Tumblr Free Day

[kitewithfish]

Last night I had the bright idea of removing the Tumblr app from the homepage on my phone (not deleting it! Just moving it out of sight) and man, I am glad I did. I keep reflexively looking for it when I have a minute to myself, because Tumblr was good for distractions and new stuff and pretty pretty art, but not for community. 

Whereas anytime I open up a DW window I end up with nine tabs and three replies to write because To Be A Fan On DW is to be a chatty, chatty human being. XD

Does the social media you're using effect who you are on that platform?  I tend to think it does, but I am betting people have other experiences.

I have tried to establish Kitewithfish as Who I Am in fandom with little IRL crossover, so most of my online stuff is as a version of myself slightly detached from people who might google my name. Who I am online with fannish folks is different than I am with people on, say, Facebook, but it's pretty close to who I am in person. I have mostly kept FB a Fandom Free Zone for me, since god, that site gives me the Heebies AND the Jeebies, but I happily chat about fanfic with people who know me in life, tho I am coy about usernames. 

Comments

[kara_mckay]

Oh, I'm definitely a better person on DW than I am on FB, and on Tumblr, I'm somewhere in between the two. On DW and LJ before it, it's always felt easy to just be a person doing my own thing. On FB, it feels like there are always hordes of roving assholes looking for something to be pissed off about. Tumblr isn't so bad in that regard because I'm not even a little bit reluctant to block, and my experience has been that reblogging, with or without additional comments, is not at all the same as commenting on a FB post. Sometimes I think FB is designed to create confrontational behavior.

[kitewithfish]

"Roving bands of assholes" is very much a thing. I feel like blocking is a profoundly important thing to normalize - just remove the capacity for something to distract you from what you'd like to be doing.

[kara_mckay]

I think there's a holdover in thinking from when people who blocked were viewed as dramatic, narcissistic, or overly sensitive. Times have changed. Blocking isn't about being unable to handle criticism or differences in opinion, or being unable to engage in discourse. There is no discourse. Hell, "discourse" now seems to be an ironic term for an online interaction with someone who argues by accusing people of criminal behavior. In light of that and other, similar behaviors, blocking is now an important part of taking responsibility for how one experiences fandom.

[astolat]

You know, this is an example of the number one difference between here and Tumblr: this discussion of how blocking now functions is completely sensible and obvious to me; on Tumblr I literally never saw anyone articulating it, and on DW it's the first thing I see posted on the topic.

That sensation--never seeing moderate and sensible ideas, and also of seeing dumb extreme ideas shared as some kind of profound truth--was unbelievably common on Tumblr.

[kitewithfish]

A function of Tumblr v DW different methods of getting media in front of your eyeballs, I think.

On Tumblr, this is The Discourse: only the most controversial opinions got widespread bc the posts were reblogged by the True Believers, the Moderates Softening the Position, and the Absolutely Opposed. The fight makes things *more* visible. To avoid it all, you'd have to end up blocking even the people who are commenting to register their opposition - which, hell, sometimes I did.

On DW, the wankery has to be hosted by someone at their journal or community, and it's more contained - you have to go looking for it. It spills out, yes, but to get the full details you have to go back to the source of the wank, and blocking one person can really effectively remove a lot of fanwank from your life.

Honestly, my view on blocking was honed by Facebook. I block people and delete comments with gleeful abandon and I've ended up with a reasonably civil bunch of folks who I like to hear from. Fandom, learn to block. It's fine.

[alchemistdoctor]

Also, the lack of 'spreading' information by reblogs means that when you see an opinion blogged by someone, it's their opinion, and their responsibility. I think DW has a lot more responsibility involved about posting things you can stand behind.

[kitewithfish]

oh, yeah, I totally buy that. Even if you are linking to drama, you have to choose to do that with a new post and then probably add original commentary on it - no shortcuts, all our linking is artisanal, hand coded links.

[kitewithfish]

Sigh - yeah - but drama will find you and the internet is, in fact, real, so why let the bastards get you down.

[kayim]

I'm much the same on my fannish social media channels, although I have non-fannish ones too that I'm very different on.

But I've had trouble avoiding Tumblr today. It's a very good procrastination tool...

[kitewithfish]

It really, really is. But I feel like, looking back over my downloaded tumblr, there is very little of myself invested in it. It's a great distraction! I liked it! but I'm not losing much of self expression by leaving.

