why does Tumblr always have to find new ways to suck??

[ratcreature]

When I check Tumblr with the app it doesn't show me the posts in chronological order anymore but shows random stuff. I don't mean sponsored or recommended posts but old posts I've already seen.

Presumably they introduced some obnoxious "algorithm". I vaguely recall seeing something along the line mentioned as being rolled out, and that you could turn it off in the settings (because of course Tumblr turns on new crap by default rather than letting you opt-in, because it's Tumblr), but I don't see any such settings in the desktop version (and that dash still shows in proper chronological order). And I actually can't find any way to the settings in the stupid app at all.

If it doesn't even show me the new posts that makes the Tumblr app wholly unusable. Obviously if I bother to check Tumblr on a mobile device rather than waiting to be on a computer I want to see whether new things have been posted, not random posts. Argh.

Comments

Yup, Non-Chrono

[vorpalgirl]

Yeah, they call it "best post first" (because they like irony apparently) and it's SUPPOSED to find "the posts we think you'll like best" and put them on top...which you may notice BURIES new posts and takes them all out of chronological order, which people have been saying for years was one of the few SAVING graces of tumblr, because it meant it wasn't like Facebook. Now they're basically making it more like Facebook, or trying to, which is a terrible idea because if I wanted to be on facebook I wouldn't be on tumblr??

Anyway, it's being rolled out first ONLY on mobile app, though everybody assumes they will inflict it on desktop users any day now.

Literally everybody has said they're turning it off because it's obnoxious, they don't like it, and they don't like the idea of tumblr altering how the posts get shuffled around considering that after Facebook started doing that, it conveniently found ways to monetize it, by which of course I mean holding posts practically for ransom (i.e. making you pay to "boost" it if you want anybody to really see it).

Honestly I'm dreading the day when they decide to add "BPF" to desktop experience, because it means I'll have to fiddle with the settings which are NEVER in a logical place (I'm still baffled why the only blocking feature at all is located purely in the place where you adjust your blog's "appearance", OR why you can't just...block people from ALL your blogs at once, you have to do it manually and individually)

I can't wait for the right killer app social blogging site to come out and replace tumblr, frankly. Bloated, broken, overcrowded with drama, useless, and owned by people who have no idea what to do with it anymore - wait, am I talking about MySpace, or tumblr? Hmm. :P Only a matter of time...?

Re: Yup, Non-Chrono

[ratcreature]

But how are they turning it off??? There is nothing in my settings, and I looked through all of them on desktop and mobile, logical and not.

Re: Yup, Non-Chrono

[vorpalgirl]

I forget how but there IS a way - poke around in the "tumblr update" tag or something? It is a pain I know that much.

Re: Yup, Non-Chrono

[ratcreature]

The problem is that I get the effect on mobile but do not have the setting yet. If I go where this help article describes: https://tumblr.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/115013590547-Dashboard-preferences

That setting isn't there yet. I still get the non-chronological display, at least some of the time. Strangely sometimes it's chronological, maybe because I don't subscribe to that many and their stupid algorithm doesn't find anything to push. I guess I just have to hope I will get the setting soon, not just the effect.

ETA: it actually appeared! When I checked yesterday it wasn't there yet but writing this comment made me check again, and I now have a switch to turn this nonsense off.