This seems a really dysfunctional way to implement a sort of f-lock

[ratcreature]

Tumblr has created a way to not show a Tumblr via the web URL but only on the dashboard to followers. But as I understand it, the behavior is that anyone can follow you if they know your name unless you explicitly block them. So content is not actually private as such, because if I for example came across one of these error pages following at a web URL, I could follow the name in the URL and then see the content on my dash, at least unless/until I got blocked.

Only I probably couldn't find any specific content because I'd have to scroll back through my dashboard to see it, since the URLs don't work anymore for anyone, logged in or not, including the owner even, based on the reblog comments?! So if you hide your Tumblr, how could you find or see your old posts if neither archive nor tag links work any longer?

And how does this behave with reblogging? The post says the social functions all work as before, including reblog, does that mean if your followers, who may not even realize you disabled URLs as there is no symbol on the posts like on LJ/DW, can still reblog and it would show on theirs with a proper URL (and be visible to all including search engines if they set their Tumblr for maximal exposure?) or only reblog through the dashboard feeds to their followers but not the public Tumblr?

This implementation of (faux-)privacy doesn't sound like a recipe for wanky misunderstandings and disaster at all... /sarcasm

Comments

[sholio]

oh god. Yes, I've seen that -- or, I should say, I've seen blogs doing that, so I knew it was a thing you could do. For me, considering how often I view my own journal (both tumblr and LJ/DW) and search through my tags, it just seems like a massive inconvenience for the journal owner with absolutely no benefit otherwise. (I guess it might be possible to view your own journal in "tumblr.com/blog/yourURLhere" mode -- that's a particular thing you can do with the URL of your tumblr blog to view it as if you're seeing it on the dashboard. But it'd still be completely impossible for anyone else to ever find old posts of yours!)

Like almost everything Tumblr does, it just seems like it combines the worst features of flock with almost none of the benefits.

[ratcreature]

I've seen the weird error pages first too. I don't get how so many of the comments seem happy. I fear they might not have thought it through, and that it is misleading into a false sense of security.

I mean, like if you post porny art and don't want that visible with your pseud because maybe your family knows the pseud you always pick, and then think "yay I can make it disappear but my fandom friends can still see it!" Only to then have that fail as soon as someone haplessly reblogs it, because you can't actually lock content. What good is that?

And afaik you can't preemptively block everyone until you unblock them either, so anyone who knows your name can just create a new sock to follow you to get access. Unless you manage to keep your handle ultra secret, but then how could you meet anyone and have an identity? It seems totally messed up pretend privacy.

[neotoma]

Tumblr is a disaster in so many ways. But sadly it's also easy to post and reblog with, and it hosts images so easily, so it's extremely popular.

I should try posting more on DW. It's certainly easier to follow a discussion, or even have a discussion, on DW.

[ratcreature]

I think Tumblr is well suited if you want an audience, especially if you post regularly, and interaction beyond likes is less important. And it is convenient for pictures, though I dislike the size/resolution restriction the reformatting for the dash imposes -- you can't really have a preview and then link to your impressively detailed high resolution artwork easily, much like posting long fic is awkward.

With its reblog format that actually makes exchanging ideas and listening to others harder it already leads itself to outraged wankiness even easier than previous platforms, and this opens countless new opportunities to be ruffled over exposure levels and "what does it mean to post on the internet" disagreements. I still remember the (bizarre) kerfuffles over fans who claimed that linking to their public stories was like archiving them, for example. So fandom can create these without even being set up for misunderstanding.

It would be one thing if Tumblr had actually created a way to hide posts from everyone you didn't approve, say introduced "approved followers" (or even gave mutual following new meaning, i.e. undifferentiated like with LJ), but this isn't like that.

[neotoma]

Yeah, as a privacy measure it's kind of terribly seive-like in nature. I'm not sure what they mean for it accomplish, except maybe they're making a gesture at concealing things from easy googling?

Outraged wankiness that is really hard to trace back and figure who said what and are there any other voices in this argument. A friend of mine describes tumblr as 'a place where you emote at each other', which I think is pretty accurate.

Otoh, they have made blocking people easier, and considering I get hit by porn-blogs every couple of weeks, I'm so glad of that.

[ratcreature]

The thing is, I'm not even sure it helps with google. Because if my Tumblr is set to maximal exposure, i.e. allowing search engine inclusion and public urls etc, and I reblogged another fan's post, it would show on my Tumblr with their name, no? And then that post is public and google will index it. (I have never used reblog because I only post my own content on Tumblr.)

[ratcreature]

What do porn blogs even do? Do they reblog fannish content labelling it as porn or something, and you prevent thst with blocking? I don't think I've encountered that.

[neotoma]

I don't know what they do actually. If someone follows me and all they have on their blog is gifsets from porn, I block them as soon as I can.

[ratcreature]

Huh. Weird. I guess they might do it for the clicks they get from people who check who followed them? Or maybe the connections help with something for search engines. With my jamesmcavoywithsloths one that actually has many followers I just never paid attention who followed, and my personal one is just too obscure because I only post my art and haven't been producing any in ages.

[cathexys]

That sounds so bizarre and counter intuitive and--can't you actually password protect? If you really don't want people to see that seems a better option...

[ratcreature]

I don't think you can set passwords? I have no idea why they implemented it like this. Even if they just changed it from followers can see stuff to mutual followers could see things it would have helped, because then there would have been approval. Though still that you apparently can't see or browse your own blog anymore would be a bizarre drawback.

[featherwizard]

So this is what's been happening with Tumblr! Thanks for posting about it.

I keep hoping fandom will relocate to a saner and easier platform, but so far Tumblr seems to be where newer fandoms are at.

[ratcreature]

I hope something better will have to happen eventually too.