#you know how tumblr users play with jpegs like dolls?

[luminousjellyfishy]

Hair = pink

[ghoulodont]

[anistarrose]

Imagine, for a moment, that your internet just stopped loading images one day. Your dash might look pretty different (and less usable), but at least you can still make posts — whether about your internet situation, or about completely unrelated topics.

Now, imagine that one or more of your posts blew up, to the tune of hundreds if not thousands of notes. Imagine people started adding images to your posts.

Imagine your post circulating almost entirely in the form with four or five images attached, and with everyone in the notes laughing about those images — except you, who started the post in the first place, who can't even see those images because you're trapped in Tumblr's loading gradient hellscape.

You're excluded from any further conversations on your own post, because someone added a mystery image with the caption "don't leave this in the tags," but you have no idea which set of tags it is, and can't tell if it's one of the good takes from the tags or one of the horrible takes from the tags. You're excluded from the Tumblr users playing with JPEGs like dolls. You can try to guess the contents of the images based on people's reactions, but it's hard. And no one adding images even seems to notice the irony.

This is, of course, a real problem plaguing Tumblr users with regularly slow internet. And it's also a huge, insidious problem plaguing blind and low vision people who rely on either screen readers, or image descriptions in combination with enlarged text on their device.

People with disabilities around comprehending images, people who have images (or gifs) disabled due to photosensitivity, and many others are also affected.

If you add an image to a post without either alt text, an in-post image description, or even both for maximal inclusivity, you don't know if OP — or the person whose tags you're peer reviewing, or whose reply you're screenshotting — will actually be able to see it. From their perspective, you might just be shoving a mystery rectangle in their face, expecting them to be able to guess — or responding to them without them being able to know.

Imagine being on the receiving end of that expectation constantly. Imagine how isolating that must feel.

We need, collectively, to stop making assumptions that everyone we interact with online will be able to access, physically see, and mentally process images. The assumption that disabled people are vanishingly rare and statistically shouldn't really need to be considered is an assumption of structural and/or implicit ableism.

Write image descriptions. Write image descriptions for every image you post, if you're able — but if you have limited energy, or you're still learning, you should at least start trying your absolute best to describe images you add to other people's posts. If you're starting a conversation, even an online conversation, you should make your best effort to be accessible.

So: Write IDs, especially if they're as simple as just text, like screenshotted tags (link to guide). Write IDs even if you think the best ID you can write is too short, or too incomplete (link to post explaining why even "bad" IDs help).

Write IDs in general (link to a huge compilation of guides). Challenge ableist assumptions and inaccessibility.

[hungwy]

you know tumblr users may "play with jpegs like dolls" but i think this also extends to how tumblr developers treat their website

[queenofbrooklyn]

Hi friends!! After many many years, I have a new icon!

In the spirit of tumblr users playing with jpegs like dolls, I made this today, Spot and Sarah on the rooftop!

(Please don't look at it too closely, you'll see how shoddy my work is)

If you're wondering wtf my icon used to be, it was this:

So now you hopefully know who I am

[alien-enjoyer]

ok i know i posted last night about how i have a different idea but this is the original idea (explained to patton)

i love throwing random headcanons at patton out of nowhere. good angsty ones too

[the-tumblur-searchbar]

I am mildly concerned about you. Especially related to this "void"

FINALLY!! I get a chance to Blogsona Lore Dump!!

Just because this might be long, I’m adding in a break here

ok hello hi welcome to an ✨unhinged lore dump✨

today we discuss my Blogsona!

All first person refers to my blogsona unless stated otherwise!

Artwork by me unless stated otherwise!

In case you haven’t seen, this is me!

