#tumblr if you remove chronological feeds I will end you | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

stevetown · 1 year ago

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On The New Tumblr Desktop Dash

I've been using the new Tumblr desktop dashboard for a few days now and I have some Thoughts that I thought would be useful to put out in to the wild. Most of the reaction I've seen has been...abnormally harsh about this UI update, so I think it would be interesting to actually go through the changes and point out what I like, what I don't, what I think could use some improvement, and maybe break down a little about why those Twitter comparisons are way off the mark.

More below the fold, but the tldr for me is - I think it's great! At the end of the day, I feel like I use the desktop version of Tumblr more and more since the change. Whereas before I used to just pick up my phone and refresh the app, now I get a hit of dopamine flipping over to the Tumblr tab when I need a work break.

The change is clean and logical, and as someone who came to Tumblr a year ago and still never quite grokked what all the icons at the top meant, having them spelled out is much nicer than guessing what they mean, even for someone who has become more familiar with the site. And to be clear, from what I can tell that's the goal of this change - to make it easier for newer people to use Tumblr and find their way around. Despite all the hate this change is getting, that is an unabashedly good thing.

The Left Nav

It's really, really clean. The old dash had a lot of unused space on the left, it makes sense to carve some of that out to have a menu that actually lays out what each icon means. The font size and style is comfortable without overcrowding. It just feels more...confident? Like these are the features Tumblr has. Use them! It's also just a more familiar web browser experience for anyone who has been using web apps since the dawn of email.

The badges also fit much nicer with the left nav. They don't float above an unclear icon, they're right next to what it says on the tin. You got 20 new posts to read, buddy. 5 new notifications. 1 anon ask. It's just better on my eyes.

I do understand the gut reaction that things are "too" cluttered. One of the first things I did was snooze Tumblr live and that helped me out a lot. Just removing all of the noise of live tags and loading-in thumbnails of people I'm not interested in watching went very far. It brought the post content further up on the screen.

A little before and after snoozing Live:

Explore

I didn't even know what Explore was used for before. It was a compass icon. I think I thought it was some kind of search? I can't remember if I ever clicked on it before. Explore is much more interesting to me. It makes me curious. For a site that struggles with getting new users to find new content, it's a beacon that says "Find some cool new stuff!"

My problem with Explore is that clicking on it...doesn't get me much. The landing page just takes me to a feed from @todayontumblr that almost never has any content that I'm interested in. The "For You" tab on my regular dash is where I go mining for new blogs, along with "Your Tags." If Staff finds this change leads to more Explore click-throughs, I'd love if the tab itself get some love and made it a hub for finding new content easier. Maybe mixing up a feed of any tags you're following, trending posts, and other algorithmically sorted goodies that I'll want to take off the shelf and put in my chronological dash. I want it to be a place with the goal of encouraging me to follow new blogs.

Live

The transition to the Live page doesn't feel good to me. You're taken to a totally different kind of page, and the UI jumps all the way to the left. It feels like you're going to a separate site. At least when you snooze Live it also removes the menu item. That's really nice! But I'll save Live thoughts for another day.

Activity/Messages/Inbox

I never knew how much I suspected these things were a bit redundant, but I'm glad now that they're separated and labeled correctly. I don't have to remember what the face icon/mail/lightning bolt all mean or why they're different. Things are much cleaner in that regard.

I don't really care for the popups when you click on them. Those do feel cluttered to me, like I'm going to lose sight of my dash, or the notifications. I don't have much UX advice here, other than to say I think I prefer how the Inbox is handled, where you're just taken to a full page view of the page. However maybe another solution would be how the Account and Settings icons are conducted...

Account/Settings

This is the section that sold me on the new dash. On the old dash, I found navigating the Account and Settings options...ephemeral. I was afraid I was going to lose my place if I didn't find the menu I needed. Here, having them slide out as a drawer, keeps me in place and lets me orient myself easier. It's made exploring settings overall frictionless. I've changed dash palettes like ten different times just because I could and it was easy to find. Maybe something similar for inbox/messages/activity would make the UI feel more consistent and less overcluttered-feeling?

I do notice that the Account dropdown adds a new scrollbar which makes things like the t logo and badges jump to the left. That can be a bit disorienting.

TumblrMart/Get a Domain

The Get a Domain menu item is fine, but TumblrMart feels like it needs some love. On a new refresh, clicking the icon loads for a total six seconds before the mart pops up. By this point, if I wasn't intentionally testing, I would have just moved on. Again, I also just don't like pop-ups like this. Feels loosey. Much prefer the full-spread domain page you get.

Create

This is maybe my least favorite change. Every time I switch to my Tumblr tab, I see it in the bottom left and think it's the "Where were we?" button. When I do want to create a post, it feels like I have to travel far to get to the button, and then I have to travel again when the dots come up to select what type of post I'm making.

I wonder if just tucking it at the bottom of the menu under "Get a domain" would be better? Or at the top of the menu? Not sure. I feel in my jellies there's a better spot for this one.

On Twitter

If I can address the most frequent criticism I see on this site, which is that @staff are trying hard to "ruin" Tumblr by "turning it into Twitter," I understand that gut reaction.

But I'd encourage folks to think about that for a minute. UIs change, and a left-aligned nav is extremely common for a reason. Since the dawn of email, menu navigation has been relegated to a left sidebar. Twitter is not "burning to the ground" because their nav bar was on the left. Having a left sidebar means literally nothing in the grand scheme of what makes a website what it is.

What, truly, has this nav update changed? It does not change the functionality of the site at its core at all. It doesn't change what you can post, how you can post, what content you find, reblogs, or tags. For a site that struggles with new users "getting" the site and finding their way around, this nav change makes it much easier to settle in with something a bit more ubiquitous to the modern browser-viewing experience.

Thus leading me to believe the only reason people hate on this change so vehemently is they don't want to see new users or any effort at all to attract them at all, and I think that's exclusionary crap. Knock it off.

Change is Scary!

That said, the change is scary! Having your muscle memory interrupted isn't fun and can take a while to get used to. Every change has a growing period. I get that. For me, I got over that period fairly fast, but I recognize this process is different for everyone, especially those who have been around here for a lot longer than I have.

The change is also open for valid criticism. There are usability and likely accessibility concerns for sure. Staff needs time to iterate, and they need to know what problems are actually worth fixing and addressing. "I hate it turn it back" doesn't help anyone - it doesn't help Staff, and it doesn't help new users who are trying find a new place on the internet to call home after *shakes fist at the rest of the internet.*

I really like this change as a starting point, and I can't wait to see it iterated on further.

And on a small end note, if you also have thoughts and opinions that you want to tell Staff, please, please, please remember there are other human beings on the other end of line.

#tumblr #dash #tumblr dashboard #dashboard #I get dispirited when I see prominent blogs reblogging metaphors about sandwich shops and Radio Shack.#They're not being made in good faith.

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everythingshinesunderthesun · 1 year ago

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I would really love to sit down with the person currently in charge of tumblr's design and poke their brain about where they see the site going in the next 5-10 years.

I don't think the latest changes to the dashboard menu are the worst thing ever. I don't necessarily like them — I don't think the old dashboard had a problem with clarity, most popular websites and apps nowadays use simple icons to communicate functions, and the new one feels uncomfortably busy — but I don't think it altogether ruins the experience.

I also don't hate algorithms as a concept: Even if tumblr's is inexplicably terrible, so long as I at least have the option to sort chronologically, I think I can tolerate it.

This little experiment with removing people's profile pictures, though? I really can't rationalize it in any way that makes sense from a design perspective. The idea that's made the most sense to me is that post I just reblogged where someone hypothesized it could be a way to sneak ads into the feed more easily, and if that's the case, that's both a genius stroke of marketing and an incredibly questionable business decision.

Like, I could understand if this was some sort of attempt at a last-ditch, pump-and-dump by the current owners of tumblr: Destroy the UX for the sake of monetization, go to some tech giant, tell them "look, our userbase is small, but our ads get so much engagement!!!" and sell for whatever you can get before they figure out the site is dying.

Problem is, who would buy tumblr? Given its history? When we're heading into a recession? The time to pump-and-dump would have been... Well, around the time Tumblr sold to Yahoo for literal billions. Right now I can't imagine any tech giants would make a serious bid to purchase.

So, the alternative: Tumblr needs desperately to crawl out of the hole and is trying anything they can to monetize. Fair enough, but I really have to question if they're not overestimating just how strongly ingrained their die-hard userbase is. I know they probably feel strong right now, given the practically overnight collapse of Twitter, but this? I think it really has the potential to drive a lot of the users who're already unhappy with the site's design/moderation/performance, and in spite how much the internet has been shrinking these past couple years, it's not like there's a shortage of alternative social media options to try out.

They're saying this is a test and tbh I think it's likely they'll end up reversing it, given the unanimity and size of the backlash, I'm just interested in what exactly they thought they would achieve here.

#meta

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snakegirllovehandles · 1 year ago

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Listen to me you snakes. I have been here for twelve goddamn years through thick and through thin because nothing else on earth is like this place. If you remove my chronological timeline feed or insert algorithmically chosen content into it without my explicit fucking permission I will fucking leave. If I wanted that shit I'd be on any other fucking website, but I am here.

If you piss off your established community, they'll leave. I'll go with them. And if you kill your community, you'll kill this website for good. The posts that people come here for? Those are made by established players here. If those go away, the only thing attracting people to tumblr at all will dry up.

I enjoy tumblr. I have enjoyed it enough to pay for the service that I've gotten so far. If the service that I want ends, I'm outta here for good. I have other places to go. Smaller communities, for sure, but that's alright. I don't need tumblr to talk to my friends or find interesting media and insightful opinions. It's just a good service that I use. I can find others.

I personally valued this website so much that I actually paid for ad-free. My subscription would have renewed automatically on November 9th.

Did you notice the past tense?

I am putting my money where my mouth is. I have just canceled the automatic payment. You want my money again, you need to get your heads screwed on right and walk this back.

Tumblr’s Core Product Strategy

Here at Tumblr, we’ve been working hard on reorganizing how we work in a bid to gain more users. A larger user base means a more sustainable company, and means we get to stick around and do this thing with you all a bit longer. What follows is the strategy we're using to accomplish the goal of user growth. The @labs group has published a bit already, but this is bigger. We’re publishing it publicly for the first time, in an effort to work more transparently with all of you in the Tumblr community. This strategy provides guidance amid limited resources, allowing our teams to focus on specific key areas to ensure Tumblr’s future.

The Diagnosis

In order for Tumblr to grow, we need to fix the core experience that makes Tumblr a useful place for users. The underlying problem is that Tumblr is not easy to use. Historically, we have expected users to curate their feeds and lean into curating their experience. But this expectation introduces friction to the user experience and only serves a small portion of our audience.

Tumblr’s competitive advantage lies in its unique content and vibrant communities. As the forerunner of internet culture, Tumblr encompasses a wide range of interests, such as entertainment, art, gaming, fandom, fashion, and music. People come to Tumblr to immerse themselves in this culture, making it essential for us to ensure a seamless connection between people and content.

To guarantee Tumblr’s continued success, we’ve got to prioritize fostering that seamless connection between people and content. This involves attracting and retaining new users and creators, nurturing their growth, and encouraging frequent engagement with the platform.

Our Guiding Principles

To enhance Tumblr’s usability, we must address these core guiding principles.

Expand the ways new users can discover and sign up for Tumblr.

Provide high-quality content with every app launch.

Facilitate easier user participation in conversations.

Retain and grow our creator base.

Create patterns that encourage users to keep returning to Tumblr.

Improve the platform’s performance, stability, and quality.

Below is a deep dive into each of these principles.

Principle 1: Expand the ways new users can discover and sign up for Tumblr.

