WHAT NOW?: A LETTER TO TUMBLR
Saturday, April 04, 2015
Five
years. From 2009 to 2013, Tumblr had been a good form of entertainment,
addiction, and avenue for various types of learnings and discoveries, as well
as opportunities for expression and growth. Curiosity made me join the then
comparatively small bandwagon, but it was the fun and new-found love for it
that made me stay.
I think I
had started as a ‘repost blog’
(somewhat illegally so), since I didn’t know what ‘reblog’ meant before (I was afraid it would delete my account or
was a button I should just steer clear from haha). I just kept posting pictures
that I liked from wherever on the internet (without credits!) and started to
notice how mine had fewer to zero ‘notes’.
And that’s when I discovered the use of the reblog button. Wow, just wow, I know. Then my ‘repost
blog’ instantly became a ‘reblog
blog’ since there was no helping my hands that were quick to reblog
funny/cute posts.
I remember
my first theme being one of the works of Peter Vidani, the one you can change
theme colors directly, when your page is already up and running. Then I started
to look for other themes with cute little graphics all over them and started
installing background music for my site, which I admit, I had a hard time
figuring out how, haha.
This
“life” of mine continued for almost a year, merely just hopping from one theme
to another, changing my URL from time to time, and reblogging to my heart’s
content. (I would like to take this
moment to say that I’m typing this now as a word document and I’m surprised how
‘reblog’ isn’t accepted as a grammatically correct word yet after all these
years.)
Until I
stumbled upon Filipino personal blogs…
It changed
the game for me. Suddenly I wanted to share. I wanted to take my hobby of
writing in here as well. I wanted to post content that’s originally and purely
mine. I wanted to make real friends and receive real messages from real people,
not just from tumblrbot. Moreover, I wanted my site to reflect me, and I wanted
it to be mine. I wanted a blog.
So I spent
hours and days observing other blogs, reading their content, and looking into
their themes to you know, have some footing and a bit idea atleast. The patient theme-searching followed, nonstop
life-and-experiences sharing, and the eagerness to continue improving just
burned. I didn’t stop there. I started to look into the codes (something I’ve
NEVER done prior) and with max patience I could give, started learning and
understanding them. Big thanks to those
themes with organized and fairly understandable codes! Heck, I didn’t even
know what a sidebar was! But after many months I could tweak free themes on my
own however I wanted and friends even hired
me for the job.
I made
friends from all over the world, and some even stayed till today, even if our
ONLY form of communication is virtual and internet-dependent. Through sharing
my own thoughts and experiences, I ‘met’ people who had been there, or had been
going through something similar, and people who are quick to console, trying to
send some love through their computer screens from the other side of the globe.
Of course, the haters. Oh well not much to say about them than “Hi, I hope
you’re doing fine.” J
Five years
and I’m not famous, nor have I made a living. But for five years I have learned
so much and experienced so many ‘firsts’ and memories I shall always hold dear.
Tumblr, I am happy to have all these starting experiences with you. You gave me
ideas, footing, learnings and memories I don’t think I’ll ever forget. To the
friends I made, thank you, for letting me know I’m not alone, and that one way
or another we have the same struggles. To my readers, thank you, for hanging on
to every word, and for following me when I hop from one blog to another. To the
blogs I discovered, oh my gosh thank you! For the knowledge and life hacks, and
for bits of sanity you inject when needed.
I’m moving
platforms now. And I know this isn’t some really big deal because I am just
another blogger but still, I felt it just. It had been quite a ride. And I
wouldn’t have it any other way. I will disclose my new blog once I have some
content in it. J
Again,
thank you. It had been so much. ♥
2 comments
Tumblr was my blog platform since 2008 aka Tumblarity days. I've deleted my blog because it's far too embarassing to keep it until now but I have kept in touch with the friends I've made there through FB and Instagram.
ReplyDeleteP.S. I love your blog header!
www.intransitph.com
Glad to find someone with similar feels and experience! Hi Kristel, thanks! :) I visited your blog and wow, I think I'll revisit often! :)
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