2023 Tumblr Changes | Know Your Meme

Overview The 2023 Tumblr Changes refers to a set of policy and platform changes proposed by the management of the microblogging social network site Tumblr in the summer of 2023. The stated goal of these changes was to make the site more usable and attractive for new users. Upon the announcement, a large amount of the existing user base protested against the changes, especially the idea that the traditional Tumblr chronological feed could be replaced by an algorithmic one. Background The summer of 2023 was a moment of considerable change in the social media sector. New platforms like Threads and Bluesky sought to disrupt the balance of power while existing platforms and services underwent significant change and transformation. Some identified long-term trends like enshittification or argued that the long-term trends of Web3 and artificial intelligence posed a threat to internet culture in general.[1] Tumblr user numbers peaked in the mid-2010s, and by 2023, after changing hands a number of times and undergoing several controversial policy changes (notably around NSFW content in 2018) the platform had developed a specific niche in online culture but had been largely surpassed by competitors in terms of market share.[2] On July 10th, 2023, the official
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