different model that is ... less geared toward creating communities, finding friends, etc. <ref> {{cite web|url = http://www.metafilter.com/147962/Its-a-Fanmade-World |title = It's a Fanmade World |archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20150318133628/http://www.metafilter.com/147962/Its-a-Fanmade-World |archivedate = 2015-03-18 }}, comment at MetaFilter by Kutsuwamushi , March 2015 </ref>}}

{{Quotation|I was never a fanfiction writer, but I was part of the [[Gargoyles]] fandom back in the Station8 days (1997-2002 or so), when the community was a few hundred outspoken people and who-knows-how-many lurkers. Most of us knew each other at least socially in online circles, and many of us actually met in person (turns out I went to jr. high with two other very active members of that community, ha). At least one of the creatives behind the thing we were fans of was aware of / participating in the community. The idea of a community that tightly-knit on the modern net is more or less impossible just due to scale -- a couple of hundred people is maybe a niche in a niche in a niche, and who-knows-how-many of these communities are running in parallel. It's open to a larger world, but it also feels larger and more impersonal.  <ref> [http://www.metafilter.com/147962/Its-a-Fanmade-World It's a Fanmade World]; [https://web.archive.org/web/20150318133628/http://www.metafilter.com/147962/Its-a-Fanmade-World Archive], comment at MetaFilter by Alterscape, March 2015 </ref>}}

{{Quotation|I was never a fanfiction writer, but I was part of the [[Gargoyles]] fandom back in the Station8 days (1997-2002 or so), when the community was a few hundred outspoken people and who-knows-how-many lurkers. Most of us knew each other at least socially in online circles, and many of us actually met in person (turns out I went to jr. high with two other very active members of that community, ha). At least one of the creatives behind the thing we were fans of was aware of / participating in the community. The idea of a community that tightly-knit on the modern net is more or less impossible just due to scale -- a couple of hundred people is maybe a niche in a niche in a niche, and who-knows-how-many of these communities are running in parallel. It's open to a larger world, but it also feels larger and more impersonal.  <ref> {{cite web|url = http://www.metafilter.com/147962/Its-a-Fanmade-World |title = It's a Fanmade World |archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20150318133628/http://www.metafilter.com/147962/Its-a-Fanmade-World |archivedate = 2015-03-18 }}, comment at MetaFilter by Alterscape, March 2015 </ref>}}

{{Quotation2|Rue72: Mostly I feel like nothing that I have to say or create is of any interest to current fandom communities; that we've moved even more completely into an "OOOH SHINEY!" instant-gratification kind of place, and that the smaller little weirdo pockets have been squeezed out by whatever the dominant conversation/ship/joke/etc happens to be.

{{Quotation2|Rue72: Mostly I feel like nothing that I have to say or create is of any interest to current fandom communities; that we've moved even more completely into an "OOOH SHINEY!" instant-gratification kind of place, and that the smaller little weirdo pockets have been squeezed out by whatever the dominant conversation/ship/joke/etc happens to be.

Tumblr tags serve that same purpose superficially, but it all feels so fluid and impermanent -- a community assembled by search instead of something deliberately created. It's harder to talk to people on Tumblr. It's harder to have what feels like a permanent history that can be revisited.

Tumblr tags serve that same purpose superficially, but it all feels so fluid and impermanent -- a community assembled by search instead of something deliberately created. It's harder to talk to people on Tumblr. It's harder to have what feels like a permanent history that can be revisited.

But! It's like I said. Probably I'm just old!  <ref> [http://www.metafilter.com/147962/Its-a-Fanmade-World It's a Fanmade World]; [https://web.archive.org/web/20150318133628/http://www.metafilter.com/147962/Its-a-Fanmade-World Archive], comment at MetaFilter by Narrative Priorities, March 2015 </ref>}}

But! It's like I said. Probably I'm just old!  <ref> {{cite web|url = http://www.metafilter.com/147962/Its-a-Fanmade-World |title = It's a Fanmade World |archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20150318133628/http://www.metafilter.com/147962/Its-a-Fanmade-World |archivedate = 2015-03-18 }}, comment at MetaFilter by Narrative Priorities, March 2015 </ref>}}

{{Quotation| I think the general mindset and culture of Tumblr is effecting what people choose to write about in fic, and how they approach the characters and relationships, and gradually I'm not being able to find anything to read that hasn't been influenced by it. I think fandom really was better on a different platform, but not just for the usual reasons of Tumblr being useless for communication, I think the way it's organized somehow shapes the culture that's arisen, or encourages it. <ref> [http://fail-fandomanon.dreamwidth.org/131867.html?thread=686760731#cmt686760731 fail_fandomanon]; [http://www.webcitation.org/6XdrSShu7 archive link], April 2015 </ref>}}

{{Quotation| I think the general mindset and culture of Tumblr is effecting what people choose to write about in fic, and how they approach the characters and relationships, and gradually I'm not being able to find anything to read that hasn't been influenced by it. I think fandom really was better on a different platform, but not just for the usual reasons of Tumblr being useless for communication, I think the way it's organized somehow shapes the culture that's arisen, or encourages it. <ref> {{source|url = http://fail-fandomanon.dreamwidth.org/131867.html?thread=686760731#cmt686760731 |title = fail_fandomanon |archiveurl= http://www.webcitation.org/6XdrSShu7 }}, April 2015 </ref>}}

