Exploring Tumblr the yume way
I don't fucking can't figure out how to manage this site like I'm just doing the best that I can over here. But, for now, this is the best way I know how and it might even help you enjoy this site better. But before that, let's get something out of the way
I AM NOT HERE TO MAKE CONTENT OR TO WATCH CONTENT. It should never be about someone's meme or art or whatever or my own! There's a social in the word social media! There's a lot of amazing things in this dimension but it's not what it's all about, but that's what I like about Tumblr because this website feels more social than most of the internet. Still not as social as I wish it was, but it's better! I just wish it was like where I come from
So here's how to explore the wonders the way I do it
Make your blog about you. Because it is you, your voice, everything here should be you.
Use the following tab. Unlike the For You tab, it's sorted by newest and it won't show you things you aren't here for. The For You tab makes it too easy to make the algorithmn think you are into things you aren't into and it doesn't always address what you like well because it's very content focused (example: I like art, but I don't want a feed full of art. I like this take someone had, please don't fill my feed with negativity just because of that)
Don't share everything you like. Restrict yourself to only sharing as a way to interact with something
I only share something without interacting with it when it matches me very well. I keep it very limited.
Don't like everything! Be picky so your likes for content are what stood out the most. For anything that's not content, like comments, don't like them unless your like is trying to say something specific! I feel like I shouldn't like comments because when you do that they get a notification that it's just saying "random person likes what you said" and it's like why the hell do you need to know random person liked what you said??? You probably already get enough notifications for likes so I rather try not to bother you or only give a like if it says something more than that
Don't replace commenting with reblogging. Each are different and exist in their own different way so each should have their own purpose! I like it when people figure out themselves but because you are here to see how I explore Tumblr. Here's my way
Reblogging with comment: I want to share this with the person I am replying to, and with others! But it also has to be something that fits what my profile is about, which is about me. Could be my own expression, art, ideas, something that comes from me that I made that I also want followers and everyone else to see. I don't reblog random conversations
Commenting: Basically, everything else. It's like, I am speaking to you personally or commenting just about that post. Not everything I say has to be broadcasted to the world or placed in my profile!
note: I am still not sure how to address having someone make a original post, then I reblog, and then someone replies to me through a reblog. I would prefer to comment on that reblog, and just that reblog, but if I comment I am commenting to the original poster instead and they have nothing to do with that that's not what I want to do and the person who reblogged me won't know I replied to them through a comment. So, in this case I give in and reblog as a reply, but I just hope to avoid having a long thread of reblogs as a convo that doesn't belong in my profile.
Always read comments and reblogs for each post that catches your attention! It's so overlooked because of the way the website is designed! You are incentivized by looking at just the post and no further than that. You should be incentivized to see more! I want tumblr to preview comments under posts! Show the 3 newest comments
I try to avoid having too many tags because in many platforms it makes your things get less recommended, so I just assume it's the same deal with tumblr. You may not even need tags at all on tumblr, the text of the post is probably enough
I use tiny text instead of writing my notes in the tags, because that just makes sense to me. Especially because tags are kind of hidden like I am not supposed to read it. People can't even share it unless they take a picture of it which complicates things for everyone unless you didn't want that shared. When I make it a tiny text it's like I am telling you to read it because it's part of the main text but it's also telling you that it's besides the point or that it's optional or I am setting the tone there. It feels better and more effective, and it would probably get treated better by whatever system or machines there are around here because it's a clear distinction from tags (you can also call it extra commentary, meta commentary, side note, foot note, post script, post data, marginalia, or flavor text.) I am not sure what you guys would prefer to call that. I used to call that post data, but then I switched to notes.
Look at the profiles of everyone that interacts with you, because THEY COULD BE A SPY. If they aren't, good. You can still find the opportunity to find someone that you may like that maybe you like what they post or better yet, share something in common! Share the potential of making a connection and meeting more people. This is how you meet people
Look at the profiles of the posts that you like too! Not always but often. Chances are, you might love them! Even marry them all!
In Tumblr... there's a lot of strange things that you just have no idea what the hell they are. Like you don't know what a word means or something about the trend or the culture it's a very unique place. Ask nicely at your own risk, but never be afraid to ask, or you can look it up but the things here are often so odd that when you look it up there is no information about it. It's like it was invented here, which is pRetty cOol. You are seeing history here!
I always bring Reimu with me to judge me, keep me in check while also enjoying the website. VERY IMPORTANT it gets lonely in here! Use Reimu Sidebar by Alwinfy https://greasyfork.org/en/scripts/549093-reimu-sidebar
Reblogs often don't say anything about the person that is reblogging it, and you are here for them! I mean you can't interact with them through their reblogs you need them to say something for you to be able to socialize with them. So you can hide them with Lego Savant's Hide Reblogs https://greasyfork.org/scripts/548473-hide-reblogs but it doesn't work well anymore. So... maybe ublock origin filters can do this or stylus. Stylus is credited for the extension too.
I don't know how to manage my feed because there's people that almost never post and people that post too often and people that post sometimes somedays like it would really depend for them. So it's like sometimes my feed is dominated by a few people and then sometimes it's like I like one person but I like them not their posts like I just want to friend them not follow them but you can only do both and- AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA I CAN'T FIGURE IT OUT. I even made a new account to sort this out but I can't just customize it in two ways there's so many ways and I also still want to interact from this account- it's cooked like. I NEED CUSTOM FEEDS. UuuUUuuUUuUUuUuuUuuuu T_T..... but... I still like the website and manage to use it despite of this major imperfection. It's not unusable so I just tolerate it. And it's like I can't tell people to stop doing that because you just shouldn't, people should do what they want to live their life in their truest form. I don't want them to tailor themselves to me. So, I am still on the whiteboard for this one. I need a feed for people that post a lot, people that post rarely, people that I like, people that I just like their content but don't care about them, people that post extremely often, people that post often, people that post regularly, and people I like more than others, and people who are new to me. THAT is what I need. Oh! And also for tags I follow.
There is no correct way to do this... but in this strange world... this is the way I do it.
I also didn't tell you everything because that is a curse.
