Tumblr is a vast and complex website, so
just how does one find
a place to belong?
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| Retrieved from http://lion-reine.tumblr.com/post/47544485032 |
Language has a great influence on Tumblr as
a place. It especially affects how a user perceives the social networking site.
As Yi-Fu Tuan writes in Language and the
Making of Place, “there is a moral dimension to speech as there is to
physical action” (1991, p.684). This means that the language used on Tumblr can
make a place seem warm and welcoming, or it can make it intimidating and
hostile. Both styles of writing are commonly seen on Tumblr. There are the
users that spread kind messages written gently and with cute emoticons who make
other users feel happy and view Tumblr as a positive place. However, there is
also the popular “aggressively passive” style, in which the user writes a post
about something generally positive but uses harsh language and swear words. The
message itself may not be malicious, but it does not cause the user to
associate Tumblr with happiness, as they did with the first one. An example of
the first style of writing can be seen here, and one of the second here.
Another aspect of Tumblr that contributes
to the sense of place is the use of pictures. The line “dispositions and
preferences come to be associated with certain classes” was mentioned during
the week five lecture and I believe it to be relevant to Tumblr (Van Luyn,
2015). While there aren’t exactly “classes” on the website, there are three
general sections to Tumblr: art, “fandom” and aesthetic, which are segregated
by the kind of pictures they post. Artistic users post pictures of their
creative works or share other people’s art that they like. “Fandom” type users,
meaning people who are fans of a piece of media such a television or book
series, post pictures related to their
fandom. Finally, aesthetic type users post abstract photos, which often do not
make sense or do not serve a purpose, because they are visually pleasing. By
“reblogging” a picture that corresponds to the desired section, a user can find
a place in that section and thus transform Tumblr from a space to a place where
they belong.
Reference
List
Tuan, Y. (1991) Language and the making of
place: A narrative-descriptive
approach. Annals of the Association of American
Geographers, 81(4),
pp.684-696.
Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/2563430
Van Luyn, A. (2015). BA1002: Our space: Networks, narrative and the
making of
place, Lecture 5: Stories and places. [Powerpoint Slides]. Retrieved from http://www.learnjcu.jcu.edu.au.
I agree with your post.post. Tumblr can definitely have a diifferent vibe depending on the language used.
ReplyDeleteThe quote there is a moral dimension to speech as there is to physical action (Tuan,Y.) Works well in this context.
The three different general sections of tumblr also use different language that is recognized as a sort of narrative in that particular section of tumblr. (artistic,fandom and aesthetic)
I completely agree the differences in the Tumblr spaces is very interesting but without the different spaces whats the point of Tumblr. The diverse field allows for such a variety of different combinations and types. The fighting and changing between the many blogs make for many diverse sets. When one blog meets another it is similar with it tends to absorb some of its space. The aggressively passive side is always good to, it allows for complements to be said without the awkwardness as the anger disperses the personal feeling. Also the fandom posters to to bond together very quickly making use of each others insights and art to make a diverse space.
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