Tumblr has a “top of the funnel” issue in converting non-users into engaged logged-in users. We also have not invested in industry standard SEO practices to ensure a robust top of the funnel. The referral traffic that we do get from external sources is dispersed across different pages with inconsistent user experiences, which results in a missed opportunity to convert these users into regular Tumblr users. For example, users from search engines often land on pages within the blog network and blog view—where there isn’t much of a reason to sign up.

We need to experiment with logged-out tumblr.com to ensure we are capturing the highest potential conversion rate for visitors into sign-ups and log-ins. We might want to explore showing the potential future user the full breadth of content that Tumblr has to offer on our logged-out pages. We want people to be able to easily understand the potential behind Tumblr without having to navigate multiple tabs and pages to figure it out. Our current logged-out explore page does very little to help users understand “what is Tumblr.” which is a missed opportunity to get people excited about joining the site.

Actions & Next Steps

Improving Tumblr’s search engine optimization (SEO) practices to be in line with industry standards.

Experiment with logged out tumblr.com to achieve the highest conversion rate for sign-ups and log-ins, explore ways for visitors to “get” Tumblr and entice them to sign up.

Principle 2: Provide high-quality content with every app launch.

We need to ensure the highest quality user experience by presenting fresh and relevant content tailored to the user’s diverse interests during each session. If the user has a bad content experience, the fault lies with the product.

The default position should always be that the user does not know how to navigate the application. Additionally, we need to ensure that when people search for content related to their interests, it is easily accessible without any confusing limitations or unexpected roadblocks in their journey.

Being a 15-year-old brand is tough because the brand carries the baggage of a person’s preconceived impressions of Tumblr. On average, a user only sees 25 posts per session, so the first 25 posts have to convey the value of Tumblr: it is a vibrant community with lots of untapped potential. We never want to leave the user believing that Tumblr is a place that is stale and not relevant.

Actions & Next Steps

Deliver great content each time the app is opened.

Make it easier for users to understand where the vibrant communities on Tumblr are.

Improve our algorithmic ranking capabilities across all feeds.

Principle 3: Facilitate easier user participation in conversations.

Part of Tumblr’s charm lies in its capacity to showcase the evolution of conversations and the clever remarks found within reblog chains and replies. Engaging in these discussions should be enjoyable and effortless.

Unfortunately, the current way that conversations work on Tumblr across replies and reblogs is confusing for new users. The limitations around engaging with individual reblogs, replies only applying to the original post, and the inability to easily follow threaded conversations make it difficult for users to join the conversation.

Actions & Next Steps

Address the confusion within replies and reblogs.

Improve the conversational posting features around replies and reblogs.

Allow engagements on individual replies and reblogs.

Make it easier for users to follow the various conversation paths within a reblog thread.

Remove clutter in the conversation by collapsing reblog threads.

Explore the feasibility of removing duplicate reblogs within a user’s Following feed.

Principle 4: Retain and grow our creator base.

Creators are essential to the Tumblr community. However, we haven’t always had a consistent and coordinated effort around retaining, nurturing, and growing our creator base.

Being a new creator on Tumblr can be intimidating, with a high likelihood of leaving or disappointment upon sharing creations without receiving engagement or feedback. We need to ensure that we have the expected creator tools and foster the rewarding feedback loops that keep creators around and enable them to thrive.

The lack of feedback stems from the outdated decision to only show content from followed blogs on the main dashboard feed (“Following”), perpetuating a cycle where popular blogs continue to gain more visibility at the expense of helping new creators. To address this, we need to prioritize supporting and nurturing the growth of new creators on the platform.

It is also imperative that creators, like everyone on Tumblr, feel safe and in control of their experience. Whether it be an ask from the community or engagement on a post, being successful on Tumblr should never feel like a punishing experience.

Actions & Next Steps

Get creators’ new content in front of people who are interested in it.

Improve the feedback loop for creators, incentivizing them to continue posting.

Build mechanisms to protect creators from being spammed by notifications when they go viral.

Expand ways to co-create content, such as by adding the capability to embed Tumblr links in posts.

Principle 5: Create patterns that encourage users to keep returning to Tumblr.

Push notifications and emails are essential tools to increase user engagement, improve user retention, and facilitate content discovery. Our strategy of reaching out to you, the user, should be well-coordinated across product, commercial, and marketing teams.

Our messaging strategy needs to be personalized and adapt to a user’s shifting interests. Our messages should keep users in the know on the latest activity in their community, as well as keeping Tumblr top of mind as the place to go for witty takes and remixes of the latest shows and real-life events.

Most importantly, our messages should be thoughtful and should never come across as spammy.

Actions & Next Steps

Conduct an audit of our messaging strategy.

Address the issue of notifications getting too noisy; throttle, collapse or mute notifications where necessary.

Identify opportunities for personalization within our email messages.

Test what the right daily push notification limit is.

Send emails when a user has push notifications switched off.

Principle 6: Performance, stability and quality.

The stability and performance of our mobile apps have declined. There is a large backlog of production issues, with more bugs created than resolved over the last 300 days. If this continues, roughly one new unresolved production issue will be created every two days. Apps and backend systems that work well and don't crash are the foundation of a great Tumblr experience. Improving performance, stability, and quality will help us achieve sustainable operations for Tumblr.

Improve performance and stability: deliver crash-free, responsive, and fast-loading apps on Android, iOS, and web.

Improve quality: deliver the highest quality Tumblr experience to our users.

Move faster: provide APIs and services to unblock core product initiatives and launch new features coming out of Labs.

Conclusion

Our mission has always been to empower the world’s creators. We are wholly committed to ensuring Tumblr evolves in a way that supports our current users while improving areas that attract new creators, artists, and users. You deserve a digital home that works for you. You deserve the best tools and features to connect with your communities on a platform that prioritizes the easy discoverability of high-quality content. This is an invigorating time for Tumblr, and we couldn’t be more excited about our current strategy.

#actually blogging on your blog

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veliseraptor · 3 years ago

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I remember you mentioning you didn’t enjoy twitter, thus you weren’t on there? if you don’t mind, may I ask why it’s not your thing? like… is it about the app, the website or the people there? I’m trying to make up my mind if I should create an account there

oh man, anon, the answer is kind of "everything." but I guess if I want to break that down a little more

the most basic and possibly biggest factor in why I don't use twitter is just plain and simple that I can only really maintain one social media presence at a time and I chose this one. as for why this one and not another...

twitter feels like an emotional minefield. every week I'm hearing about a new twitterstorm. when I go on it for brief moments I almost inevitably run into something that upsets me. this is made worse by the "recommended tweets" thing, which inflicts things on me that aren't even from people that I want to hear from.

it just goes too fast. for someone like me who is somewhat compulsive about catching up on things, twitter is just plain overwhelming. I don't know how to keep up and then I get anxious and panicky about missing stuff that I'd want to see and it's only made harder by the fact that the feed doesn't go in a nice chronological order.

it's just...nasty. people have written a great deal about why that is, from the short format necessarily abbreviating conversations in ways that result in the removal of important detail, nuance, or context, the quote-retweet function, etc. etc. but whatever it is it's generated some of the most toxic behavior, I would argue, of the major social media platforms. like, tumblr has its share of bad actors, but I think a combination of (a) being able to more carefully curate your experience and (b) the fact that it's not perceived as important/central in the same way limits that toxicity in ways that just seem to have been entirely unleashed on twitter.

it just seems to...generate a lot of bullshit and wank that gets elevated to the level of news and I don't want that.

real people are there. this is a turn-off in more ways than one.

I couldn't be nearly this wordy on twitter. no, tweet threads just aren't the same.

pettily: there's something sort of insufferable, to me, about the way that Twitter has become The Center of the Universe Where All the Important Stuff Happens of the internet. so now I'm just being contrary, I guess.

like...sometimes I feel left out or like I'm missing things or like the Real Stuff Is Happening there, but ultimately it just...hasn't been worth it to me to try to push myself into using it; every time I've sort of tried I end up bouncing off it pretty fast. I've just accepted that I will only interact with twitter via screencaps and whatever my friends send me, and beyond that it will exist in a sphere outside my comprehension. and I'm okay with that.

but this is all...personal, and based on my own experience, and about my own particular foibles/anxieties/neuroses. it might work just fine for you; certainly a lot of people seem to find it does, and it's certainly where a lot of fandom activity currently seems to be happening (alas).

#conversating #anonymous

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cindylouwho-2 · 4 years ago

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RECENT NEWS, RESOURCES & STUDIES, May 2, 2021

Welcome to my latest summary of recent ecommerce news, resources & studies including search, analytics, content marketing, social media & Etsy. If you are interested in Etsy news, please read my top story below, as there seem to be a lot of changes afoot. (There is also a section general Etsy news below that.)

If you have any questions or news you would like me to cover, please drop me a line here on Tumblr, reply to this post, email me, or contact me on Twitter.

TOP NEWS & ARTICLES

Something is brewing at Etsy: as of April 26, people in almost all non-Etsy Payments countries “temporarily” cannot open new shops. They hid this development in a Help file, but someone reported it to Ecommerce Bytes, which garnered more attention. Why does this matter? Currently, Etsy Payments (EP) is only available in 44 countries; i.e., most of the world cannot currently open a new shop on Etsy. [Updated May 3 2021] Apparently the only exception is India; see the screenshot below, which someone kindly sent me:

(please click to see it in more detail, or check it out on Twitter)

There was no warning, and no published end date, even though they say it is temporary. Of course, they say it is to protect buyers, but they said that when they removed standalone PayPal too, and we know that was just about making more money. It’s possible they are adding new payment companies to the backend which will be able to operate in most of these countries, greatly expanding their take from EP. The first quarter report is scheduled for May 5, and that is often the time they announce new or expanded income streams. Expect to learn more sometime around then. In the meantime, watch for payment glitches.

It is also possible that the above situation is related to the glut of bad press Etsy has garnered recently. They released a blog post on April 29th, explaining how they plan on spending $40 million extra this year on marketplace enforcement. Turns out, they were just trying to get out in front of an April 30th report from Business Insider [paywall], which describes 800 policy violations in listings on the site. You can get the details in articles from Engadget and Gizmodo. This might get more traction, as both Insider and Gizmodo noted it is very easy to find more prohibited and even illegal items on Etsy.

“After Etsy deleted the listings the outlet identified, Insider reports that it was still able to find several others for ivory products, brass knuckles, mandrake roots, tools for using cannabis concentrates, mass-produced products, and other banned items. We poked around Etsy’s marketplace as well, and within a few minutes found a bunch of prohibited products, including a vintage ivory bracelet put up for sale as recently as March, several weapons that are plainly marketed as such, and a shop with more than 1,000 reviews selling all manner of spells for attracting love, wealth, and what have you.” [from Gizmodo]

Note that Etsy has also changed the wording of its Prohibited Items policy to include new definitions for counterfeit items. See discussion on this Reddit thread. Etsy is also still getting negative attention for allowing fake COVID-19 vaccine cards to be posted for sale. Vice has the most recent article, and Forbes has an overview of this hot new scam area.

So, is all of this linked, and if yes, what does it mean? Etsy hasn't cared about enforcing its listing policies for many years, as long as the media doesn't notice. Heck, you can still buy gift boxes of manufactured candy in thousands of shops, which is expressly prohibited, yet reporting never removes them. Is the media finally noticing enough to make a difference, or is Etsy really embarking on a huge cleanup that includes (at least temporarily) banning people from most countries from opening new shops? We will likely learn more this month, and perhaps even this week.

ETSY NEWS

Etsy says that shoppers are searching for “eco-friendly” items more often this year, and released a trend report on the topic. Insights include “42% YoY increase in searches on Etsy for reusable cotton menstrual pads...100% YoY increase in searches on Etsy for reusable straws...76% YoY increase in searches on Etsy for food covers...54% YoY increase in searches on Etsy for reclaimed wood shelves...176% YoY increase in searches on Etsy for environmentally friendly candles...712% YoY increase in searches on Etsy for eco-friendly tissue paper...285% YoY increase in searches on Etsy for vintage hoodies.” Definitely read the report if you want to know everything that people are looking for.

