I want to start the week with a brief roundup of some news from across the social media platforms we have used, have thought about using, and often feel we ought to use. This week, “Tumblr launches Communities” stood out as a key development, alongside updates from Bluesky and TikTok. These stories, though small on their own, cluster together thematically to highlight shifts across platforms that impact creatives and their audiences.
ALLi News Editor, Dan Holloway
We start with a blast from the past: the platform where all the most exciting avant-garde indie writing was happening when I started out, and still the only platform that can truly claim to have birthed a whole influential genre of literature (alt-lit): Tumblr. Like Scribd and Barnes & Noble, I was surprised to see a headline about Tumblr because I think I’d assumed it no longer existed. If you recall, it lost a large portion of its user base when it introduced strict content guidelines in the late 2010s while owned by Verizon. It is now owned by Automattic, which has been in the news of late as the owner of WordPress, which has been going through a whole series of difficulties.
Tumblr's New Communities Feature
Tumblr has announced that it will be launching its Communities function out of beta to the wider user base. This feature enables users to form discussion groups around their favorite subjects. It will appeal to fandoms and also offers opportunities for creatives to cultivate a following. In the age of Self-Publishing 3.0 and a return to the “1,000 true fans” idea of the early creative online communities, this makes it worth watching.
Bluesky and TikTok Updates
Meanwhile, changes are (inevitably) in the offing at the newest hot platform on the block, Bluesky. CEO Jay Graber has said she would not rule out advertising for the social media site. She is clearly keen not to spoil the central appeal of Bluesky, which lies in users’ control over what they see and do—something that would be diminished by ads. Graber has hinted that any consideration of advertising would explore ways to introduce it without intruding on that experience. Bluesky has also promised more verification options and stricter measures against impersonation.
Finally, we turn to the platform many of us use—and many more feel we should use—to connect with readers: TikTok. In the United States, the threatened ban of TikTok is looming. TikTok owner ByteDance has filed an emergency motion to delay the implementation of the ban, which will take effect if the app isn’t sold by January 19. The Department of Justice has intervened, asking the courts to reject the motion on security grounds. January 19 is, of course, after the new administration takes over, so all of this chicanery may prove academic in the end.
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