[mab_browne]

I think that Mab is pretty close to who I am in general and I've been Mab for fifteen years now. I suspect that makes it easier to connect me with 'real life' for the determined but these days I would be less bothered than I might have been in the past.

Tumblr was a different approach for sure, given the workings of the site, and I sometimes found that easier, in that you could acknowledge content with a like or a reblog rather than having to find some pesky words.

I don't do FB even with my wallet name which is perhaps as well.

[kitewithfish]

I've been kitewithfish for at least a decade now - bad for privacy, but so far that hasn't been too much of a concern, really.

Tumblr was like fandom on fast forward - the art and writing and wank all went by at warp speed, without real time to engage. It was reblog or ignore, and that was mostly that.

As for FB, neither do I, actually!

[obstinatecondolement]

I'm definitely more chatty on DW than I am on Tumblr. I don't really Facebook at all, bar the messenger app, because I just... can't with Facebook. It's not just a fandom free zone but an update free zone!

[kitewithfish]

I have had, at various times, both FB and FB messenger on my phone, and each time something comes along about how the apps use location or privacy features and I get squicked and delete them both. FB mobile is fine on my phone's browser, thankyouverymuch.

[obstinatecondolement]

I got a notification from FB today saying that a friend had visited [insert name here] Hospital which is like... so not my fucking business. It's very gross

[kitewithfish]

Oh, good grief.

[sylvaine]

Oh, absolutely. It's why tumblr was never as much a community platform for me - it was mostly a place to reblog shinies and get annoyed at people. Whereas both Dreamwidth and twitter require your own input much more! It's a more engaging form of social media but it's also a more exhausting one - especially Dreamwidth, I need a lot more social spoons for than tumblr. Worth it, to be sure, but it's a completely different feel!

[kitewithfish]

Definitely feel you on the spoons there -higher interaction costs, and maybe higher reward for it, too. But there's also a longer grace period on commenting, and people seem to be more reciprocal? It's social enough that it's an aberration for someone to subscribe to me without actually stopping by and saying hello first. I do like that, even if the time investment is higher on both ends - it feels like an actual engagement.

[sylvaine]

Yeah, for sure, I think you've hit the nail on the head - higher costs, but also higher rewards!

[tei]

I haven't had FB for years, thank god, and since I deleted my namespace instagram and twitter last year, I have no social media that feature my real name or that I use to interact with people from my meatspace life (more or less... I did make another instagram account that is private, doesn't have my name on it, and is only for following other adult gymnasts and posting my own gymnastics videos. There are people on there I know IRL through gym, but if a work person or school person somehow finds me, I heartlessly ignore their add request.) It's honestly awesome. Never going back.

I definitely think the platform affects how you behave on it, and for that, I think DW is a standout in the category for encouraging interaction and decent behavior.

[kitewithfish]

Blissful social media silence is a gift. I mostly use FB to keep up with a loose collection of college chums and local community issues that I want to keep track of, so I do keep my hand in, under a pseud, but mostly as a lurker and commenter.

DW is a gift and the community has been largely fairly genteel in its kerfuffles. *fingers crossed*

[bayliss]

I've been Bayliss for almost 20 years now, online... so there is no separation between fandom and my self. I am what i show people online.

My facebook page is strictly for family and In Real Life People. Everywhere else is off limits from IRL People, except for my Instagram page, which I do have one person from Real life following me on there...He's a second Cousin who is not active on FB. all that's on Instagram is pictures of my cat, so yeah. LOL.

I always felt that Tumblr was too fast. you can't have a good in depth conversation about anything on there. You can't actually get anywhere with some people on there. I refuse to get into arguments with people on Tumblr.

[kitewithfish]

That's the thing - I like the idea of being who I am online, with a name and a reputation (for good or ill) attached to it. I do try to be the same person online (well, maybe with a slightly better filter and better graphics). Facebook is a necessary evil - I would love to duplicate the relationships I have there with other people elsewhere online, but it's just really not likely to happen.

I was re-reading "Fan is a Tool Using Animal" (https://idlewords.com/talks/fan_is_a_tool_using_animal.htm) where Maciej reflects on how fandom has a much higher commitment to privacy and values anonymity, and I think that concept really shaped the way I think about being in online fandom.

(Sidenote: remember MsScribe and the absurd fallout of her sock puppet army?)