They also did a UK-based article on trends in outdoor items. Search tips of note: “2,644% YoY increase in UK searches on Etsy for patio furniture...Over 1,000% YoY increase in UK searches on Etsy for spring wreaths...1,266% YoY increase in UK searches on Etsy for garden lights or lanterns” It is hard to say how much these trends can be extrapolated to other countries, as the UK appears to have embraced online shopping much more during the pandemic than some other countries (see story below).

The latest Etsy Success podcast [transcript with podcast links] covers their buyer research, as well as a few questions from sellers. Not much here, except for the fact that they do expect wedding sales to pick up.

Reverb had a really large data breach, exposing the personal information of over 5 million customers.

As mentioned above, Etsy’s first quarter financial results for 2021 will be out on May 5th.

Apparently, Etsy is testing videos in search; here is a forum thread on the topic.

SEO: GOOGLE & OTHER SEARCH ENGINES

Here is an intermediate/semi-advanced article on ecommerce websites and common SEO issues. If you don’t do any of your own coding and don’t have much control over site design and indexing, skip the first 3 points.

Link building: what is a high-quality link? (you know, the type we are always told we need.) Moz’s Whiteboard Friday covers the basics. [video & transcript]

If you are new to blogging or writing instructional articles for your website, this template for writing for both readers and for Google SEO should be very useful.

Google introduced an algorithm update for product reviews starting April 8th. If you review other products on your website or blog, you will want to get the details here and here.

The Google page experience algorithm update has been delayed; it is now going to start in June and be completed by the end of August. That and more is covered in the Google Search News video for April. [YouTube video with highlights and links in the comments]

Yes, you can use SEO to get more attention to your podcasts. Here’s a detailed how-to.

Focussing on YouTube? Here are some tools for YouTube SEO. (Some are free or have free versions.)

There are probably as many Google SEO myths as there are Google algorithm factors, but Google saying something isn’t true isn’t always proof it is a myth. With that in mind, please enjoy this summary of 15 Google ranking factor myths (some of which are in dispute).

[semi-advanced content] The current state of long tail SEO has changed due to both searcher behaviour and Google, and that has led to both more and less opportunity. [Google redirecting results to what it thinks the searcher really wanted, even when the exact words aren’t on the page that they rank first, reminds me of what is happening with Etsy search lately.]

(CONTENT) MARKETING & SOCIAL MEDIA (includes blogging & emails)

Facebook still has the most traffic in the US, compared to all other social networks, but YouTube is even more popular. YouTube and Reddit are the only established major platforms with significant growth since 2019. You can read more details from the actual study here.

Instagram is working on new ways for creators to make money on the platform, not just those with business accounts.

HubSpot put together a summary of how the algorithms work on Facebook, Twitter, And Instagram.

Reddit appears to be testing a group voice chat feature, which would compete with Clubhouse.

TikTok isn’t just for young people; parents and grandparents are now on the platform too.

Twitter’s timeline algorithm (active if you are seeing “Top Tweets” on your feed) tends to ignore a lot of external links, and more than half of the posts can be “suggestions” from people you don’t follow. I’ve noticed lately that Twitter rarely makes suggestions in my chronological timeline anymore, except when I don’t have any activity for over 24 hours.

Twitter obeyed an order from the government of India and removed several dozen tweets which criticized the government’s COVID-19 response. The tweets in question can still be seen outside of India, however.

ONLINE ADVERTISING (SEARCH ENGINES, SOCIAL MEDIA, & OTHERS)

Understanding the definition of “return on ad spend” (ROAS) is the first step to making sure your ROAS is good for your business. “in general, a ROAS of 4:1 ($4 in revenue for every $1 spent) or higher usually suggests a successful campaign. But keep in mind that this is just a benchmark, not something to swear by. Some businesses need a ROAS of 10:1 to stay profitable, while others can do well with just 3:1...A large profit margin means you can continue the campaign with a low ROAS, whereas smaller margins demand a relatively higher ROAS and low advertising costs to maintain profitability. ROAS can also vary by platform. For instance, the average ROAS for Google Ads is 2:1.”

10% of money spent on US online ads last year went to Amazon, but they are still well behind Google. Meanwhile, Facebook’s ad revenue was up 46% in the first quarter of 2021, Google’s was up 32% & Bing's increased by 17%.

eBay launched the ability to automate their Promoted Listings.

ECOMMERCE NEWS, IDEAS, TRENDS

Payment processor Stripe purchased TaxJar, with a plan to integrate it into Stripe. This would provide new options for calculating & filing US taxes to Stripe customers. TaxJar will also have a standalone version for the moment. While TaxJar does do US taxes for business from many countries, it has almost nothing available regarding non-US taxes at this time. (Someone needs to do this for other taxes including UK VAT registration, since they don’t have a minimum threshold for micro businesses, and are no longer in the EU, so won’t be included in the new VAT collection rules come July 1. How many sole proprietors want to be registering for & remitting all of these countries by ourselves?)

In related news, Florida has joined most other US states in requiring online businesses to collect state sales tax even if they have no base in Florida. Missouri is now the only state with sales tax but without such a law, and they are working on it.

eBay has rolled out its new coupon code tool. Also, they released lower than expected projections for the current quarter, which has disappointed the analysts.

Meanwhile, Amazon hugely beat its first quarter expectations, and projects the growth will continue. Prime Day will be in June instead of July this year; date to come.

Also, Amazon is letting its larger brands email customers directly, which was previously not allowed. Customers do have to follow the brand to receive these messages.

Mailchimp will soon be offering ecommerce stores, including a free option that has a 2% transaction fee, or more advanced versions with lower transaction fees for $10 and $29 a month respectively. US and UK customers will be able to start a store as of May 18th.

Shopify probably doesn’t feel that threatened by the new competition, as their first quarter revenue was up more than 100% over the previous year. Note it is estimated they got 8.6% of US ecommerce revenue in the quarter, while some believe that eBay, Apple and Amazon lost market share.

BUSINESS & CONSUMER STUDIES, STATS & REPORTS; SOCIOLOGY & PSYCHOLOGY, CUSTOMER SERVICE

Mastercard says that people worldwide spent $900 billion more online last year compared to 2019. They expect the ecommerce trend of grocery shopping and bargain hunting to continue more than other retail areas.

Regions that had stricter lockdowns during the pandemic may have had a greater increase in ecommerce activity; this report compares the US and the UK.

Generation Z is likely to stop shopping with you if your site has issues. “Seventy-one percent of respondents want the experience to be personalized, and 76% said their favorite brands should reward them for their business, the survey found.”

MISCELLANEOUS

Brave browser has disabled FLoC, Google’s new tracking that is supposed to replace cookies in the next year. They explain why here. If you like Chrome but don’t want FLoC, try DuckDuckGo’s FLoC blocking Chrome extension.

#etsysellernews #Etsynews #search engine optimization #social media #ecommerce #smallbiz

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art-in-the-age · 4 years ago

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Part 3: Mental Health Communities

Throughout its rise and fall, Tumblr was known for its function as a safe space for people living with mental illness. Within some blogs, mental struggles were the primary focus of the content. Some of these blogs were similar to traditional Tumblrs where the majority of the content was reposted from other people, while others were more focused on the production of original content, both text and photos. The anonymity that is inherent to Tumblr as a platform allowed users to lean into sensitive topics and find others who shared similar experiences without exposing themselves to their school or work communities. This was a two-sided coin, as it allowed people to form bonds and discuss conditions that were and are deeply stigmatized, but it also led to the production of content that could be disturbing, explicit, or encouraging poor coping skills. Yukari Seko and Stephen P Lewis authored a study in which they explored what kind of content was present on these blogs, and found that over the course of three months, 41.8% of the sampled images depicted “self-injured bodies or body parts. All images showing wounds were still photographs.” (Seko 186) Of these images, 84.5% depicted cutting (Seko 186). Additionally, Madeline R. Wick and Jennifer A. Harriger of Pepperdine University conducted a study focusing entirely on images categorized as “thinspiration”, used primarily by those suffering from eating disorders as a way to encourage continued behavior. They wrote that these images, “often include a bony image of a woman, typically displayed in a sexually suggestive manner and that the more sexually suggestive the image, the more social endorsement it receives,” (Wick) and continue that, “thinspiration websites contained significantly more content related to weight loss [compared to websites dedicated to fitness], more positive comments about being thin, more food guilt-inducing messages, and more photos of females engaging in thin poses, such as angling the body at 45 degrees,” (Wick). These two studies combined paint a picture of the sheer amount of potentially triggering content available on Tumblr curated in blogs with the sole purpose of providing content related to mental illness and eating disorders. One caveat in this situation, however, is that users could often choose which content they wanted to see on their page. The primary mechanism for viewing content on Tumblr was the feed dashboard, which displayed all of the posts made and reblogged by the users a blogger followed. Because of this, users could specifically choose to follow accounts that only posted positive messages or vice versa. Tumblr made an effort to curtail the amount of content that explicitly encouraged eating disorders and other destructive coping mechanisms by implementing a policy banning such content, but its enforcement is a reactionary task force of moderators who will remove posts that are flagged. This, of course, does not account for the posts that otherwise go unflagged raising questions about its efficacy.

There exist very real stereotypes in our society about who is allowed to experience mental illness; there is an expectation that those with eating disorders will be thin and that men do not experience depression, to name a few, neither of which is true. To find community on Tumblr, one was not required to disclose any demographic information or depict their physical being in any way. The blogger was embodied by the images they curated, providing in some ways more free access to a community with expectations surrounding appearance and demographics.

The dynamics that existed around this sensitive content on Tumblr have been disturbed by TikTok and the difference in feed style, while the conversations remain the same. Young people are still depressed and anxious, looking to find people who relate, but using TikTok to do so comes with complications. The feed on TikTok does not sort chronologically or by whom you follow, meaning that the user has much less control over what content they see. Someone going through recovery for an eating disorder could very easily be shown a “What I Eat in a Day” video that shows a dangerously small amount of food, which can be very triggering due to the competitive nature of the disorder. There is an option to choose “Not Interested” to avoid additional similar content, but that is not entirely guaranteed, and sometimes just one trigger is enough to go back into an addictive cycle. Similar problems arise with mental health content more broadly. Engaging with one post about anxiety will tell the algorithm to present you with more of it; sometimes this content will encourage recovery and healthy coping mechanisms, but often will glamorize unhealthy coping skills, something that is, again, triggering and part of an addictive cycle. The algorithm doesn't offer discretion with that content, meaning that users must choose between seeing mental health-related posts that have an equal chance of being helpful and harmful and not seeing them at all, with no real opportunity to create the community that is right for them.

Beyond this, TikTok does not provide the same anonymity, because nearly all of the content put forward on the For You Page depicts someone’s face. All of the most famous content creators have their physical self attached to their content, whether that is dancing, humor, or lifestyle content. It is nearly impossible to generate a following without incorporating the physical self on the app, which was not the same on Tumblr. Going hand in hand with this is the fact that TikTok communities are far less insulated than those on Tumblr once were. On Tumblr, if you only interacted with blogs in a certain fan sphere, you could feasibly never come in contact with someone who blogged in a different one. There was some understandable overlap, but someone blogging about Dr. Who could reasonably expect that no matter how popular their blog was, no one from their school would encounter it accidentally unless they too were interested in Dr. Who. Part of the TikTok algorithm is determined by physical proximity, phone contacts, and mutual followers, meaning that it is entirely feasible that your TikTok could end up on someone you know’s For You Page, even if they don’t follow you and have never seen one of your TikToks before. If this TikTok is divulging personal information, it is no longer private and the attachment to your face means there is no longer any plausible deniability. It also means that should the post leave TikTok and circulate on the broader internet, as they often do, it can very easily be traced back to you.