There is also the version from when I went pink a few weeks ago:

Oh and we can’t forget the ✨amazing✨ design by @important-question-anon ! (Source: https://www.tumblr.com/important-question-anon/748203618360049664/ft-definitely-spencers-gifts-pinterest-real-and)

Just for clarity, all lore in this post relates to my own designs, as I have not yet figured out how Gabe’s design fits with mine. Scrap that, I just figured it out as I was typing!

ok basically, Gabe’s design is my default form, I’m like 7 foot tall (213 cm), am real skinny and am kinda insectoid (I love it)

My magnifying glass functions as a portal to The SeachbarVoid™️ where every single [tumblr] post ever can be found

If I put the magnifying glass onto my face in the same position as in my artwork, I undergo a transformation into the physical embodiment of the void (my artwork)

I imagine that it’s kind of similar to ‘The Empty Child’ from Doctor Who, where medical nanites mistake a gas mask as part of the human body, and fuse them onto human faces. For me, the magnifying glass becomes my face, and then sort of replaced my physical form with the SearchbarVoid™️

I’m not sure of my Void form’s height, but I think it’s around 6 foot (183 cm) when on all fours, and around 12 foot (366 cm) when standing up straight

I guess it’s time to talk about my powers! So you know the saying ‘[tumblr] users play with JPEG’s like dolls’, that’s basically my power, I can retrieve a physical version of any image that can be found on [tumblr].

When I’m in my AnthroForm (Gabe’s design) the physical versions are acquired by reaching into the magnifying glass (like when a magician pulls a rabbit out of a hat)

When I’m in my VoidForm (my design) the physical versions just kinda emerge from my body, as my body is the void in this form

I think that’s everything? If anyone has any questions feel free to ask!

[causeitsagame]

Fic: Aquila (5/?)

Pairing: Hajime Hinata/Fuyuhiko Kuzuryuu

Author:@miggylol

Notes: You know that meme about how "I love how Tumblr users play with jpegs like dolls"? That's how I feel about this fic, but with characters.

Previous Chapters: in the tag.

Excerpt: Fuyuhiko looked straight ahead. "If you ever want to talk about anything else, I'll always be up for listening."

Hajime smiled lopsidedly. "I'll probably never want to talk about anything that happened in the Project, honestly." His voice wavered and his gaze fell. He hadn't shared that memory earlier because he'd wanted to; it'd happened without his intent or permission. "Sometimes I might need to, though."

"If you ever need to talk, then."

"Thanks. I might take you up on that."

-----

The busted pens and coops were fixable, and so there was a path to solving the animal problem that had consumed the first island. "Did we warn the others to look for any chickens hiding in the boat?" Hajime wondered as they aligned a board for what would once again be a goat pen.

Fuyuhiko's gaze flattened as he pictured the animal population exploding onto other islands, too. Then, he visibly forced it out of his mind. "Wait, there's a problem. We forgot��"

"—A hammer," Hajime agreed as he stared down at the fence they were trying to fix. The old barn held extra boards and nails, but workers were apparently supposed to tote their own tools with them. Something caught his eye, and he bent down to palm a large, flat rock. "Don't worry, I've think I've got it."

From where he steadied the far end of the board, Fuyuhiko looked curiously at what Hajime was doing. "I guess that could—"

With nearly his full strength, Hajime slammed the rock against a protruding nail. A single blow buried it deeply in the aged hardwood post.

"Work," Fuyuhiko blankly finished, and couldn't help but stare.

"It'll work," Hajime agreed, and reached for a second nail.

Hours later, there was again a functioning ranch. Much of the fencing had still been usable, but even occasional holes had taken a long while to fix. The scope of the real islands felt very different from a small, tidy simulation, and a supply of animals steady enough to serve so many tourists needed big pens. After checking the lengthy fencing one last time, Hajime idly tossed the rock aside. Its surface was now marred by dozens of chips and scratches. He'd used some real force to hammer in those nails.

"And now, we try to track the fuckers down," Fuyuhiko prompted. "I saw a lot of animals near one of the hotels."

Recalling which one was being referenced, Hajime nodded and set off in that direction. The chosen path soon angled under foliage, thankfully, as the sun had grown demanding by this time of the day. That was another way in which the simulation had padded them in bubble wrap. Here on the real islands, they'd traded 'perpetual warmth' for 'actually damn hot, sometimes.'

"Hey."

