Meme-Loving Internet Could be Saved by Tumblr

December 08, 2022 By Monica Green

(Image Credit Google)

Tumblr used to be one of the world's largest meme factories. It was filled with amusing and creative content, however, its popularity has since declined. Where will the memes emerge now that Twitter is in disarray? The open, dynamic nature of the software that powers Mastodon, Microblogger, and other decentralized social spaces may resurrect Tumblr.

Federated Liberty

Tumblr will add support for ActivityPub, an open and decentralized social networking protocol. Consider it like email: an open protocol anybody can use that is interoperable between services. The social internet is currently divided into proprietary and mostly private spaces. Although Facebook appears to be a vast open space, the majority of it is hidden from view if you are not a member. If the social internet was formed on ActivityPub, you would be able to follow Twitter friends from Facebook and tweet to them from Tumblr and any other small independent service, just as you can email anyone using any email service. Tumblr

Tumblr would join this federated network rather than stand-alone. ActivityPub powers photo-sharing, file-sharing, and video-streaming services, among other things. If larger players such as Tumblr join, the impact could be profound and far-reaching. Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook, takes complete charge, but that doesn't mean he can make all decisions. Musk's Twitter appears to be transforming into an extreme right-wing hangout clubhouse. Zuckerberg's Facebook is a private intelligence-gathering machine, a database of human lives that violates privacy. You never know what will go viral, but it appears that a critical mass has already been reached. Tumblr may never reclaim its meme throne, but the fact that such a culturally important brand has joined this collective is significant.

By Monica Green

I am specialised in latest tech and tech discoveries.

Meme-Loving Internet Could be Saved by Tumblr

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