TikTok is hosting the same communities and conversations Tumblr always did but without the anonymity of the posters or the control over the content. These communities are vitally important, especially in the context of the American healthcare system, in which it is incredibly difficult to have access to a therapist, more so for an adolescent. It is, however, still essential to protect individuals, especially when so many are minors. TikTok does not allow for separation between the creator and what they create, meaning that users wishing to create content about mental illness are required to subsume that into their physical presence and carry that with their inescapable corporeal being. There is no simple answer to how we can build productive communities where users can feel supported entirely, but the dynamics of content creation on TikTok only serve to complicate them.

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deathbyotpin123 · 2 years ago

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Tips for specific platforms

Below the cut: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Youtube, Tumblr* and AO3*

*Tumblr I don't see as social media, and AO3 is certainly not among these but I see people get annoyed about tags there as well so... Short paragraph about that as well. I might make a whole post about AO3 tags in short at another time.

Twitter

So, one thing I found is that a lot of people don't know about this, and sometimes Twitter will switch this setting back for you but you can switch your feed to be only posts from people you follow, in chronological order.

All you gotta do is click on the little icon in the top right corner and choose "See latest Tweets instead".

Another cool thing about Twitter is that it's functional through the browser (minus the Spaces hosting and speaking). So you can just use it at a set time, from your computer, to finish work related things or check out new posts and then log off.

Facebook

Nothing specific applies to this one, but it is also fully functional on the computer. I have to say I didn't use it fully for years because the general population there is 50+ these days... But the Messenger works on its own, so that's cool if you're a millenial like me and your friends still use that to talk.

Instagram

This one is a tough cookie. It has some filtering options where you can mark posts you don't want to see, but it's not as specific as Tumblr's system. Best practice for this one is muting, unfollowing and choosing who you follow.

You won't be able to fully control what you see because Instagram only shows a limited number of accounts in your feed. What you can do is not open the app too often because if it doesn't have what to show you it will revert to suggested posts.

Oh and, it does have an option to switch your feed to "Following" and "Favorites" if you click on the Instagram logo (still not working for all accounts). But, it will revert back to the standard feed when you close the app.

TikTok

I can't help you with this one. I don't think even Jesus could. This app is meticulously constructed to get you addicted to it, eat up hours of your life and leave you unsatisfied in the end as you go through 50 short videos all with the same sound. And it doesn't matter what your interests are... I don't think TikTok can ever fully improve anyone's day because that's how addictions work in the end. Just... perpetually chasing the high.

The best you can do with it, is to uninstall it and watch compilations on Youtube or follow creators through their Youtube or Instagram accounts.

The second best thing you can do with it, is to limit your time on it, rigorously choose what you see and mark the things you're not interested in so that its supersonic algorithm can hide those things. Because it does have the most advanced algorithm out of all the social media. And that's what makes it so addictive and horrible.

And as a UX designer, I stand by my opinion that TikTok can only bring you misery in the end and that its temporary moments of joy are not worth it in the long run.

Youtube

Not really a social media platform, but also a place you can get annoyed at. Has one of the worst algorithms when it comes to suggestions and will flood your feed focused on one things and one thing only, but you can control it successfully by removing videos from your history as it calculates what you like by that.

Tumblr

I already posted elsewhere about blocking people and filtering tags on here. But I'll repeat it here: you can filter tags and content so you can exclude things you dislike. All of the other general rules apply.

Also one of the good spaces because you can use it through the browser only. I don't feel it's really addictive as social media, because I think in general it's a blogging platform and yes the content is limitless but you don't get the fluctuation like on TikTok. You will run into opinions you disagree with, but simply using common sense along with blocking and ignoring things that annoy you is enough to improve your experience here.

AO3

Absolutely not a social media platform but I see people getting pissed off at it because there's content they dislike showing up in their favorite tags. So... There are many, many posts that explain in detail how to filter through the tags on AO3.

Find the tutorials. Use the filters. The AO3 tagging system is absolute joy and if you learn how to use it, the only thing that can fail you is the author that didn't take the time to tag.

And that's it!

Now go browse the things, curate your feeds, and find things that bring you joy.

How to improve your time on the internet; A (hopefully) helpful guide

Step 1: Delete all social media accounts.

I won't go into how social media is evil because all it's geared for is selling you things through algorithms that respond to whatever generates the most traffic and often it's people getting upset... Because we all already know that. So, unless you really absolutely need social media - yeet it from your life.

Problem: How to keep in touch with friends?

Solution: Create groups through messaging apps or use Discord. This type of connection is more meaningful in any case. Keep in touch with each other and ask how it's going. Organise hang outs in person with those who live in your area. Get to really talk about your interests and life events.

Problem: But my friends won't talk to me outside of social media apps, and I have family members that live across the world, and I need social media for my job and-

Solution: Ok, fine. Read below the cut how to make your life more enjoyable while still using these apps.

Tips for specific platforms will be in the reblog.

Use social media for messaging only

This is if you want to use it to stay in touch with friends, but don't have to actively use apps to browse or post content.

Set up the notifications for messages and turn them off for everything else. This way, you can keep the apps installed on your phone, off your home screen and see only when your friends message you.

You can't get hooked on the social media apps if you don't use them. And if you don't get hooked then you won't doom scroll and if you don't doom scroll you won't end up annoyed. Simple as that. But if you do want to browse the content or you have to use these for job networking...

How to improve your experience on social media

You get to control what you see on social media.

You get to curate your experience. The algorithm will still try to send you trash you don't care about and there might be some limitations to what you see (e.g. Instagram) but ultimately, it's up to you to make your online experience enjoyable. Here are some general tips, and after that I'll go separately through the major social media platforms.

1. Follow the content you like

I can't stress this enough. If you curate your feeds so that they include only the things you enjoy, your time on these apps will be enjoyable by default. Find things that interest you, ignore the things that don't.

2. Don't let things upset you

I know this is hard. But try not to take to heart everything you see online. It's often not that deep. And you're often only annoyed because this was supposed to be your happy place and then it wasn't. I talk more about this in the "Mute accounts" section below..

3. Limit your time

Set a fixed time during the day or the week to go through your feeds or specific accounts you follow. This won't give you the time to doom scroll and since you'll be looking for specific things, you're less likely to get stuck on meaningless drama or things that don't interest you.

4. Delete the mobile apps if you can

Again, you can't get hooked if you don't use these apps. And if you don't have the apps on hand all the time, then you won't pick them up out of boredom either.

5. Mute accounts

For the people you follow that post content you're not interested in or that makes your blood boil, remember that you can always mute them. They won't know you muted them, and you can still go into their posts when you want to check on the content they posted without being exposed to it daily.

For example, if you have an aunt that won't stop posting about something you hate, but she also posts pictures of your Grandma that you love - when you decide it's Grandma's pics you want to see, sit down at a moment when you're not annoyed, prepared to skip over the things you dislike. It won't be that hard because you will already be focused on finding those pics you came for.

What I found annoys us most when browsing social media isn't so much the content as it can happen that we see it at a time when we're not prepared for it. This is why you might not get so agitated when you see certain things on the street or at your job but they can piss you off online. So if you're prepared ahead to sift through things you dislike, you will find it easier to skip them or maybe even have a laugh about it.

6. Unfollow and block

If you feel no obligation to follow an account - simply unfollow the account. If others you follow still share from that account or it shows up in searches/feed/suggestions - blocking the account on certain apps will make it so you don't see shared content.

#hopefully useful internet guide

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bentonpena · 5 years ago

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Influencers are fighting for attention as Instagram tests removing likes from its platform: 'There’s no audience applause at the end of a performance' (FB)

Influencers are fighting for attention as Instagram tests removing likes from its platform: 'There’s no audience applause at the end of a performance' (FB) http://bit.ly/2Lm4jTS

Instagram has been testing in some countries what its platform would look like without likes appearing on posts.

The removal of likes is designed to improve the lives of consumers, but influencers are starting to feel the impact of the change on their accounts and their brands.

But brands value "authentic" influencers who are their "true selves" more than engagement metrics such as likes, influencer marketers tell Business Insider.

Influencers say it's a catch-22: Instagram's built-in algorithm values engagement for curating the posts that show up first in front of users, meaning that influencers — especially those that Instagram chose to remove likes from — have found their content is getting much less reach than ever before.

Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

The easiest link that brings together social media's wide range of consumers and influencers is a simple need: validation.

Instagram — one of those places for likes, comments, followers, and reblogs — has recently tried to curb that need. The platform has been testing out what it would look like without the "like" feature, claiming the feature will help to reduce its associated impacts on mental health and societal pressure. The "like" feature won't be hidden completely; users can see the number of likes on their own posts, but not on others' pictures and videos.

The results of the tested removal of likes are still being collected; the test only rolled out in July to some users in seven countries. But some consumers have started to share their reactions to the change. In a recent article for Huffington Post, affected users said they appreciated the less pressurized, more carefree version of Instagram without likes.

Read more: Instagram is starting to cut off its most addictive feature, and it could have huge consequences for teens' mental health

But for influencers in those countries, response to the change has been different. Although influencers Business Insider talked to haven't seen significant change yet to their business and brand deals, the idea of a like-less Instagram makes many of them nervous. Affected influencers have already noticed their posts are getting fewer likes and less engagement, pushing their posts farther down in Instagram's algorithmic feed. Some have expressed concerns it'll affect their reach and ability to grow on the platform.

Others say that the popularity-contest-style pressure associated with Instagram likes will just shift to another one of the many metrics measured on the platform.

"I really think that likes are just part of the platform," Canadian influencer Jess Grossman told Business Insider. "What can I do? It's a platform I'm using for free."

SEE ALSO: The life and rise of Lil Nas X, the 'Old Town Road' singer who went viral on TikTok and just celebrated Amazon Prime Day with Jeff Bezos

Fewer likes, more authenticity

The removal of likes rolled out two months ago in seven countries: Australia, Brazil, Canada, Ireland, Italy, Japan, and New Zealand. Almost immediately, influencers noted that their posts are accruing fewer likes than they used before the test started.

Kate Weiland, a Canadian influencer known for matching family outfits, said it's been a "bummer" to post a picture and not be flooded with the droves of likes and comments she's used to receiving. It's affected how she's able to evaluate her audience's interest in a post, which she uses to figure out what content she should keep posting or move away from.

Weiland's wildly intricate outfits and poses with her three kids and husband can take time to set up. But Weiland says she's found it a harder to put as much effort into the content when she can't get a good idea of what her fans even want.

"Likes are a motivation factor," Weiland told Business Insider. "Now here's no audience applause at the end of a performance. It's kind of like crickets in the background."

A recent research survey, conducted by Canadian influencer agency #paid, found that more than half of influencers affected by the Instagram test have seen the number of likes drop on their posts. Over 50% of surveyed influencers have seen the growth of their follower counts slowed.

But while influencers are starting to worry, influencer agencies that secure brand deals and marketing campaigns don't seem to be as concerned about the effects of likes disappearing. Likes are only one of the several metrics used to evaluate an Instagram post's performance, says Mike Blake-Crawford, Social Chain's strategy director. Likes are only "surface-level," while metrics like engagement and click-throughs of URLs in posts show more about the relationship an influencer has with their audience.

"Likes are the currency of social media," Blake-Crawford said. "It's going to separate influencers who have trigger-happy followers ... versus the ones who have a real connection with their audience and have the trust element."

Instead of likes, influencer marketers say they care more about "authenticity." Sideqik CEO Jeremy Haile said the most important part of working with influencers is seeing who can actually build relationships with their audiences, and who can get fans to click on ad campaigns and purchase products that influencers put their backing behind.

So far, affected influencers who talked to Business Insider have not seen their partnerships with brands and request for ads decrease or disappear. But that hasn't stopped them from wondering how the removal of likes could stymie to growth of their brands as their engagement numbers continue to fall.