{{Quotation2| Tumblr culture has a LOT of serious problems and I'm pretty sure it's self-destructing--but we can't talk, [[LJ]] self-destructed too, and we tore each other apart bloody before we did it. I loved LJ fandom like my own family, but I remember a lot of the same culture of ruling fear and mass [[bullying]] that goes on on tumblr from there too--that goes back at least to the 80s and [['zine]] culture, where you even had to be "sponsored" by someone at a con to be taken seriously. We started [[Social Justice|SJ]] on LJ, not tumblr--I remember early iterations going back to around 2002-03, it got serious in around 2007, and became impossible to ignore in 2009. So it had been steadily building up until tumblr got started, and many initially went to tumblr to get AWAY from the constant guiltmongering and finger-pointing. If you recall, [[DREAMWIDTH]] was originally considered the "[[special snowflake]]" haven! My old [[flist]] on LJ was all, "Oh, we'll never move to [[Dreamwidth]], all they care about is talking about disability and alternate sexualities there." Then they all did...or went to tumblr, or focused on their offline lives. My point is, the culture's always had issues, it's always been in flux, it's always cannibalized one community after another because it's never been stable, fandom always aspires to goodness while the means we attempt to reach this end is mostly bullying each other [[Snacky's Law|like the mean girls in high school]], and we always claim the moral high ground while doing this--hell, the [[Godawful Fanfic]] archive in 1998 claimed it was helping the authors it mocked behind their backs with "useful [[crit]]." Everything people are whining about with tumblr is nothing new, but an evolution of the culture we already had, that was already poisoning itself but we were too young and naive and happy to find our tribe to see it. <ref> [http://fail-fandomanon.dreamwidth.org/131867.html?thread=686760731#cmt686760731 fail_fandomanon]; [http://www.webcitation.org/6XdrSShu7 archive link], April 2015 </ref>}}

{{Quotation2| Tumblr culture has a LOT of serious problems and I'm pretty sure it's self-destructing--but we can't talk, [[LJ]] self-destructed too, and we tore each other apart bloody before we did it. I loved LJ fandom like my own family, but I remember a lot of the same culture of ruling fear and mass [[bullying]] that goes on on tumblr from there too--that goes back at least to the 80s and [['zine]] culture, where you even had to be "sponsored" by someone at a con to be taken seriously. We started [[Social Justice|SJ]] on LJ, not tumblr--I remember early iterations going back to around 2002-03, it got serious in around 2007, and became impossible to ignore in 2009. So it had been steadily building up until tumblr got started, and many initially went to tumblr to get AWAY from the constant guiltmongering and finger-pointing. If you recall, [[DREAMWIDTH]] was originally considered the "[[special snowflake]]" haven! My old [[flist]] on LJ was all, "Oh, we'll never move to [[Dreamwidth]], all they care about is talking about disability and alternate sexualities there." Then they all did...or went to tumblr, or focused on their offline lives. My point is, the culture's always had issues, it's always been in flux, it's always cannibalized one community after another because it's never been stable, fandom always aspires to goodness while the means we attempt to reach this end is mostly bullying each other [[Snacky's Law|like the mean girls in high school]], and we always claim the moral high ground while doing this--hell, the [[Godawful Fanfic]] archive in 1998 claimed it was helping the authors it mocked behind their backs with "useful [[crit]]." Everything people are whining about with tumblr is nothing new, but an evolution of the culture we already had, that was already poisoning itself but we were too young and naive and happy to find our tribe to see it. <ref> {{source|url = http://fail-fandomanon.dreamwidth.org/131867.html?thread=686760731#cmt686760731 |title = fail_fandomanon |archiveurl= http://www.webcitation.org/6XdrSShu7 }}, April 2015 </ref>}}

{{Quotation| I also am fascinated by Tumblr culture and how it’s changing fandom and online interactions.  Tumblr has its pros and cons but I love how it allows for rapid creation. For example somebody will make a [[Gifset|GIF set]] and then a bunch of people will write  ficlets and create fanart about it. Or someone will have a meta or a thought, and then a lot of people will respond with images or art or other things. I love this easy multimedia collaboration and the fact that you can end up with all of these different ways to get all of these conversation branches that go interesting places about the same thing. <ref> [[A Birds-Eye View of Fandom -- Destination Toast]] </ref>}}

{{Quotation| I also am fascinated by Tumblr culture and how it’s changing fandom and online interactions.  Tumblr has its pros and cons but I love how it allows for rapid creation. For example somebody will make a [[Gifset|GIF set]] and then a bunch of people will write  ficlets and create fanart about it. Or someone will have a meta or a thought, and then a lot of people will respond with images or art or other things. I love this easy multimedia collaboration and the fact that you can end up with all of these different ways to get all of these conversation branches that go interesting places about the same thing. <ref> [[A Birds-Eye View of Fandom -- Destination Toast]] </ref>}}

