What IS Tumblr?? ?
Well, good question.
In so many words, it's a website split into personal blogs. Users can share their own text and multimedia content as well as share content from other users. Among other things, the site's users are known for having a rather unique way of speaking online.
Really though, Tumblr is a lot more than that-- it's a community.
The odd mode of self-expression on the site has, in some ways, acted as a gatekeeper since there's a considerable learning curve with the language of Tumblr. This has created a subculture of those who "speak the language," contributing to a shared identity and unique methods of communication the same way that shared oral languages does in a community.
In so many words, it's a website split into personal blogs. Users can share their own text and multimedia content as well as share content from other users. Among other things, the site's users are known for having a rather unique way of speaking online.
Really though, Tumblr is a lot more than that-- it's a community.
The odd mode of self-expression on the site has, in some ways, acted as a gatekeeper since there's a considerable learning curve with the language of Tumblr. This has created a subculture of those who "speak the language," contributing to a shared identity and unique methods of communication the same way that shared oral languages does in a community.
Can I learn how to speak it though?
Yeah, absolutely!
And I can try to teach some of it here, but one of the most challenging parts of nailing down the linguistics of an online subculture is the fact that, like language itself, it changes constantly. The English language is far from static, incorporating new slang and cultural ideas into the accepted vernacular constantly, and the way we speak online is just as malleable — only it moves even faster. My current Tumblr experience is different from what I experienced in 2015, and even further from what it was in 2013, and so on. Tumblr users prove to be fairly cognizant not only of their odd linguistics choices but also how hard it can be to keep up.
Case in point:
And I can try to teach some of it here, but one of the most challenging parts of nailing down the linguistics of an online subculture is the fact that, like language itself, it changes constantly. The English language is far from static, incorporating new slang and cultural ideas into the accepted vernacular constantly, and the way we speak online is just as malleable — only it moves even faster. My current Tumblr experience is different from what I experienced in 2015, and even further from what it was in 2013, and so on. Tumblr users prove to be fairly cognizant not only of their odd linguistics choices but also how hard it can be to keep up.
Case in point:
Furthermore, my personal experience on this website has the strong potential of being vastly different from anyone else’s experience the site. Lots of blogs revolve around themes, such as a particular aesthetic or fandom, which has contributed to the segmentation of Tumblr into different sectors based on interests. These sectors can be dedicated to blogging about nearly anything, from categories as broad as humor in general, to the “Science side” of tumblr, or something as specific as unflattering picture of Justin Timberlake. If you can dream it, there’s a good chance there’s a part of Tumblr dedicated to it.
That said, even with parts of Tumblr being ridiculously overly-specific and isolated from other parts, it still seems probable that, just by existing on the site, there are some posts and types of content (humor in particular), that everyone on the site is aware of to some extent.
Ultimately, the blogs and users that I interact with and observe on the site are limited to what I seek out based on my own interests and what is popular/most visible on the site, and the communication tactics that I am accustomed to in this portion of the site may differ from certain niche areas.
For these reasons, the following section should be regarded not so much as a manual of terms and methods that encompass the Tumblr experience and way of communicating, but more as a beginner’s toolbox for identifying patterns in the language that they might encounter on the site, and for understanding the significance or usefulness behind these particular methods of expression.
That said, even with parts of Tumblr being ridiculously overly-specific and isolated from other parts, it still seems probable that, just by existing on the site, there are some posts and types of content (humor in particular), that everyone on the site is aware of to some extent.
Ultimately, the blogs and users that I interact with and observe on the site are limited to what I seek out based on my own interests and what is popular/most visible on the site, and the communication tactics that I am accustomed to in this portion of the site may differ from certain niche areas.
For these reasons, the following section should be regarded not so much as a manual of terms and methods that encompass the Tumblr experience and way of communicating, but more as a beginner’s toolbox for identifying patterns in the language that they might encounter on the site, and for understanding the significance or usefulness behind these particular methods of expression.