The catch-22 algorithm

A grievance raised in conversations with influencers revolved around a discrepancy between what Instagram has taken away with removing likes, and what the platform intrinsically values: engagement.

It's been more than three years since Instagram changed its order of posts in users' feeds, shifting from reverse-chronological to a feed based on what Instagram's algorithm thinks you personally want to see first when you open up the app. The algorithm, which dictates what appears first in your feed, is based on three things, according to Instagram:

The likelihood you'll be interested in the content

Your relationship with the person posting

The timeliness of the post

Instagram's reason for changing its feed was to put a greater emphasis on users seeing posts from "friends and family," although it's not clear exactly who that group is. Instagram told Recode last year that users see 90% of posts from "friends and family" as a result of the new algorithmic feed means, compared with seeing only 50% of these posts in the reverse chronological feed.

But on the flip side, the Instagram algorithm de-emphasizes posts from brands and accounts you don't typically interact with. Instead, the way to get put in front of more people's eyeballs during the precious moments a user scrolls through their Instagram feed is through engagement, comprising of likes and comments.

"You're not getting the likes and you're not getting the reach, and your content is not going as far," said Grossman, one of the Canadian influencers. "You're taking away one of those pieces that is driving engagement, how is that algorithm going to work?"

Engagement, which includes likes and comments, are more important than ever in the algorithmic feed. That's where the catch-22 comes in: The "likes" feature is built into the fabric of what gets seen on Instagram, so influencers caught up in Instagram's experiment — who are getting fewer likes in turn — are seeing less reach and growth on their posts than ever before.

"Any artist's goal is to create work that people will see," Canadian influencer Reza Jackson told Business Insider. "By limiting that, it's jeopardizing our businesses."

Although influencers are the ones who could be most heavily impacted, a trickle-down effect of a like-less Instagram looks imminent. Influencers told Business Insider that without seeing likes on their own posts, they feel less incentivized to like and interact with other users' posts as well.

"I've started liking less, because what's the point?" Grossman said.

Read more: Instagram is mulling a new feature that would hide from others how many likes you get on your posts

The social media-depression connection

Adam Mosseri, the head of Instagram, told BuzzFeed News in April that the purpose of the like-less test is to create "a less pressurized environment where people feel comfortable expressing themselves."

However, the "like" feature, and the issues surrounding it, aren't something that exists solely on Instagram. It's something that plays out on essentially any social platform: Twitter favorites, Tumblr notes, Reddit upvotes, or TikTok hearts.

Instagram isn't the only platform to weigh the effects of like counts on users' mental health. Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey has said if he had to go back and redesign the platform, he "wouldn't even have a like count in the first place." Dorsey has floated the idea before of getting rid of the "like" button to ensure the platform is "incentivizing healthy conversation," but Twitter has denied that will happen anytime soon.

Facebook and YouTube have both also recently made moves to eliminate some popularity metrics from their platforms.

Several studies and numerous psychologists have found a link between the amount of time teens spend on social media and depression. Celebrities such as Selena Gomez and Demi Lovato have publicly spoken out about needing to take breaks from their social-media accounts in order to care for their mental health. Gomez has said social media has been "dangerous" for both herself and for teens.

Any number of people who have spent time on social media can attest to its addictive qualities, which are even apparent in this viral video of a chimpanzee mindlessly scrolling through an Instagram news feed.

Many have compared the battle for Instagram likes to an online popularity contest, and everyday consumers aren't the only ones who have noticed how much of a toll the constant comparison of likes can take. Savannah Mak, who describes herself as the "anti-influencer," has experienced first-hand the feelings of "worthlessness and not-enoughness" that can come with Instagram.

"You're not living the life you're supposed to be. You start to question whether you're good enough," Mak told Business Insider. "Being an influencer is asking a human being to show the world only the perfection of their life and who they are, at all times."

Tech via SAI http://bit.ly/2ZZpEbV September 5, 2019 at 12:53PM

#IFTTT #Feedly

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khalix-hyetology · 8 years ago

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Belief systems in The Testament of New Ezekiel and Temple Gate

I wanted to analyse some of the belief systems in Temple Gate, particularly The Testament of New Ezekiel. This does not exclude Val’s beliefs as their narrative is entwined with what made the Heretics. The Gospels of Knoth are a tricky business because they follow Christian imagery and certain Abrahamic formats, however, they are pretty disingenuous in many ways with Christianity and other Abrahamic formats.

This is evidenced by some of the imagery present and the words used. In fact, I think some Youtuber and Tumblr users specifically pointed out that gospels used the words “cunt” too much than actually proper sentences/words. Seeing “cunt” is a slang we can definitely see how this is a cultish text far removed from usual religious language, motifs, lexicon and imagery. Similarly, a point I wanted to mention and adjoin from the beginning is the phrase “breach hell’s cunt” is similar to Outlast’s “spirit breach.” I mentioned this before on another post. We can definitely see the use of semantics, contexts and lexicon favours a Murkoff setting and ambience rather than a traditional or even free-thinking Christian setting.

This post is long and I want to try to understand the Gospels of Knoth; so bear with me pals. We don’t get the gospels in chronological order, there are 15, so I tried to place some things chronologically. In conjunction, I want to include Val’s journals and such as Val, like Marta, is an indispensable figure in understanding Knoth’s gospels and also The Testament of New Ezekiel.

In the very first Gospel of Knoth there are these lines:

“6.For the seed of Prophet shall root the Enemy, that the Prophet may strike down with furious vengeance the bastard of lies begot in his own sin cleansed by his own blood, spilled of his own issue.” Knoth 1:6

Basically, Knoth is supposed to be the father of the Antichrist of Temple Gate. Though, definitely, the entire story is contradicted by Lynn being the mother. Lynn hasn’t slept with Blake in months. Unless, Knoth did something Lynn can’t be pregnant. Also, Blake is called “The Spiller of foul seed”, “rut-mate” to the “devil’s whore” and “The father.” Basically, the belief system definitely has literal problems rather than semantic ones.

Also, Knoth is “elected” prophet by “the blood wept in revelation” (1:2) which is completely strange and is not there in Christian Faith or Abrahamic tenets. Furthermore:

“4. O. Zion, Zion, thou that stonest the prophets sent unto you so that your house is desolate and the blood of your ill-got children is sprinkled upon the earth to feed the wheat that fattens your brood for slaughter. 5. For all flesh is grass to fatten the sacrificial ox or sacrilegious calf, O Ba’al, O El, O Guaglana, O Moloch, but grass left to wither and fertilised with blood will to seed and spread.” Knoth 1: 4&5

Well, you can see basically infanticide is stated in the very first gospel. And now we can understand why Blake coming to Temple Gate meeting the shadows heard them speak “All flesh is grass to fatten oxen. Sacrifice. Sacrifice.” by one guy and then Corgan, the guy who says “I’ll bleed you in the yard”, goes like “Consume the flesh, spice it well, burn the bones.” It is like they are performing a cycle of killing and infanticide to please their “god.” Additionally, the carrion of animals is considered to be food for “the wheat” as well, making them kill anything, after the tribulations to the end of days start. Marta herself talks about this, I believe, as “the saviour’s wedding supper.” which would be filled with “flayed carrion” and rotten women.

Knoth’s second gospel is pretty much reiterating this message. It talks about the holy mission of killing the antichrist as important. That any other understanding is antithetical to this mission on the grounds that “the line of Adam corrupted beyond salvation by the line of Cain” (2:3) which is also antithetical to regular Christian practices and also Abrahamic tenets. It talks about not being overwhelmed by lust and to be ready for the antichrist who is also described as such: “defend His Heaven by the spilling of the heart’s blood of the spider-eyed lamb, The Enemy, the unborn prince of lies.” (2:6) Reiterating that the people of Temple Gate are good stating: “ye holy, for I am holy.” (2:7).

The Third chapter is actually about Sullivan Knoth’s awakening. Basically, he was, as Outlast wiki also states, 34 years old and in debt and residing in Albuquerque. Knoth was apparently a shoe salesman when he started hearing the voices. However, these things also happened to him:

“13. And I silenced the voice and looked, and beheld unseen a great fire enfolding itself in the brightness of the rising sun, and out of the midst thereof a color out of space; 14. And my frenzied eyes cast back in unworthy gulfs of darkness, away from knowledge unbearable to man, and noise of the fury of the Lord came upon me; 15. And my ears bled as the member of a child at circumcision, and the Lord made known by this our covenant is made which ye shall keep. 16. He that hears where words cannot be spoke shall abide until time is no more, and the Enemy born of thine own issue shall be thy charge for my vengeance.” Knoth 3: 13,14,15 & 16

Sound familiar? It should. The light and the noise part, as gamers we experience as Blake. The rising sun cloaked with an obscure light, well, Blake faces that in the end and is swept away in some place. That is probably Murkoff’s way of indoctrination and showing levels of indoctrination. The Third gospel pretty much explains levels of indoctrination by Murkoff’s Towers. However, we can only piece this by the end as things happen gradually to our protagonist Blake.

The fourth gospel pretty much commands Knoth to do his duties. One particular paragraph:

“6. Turn ye from your evil ways, turn ye from your unsired rutting, take not pleasure in women unmarked by their natural blood covenant with the Lord. but fuck and multiply as the act was designed by the Lord.” Knoth 4:6

The language is coarse. It is also misogynistic. It talks about not sleeping with women, I understand, who don’t wish to conceive as that is “natural blood covenant.” These articles are also pretty isolationist. In the second chapter of Knoth’s gospels there is also that instruction of always being ready to holy purpose and never to stray away from it in idle conversations with family and such. Pretty much building an environment where infanticide and other violations can occur.

This is also reiterated in the school’s lesson plan in which the aim is stated “The children should fear their duty but celebrate it as a guaranteed entrance to Heaven”: obviously, this is how cults operate. The indoctrination is repeated with the bold title of “ENEMY: Your fear is a tool of The Enemy. God knows best.” Basically, also saying that their lives belong to papa and also “god”, is pretty much like cultist behaviour. Infanticide is a sin in Abrahamic tenets. One statement in the school lesson that completely erases Christian beliefs and Abrahamic tenets is this line: “Abrahamic killed Isaac in his heart.” This solidifies that abandonment by their parents and also by everyone is a religious cause whereas nowhere in Christianity or Abrahamic principles is this stated. It is obviously a belief system that evolved from being indoctrinated by Murkoff;s Towers.

Knoth’s fifth gospel follows on talking about their awakening. The light that he sees is:

“1. And I looked, and a gyre unwound from the night, a fire turned inward, burning from all directions towards the center, and drew the light from the walls of my room so that I hung in a void that shone in rainbows like oil upon a black mirror.” Knoth 5:1

I do like the metaphors in this one so kudos to the creative team. However, if you see the imagery and read the metaphors you will see that some of this imagery is inconsistent with what we define as “light.” It feels almost like a dark mass, almost Walrider like in nature (which Outlast wiki says the developers called “Nano Cloud”). It gives the players some interesting food for thought on what could have actually emerged and what was Knoth seeing. It continues towards the end with a long list of descriptions which I include to emphasize the “Nano” phenomenon:

“5. And their faces were innumerable and joined to one another, a thousand eyes and everything a mouth, with wings and jaws inseparable even in sight, and the purpose of the eyes and the purpose of the jaws was both for a more perfect consumption. 6. Thus were their faces, and in the next moment, they were the bones of the Four Horses of the Apocalypse and the bones of the Horsemen, too. 7. And in the moment that followed their faces were the sex organs of angels, and in the moment that followed a bonfire of flame with voices singing in beauty to rend the mind, and in the moment that followed a reflection in silvered glass. 8. For their faces were all of these things at once, and their wings were joined one to another and as they flapped woke to arrest time and I could not take air into my body.” Knoth 5: 5,6,7&8

As we can see this is where the idea of consumption of flesh and all of that figures so powerfully in Temple Gate. Basically, this is also why everything felt like an inevitable dream but as stated “not mine.” which is effaced on the Temple Gate town plaque. This is why Laird also believes that the Scalled Messiah will come down in locust wings. Furthermore, this is why Val commented how this all seemed like a message but nothing holy. This could also be why the letter from the cultist Lisa talks about thousands of cocks raping the earth. Abrahamic beliefs don’t necessarily have gendered angels so what sex organs did Knoth see is questionable and brings back the nano Cloud of Outlast. This entire thing also reminds me of Loutermilch demon being a mutilated, mutated demon chasing Blake in another dimension. It brings back the Outlast concept of Lucid Dreamers as well who are heavily affected by the Morphogenic Engine.

