It's hard to define tumblr, even if you have one; I would describe it as a simplified microblogging site with a strong social networking aspect. The creators of tumblr must have looked at what people blogged about most with traditional sites such as Blogger or LiveJournal -- text, conversations, links, audio, video, and photos -- and tumblr posts are geared towards this kind of media referencing. One post does not fit all; before you update your tumblr, you first have to decide whether the post will be Text, Photo, Quote, Link, Chat, Audio, or Video. What you write is largely determined by what you're writing about.
I like my tumblr. (So much, in fact, that it was one of the four sites I gave up for a month earlier this semester.) It simplifies the blogging process, which is great for users like me who aren't too tech-savvy and can't be bothered to learn HTML. Of course, I can see how more involved bloggers would feel boxed in with this kind of format; if your post doesn't fall into one of the seven categories mentioned above, tough luck.
But tumblr differs from sites like Blogger with one key feature: "reblogging." If you particularly like someone's tumblr post, there's a little "Reblog" button in the top right-hand corner. One click, and the post is reproduced on your own blog (with a link to your friend's site). You can even add your own commentary on the original post, in lieu of commenting directly on your friend's site (a feature which doesn't exist on tumblr).
In my opinion, the reblogging tool is the most groundbreaking feature of tumblr. Instead of restricting your friend's content and your reaction to it to your friend's site, it is displayed right alongside your posts. In short, the content becomes your own. It's the next step after Facebook or MySpace, where your favorite books, movies, and bands precede you -- if not define you.
Another notable thing about tumblr: It's still in the early stages, which means it draws a certain audience, who in turn subscribe to a certain aesthetic. My friend Patrick put it best in his second post: the people who get tumblrs are usually "self-aware hipsters." At least for now, the point of having a tumblr is to display your knowledge of the internet, so a lot of the posts turn into "my content is cooler than your content" contests. And as the site is in the early adopter phase, so people who "tumble" are more focused on what's cool than they are on personal expression.
I think twitter and tumblr are two branches of the same phenomenon: simplifying the internet tools we already have. Our class mostly agrees that twitter is a waste of time, or at the very least a flash in the pan -- but what do you guys think about tumblr? A short-lived fad, or the next pillar of the web?