==Resources/Meta/Further Reading==

==Resources/Meta/Further Reading==

*[http://arduinna.dreamwidth.org/43449.html Tumblr tutorial]; [http://www.webcitation.org/6SpQ30Iih WebCite] by [[Arduinna]] (24 May 2012)

*{{source|url = http://arduinna.dreamwidth.org/43449.html |title = Tumblr tutorial |archiveurl= http://www.webcitation.org/6SpQ30Iih }} by [[Arduinna]] (24 May 2012)

*{{source| url = http://www.dailydot.com/fandom/tumblr-anti-fandom-your-fave-problematic/ | title = The rise of the anti-fandom fandom | archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20160312002709/http://www.dailydot.com/fandom/tumblr-anti-fandom-your-fave-problematic/ | archivedate = 2016-03-12 }} by [[Aja]] Romano at [[The Daily Dot]] (May 2013)

*{{source| url = http://www.dailydot.com/fandom/tumblr-anti-fandom-your-fave-problematic/ | title = The rise of the anti-fandom fandom | archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20160312002709/http://www.dailydot.com/fandom/tumblr-anti-fandom-your-fave-problematic/ | archivedate = 2016-03-12 }} by [[Aja]] Romano at [[The Daily Dot]] (May 2013)

*[[Slashcast]] episode #42, [http://slashcast.livejournal.com/34330.html Tumblr and the New Direction of Fandom] (August 2013)

*[[Slashcast]] episode #42, [http://slashcast.livejournal.com/34330.html Tumblr and the New Direction of Fandom] (August 2013)

* [http://unwrapping.tumblr.com/post/93716151897/age-demographics-tumblr Age ranges of tumblr (Dashboard and Web visitors)]; [http://www.webcitation.org/6bRL2MzT1 WebCite] by unwrapping (August 3, 2014)

* {{source|url = http://unwrapping.tumblr.com/post/93716151897/age-demographics-tumblr |title = Age ranges of tumblr (Dashboard and Web visitors) |archiveurl= http://www.webcitation.org/6bRL2MzT1 }} by unwrapping (August 3, 2014)

* [http://fffinnagain.tumblr.com/post/97403474373/limits-on-tumblr-fandom-communities Limits on tumblr Fandom Communities]; [http://www.webcitation.org/6SpPzOskH WebCite] by fffinnagain (September 13, 2014)

* {{source|url = http://fffinnagain.tumblr.com/post/97403474373/limits-on-tumblr-fandom-communities |title = Limits on tumblr Fandom Communities |archiveurl= http://www.webcitation.org/6SpPzOskH }} by fffinnagain (September 13, 2014)

*{{source| url = http://loquaciousquark.tumblr.com/post/59042413872/shit-no-one-tells-you-when-you-start-to-tumble | title = SHIT NO ONE TELLS YOU WHEN YOU START TO TUMBLE | archiveurl = http://web.archive.org/web/20141013044655/http://loquaciousquark.tumblr.com:80/post/59042413872/shit-no-one-tells-you-when-you-start-to-tumble | archivedate = 2014-10-13 }} (Oct 2014)

*{{source| url = http://loquaciousquark.tumblr.com/post/59042413872/shit-no-one-tells-you-when-you-start-to-tumble | title = SHIT NO ONE TELLS YOU WHEN YOU START TO TUMBLE | archiveurl = http://web.archive.org/web/20141013044655/http://loquaciousquark.tumblr.com:80/post/59042413872/shit-no-one-tells-you-when-you-start-to-tumble | archivedate = 2014-10-13 }} (Oct 2014)

* [[fail_fandomanon]]: [http://fail-fandomanon.dreamwidth.org/118025.html?thread=603503625#cmt603503625 Re: Dreamwidth user jae explains why Tumblr is rubbish (for them)]; [http://www.webcitation.org/6VSiV3wOO Archive] (January 3, 2015)

* [[fail_fandomanon]]: {{source|url = http://fail-fandomanon.dreamwidth.org/118025.html?thread=603503625#cmt603503625 |title = Re: Dreamwidth user jae explains why Tumblr is rubbish (for them) |archiveurl= http://www.webcitation.org/6VSiV3wOO }} (January 3, 2015)

* [[fail_fandomanon]]: [http://fail-fandomanon.dreamwidth.org/131867.html?thread=686760731#cmt686760731 Re: Things you wouldn't admit unanon]; [http://www.webcitation.org/6XdrSShu7 archive link] (April 2015)

* [[fail_fandomanon]]: {{source|url = http://fail-fandomanon.dreamwidth.org/131867.html?thread=686760731#cmt686760731 |title = Re: Things you wouldn't admit unanon |archiveurl= http://www.webcitation.org/6XdrSShu7 }} (April 2015)

* [[All this talk about unpopular writers reminds me of how tumblr fandom is really lonely.]] (August 2015)

* [[All this talk about unpopular writers reminds me of how tumblr fandom is really lonely.]] (August 2015)

* [[Wow such low-life's, unfollowing just because you're being honest in an ask.]] (September 2015)

* [[Wow such low-life's, unfollowing just because you're being honest in an ask.]] (September 2015)