The description of the images also happens in Knoth’s sixth gospel. The wheels of Ezekiel becomes reference because the voice(s) pretty much tells Knoth about Ezekiel. Also, there are creatures upon wheels which Knoth sees. However, this part got me:

“6. The rings of the wheels were dreadful, and full of eyes round about them four, thousands of eyes and none of them human, but black and intelligent and shining like the eyes of beasts ready for slaughter. 7. And where the unfaced creatures looked, the eyes of the rings focused, for the spirit of the creatures was in the wheels, and the spirit of the wheels was in the creature.” Knoth 6:6&7

The eyes were not human and they were black. The wheels were moving and they seem the creature and the wheels were one. A reading of the Walrider in the Outlast wiki pretty much surmises that the nano cloud phenomenon of the Walrider is pretty much something that moves around and can dissipate. Thus, this imagery feels pretty much allusions to a creature like a Walrider in my opinion.

The seventh gospel is amusing at the end because it completely states something that goes against what it has been saying. What Knoth talks about and the indoctrination that is concomitant with what Variants say in Mount Massive:

“2. And the spirit entered the cunt of my mind and made seed there, and I became as the chorus of screams in the movement of the wheels.” Knoth 7:2

This is interesting that Knoth would call his mind a “cunt” as well and almost like Val he is talking about “a membrane seeking penetration” (Val 4) Also he was hearing voices and seeing things that is correlated to patients at Mount Massive.

What is amusing are these lines that come after:

“7. For if you worship Me but partway you are as the parent who cuts away the limbs of his child to better love what remains. 8. And that child will die and I will hate thee as a killer of little children.” Knoth 7: 7&8

For a cult, that rejoices in the “ecstasy of the lord” by blatant infanticide, murder, mutilation and rape I find that to be ironic. However, it seems that children already grown cannot be mutilated. Which could make sense seeing they may already be nullified as the probable antichrist. So, that can be another belief in Temple Gate.

The eighth and ninth gospels deal with the formation of Temple Gate. The lines that interested me the most is “you have not cut away thine eye, but the scale you took for an eye, and now you may see.” (8:7) and “lord spilled such vision into my split and bleeding orb, as man issuing seed into the split sex of a blossomed woman.” (9:9) The fact he would sexual scenes is pretty much now kind of staple. At the same time in the ninth chapter he stated:

“1.And the hand of the Lord took me by the roots of my innards and put a hook in my jaw and lifted me away from the bones of the dead Zion and shit of Publican swine. 2. And in the murk of outer dark I became as a cloud that covers the land and saw many things:” Knoth 9:1&2

Knoth is talking imagery similar to the Walrider again. Of being possessed by a demonic like entity. However, it does end with him thinking of the formation of Temple Gate.

The tenth gospel is interesting because it talks about cases involving women and Knoth’s somewhat “celibate” or unmarried life. Basically, they were pursued by authorities, after all their hideout in Lydia Deagan’s ranch was ruined, if we remember Knoth’s backstory that is online. Basically Knoth took on anyone in his cult:

“4. The Lord gave to Ezekiel more wives than brothers, though I turned away none; neither thief, whore, rapist, addict, murderer, pedophile, cripple.” Knoth 10: 4

I don’t know if “wives” meant that Knoth had numerous wives or basically if he meant he was sleeping with people and that meant they became his wives. Though the women part and the proclivity towards incest is later on stated. Basically, Knoth asked what he can do about getting the temptations to have many wives. Then this was told:

“6. It is simply commanded that you take no woman as rival to her sister, do not uncover ones nakedness while the other is alive. 7. Nor take your daughter as rivals to their mothers before their blood or while the elder is alive. 8. And of your wives and daughters you will have your greatest warriors, in wimples with weapons that censer. 9. And it shall be yours to multiply, to make children upon a legion of women, and children upon those children, and upon those children, until your line is a nation. 10. For from your nation the Enemy shall emerge.” Knoth 10:6,7,8,9&10, my highlights.

I highlighted the parts where incest is addressed as lawful in The Testament of New Ezekiel. Incest is outlawed in Abrahamic tenets and Christian Faith. Knoth practices sexual practices with every women who are even wives of other people. As one cult member I heard say in the barn, after we pass the first cornfield, talking about parentage of children: “I knew you was mine even if Papa furrowed your mama.” Basically, this is completely against anything Abrahamic but Knoth is told by the voice to do so. So, Murkoff wanted incest and this sort of sexual practices to happen. Perhaps, as I mentioned before, to allow the “ecstatic rage” and “proximity to death” as Rudolph Wernicke once stated. In fact:

“2. And I gathered my disciples, from the land of Al-Barquq, and the town of Holy Faith, and from the impotent apocalyptans in Los Alamos.” Knoth 10:2

Los Alamos is where Wernicke’s exit interview occurred in the 60s I believe around the time Knoth was also leaving. If you think about it, this converges aspects of Outlast and Outlast 2.

The eleventh gospel begins with another imagery. Though, it is of the antichrist:

“1.The fruit of destruction shall ripen within the foul womb of the martyred mother, the spider eyed lamb shall bring judgment of the lesser whore onto even the great whore who sitteth upon many waters.” Knoth 11:1

Basically, this could be the reason Marta calls Blake “the spider-eyed lamb” as Lynn is the “martyred mother.” Whoever brings the person who is supposed to bear the antichrist becomes the spider-eyed lamb. This could be anyone who is connected to the martyred mother. Lesser whores and greater whores: reminds me of Val personally.

The gospel keeps on going on how there will be people who will have “strong delusions” but these are all lies. And, those who do fall for them will be damned. This is somewhat like Abrahamic tenets but also completely perverted. The “delusions” that the cultists face are all for the towers. They may be “lies” or gateways that don’t matter to our own dimension but they can be dangerous so the cultists wanting to discuss them as Val stated was considerably smart thinking. Another perversion:

“9. For God has said the flesh of beast is yours only in sacrifice to me, even unto the flesh of your offspring.” Knoth 11:9

Of course, infanticide cannot be compared to making meat religiously edible. Thus this is total corruption of Christianity and of Abrahamic principles.

Chapter twelve talks about the coming of the antichrist but it is completely replete in pretty chaotic imagery and also contradictions. Saying to “harden thy hearts and thy hands, and sharpen thine blades” (12:2) so that they can finish the “bloody work”. What is disturbing is this is mentioned:

“4. Fear not the dreams that walk outside sleep, that by which ye shall be imprisoned and tortured; that shall dredge from the prisons of thy memory of your unrepentant sins... 7. And the air shall be as thick with locusts as will choke thy breath. 8. And ye shall be ravaged with boils and sickness; your body a temple and city to pestilence, and thy sex will wither and rot as flesh for carrion bird.” Knoth 12: 4, 7&8

Some of those things did happen for the radio signals of The Towers and the syphilis. It seems Murkoff had some way planned this or hypothesized, as the Old Traveler document showed, that the parallax and the feedback loop would definitely augment homicidal, hypersexual and chaotic thoughts.

The contradiction is “for all things must die when God finds no perfection even in his own perfection.” (12:10) This goes against Abrahamic principles and pretty much shows that “god” can only be Murkoff getting rid of its Subjects and Projectors after their use has been done.

Chapter Thirteen talks about heretics coming about and also the “hated of God, shall commune with the Enemy, shall bathe in the seed of the spider-eyed lamb” (13:5): Which pretty much sounds like Val’s orgy. Though, because it was already determined by the Old Traveler that Jenny Roland and other scientists predictable lascivious and voracious sexual appetite for the feedback loop this can explained by that.

The 14th Chapter states some things that are clearly carried out in the context of the game showing that signals may have had some of this information:

“1. And in the moments before her birth the Antichrist shall wake, eve in in the womb, and her woe and misery will bleed and corrupt the earth.” Knoth 14:1

The antichrist is a female child and Lynn also thought she was having a girl. This is interesting, Perhaps, a patriarchal, incestuous cult would consider a woman to be the harbinger of destruction. I wonder if Val, to celebrate this occasion, also made breasts and a vagina on their body out of mud (this could also be them reclaiming their intersex origins or showing they are trans woman). Val also wore “crowns of the earth” as in crown of thorns on their head. Could be a desire to be enveloped by the antichrist. Thus Val seeking penetration by a female antichrist is both a non-gender normative imagery and also a queer one.

The gospel continues with some of the things that were already happening:

“6. And the angels shall be carrion birds, who feast upon the flesh of kings, the flesh of mothers, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and them that sit on them, the flesh of free men and slaves. 7. And if they feed on the flesh of that damned child, then heaven is yours. 8. But if the child draws breath; if the eyes of the antichrist are allowed to take in the light of the world, they shall swallow the light of the world. 9. Then death shall reign again, and the endless suffering shall reward those who revel in suffering, and endless regret shall torture the righteous in the immedicable regrets of sin and shame.” Knoth 14: 6, 7, 8 & 9

The game pretty much fulfills these prophecies probably because they were bound a bit to happen or theorised as such. There were already birds dying as Blake saw them around. Marta also talks about the lines about eating the flesh of kings and strong men. The unused dialogue that talked of Val’s death talked about them happy about going to a hell thus “revel in suffering.” In the end, the child is not completely real as Lynn says there’s nothing there. However, Blake sees the sun being swallowed up and is swallowed into the gateway with Jessica where she says she will never let him and go and knows he won’t let her go either. So, Blake could have succumbed completely into the alternate dimension made by the radio signals. Perhaps, that is what happened.

Personally, Blake’s own history coincides with the gospels. Loutermilch also thought of Jessica as a culpable figure though being obsessed with her like anything. If radio signals talk about antichrist as female and all of that there is a chance that the belief of such things is Blake’s indoctrination to the signal being passed onto Jessica. I still think The Towers may create demons that walk out of dreams to also torture and get rid of possible “variants” outside the engine. Blake still could have become a lucid dreamer. The thing is the heretics and cultists are still pretty much bound by these visions and gospels which are all courtesy of Murkoff.

The fifteenth and last gospel is just an adherence to these gospels saying that they should be copied exactly and their lives should be lived righteously under Knoth as “ye shall climb the tree of life or be crucified upon it.” (15:7)

Already, we can see detractions from that. Either the radio signals are getting choppy after the storm or people are losing it. The New Gospels for instance are a sign of such a detraction. The new Gospels talk about Val and includes Val’s name into it, mixing it with the leader of the heretics and condemning them to damnation. The New Gospels Part 1 and 2 are a rewrite of the 11th gospel of Knoth.

There is also “Laird’s Gospel” or “Gospel of The Scalled Christ.” It is the gospel Blake picks up after escaping crucifixion and being buried alive. It seems Laird also fancied himself as a prophet or saint. Basically, there is also sexual imagery there which talks about Laird’s mind being too tight that the Lord’s penis would probably split it with the knowledge. I am not kidding you. That is exactly what is written there.

