#maybe it's just because i'm a fucking idiot who struggles a LOT with navigating ANYTHING new

[crimeronan]

imo tumblr having an algorithmic for-you page for people who don't know who to follow yet is literally fine and good. you shouldn't need an in-depth tutorial to figure out where the content on the site is and even if you disagree, it's honestly inconvenient as Fuck and always has been. the most active users here rarely have tagged archives that can be easily discovered & the for-you page limits the barrier to entry for new people. unless you came here specifically FOR an artist/writer/creator who ACTUALLY POSTED THEIR TUMBLR URL over on twitter or reddit, you can't figure out who's active in your fandoms or how to talk to people or how to populate your dashboard with content very easily. i get being biased against people who specifically seek out algorithmic content but staff is NOT wrong that this site is inaccessible to get started with. and they're not wrong that that's a bad thing. let people have fun on the internet instead of forcing them to get frustrated and give up????

i'm mainly posting this because i DO disagree with a major part of staff's proposed plans, which are the plans to update their advertising techniques to mirror other social media. that does suck. they're doing it because tumblr users do not have enough money or dedication to keep the app afloat ad-free with in-app/website purchases, but it Fucking Sucks. that's a business decision that has nothing to do with attracting/retaining users or making the user experience better, and everything to do with Make Dollar Sign Go Up At All Costs.

showing new users content while they figure out who to follow is good, that's a good change, that introduces people to the different fandoms and communities on here n gives them a place to start. i know it's annoying for popular tumblr users to have their content prioritized in this way but the people who use the algorithm weren't gonna fuckin' figure the dashboard out to see your posts anyway?? it's a change that's sorely needed and will improve the user experience and it wouldn't surprise me if reasonable staff members have wanted to do it for A While, & are couching it in corporate language so that it can be prioritized. it is FINE.

please for the love of god don't get lost in the weeds here. it's important to understand why different marketing decisions matter and how they impact the userbase. tumblr updating their signup streamlining to retain more new users IS FINE AND GOOD. PEOPLE SHOULD BE ABLE TO USE THIS SITE????

eta just in case: if you have a rebuttal to this that's along the lines of "but algorithmic content will encourage advertisers to ruin the user experience with their grubby greedy little hands" : yes, that's a valid concern. hence why i'm saying i don't like the proposed advertising strategies. i just don't think that the for-you page is in and of itself a bad thing.