Tumblr was 100000% terrible at actual interpersonal conversations. It was great for being like, "Here's 20 cool things a minute!" but awful for connecting you to the people making or curating or editing those things. Thank god for AO3 or I'd never figure out who anyone really was online.

[telekinetic_hedgehog]

What a neat article!

I agree with your post, that the structure of a site affects how we use it. Kind of like saying the medium is the message. I'd like to think that getting away from the structure of Tumblr will encourage a more sincere, less ironic and hostile fandom community, but I'm not sure whether or not that'll be the case.

[kitewithfish]

Here's hoping!

[thenewbuzwuzz]

Ah, HERE the link was! I just read "Fan is a Tool Using Animal" for the first time, loved it, thank you!

[bayliss]

Shit... I was there for MsScribe and her Million sock puppets. I was there for most of Cassie Claire's bullshit, too. Pretty much any wank that occured on LJ I saw and watched like a train wreck.

Hell, I was plagiarized and Impersonated on LJ, so yeah. (it was 57 stories total. around 30 of them were mine, I think.) I understand the need to keep shit separated, but I still like to be authentic. Honestly, If someone from Real life googled me all they would find would be my Pintrest, Facebook, and Instagram. LOL that's the way I want it. :-)

[kitewithfish]

oh, god, cassie fucking clare - I legit cannot believe she had a tv show made from her stuff. Like, my mind is just, *explodey head*

[bayliss]

I sold a couple of her books to some teenage girls when I worked at Walmart a few years ago.

Legit I said, "Oh i read these when they were still Harry Potter Fan fiction and she was accused of Plagiarizing parts of them."

The girls looked at me like I had a third head.

I still have never read any of her books, nor watched anything based off of her shit. ( I am, in fact, a petty old bitch when it comes to her.)

[kitewithfish]

I'm torn between being more amused that the tiny humans assume that you a) don't know about fanfic or b) would not dare mention it in public, or c) had no idea Cassie Clair wrote fic and was the source of fandom wank back in the day. We're in post 50 Shades reality here, anything goes.


I still have never read any of her books, nor watched anything based off of her shit. ( I am, in fact, a petty old bitch when it comes to her.)

Preach!

[bayliss]

I believe they were unaware of the fact that the books were fan fiction before publication, because Ms Claire was ordered to take them down before they were "Find and Replaced". (the event occurred in 2010 so, *shrugs*, the girls weren't much older than 16 so, I don't know how much they actually knew about the whole mess.

I just thought they should know. :-)

[yourlibrarian]

Moving the app sounds like it was a good idea. And I know what you mean about all the tabs building up!

In my case, I don't think so. Although I don't use Tumblr a lot, I've also made next to no effort to connect with anyone there and that's been true in reverse. It's just not a place for conversation so it's easy to see it as just a place to access different content.

What different platforms do have an effect on though is how difficult or easy they make it for me to take part and engage with other people.

[kitewithfish]

Although I don't use Tumblr a lot, I've also made next to no effort to connect with anyone there and that's been true in reverse. It's just not a place for conversation so it's easy to see it as just a place to access different content.

If anything good has come out of the Tumblr purge, it's realize just how isolating it was as a fan. I saw good stuff, I read good stuff, and I wasn't really talking to anyone regularly - even people whose blogs I loved to read, contact fizzled fast if I reached out.

I think that's part of the reason why DW has felt so positive in the last few weeks - there's just a lot of people actually talking to each other, and I hadn't realized how much I'd missed that, and how little effort I had previously been putting in with Tumblr fandom.

[alchemistdoctor]

This is just a solid agreement with what you said. We don't have a like button here. :)

[jamethiel]

I have a fandom facebook under a pseud and facebook can bite me. I realise that I'm breaching their terms about real names, but I also don't care. I really fucking miss the pseudonymity culture.

And yeah, I'm also realising how much I used tumblr for a quick "oh, brain fart, let's get some stimulation" even if I rarely posted.

[kitewithfish]

My IRL facebook is under a pseud as well, actually, with zero tagged pictures. Screw their TOS - I'm not letting people screenshot me without having to lay a papertrail.

[potboy]

Yeah, Tumblr was great for when you just couldn't brain any more and needed something pretty and/or interesting to look at without any interaction required. I'm already way more active on DW than I probably ever was on Tumblr, and I've barely managed to make a single post of my own. My FB is full of people who I know in real life, most of whom are middle-aged and very straight(tm). I like most of them but I can't talk in front of them.