“17. And the Scalled Messiah shall rise from the grave, conquering sickness and conquering death, and those afflicted shall call him Immanuel. 18. And the Scalled Messiah shall say: this is my flesh, eat of it and be healed. Whoever eats of my flesh shall have eternal life. 19. And they shall proclaim the glory of Laird, who lead them to salvation.” The Gospel of the Scalled Christ 17,18 &19

It is completely obvious that Christian Faith or Abrahamic tenets do not speak of cannibalism. Laird got that on his own. ‘

In the midst of all of these things, Val ‘s journals are a secret. We know that paper is considered a luxurious commodity of Temple Gate. That only when copying the gospels they could be used or when some other instructed purpose. Val being a deacon has access to paper and is well educated. Their grammar, syntax and imagery is pretty salient and goes with the person they are. Val’s journals touch me at first as very emotional and moving. One can read them and realised they are looking at a person with a lot of emotional energy and intelligence, only they are becoming exhausted.

The first journal talks about having to take care of more children, seven to be exact. They are taking care of more than forty orphans.

“[W]ho love me desperately, as only can a child abandoned by the parents they thought were as natural and dependable a fact as the rising sun. And I love them. As I will never have children of my own, and have so much love to give. When God leaves them, too, I will be there with comforts and guidance.

What do these dreams mean?” Val 1

We can see already that Val is a kind and compassionate person. They are able to understand that what is happening to the children is unfair. However, Val’s journals also show the contradictions at Temple Fate. This first entry implies that either Val is infertile, told to be celibate or has been castrated. There has been no specifications about this. Was Knoth the only person who was able to have children? I don’t think so. So if Val is intersex it can be reason for them not being able to have children though if they were castrated it seems to go against Temple Gate’s understandings of birth and order.

The second journal is a horrific account of infanticide.

“ March 9

A quiet sky. Six more of my own children (though no blood of my own) met the blade this morning. I wept as at the slaughter of the issue of my own loins. I cut Marcus’ throat deep enough for the knife to scrape against spine, but still he was writhing on the pyre. And Papa smiled and sang about gathering at the river. All the voices of Temple Gate joined in chorus.

One one voice was absent, and conspicuously so.

God should have answered by now. Whether by words or action. God please give us an answer. Fulfill the promises of your prophet.

We have sent such oblations into the earth by blood and into the sky by flesh burnt to smoke that this continued silence is a message in itself. Do any love God as I do? As often as I do?” Val 2 (highlights my own).

This is a very graphic account of infanticide. Of actually feeling the pain of killing children. Val is wondering if “god” can love if “god” wants this. They have loved so much and yet they must do this. It feels barbaric and ruthless and completely inhuman. And, it is.

In fact, the killings always have been hard deaths. Val is not the only one who faced a child “writhing on the pyre.” When Blake crosses the first corn field and comes about the shed with the two cultists in them, one of them keeps on talking, the same one who says they knew the child was theirs if even Knoth slept with their wife says he can hear the voice of the girl he killed and tells her to tell God that he didn’t hurt her as much. The cultists says things like “Some cut too deep and got the windpipe and not the arteries. That makes a long time dying.” and “Laughing. Carrying on. Clear as a bell because I didn’t cut that windpipe.” These statements make me wonder if some of them try to sneak up on the kids and kill them so that they feel no pain or don’t want their children to look at them with questioning or accusatory looks.

Val’s third journal entry is also from March 9th. Though Knoth tells them that they will find the killed children in heaven; Val doesn’t really like any of this. This obviously starts making them go insane.

“But my dreams are nothing but the murder of my children. And I wake laughing, and aroused, and often wet with the involuntary lust of sleep.

I woke this morning thinking I was wetted with the blood of a child’s slit throat. But it was wetness of my own making.

The others are having similar dreams. We have dug a tunnel so that we may meet in secret. We gather and share our visions and wonder at their meaning,

I feel increasingly this is a message. But nothing holy.” Val 3

I think Blake and us gamers stumble upon the underground tunnel which is one of the first heretics caves we see and Blake thinks is a church or a heretic temple. It seems some people were obviously dumbstruck at what was happening at Temple Gate. Val, obviously, being one of them.

In June 17th, Val’s fourth journal entry, the penultimate one, it is short and full of aroused feelings and figuring out the voices are not God:

“Give me pleasure. Fuck me and cut my skin. Burn me and caress me. I am a membrane seeking penetration. Be aroused at my awe. Let my fear give you appetite. I love you, I love you, I love you. Tell me what you want. Tell me your name and I am yours.” Val 4

The fact Val wants to feel the voice with their fear obviously brings back the parameters of the Morphogenic Engine. The different names of the Walrider comes into mind. Val may be listening on a different frequency now. Could the Heretics be a lighter version of the Variants? In theory they have some similarities.

Val’s last journal entry is in June 19th. It is the 5th one before the letter telling Knoth “Come after us. Hunt us down. We are waiting and eager to murder and fuck every body you send up that mountain...My God is no god at all. But he is true...I do not ask you that you join us. I tell you: you will join us. Because our love is greater than you can ever imagine.” So. the last entry was telling val is “filled with sex and appetite” and tells the voice “You love me. I am yours.”

The image here that sticks out to me here is mountain. Even in Outlast wiki the Walrider is thus named also because it is a creature that lives up on Mountains. Mount Massive is built in a mountain thus it creates those connections. Val also has taken shelter in a mountain. The Walrider and mountain imagery seemed to collide. Thus another connection between the trilogy perhaps can be established.

We have seen Murkoff likes twisting religion, it likes brainwashing people using images and radio signals and that it likes to make base camps in mountains. The belief system of Temple Gate: The Testament of New Ezekiel, The Scalled and The Heretics are all groups that adhere in some way to the gospels of Knoth which are indoctrinated “planned” radio signals by Murkoff. It makes sense that these groups are obviously broke off from the same roots. Even though they borrow things from Christianity and Abrahamic tenets they are not really Christians nor of Abrahamic Faiths. They seem to have formed their new ideologies and Faiths based on also what Murkoff was encouraging them to do. It is interesting, however, to look at the subtle conjunctions between the games.

I wanna THANK EVERYONE who read this entire piece.

#Outlast #Outlast 2 #The Testament of New Ezekial #The Heretics #The Scalled #Lucid Dreamers #Walrider #Knoth #Marta #Val #Blake #meta #long post #long reads #this is a very long post alright #Thanks for reading everyone

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forevermuffins · 6 years ago

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TL;DR Optimize your actions, or fall into madness and obsession

I just wanted to say this and get it off my chest; small little story of obsessiveness and procrastination.

I have had this slight... shall we say “occupation” to go through my feed daily and archive things I really like; mainly images. I like seeing peoples stuff (obviously) and... I’m not sure; call it hoarding but I feel it was important, IS important, to have these posts squirreled away.

Over a year ago my archival was interrupted by a disruptive issue with my backups and my main PC that effectively dumped out months of data... where the mild obsession really set in. I got that all back by trawling my browser history, and then i tried to catch up back to my current day which was due to lack of optimization about 2 months behind... and I burnt out, said I’d do it later. I continued to view my feed and select images but didn’t archive them because my archive was “supposed” to be chronological...

I did do it later, but didn’t compromise with the mere audacity of the task and barely optimized my processes, and burnt out again. Now we come to December, I had finally sat down and decided I was going to streamline the data and basically rapid fire this, just button presses, take mere minutes per day of archival, there would be errors but mostly chronological. Thought I had time... end of the month with the silliness of Article 13 and other things happening.

On December 3rd I went to work early in the day, went to my one class afterwards, and came home to goof off, got on Tumblr about say 2 in the afternoon... to see the news about Tumblr and their removal of infringing content.

The floor fell out from under me.

I had in front of me almost a year, a YEAR, of images to go through, AND go through all the blogs I had wanted to since this madness began. This sounds like an effort in not just futility but idiocy, not just to do in a month but in 2 weeks?

I could’ve at anytime did all of this, and I didn’t, procrastination and obsession leads to nothing getting done but stress fully.

I immediately threw myself into archival of not just my selected posts but using TumlrThree to dump my followed blogs. As I did this I watched as blogs disappear from my count, some I got to in time as the few days went by, some I did not.

I was stressed, my mind was racing, I had 2 computers running this and I was still behind. I couldn’t be around all the time to do the custom archival but my 2 computers could do all the blogs while i was gone. And boy did they go... I followed nearly 1k blogs, hilarious I know.

On Thursday my main means or archival broke, as my Browser that stores the links (chrome) now can’t download(or upload) a single file without crashing itself. Had to build a work around with firefox, very troublesome, very stressful.

On Friday, things broke. I was thinking how I’d schedule everything in the coming days while working, my mind whirring my body all tense STILL, and I just... said NO, no more, just dump it like you are the blogs, be done with it.. then I had this idle thought... I was never told there was a cap on my internet...

There was a soft cap. 1TB. I had blown through past 2TB(possibly almost 3TB), and I didn’t even realize it; I thought maybe 1.4TB not... that...

That’s what happens when you take uncompressed video from tumblr I guess. Haven’t got the bill yet, I am guessing $400. Did I mention all my drives and backup disks were being filled, and I bought more for this? That should’ve been a sign I might being going crazy...

So now I had significant money in this farce and was making myself ill with stress; I stopped, pulled the plugs, said I’ll wait for my bill to reset and just mass dump my image archives like I should’ve when all this started. I then felt “lighter”, almost sorta reminded me after taking a hard test in College, I just was ok with it, whatever happens, it’s going to happen no need to stress about this anymore.

Here I am now, days later, and that feeling is sticking around. I feel the faint dread of the upcoming 17th and all that may or already has been lost, not using my PC to watch videos or anything heavy to keep down my data impact, but I am fine, and once its all backed up in a few days... I find I am not really interested in keeping this thing up into next year. Maybe a New Years resolution I guess?

Was it worth it? Doubt it. But at least I am Fing doing it, because I said to myself I would.

What did I take from this? If you are going to tackle something time consuming, do it efficiently and don’t hang yourself up in details if those details make you stress out needlessly. Also obsession is not the best time sink.

(I am a hoarder aren’t I? LOL)

#muffinsposts

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meowthiroth-moved · 7 years ago

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suggestions for tumblr staff:

add a blacklist feature that works both on desktop and the mobile app. let us blacklist posts containing certain words/block certain posts. i’ve lost count of the number of people i’ve unfollowed bc i was scrolling through my dash on mobile and they posted a bunch of porn or some shit out of nowhere or a bunch of long-ass posts that lagged/crashed my app. seriously being able to block those obnoxious “do you love the color of the sky” or “are fedoras really that bad” kinds of posts on mobile would be a fucking godsend.

remove best stuff first. ok seriously though. i’m fairly certain NOBODY likes this setup on their feed. on ANY social media platform. it’s chronologically confusing and it hurts smaller-time artists by not giving their work the exposure it needs to get noticed. i turned this shit off as soon as it dropped and it STILL fucks with the order of my dash. it literally makes entire chunks of it repeat themselves for no reason, and, again, that’s with the option OFF. AND this update broke the notifications on the activity page for some reason, which made a lot of said notifications not even show up, and as an artist who posts my art pretty frequently, it felt kinda bad not seeing any feedback in my activity feed. a post would get like 10 notes and i wouldn’t be able to see any of them.

fix that thing that makes ask posts untrimmable on mobile. i don’t know why this happens, but this really shouldn’t be too hard to fix.

let people block anons on mobile. seriously, this used to be an option. why is this feature only available on desktop now? it’s a useful feature. put it back on mobile. and in that same vein, add a report option to mobile. that’s one thing mobile could really use. not everyone has access to a desktop, and those people can still get harassed, but they can’t really speak up about it.

let people stop getting ads from certain advertisers. do you have any idea how much those fucking battlecamp/other pokemon ripoff ads pissed me off? because they pissed me off a lot. it made me livid seeing people shamelessly ripping off a far better game just to get their shitty app game more exposure. i didn’t want to see them. i even ended up manually blocking the blogs that posted them in an attempt to stop seeing them, but it didn’t work. add one of those “whoosh this away” options for certain ads.

stop putting blogs in the recommended section that haven’t been active for a certain amount of time. like maybe 4 months or something. I’m not saying delete them, just stop recommending them. i’m sick of looking through for blogs i might like and seeing that none of them have posted since fucking april or some shit.

also stop re-recommending blogs that have already been whooshed away. put them at the bottom of the list priority-wise, if anything. if i didn’t want to follow them the first time, i’m probably not gonna want to the second time.

do something about all the n/eo.//na/zi blogs and other bigoted shitty hatespeech-spitting blogs on here. delete them. ban them from making more accounts. contact local authorities if they’re making threats/harassing people and you can trace their IP back to somewhere. this is your website. if someone’s violating your ToS, actually punish them for it. don’t leave it up to third parties like the woody collective (as amusing and awesome as that was) to do the cleaning up for you.

let people send asks/submissions/replies from sideblogs. as someone whose main is an rp blog, i’d love to have a way to say hi or send a nice ask to non-rp blogs without weirding them out by contacting them via my rp blog. having separate IMs is nice, but sometimes an ask is just better suited for something, y’know?

