Also, only tangentially related to Current Events… sometimes it feels like tumblr users are especially hostile to the service they’re voluntarily using- is this something that’s just expected with social media sites, or is there something about the tumblr user base that’s especially vitriolic?
Again, thanks for doing asks!
Tumblr has an especially young userbase, and it has definitely reminded me of how cruel kids can be to each other, given me flashbacks to elementary and middle school. I would truly encourage anyone who thinks attacking everyone working on the site or any attempt to make it sustainable to consider the long-term ramifications of that approach.
By the numbers, however, I believe the super-trolls are a very small sub-0.5% percentage of Tumblr’s userbase, which is largely creative, supportive, artistic, and assumes good intent with the changes we make. However they can have an outsized impact, and this is one reason we are maintaining and even increasing our investment in Trust & Safety, which is the team that counters hate speech, bots, spam, trolling, attacks, and other anti-social behavior on Tumblr. Those bad actors will lose their accounts, and we will improve keeping them from registering new accounts right away and repeating the behavior.
The artistic, supportive part of Tumblr is one of the best places on the Internet. I’ve experienced moments of beauty and connection here that I haven’t anywhere else, and it’s why I love Tumblr deeply. It’s why the entire team cares, and we’ll do our best to support and allow that part of Tumblr to not just survive, but thrive.
I’ve bought more art from The Internet™ from Tumblr in the past few years than I have bought art in my entire life. Books, prints, etc <3