Musings about whether that hotel would have working water for them fled Hajime's mind, and he glanced over to Fuyuhiko. Dappled light slid over the other man as they walked under the trees. The light occasionally caught his iris and gleamed like the sun had found its way to Earth. With real effort, Hajime focused on his words, instead. "Yeah?"

Fuyuhiko looked straight ahead. "If you ever want to talk about anything else, I'll always be up for listening."

Hajime smiled lopsidedly. "I'll probably never want to talk about anything that happened in the Project, honestly." His voice wavered and his gaze fell. He hadn't shared that memory earlier because he'd wanted to; it'd happened without his intent or permission. "Sometimes I might need to, though."

"If you ever need to talk, then."

"Thanks. I might take you up on that."

Fuyuhiko nodded, a quick jerk of his jaw. "Seems like the least I can do." His tight stance silently finished his statement: since I can't slit the bastards' throats, or put bullets in some skulls.

Hajime smiled again, then focused on how the two of them were here, now, instead of in that dying city from his dreams. In comfortable silence, they walked another five minutes before a very different topic escaped him. "Are you going to be fine with telling everyone about… you know?"

Confused, Fuyuhiko glanced at him as they walked. "We already talked about this. I'm taking the girls, yeah? So long as we don't ruin anyone's routines, they shouldn't whine too much."

"Right, I remember the plan. I just didn't know if you'd have a problem with telling them…" Hajime walked a few more steps, and did not complete his statement.

The meaningful silence only seemed to annoy Fuyuhiko, and he lifted an impatient hand to prompt Hajime to finish his thought.

There seemed to be one obvious explanation for why Fuyuhiko had uncharacteristically panicked on that first night, but being obvious didn't make it an easy topic to broach. So, Hajime just dumped the words messily in front of them. "Since we're guys."

Fuyuhiko actually drew to a stop, and blinked at him in clear confusion. "Huh?"

Okay, that wasn't the expression he'd expected. "I figured that's why you freaked, that first night. I hadn't really felt that way either, before," Hajime admitted. "But then I realized… that… hey, don't give me that look. It was a fair question to ask."

"You thought I'd have an issue with you being a guy," Fuyuhiko said, "and so you chased me down to my cottage and shoved your face right up into mine."

"At the time, I wasn't really thinking about—" Frustrated, Hajime cut off. What had the problem actually been, then? Was it simply been the surprise of feeling attracted to a friend? Of being worried about changing their relationship? Those options didn't seem right, either, for Fuyuhiko had sounded outright panicked and angry in equal measure. "Okay, fine. Then, just tell me why you ran off during that night on the beach."

"Right. That." Fuyuhiko's expression darkened further, and his gaze darted around toward anything but Hajime. "Don't worry about it."

"Hey," Hajime protested. Fuyuhiko had sped his pace, and he had to jog a few steps to catch up. "Hey, I told you something big. Can't you at least give me this?"

"I thought you didn't say that stuff on purpose," Fuyuhiko grumbled, but his words lacked their usual bite. Whatever the problem was, it had to pale in comparison to what Hajime had said, and he could hardly argue with a one-to-one trade under those conditions. After another few steps, he stopped, looked away, and muttered, "It's because you had me pinned down. I couldn't move at all."

Hajime's empty hand closed and opened where he'd held his rock-hammer, and he really considered the necessary force to do what he'd managed dozens of times. Fuyuhiko wasn't exaggerating; when Hajime pinned him like that, he'd as well be able to escape from a block of solid concrete. There was absolutely zero chance that he could even change his position, let alone break free. "Oh. Sorry?"

"I don't want to react like that when I feel… weak." Fuyuhiko spat the last word, and frustration filled his expression. "That's why I wanted you to get off. I know you're stronger than me. Than anyone. But that's not supposed to feel like a good thing."

Oh, Hajime realized with a dawning deeper awareness. This was actually bigger than he'd expected. Fuyuhiko had faced an entire lifetime of feeling like his own body was working against the role he'd been born into. Men that should have deferred to him by birthright instead scrutinized him to see if he was up to the task, and some even threw their (considerably greater) weight behind someone else. And then, while feeling helplessly slight and slender, he'd actually been turned on. Yeah. That'd fuck with his head.