#tumblr update #tumblr suggestions #update suggestions

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staypuftmarshmallowqueen · 1 year ago

Text

youtube

The thing everyone

EVERYONE

has said they hated most about Twitter and FB was the removal of chronological feed options.

Are you not listening? Are you guys really THAT dense? Are you being deliberately obtuse?

Giving people an option to have a 'for you' and 'new content you might like' sort of algorithmic interface is fine. Making it something I cannot turn off is not.

I do not, repeat, DO NOT want someone not me trying to come up with new stuff I want to see. Period. End of discussion.

You absolutely NEED to leave it as a viable option that users can have their dash be a personally curated chronological list of stuff the people they follow have published. That MUST REMAIN an option, it is the ONE THING Tumblr had that ALL of the other social media sites got rid of and it killed those sites. IT MADE THEM UNUSABLE. You understand that, right?? How am I going to see what those I follow make if YOU are always choosing what I see?

The chronological, following-only dash MUST remain an option for those who want it. Otherwise Tumblr is no different than FB, IG, or Threads and we might as well just fucking leave.

Tumblr’s Core Product Strategy

The Diagnosis

Our Guiding Principles

To enhance Tumblr’s usability, we must address these core guiding principles.

Expand the ways new users can discover and sign up for Tumblr.

Provide high-quality content with every app launch.

Facilitate easier user participation in conversations.

Retain and grow our creator base.

Create patterns that encourage users to keep returning to Tumblr.

Improve the platform’s performance, stability, and quality.

Below is a deep dive into each of these principles.

Principle 1: Expand the ways new users can discover and sign up for Tumblr.

Actions & Next Steps

Improving Tumblr’s search engine optimization (SEO) practices to be in line with industry standards.

Experiment with logged out tumblr.com to achieve the highest conversion rate for sign-ups and log-ins, explore ways for visitors to “get” Tumblr and entice them to sign up.

Principle 2: Provide high-quality content with every app launch.

Actions & Next Steps

Deliver great content each time the app is opened.

Make it easier for users to understand where the vibrant communities on Tumblr are.

Improve our algorithmic ranking capabilities across all feeds.

Principle 3: Facilitate easier user participation in conversations.

Actions & Next Steps

Address the confusion within replies and reblogs.

Improve the conversational posting features around replies and reblogs.

Allow engagements on individual replies and reblogs.

Make it easier for users to follow the various conversation paths within a reblog thread.

Remove clutter in the conversation by collapsing reblog threads.

Explore the feasibility of removing duplicate reblogs within a user’s Following feed.

Principle 4: Retain and grow our creator base.

Creators are essential to the Tumblr community. However, we haven’t always had a consistent and coordinated effort around retaining, nurturing, and growing our creator base.

Actions & Next Steps

Get creators’ new content in front of people who are interested in it.

Improve the feedback loop for creators, incentivizing them to continue posting.

Build mechanisms to protect creators from being spammed by notifications when they go viral.

Expand ways to co-create content, such as by adding the capability to embed Tumblr links in posts.

Principle 5: Create patterns that encourage users to keep returning to Tumblr.

Most importantly, our messages should be thoughtful and should never come across as spammy.

Actions & Next Steps

Conduct an audit of our messaging strategy.

Address the issue of notifications getting too noisy; throttle, collapse or mute notifications where necessary.

Identify opportunities for personalization within our email messages.

Test what the right daily push notification limit is.

Send emails when a user has push notifications switched off.

Principle 6: Performance, stability and quality.

Improve performance and stability: deliver crash-free, responsive, and fast-loading apps on Android, iOS, and web.

Improve quality: deliver the highest quality Tumblr experience to our users.

Move faster: provide APIs and services to unblock core product initiatives and launch new features coming out of Labs.

Conclusion

#Youtube

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mysticsoldiersailorhylia · 1 year ago

Text

I have been active on this site for ten years. There are some things on this post that I would like to see happen, and many things I would not like to see happen.

I agree that basic site and app performance, as discussed in Principle 6, needs improvement. I admit I have grown used to the app crashing or bugging out, but that doesn't mean it isn't an issue. And I can see how new users wouldn't put up with it.

Updating the search function, as discussed in Principle 2, is something users have been hoping for for a long time. I can't say much for how you plan to update it as you didn't give many details, but there are countless posts detailing exactly how we, the user base, would like the search function to work.

The rest of the changes outlined in Principle 2 leave me wary at best. The golden part of this website is that it doesn't function like other social media. It doesn't push content on us based on what an algorithm thinks we might like. I recognize that for new users coming from algorithmic social media, Tumblr would be confusing. But it is my sincere hope that instead of changing to look more like other social media, you implement a Tips or Tutorial function for new sign-ups that explains and shows new users how to curate their dash. Tips and Tutorials aren't alien to younger generations (we have seen them on other websites as well as in videogames), so new users will understand how to follow along. And an easy close or skip function will allow those that understand Tumblr to merely move past it.

If you force an algorithmic view, pushing suggested posts to the top of our feeds, you will alienate the loyal users that have been here for a decade.

When I first joined in 2012, I followed the suggestion from Tumblr to follow topics that interest me. This means that I occasionally get posts suggested for me based on my interest in that topic. These posts have never been intrusive and have always been the extreme minority of my dash. I do not mind seeing an occasional suggestion that is tagged with something I like (ie music, science, or animals). If I have ever wanted to see more of a topic, or find new posts, I have gone to the search function and discovered new things that way (to the best of my ability given the current functionality). I do not want an algorithm to do that work for me.

I do not want my dash to become half suggestions, half posts of people I follow. I have left other social media sites for catering that kind of experience.

Please leave the suggested content in a separate place. Those that wish to explore new things can click over to that dash, and those of us that want to curate our own experience can feel safe in knowing that our dashboard is filled with the content of those we follow, presented to us in chronological order.

I am uncertain of what exactly you wish to achieve with Principle 3. Once again, we are discussing changing the website for the ease of new users. Putting aside the fact that this would force existing users to learn a new system, causing confusion on our end, you are once again overlooking the option of educating the new users via Tips, Tutorials, or a great FAQ page.

I have seen many Tumblr veterans create Tips and Tutorial posts, and I have seen new users send Asks when they are confused about a feature. Once things are explained, they understand and have even gone on to praise the way our posts currently work.

Much of your language in this section is vague, so I am doing my best to infer what you mean, but it almost sounds as if you intend to make reblogs and replies into their own, separate posts instead of comments and additions on the original, singular post. I am envisioning the way that you can retweet on Twitter, creating a new tweet that quotes the original tweet. I fail to see how this would improve our ability to view conversations, so I hope that I am wrong in my interpretation of your words.

I truly do not understand what you mean by removing clutter by collapsing reblog threads.

As for removing duplicate reblogs: Please do not do this.

I enjoy seeing multiple people reblog the same thing. It's fun to see two strangers, for all intents and purposes, who only have me as a follower in common, enjoy the same thing. Especially when I also enjoy it. That's one of the charms of tumblr. And it is perfectly in tumblr's nature for one person to reblog the same post five times in a row. That is one of the ways we can express ourselves, and we do it because we want our followers to see it. If someone finds it annoying, they should scroll by or unfollow that person. Do not silence our voices by hiding our reblogs.

Regarding the lack of feedback discussed in Principle 4, I argue that it is less to do with users only seeing posts from those they follow on their dashboard and more to do with the lack of search feature functionality and lack of information for new users on how to spread content (reblogging versus liking). I want new creators to get their content out there. Content is what makes this site go round. Tumblr is the Fandom website and the great thing about fandom is that it keeps creating new things. There are new people that want to engage and create, and people that have been in the fandom for years that want more. And we go looking for it as best as we can, given the current functionality of the search feature.

Forcing content on us based on an algorithm is not something we want.

I sincerely hope that you look at all of the feedback you are receiving. New users are important in keeping a site going. But the current users are important too. And we are begging you to listen to us.

Tumblr has been the joke of social media sites for many years. But the fact of the matter is, when other sites became unusable due to hostile algorithms and greed, those users fled here. Because they see that Tumblr isn't an algorithm-based website. That's why they are coming to us. Your current users don't want many of these changes, and I hazard the incoming users don't either.

Don't ruin Tumblr.

Tumblr’s Core Product Strategy

The Diagnosis

Our Guiding Principles

To enhance Tumblr’s usability, we must address these core guiding principles.

Expand the ways new users can discover and sign up for Tumblr.

Provide high-quality content with every app launch.

Facilitate easier user participation in conversations.

Retain and grow our creator base.

Create patterns that encourage users to keep returning to Tumblr.

Improve the platform’s performance, stability, and quality.

Below is a deep dive into each of these principles.

Principle 1: Expand the ways new users can discover and sign up for Tumblr.

Actions & Next Steps

Improving Tumblr’s search engine optimization (SEO) practices to be in line with industry standards.

Experiment with logged out tumblr.com to achieve the highest conversion rate for sign-ups and log-ins, explore ways for visitors to “get” Tumblr and entice them to sign up.

Principle 2: Provide high-quality content with every app launch.

Actions & Next Steps

Deliver great content each time the app is opened.

Make it easier for users to understand where the vibrant communities on Tumblr are.

Improve our algorithmic ranking capabilities across all feeds.

Principle 3: Facilitate easier user participation in conversations.

Actions & Next Steps

Address the confusion within replies and reblogs.

Improve the conversational posting features around replies and reblogs.

Allow engagements on individual replies and reblogs.

Make it easier for users to follow the various conversation paths within a reblog thread.

Remove clutter in the conversation by collapsing reblog threads.

Explore the feasibility of removing duplicate reblogs within a user’s Following feed.

Principle 4: Retain and grow our creator base.

Creators are essential to the Tumblr community. However, we haven’t always had a consistent and coordinated effort around retaining, nurturing, and growing our creator base.

Actions & Next Steps

Get creators’ new content in front of people who are interested in it.

Improve the feedback loop for creators, incentivizing them to continue posting.

Build mechanisms to protect creators from being spammed by notifications when they go viral.

Expand ways to co-create content, such as by adding the capability to embed Tumblr links in posts.

Principle 5: Create patterns that encourage users to keep returning to Tumblr.

Most importantly, our messages should be thoughtful and should never come across as spammy.

Actions & Next Steps

Conduct an audit of our messaging strategy.

Address the issue of notifications getting too noisy; throttle, collapse or mute notifications where necessary.

Identify opportunities for personalization within our email messages.

Test what the right daily push notification limit is.

Send emails when a user has push notifications switched off.

Principle 6: Performance, stability and quality.

Improve performance and stability: deliver crash-free, responsive, and fast-loading apps on Android, iOS, and web.

Improve quality: deliver the highest quality Tumblr experience to our users.

Move faster: provide APIs and services to unblock core product initiatives and launch new features coming out of Labs.

Conclusion

#tumblr #tumblr changes #staff #tumblr staff #everyone please add your thoughts #im sure theres more in here #but i ran out of steam

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