re: Tumblrâs ban on JS in pages
as many of you are probably already aware, Tumblr recently banned pages that use javascript. if you try to edit a page that uses javascript, youâll get an error message that wonât let you use your page - you can see Tumblrâs official notice on this here. via Tumblr:
Blog pages cannot have JavaScript as well. If we detect it, weâll remove it when the blog is viewed. If you try to edit a blog page that contains JavaScript, youâll see an error message that reads: Looks like youâre trying to add some Javascript or invalid html to your page. Youâll need to contact Support if youâd like to use Javascript.
according to Tumblr, you can contact support and apply for an exemption here. if youâre using one of my pages that uses javascript and youâd like to continue, please follow that link and contact support about an exemption for your own blog (note: itâs a blog-wide exemption, not an account-wide exemption). I donât know whether theyâll allow blogs to use pages with javascript coded by a third party, and I feel like it may be a long shot, but I suppose itâs worth a try.
Iâve applied for an exemption for my own pages and Iâll ask about the possibility for thememakers like myself to get a blanket exemption for our pages; however, I think thatâs probably impossible since all of my pages are hosted extraneously from Tumblr and I donât think the logistics necessary for Tumblr to create a policy that would allow for blanket exemptions on third party pages are even possible and still allow for spam filtering are even possible.
Iâll update once I hear back from support and if/when Tumblr puts out more info on this.
some faqs responding to the many messages in my inbox:
help! Iâm using one of your pages and it stopped working. what do I do?
the only thing you can do is to contact support, apply for an exemption, and see if theyâll let you. Iâm not optimistic about it and I donât think support has clarified to anyone whether itâs possible to get an exemption for javascript coded by a third party (I assume theyâre deluged with requests), but I suppose itâs worth a shot.
if you have pages that use JS, donât touch them. donât try to reinstall; it wonât work.Â
Iâm using one of your themes that uses javascript; do I need to do anything?
if your theme uses JS, it will be fine; this only affects pages.
do you have any pages that donât use javascript?Â
would you be able to come up with a javascript-less fix or version of your pages to evade the ban?
I donât have the time to do that right now, so unfortunately, not right now. plus, a lot of my pages are centered around some kind of function that requires javascript - i.e. poppy would be super lame without the popup descriptions and the filtering.Â
plus, Tumblr hasnât released much info about this and what possible exemptions will entail, so Iâd rather wait and see whatâs going to happen with exemptions, whether this ends up being a permanent policy, or if theyâll get rid of it, or if theyâll modify it. I donât want to put a ton of work into making js-less versions till thereâs more clarity on whatâs going to happen. I might reconsider and create JS-less versions of the few pages I have that arenât JS-heavy, but as Iâm going to be very very busy writing my thesis and being logged off for the future, I wouldnât count on it.
what will you do if this is permanent?
if itâs permanent, Iâd be really annoyed, but Iâve always considered myself more of a theme thememaker than a page thememaker, so Iâd stop making pages and continue to solely make themes. itâs really frustrating for us thememakers who use static previews though.
also, as a final note: please be nice to support if you contact them. Tumblrâs support is well aware that thememakers exist and theyâve been responsive to our concerns pretty consistently.Â
I have a ton of messages in my inbox Iâll try to get around to in the next little while, but please be patient since Iâm busy and tired :(