Hajime considered the various angles of the situation, then suggested, "Maybe it was just being close? We weren't ever usually like… that." No, as friendly as they'd been, they certainly hadn't been on top of each other, or moving with short, breathy jerks.

Fuyuhiko looked at him with an instinctively stubborn glint to his eye, but he didn't argue against the idea that things were different than his worst-case scenario. "That's true enough."

"Uh… here," Hajime suggested, and walked over to a gentle, grass-padded slope under a broad tree trunk. He sprawled on the ground, with his back half propped against sturdy wood, and looked up. Fuyuhiko looked down at him with confusion. Above him, sunlight glinted through the shifting, wind-blown trees like it was reflecting off moving water. Hajime extended his hand. "You be on top, this time."

Startled, Fuyuhiko's cheeks darkened. "What?"

Grinning, Hajime stretched out his hand a bit further, insistently. "C'mon. Try sitting on top of me, this time. You'll know that it was just the two of us being close like that, if it still feels…" His humor suddenly fell away, and Hajime felt his own cheeks flush warm. His realization that he'd never even kissed anyone else before returned with abrupt, embarrassing force. When he continued, his voice rumbled lower. "If it still feels good."

With a slow nod, Fuyuhiko approached Hajime and studied him uncertainly. After a few uncomfortably long seconds, he declared "Fuck it," and straddled Hajime with none of his usual propriety.

The sudden weight on his thighs caught Hajime's breath in his throat, and he looked up at Fuyuhiko as he felt his heart speed. Dappled light still danced across him. Although a pleasant breeze had picked up to rustle the leaves and palm fronds, Hajime felt a sudden blazing heat wash over his body. Mindful of not holding Fuyuhiko in place, he ran his hands along shoulders, down arms, and finally forced his hands to grip the grass at his sides instead of the body on top of him.

Fuyuhiko stared down at him with an eye that had grown so dark that it glinted like the night sky. His uncertain hands traced down the thin cotton shirt over Hajime's chest, then up to gently hold his face. Their gazes met. For one painful moment as he stared into Hajime's eyes, Fuyuhiko's expression warped in renewed sympathy over the story he'd heard. His grip locked more firmly in place, and with deliberate intention, Fuyuhiko closed his eye and leaned down to meet Hajime's mouth with his.

Hajime's hands gripped the grass they held nearly hard enough to tug out clumps of earth. I'm letting him test this, he reminded himself as he forcibly kept his hands from roaming over the lithe body on top of him, like they wanted. Letting him take control.

The kiss deepened and Fuyuhiko's hips instinctively moved against Hajime. Now, Hajime's hands tightened enough to actually rip out the grass by its roots. Laying like this was taking every ounce of control he had, and a low, needy groan built deep in his chest.

"Hey."

Hajime's eyes flew open. "Yeah?"

Fuyuhiko's eye was half-lidded, and looked glassy under his heavy eyelashes. "You're right. I think… I think it was just us being close."

His arousal-fogged mind took a second to work through that. Good news, yeah? Fuyuhiko wasn't worried about what had turned him on, anymore? "So, I can hold you?" Hajime clarified. The words took effort to form; by now, some blood had migrated away from his brain.

Nodding, Fuyuhiko leaned back in. Hajime's hands instantly shot up to palm the side of his head and run down the curve of his back. He rocked his hips upward and felt the movement echoed against him. Pleasure and disbelief and raw need filled him, and for a while, Hajime reveled in not thinking.

"Wait," Fuyuhiko eventually said, though he sounded regretful.

The part of Hajime that was still governed by logic had expected this. The part of him on hormonal autopilot couldn't help but let out a pathetic whine of protest, soon stifled. Fuyuhiko had the most rigid sense of propriety that Hajime had ever encountered, and even after everything, it still mostly held. He probably didn't think that going further was solely for the bonds of marriage, but it was definitely for something more serious than 'only a couple of days.'

