Other I'm watching Tumblr implode as we speak

[Navarro]

I got home from work today and saw a bunch of friends freaking out on Tumblr. Blogs getting deleted, innocuous stuff getting taken down/flagged as inappropriate...

Tumblr has had a longstanding issue with spambot-controlled blogs posting explicit (and sometimes illegal) content. This issue got so bad that the Tumblr app was removed from the app store for all the explicit content. Tumblr decided to rectify this issue by deleting a bunch of blogs and content - including many completely innocent ones - based on some kind of algorithm. As a result, completely innocent content is getting taken down, and years of art, writing, and memories are getting deleted without a human moderator ever laying eyes upon the content.

Naturally, they're blacklisting NSFW content, but the net has widened, and the takedowns/blacklisting doesn't seem to be following any particular pattern. I run a completely clean and SFW fan blog for an actor, with his blessing. A bunch of completely innocent screencaps and drawings have been flagged as "inappropriate content." People's random selfies and pictures of pets are getting taken down; content referring to chronic illnesses and LGBTQIA+ topics are getting blacklisted, too.

So does anyone else have a Tumblr? What are your thoughts on the matter? Please keep it civil.

 

[calypso]

While I think they should crack down on both the spam-bots and the illegal action, I'm not sure taking a stand against all adult content is the right move. The algorithm is taking down nearly everything, which is insane. But I do feel bad for artists who used tumblr as their main outlet for posting adult content. (As long as you're over 18, it's perfectly fine and safe to look at legal content.) I just thought it was odd Tumblr was never a strictly 18+ website, and they instead let 13 year olds onto it.

 

[Navarro]

Exactly! I know a lot of really wonderful, talented, hardworking people that happen to take NSFW commissions, and also people who just enjoyed drawing that sort of thing. It sucks to see them lose their platform in this mess.

 

[calypso]

As someone who is asexual, I don't actively seek out NSFW work even, but it should be their right to post NSFW art as long as it's tagged properly. You can't exactly post adult content in a lot of places, and Tumblr had a pretty good system for blocking out posts and just blocking people in general if you don't want to see that content.

That being said, you can't even do nude characters in a non-sexual manner! I think they're even cracking down on body references or just unclothed people. If you see naked people as inherently sexual, ya got some issues.

 

[Crowe]

It's to the point where the announcement post about the removal of NSFW content has been deemed inappropriate by whatever system they use. It's actually funny.

 

[Navarro]

Right? I'm asexual, too! I don't go there to see the stuff (and honestly, it can get... Overwhelming at times?), but as long as it's tagged properly, I'm cool with its existence. I can appreciate that there are useful tools for customizing what shows up on your dash.

Heck, they took down a picture of me dressed in a suit and tie BECAUSE GIRL IN DRAG or something. They are definitely cracking down on anything like non-sexual nudity. And as an artist who regularly does non-sexual figure drawings of unclothed humans, it's frustrating. ._______.

 

[AnimeGenork]

Most of my use of Tumblr is for the fun gifs I end up using in RPs, but from what you're saying, they are actually taking this too far... I used to think Tumblr was for like really inappropriate stuff, but most of what I've actually seen isn't all that bad, so I don't know why anyone would think an algorithm would fix anything...?

I dunno, that's just me

 

[R.Storytale]

That being said, you can't even do nude characters in a non-sexual manner! I think they're even cracking down on body references or just unclothed people. If you see naked people as inherently sexual, ya got some issues.

EXACTLY. I read somewhere that "female representing nipples" would be flagged and taken down. I just fail how to see the nude human body is so offensive to some?

 

[Fable]

From what I've read it wasn't really the legal adult content itself that was an issue, it was the illegal content which was already supposed to be automatically moderated. However, due to that crappy system where it was coming from a "known database" for things like the illegal kind of stuff, things that weren't a part of the database got by the filter and the app store removed the app because of this. So, instead of improving on an issue with their current filter system they just decided to what seems to be a thrown-together algorithm with extreme prejudice.

Clyde from Discord can't even tell sand dunes from boobs, yet they expected this algorithm to be able to tell fine art nudity (which they mentioned was permitted) from NSFW pornographic content? I think they just hoped that people who got a false positive would just file as such to regain their content.

I barely ever used tumblr because I didn't care for the format because it felt disorganized most of the times I bothered with it. I feel bad for the artists who lost their works over this, hopefully they can get them back and move to someplace better to host it.

 

[Dalamus Ulom]

I hate Tumblr and won't miss it, but I also love Tumblr and will most definitely miss it. So, to answer your question, my thoughts are confused. Yeah, confused's the word for it.

 

[Onmyoji]

I never liked Tumblr format too much and I couldn't care less about NSFW content, but the measures they're taking now clearly hurt artists and completely innocent blogs.

I only use Tumblr to follow some small rare fandoms which have good communities there somehow. I made a lot of good friends through those fandoms too and it was nice to interact on the same platform and share fandom stuff.
And right now I'm sad to see some representatives of those communities leave because of this situation. Without them it's likely the communities will die out as well, or at least will lose some good informative blogs and some active people. Considering how small those communities are... Well, you get the idea...

I hope they do something to resolve this. I get it, they're targeting porn bots (and they should really do so, I keep blocking at least 3 per week despite my blog being hidden from searches) but I think the tactics they implemented were not well thought-out which lead to current situation.

 

[Navarro]

I only use Tumblr to follow some small rare fandoms which have good communities there somehow. I made a lot of good friends through those fandoms too and it was nice to interact on the same platform and share fandom stuff. And right now I'm sad to see some representatives of those communities leave because of this situation. Without them it's likely the communities will die out as well, or at least will lose some good informative blogs and some active people. Considering how small those communities are... Well, you get the idea...