[kitewithfish]

Yeah, there is that. The "oh, shiney" quality of Tumblr cannot be understated.

The odd cultural expectation that we'll friend everyone on FB who we know IRL is just... why? I don't need more straight(TM) people either. I have Enough Heterosexuals.

[potboy]

<3

[multiplelizards]

Platform definitely has an effect on how people act. I have little to no presence on FB and twitter while my Tumblr presence is active, but in a passive kind of way (I have meaningful interaction with literally no one).

Being on DW is actually kind of nice! It encourages interaction the kind of which I haven't really been involved in since I was active on FF.net back in the day (I never actually figured out LJ before the purge, lmao).

As to keeping fandom and real life separate; it feels a lot like a one way street. If I'm open about fandom with someone online I'm pretty open about RL stuff, but I absolutely don't mention fandom stuff around people IRL unless they let something slip. I was teased about fandom stuff pretty harshly in middle school so I literally never bring it up unless someone else does first.

[kitewithfish]

If I'm open about fandom with someone online I'm pretty open about RL stuff, but I absolutely don't mention fandom stuff around people IRL unless they let something slip. I was teased about fandom stuff pretty harshly in middle school so I literally never bring it up unless someone else does first.

Grrr! That ticks me off! I was lucky enough to be in a semi-nerdy group that some of them were tuned into Harry Potter fanfic, so it was only slightly weird. But yeah, I was pretty closedmouthed about it until I recently, when I just decided that, screw it, my social circle can deal with it. Not at work, but I'll get fannish about things with people in my life and it has slowly pulled a few people into the pit with us.

[multiplelizards]

I've got some really great friends now who I'm pretty open about fandom stuff with and it's fantastic. I mean, we do eventually find each other, lmao. I was never a super outspoken person to begin with so it's not like that ever changed a whole lot, I was just more careful about who I brought fandom stuff up with.

[redseeker]

Yeah, FB for me is for real life contacts and family, Tumblr and DW etc are for fannish interests. I'm of the generation for whom it was drummed into NOT to give out one's real name on the internet, after all xDD

Tumblr is such a habit for me by this point, just scrolling to see if there's something funny and new. I used to use LJ all the time so it does feel familiar here, but it's a case of getting back into the swing of things after years away from this style of blogging.

[kitewithfish]

Concur - there's an element of re-learning to ride the LJ bike with DW, and figuring out what people will read and what's worth investing the time in. Tumblr is just a nice collection of pretty things, really.

[thenewbuzwuzz]

I love that I can't use DW for mindless scrolling. I try, trust me, and then either (a) I end up talking to people, yay, or (b) some idea explodes my brain and I come to my senses an hour* later, a changed person, or (c) I'm faced with how tired I am & have to abort mission, which is helpful too; like last night when I wanted to comment on this post and quickly discovered I couldn't word even - and then I went to sleep. :)

*edit. Make that hours, plural. And with half a dozen new tabs open. I love this.

[kitewithfish]

I adore this - "Well, I tried being mindless and unengaged and then, dammit, I'm making meaningful connections with people!"

[yalumesse]

Habits are so hard to break! And yes, platform matters hugely to me. On tumblr I said almost nothing because it made me uncomfortable that my words would end up on strangers' blogs and I'd never know about it. I keep fandom life and real life separate.

[kitewithfish]

On tumblr I said almost nothing because it made me uncomfortable that my words would end up on strangers' blogs and I'd never know about it.

Ugh, THAT. I've never been sure if that was a function of the notifications system being so convoluted and bad or if it was from people reposting, or what, but man, I saw that same thing happen to so many people.

[tropicsbear]

I'm very paranoid about keeping my fandom and IRL sides separate (exceptions are made for friends I made in my uni animanga org). My Facebook gets very generic fangirling content and none of my fanworks.

[kitewithfish]

I don't think my FB gets *any* fan related stuff, honestly. Maybe a little bit about the Marvel movies when I go to see them, but largely, there's nothing there that marks me fannish at all.

[tropicsbear]

I make the occasional, "This movie was great!" posts on FB but I reserve the depths of my fandom flailing for either my fandom Twitter or Dreamwidth. My aunts do not need to know how much I love buff fictional men. (Honestly, if it wasn't for FB Messenger, I'd probably delete my account lol.)