Tumblr’s memorable and praised reblog function was changed without notice or input from those who used the site. Although the site has been known to implement unneeded or unasked-for updates, this rollout caused enough uproar to prompt a petition and protest/blackout dates for a reversal of the new change that cycled the website.
For those unfamiliar with Tumblr, the nearly 20-year standing reblog function plays out as follows: you can reblog a person’s post and comment on it. That engagement contributes to the whole post, and OP gets notified on those additions. For any other blogger who enjoys your additions can reblog it, and you get notified of their interaction with your contribution, which gets added to the overall notes of that single post. No blogger is left out of the chain unless the blogger wishes to work up the chain or seek another person’s version of the chain.
The update breaks apart the chain of added comments made to an original post by giving the reblogged comment its own set of notes.
Many bloggers have brought up that this new feature not only crushes creators but also facilitates space for harassment. That the function is similar to social media site X/Twitter; something all Tumblr users dislike.
Blogger @anj-does-stuff explains the function in more depth.
Cutting ties to OP destroys credibility for those who post art, writings and musings. It forces bloggers to make a conscious effort to interact with the first post in the chain even if you enjoy the reblog commentary. Many bloggers have brought up that this new feature not only crushes creators, but also facilitates space for harassment. This results in lower engagement. As both a creator and a fan who reblogs other fan-works, that friction is a big deterrent for engagement.
Being a Tumblr user since late 2009s, I agree that snipping off engagement tethered to an OPs post defeats what makes Tumblr stand out from other social platforms. On Tumblr, supporting fan-works and cultivating a community is easy compared to its competitors. Being able to see what others contribute to a post is what builds conversation and community. I found comfort in the fandoms that find home on the platform. It helped me build confidence in myself and my hobbies. To see a conversation starting in one fandom only to end up in a completely different one is single-handedly the most magical experience.
With so many complaints towards staff from users both veterans and new comers, Tumblr released a public statement a day after implementing the change.
Let’s talk about reblog notes.
We rolled out a significant change to how notes work on reblogs, and the reaction has been strong. We’re not going to pretend otherwise.
First things first: We’re reversing the change. Your feedback in comments, emails, and especially reblogs, made clear that the rollout created problems we need to address before moving forward. We also should have communicated this differently from the start, and we didn’t.
We still believe there’s a better version of how reblogs can work. One that gives every voice in a chain the credit it deserves. But we want to get there with you.
In the coming days we’ll share more on how we plan to do that, including ways to work directly with some of you on this and future changes before they ship.
Keep an eye on @staff for updates to come soon.
The Tumblr community has been through a lot of half-effort adjustments by Tumblr staff. The statement leads to a retract of the feature while noting Staff “still believe there’s a better version of how reblogs can work.” According to users’ feedback there doesn’t seem to be a reason for improvement on the reblog function. Will Tumblr choose what’s best for the platform’s long-term functionality? Only the updates can tell.