YES to this 1000x over. Microscopic fandoms are the whole reason I made a Tumblr. I had a good run and made some good friends, and it's where I began to RP. Hoping some other platform will take over and provide a home for tiny fandoms.

 

[PhoenixMire]

I never cared about tumblr since I always thought it was a cesspool (I’ve seen some really awful stuff on there), so I’ve never made an account and I’ve generally tried to avoid it. So I could say I don’t care... except I kinda do. As an artist myself, I feel so sorry for all the innocent artists getting flagged for no reason. That must be horrible to try and deal with. Plus, as much as I personally dislike the site, I have seen some pretty funny stuff and also some amazing and unique art on there, so yeah - I feel sorry for everyone going through this.

I guess I’m just glad I don’t have an account there lol

 

[Abendrot]

Tumblr has been cracking down on adult content for quite some time, so this was probably inevitable. However, this whole thing feels like a completely out of touch overreaction, and it’s such an insult to their now-alienated base. I can understand — to an extent — the desire to appease the shareholders and prevent another cheese pizza incident, but going scorched earth will kill the site. As in, anyone who uses it for anything other than text blogs will abandon. Already a good number of artists I follow are going to leave the site come the 17th(even the SFW blogs).

Better start looking for alternatives now guys, so you can claim all the good usernames.

Tumblr Backup program:
johanneszab/TumblThree

 

[Dalamus Ulom]

Tumblr has been cracking down on adult content for quite some time, so this was probably inevitable. However, this whole thing feels like a completely out of touch overreaction, and it’s such an insult to their now-alienated base. I can understand — to an extent — the desire to appease the shareholders and prevent another cheese pizza incident, but going scorched earth will kill the site. As in, anyone who uses it for anything other than text blogs will abandon. Already a good number of artists I follow are going to leave the site come the 17th(even the SFW blogs).

Better start looking for alternatives now guys, so you can claim all the good usernames.

Tumblr Backup program:
johanneszab/TumblThree

Funny thing is, my preferred username hasn't ever been taken on any site I've joined, so it's never been a worry for me.

 

[Onmyoji]

the alternatives are usually Twitter or Instagram and I doubt those have any good usernames left XD

 

[adrian_]

Anybody going to mention that Tumblr was pretty much allowing the circulation of child pornography in the first place? This isn't happening just because "NSFW = BAD OWO APP STORE SENPAI PLEASE ACCEPT ME". I'm thrilled to see that the staff is losing money because of it.

 

[Dalamus Ulom]

Anybody going to mention that Tumblr was pretty much allowing the circulation of child pornography in the first place? This isn't happening just because "NSFW = BAD OWO APP STORE SENPAI PLEASE ACCEPT ME". I'm thrilled to see that the staff is losing money because of it.

Staff gave no shits about the Child porn OR the massive pron bot epidemic, and refused to do anything no matter how many people complained about it. They only started all this AFTER they got removed from the Apple Store. So yeah, a lot of it IS because Tumblr went "NSFW = BAD OWO APP STORE SENPAI PLEASE ACCEPT ME". It's just that on the other side of it, Apple's the one pointing out the rampant porn bots and child porn and the need for Tumblr to FIX IT'S SHIT.

There's also the fact that the new(ish) owners of Tumblr are heavy anti-NSFW content, of any kind. Be it child porn or quote un-fucking quote

 

[Abendrot]

Ironically, Tumblr staff not giving a shit about moderation is also one of the big reasons why it attracted so much of its current base (Fandoms, LGBTQ+ folk, fringe leftists, feminists, furries, and all manner of NSFW enthusiasts, etc.)

 

[alifetimewithyou]

Tumblr is only doing this because they got removed from the Apple Store, and now they're pretending to care so much when it was an issue that many reported for years and they didn't care. The sad thing here is that they're now flagging and removing things like art, calling it pornography. Many people I know are now looking for another place to post their work.

I also read they're getting rid of themes, so you'll only be allowed to use the ones Tumblr itself offers.

 

[Iowa]

Hate how they had much better choices rather than letting a bot go rampant on tumblr flagging things left and right without supervision, hell I even heard the post made by the staff itself had been flagged.

I must say I'll miss Tumblr A LOT because good NSFW content, but hopefully most of the people I was following moved over to twitter/patreon/whatever

 

[CSLeader]

What sucks now is given everyone is leaving in droves, that now means bastards like MAPs (aka Pedophiles) which were a problem already on Tumblr are now gonna jump ships and possibly get a crowd that are easier to manipulate.

NSFW artists imo are okay in my book, it just really depends on who you're talking about. But you could mostly trust that your average lewd newds maker is more than capable of acting like a normal human being, despite their hobby/profession.

 

[Dalamus Ulom]

Minor Update: A good amount of Tumblr users are currently protesting the Ban by logging out of Tumblr for 24 hours. Before that, during the time of the 16th, a surprisingly large amount of people changed their avatar/icon/whatever you want to call it to this:

As another form of protest, as proposed by a shitposter by the name of Biggest-Gaudiest-Patronuses, as a repurposing of the actual catholic "holiday"/holy day Gaudete Sunday, where a bunch of the priests(and even the pope himself) wear gaudy pink robes. Anyway, it was meant to protest a lot of the factors and associated BS involved with the NSFW ban, though a lot of people ended up having a problem with it due to the amount of people who changed their avatar to the above picture, to the point of mocking the person who started the whole thing when they got "shadowbanned" by Tumblr.

All in all, the 16th was pretty eventful on Tumblr, and Today will probably be pretty busy on a bunch of other social media platforms.

 

[CSLeader]

at least I get a birthday gift of tumblr going nuts and imploding on itself a day early.

 

[MechanicalHeart]

*Tumblr Implodes*

World: Oh my God, what happened?!

Me: Good.