After he'd let out that instinctive complaint, Hajime very deliberately moved his hands away from Fuyuhiko, allowing him to stand up if he so chose.

Fuyuhiko didn't immediately stand, and as Hajime was reminded of the hot need burning in his own body, he thought he knew why. "Sorry," he murmured. "Just… this isn't supposed to be out on the grass like a couple of damn animals."

Hajime looked up at him through half-closed eyes. Fuyuhiko's face really had grown a bit more angular as he aged, and the work they'd needed to do was carving out muscles. Above him, dappled sunlight glinted and danced, and a breeze through the trees kept the temperatures in shadow as perfect as they'd been in the simulation. "Oh? Could be nice."

Closing his eye, Fuyuhiko breathed deeply and, for a long moment, did seem to consider it. "Not… the first time, anyway."

Fair enough. If he wanted Fuyuhiko Kuzuryuu—and Hajime clearly did, he thought with fogged amusement—then this was all part of the package deal. "Sure. You've got it."

Nodding, Fuyuhiko took a while to bring his breathing under steady control, then eventually climbed off him. Smiling ruefully, Hajime brushed away a few blades of grass clinging to him and took Fuyuhiko's offered hand to rise to his feet. They set back into silent motion. After a minute of awkward travel, Hajime said, "So. If I'd just flipped us over that first night, this could've all gone pretty differently."

Fuyuhiko's cheeks darkened and Hajime grinned. It was actually kind of fun to get that reaction from him, now that they were going down this path. "Not on the beach, either," Fuyuhiko mumbled.

"Never?" Hajime wondered, his grin widening.

"I already said." Fuyuhiko cleared his throat. "Not the first time."

Not the first time, right. But, after that…

A smile stayed in place as Hajime's memory roamed over the islands. He found himself thinking of the cultivated expanse of the fourth island. Here, it wasn't an oddly out-of-place theme park, but rather a single and almost impossibly manicured all-inclusive resort hotel. Now that he looked at it in a different light, there had to be some very interesting nooks and corners to claim.

The day wound steadily down and their ardor further calmed with each passing hour. By the end of the day's work, they were roping goats, carrying chickens, and laughing about how life's path had led them to do those things. "We're good for a while," Hajime announced as he and Fuyuhiko returned to the hotel restaurant, and displayed the roosters that they both carried in each hand.

Kazuichi stared at the birds with renewed sadness. Akane cheerfully reached for one and began plucking its feathers.

"Akane, please do that outside!" Sonia insisted, shooing her out. She handed over another of the birds to Kazuichi and indicated the same direction to him.

"Me?" he asked uncertainly, and looked at their dead dinner in his hands.

"Our own work was not especially draining, today. Meanwhile, Hajime and Fuyuhiko have exerted themselves on this project. I think it only fair if we shoulder this labor now." Sonia brightened. "I may even prepare the food, tonight!"

Kazuichi looked worriedly at Hajime.

Hajime nodded back in return. I'll supervise. Sonia had culinary dreams as grand as the greatest dining halls of Europe, and zero training to achieve them.

Relieved, Kazuichi nodded back and walked to join Akane.

"I will also help them," Sonia said, and grabbed for the two remaining birds. "But I just wanted to speak to you two privately, first. Regarding Hajime's intention to also move out of the hotel and into the cottages."

Fuyuhiko frowned. "Yeah? What's up?"

Sonia looked between them. "Will that location be enough privacy for you two, or should I again take Kazuichi and Akane to another island tomorrow?"

The men froze. After a moment, Hajime echoed, "Privacy?"

"For your romantic trysts." She took in their shock and murmured, "As court intrigues go, this is… fairly rudimentary." Her expression crinkled in amusement, and she added, "Unless I'm mistaken about the rapidly shifting dynamics between you two? Although I cannot think of any reason why repairing ranch fences would give you grass stains on your back, Hajime."

If they'd been planning to make another argument, their mutually red faces would have ruined it.

Sonia's amused gaze gained even more certainty, and she turned for the door.

For a moment, there was silence. Eventually, Fuyuhiko spoke up. "That counts as telling her."

