On Tumblelogs
AATW recently wrote a long post on his tumblelog, denouncing the virtues of long posts on tumblelogs. Skipping past the obvious irony and focussing on the point: he used me as an example of what-not-to-do (or what he’d rather you didn’t do), so I suppose I should write an equally lengthy response.
What AATW has illustrated his preference for is linklogs— a list of links, and other media, with very little in the way of added commentary. He may think of that as a good tumblelog, but I think of it as a bad one, and you’re liable to find yourself unfollowed if you publish things like that.
Commentary addsto your tumblelog, it doesn’t detract from it. Take my most recent post before this, Comstockery, as an example. The overall point was: “comstockery” was coined in relation to Anthony Comstock, by the great George Bernard Shaw. With the added commentary I included, not only did it become more informative, entertaining, and interesting (I hope), it also got some context. That’s a good thing, right?
But that’s just a matter of preference. This whole disagreement can be settled in one short sentence (and I think that’s how AATW would like it): do what you want with your tumblelog. There are no rules, or guidelines. Sure, there’s a definition of a tumblelog, but choosing to follow it to the dot is boring and uninteresting. Show a little personality, and creativity. Personally, I view my garrulousness as a good quality, rather than a bad one.
I generally stray away from bragging about follower counts in public, but in this case it proves a point. I have 359 followers right now. I think that’s the most damning and convincing evidence possible that I’m not alone in this view. I also follow 146 people. That’s 146 people meeting mystandards of what counts as a good tumblelog. I’m also sure there are plenty more out there that I have yet to discover.
When it comes down to it, who cares? Your tumblelog belongs to you, so do what you want with it. Public arguments like these are pointless (I was 50/50 on whether to even add to it at all). Tumblelogs should be a medium in which you can enjoy sharing whatever you want with the world. Things like this take the fun out of it.
Update: Read Mills’ responseto this post, too. His tumblelog is one of my favourite occasionally-long-posts tumblelog, and I could not agree more.
Evidence suggesting, if nothing else, the phenomenon of society’s news/info sources becoming more superficial and terse - as lamented occasionally on Tumblr - is a matter of self-selection.
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