[magicallittleponies]

So what does a DJ actually do?

You know how we say here that tumblr users play with jpegs like dolls?

You're basically doing that, but with songs instead.

[leven-thumps]

pet peeve when a post is good and someone adds the 'i love how tumblr users play with jpegs like dolls' like yeah we all get it. weve all seen it. weve all played with jpegs like theyre dolls. when u post the funny reference it kills it bro it kills the game. no one can play with the jpegs agter that. I PROMISE YOU WE KNOW TUMBLR LOVES TO PLAY WITH JPEGS LIKE THEYRE DOLLS

[sudoscience]

I like that we finally have image alt text in the app, but, uh, I feel like there's gotta be a better solution than this:

[Image Description: Screenshot of a screenshot of a post by tumblr user "g-a-y-g-o-y-l-e" that reads "i love how tumblr users play with jpegs like dolls." The button to view the alt text, a translucent black button with white text in all caps that says "ALT", is obscuring part of the text.]

In this case, I happen to already know what the text says, but you can imagine how this might be a problem for unfamiliar text. It doesn't go away when I click on the image either. Also, unlike image descriptions written in the body of the post (as above), you can't read the alt text in the event the image fails to load.

I'm not sure what I would do instead, but this ain't it.

[sneebl]

you know that thing about how tumblr users play with jpegs like dolls? yep

unholy amalgamation:

[koko-online]

There's a very specific type of person online who struggles with social norms and I get the sense that you don't mean TM to rude or break those barriers but just scrolling through your blog you do it so frequently. Like constantly commenting on other ppls posts. And I understand that you probably don't feel anything strange or even grasp how invasive that is, like constantly putting your opinion in/joking when you're not part of the original post. I mean this in a genuine way, are you 'older' or did you get your start online on different forums? Or spend a substantive amount of time on forums? Bc it's a very specific type of online presence usually started on like reddit/4chan/pretty liars ECT versus even like Twitter norms and Tumblr norms.

Sweetheart, Tumblr, twitter, 4chan, and reddit are all of the same era and have always been much more culturally similar than their respective users like to admit. I used to buy into the idea that they were different for different kinds of people with different subcultures, but whatever minor differences there were certainly don't exist anymore.

I am older, a child of the internet before any of these platforms, but I don't think that's relevant.

If you want something to be private where only your friends can see it, put it somewhere private where only your friends can see it. Curate your experience.

If you're making a post publicly, it's for the public to interact with however they want, barring harassment and such. Tumblr users play with jpegs like dolls, etc. If a post appears in front of me, has interactions enabled, it's free to interact with. Calling that invasive is wild.

That's the system you're choosing to participate in. I don't really know what else to say about it.

[doilydestroyer]

That is a very thorough reply, thank you!

I'm beginning to think the phrase "tumblr users love to use jpgs as dolls" isn't as common as it seemed when screenshots of tumblr posts on reddit were how I engaged with tumblr.

I've included links below to examples of what I meant. The question was specifically aimed at the part of astraltrickster's response about making memes of art.

reiterating because maybe we weren't clear the first time

reddit refugees, reblog art, don't repost it

if you really like someone's art, reblog it. you can do that by clicking the little looping arrows at the bottom of the post. this will make it so the art appears on your blog and shows up to your followers, but the op is still credited and given notes.

reposting does not give credit. and no, saying "artist is ___" as the caption doesn't count, unless you have permission given directly by the artist.

if you have a funny or pretty image on your phone that you saved from reddit, don't post it here on tumblr, because 99% of the time it came from tumblr. use a reverse image search to try and find the original tumblr post, and reblog that.

taking that extra five minutes to find the original post of an artist you love will absolutely brighten their day and make the entire world a better place.

please, I'm begging you. reblog art. don't repost it.

[x-authorship-x]

You know how Tumblr users play with jpegs like dolls? That's me inserting Shisui into every scenario and fandom possible, he is my always-in-the-splits Barbie doll ✨

Writer: I love this character so much, how can I make their life a living hell?